IZwi LikaNkulunkulu Liphilile
URuthe Wabazisa Abantu BakaNkulunkulu
LONA owesifazane osemusha okhangayo lapha nguRuthe, owayehlala kwaMowabi, empumalanga yoLwandle Olufile. Ngisho nakuba akhulela phakathi kwabakwaMowabi ababekhonza onkulunkulu bamanga, ushisekela ukukhonza uNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, kanye nabantu bakhe bakwaIsrayeli. (Numeri 25:1-5) Lapho ethola lelithuba, ulibamba ngokuzimisela okumenza athandeke kwabanye abakhulekeli bakaJehova abamazi ‘njengowesifazane olungileyo.’—Ruthe 3:11.
Indlala kwaIsrayeli yanikeza uRuthe lelithuba lokukhonza uJehova. Ngenxa yendlala, umkhaya wabantu abane emzini waseBetlehema wathuthela ezweni lakwaMowabi. Yilomkhaya esiwubona lapha—uElimeleki, umkakhe uNawomi namadodana abo uMahaloni noKiliyoni. Kodwa ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho uElimeleki uyafa. Kamuva uMahaloni ushada noRuthe, futhi uKiliyoni ushada enye yezintombi zakwaMowabi egama layo linguOrpa. Ngakho enakho kokubili indoda nomamezala okhonza uJehova, uRuthe ufinyelela ekwazini uNkulunkulu weqiniso.
Nokho, kungakabi isikhathi eside kamuva, bobabili uMahaloni noKiliyoni bayafa, beshiya abesifazane abathathu bengenamadoda noma abantwana. Ungase ukucabange nje ukudabuka kwabo. Bazokwenzenjani? UNawomi uzwa ukuthi indlala kwaIsrayeli isiphelile. Ngakho unquma ukubuyela kubantu bakubo eBetlehema. URuthe no-Orpa bamthanda kakhulu uninazala futhi bahamba naye. Kodwa ngemva kokuhamba isikhashana endleleni, uNawomi, njengoba ungabona, utshela omalokazana bakhe: ‘Buyelani ekhaya nihlale nonyoko.’
UNawomi uvalelisa omalokazana bakhe ngokubanga, futhi baqala ukukhala. Hayi, kepha sobuyela nawe kubantu bakini,” bekhala. UNawomi uyancenga: ‘Kumelwe nibuyele emuva madodakazi ami.’ Ngakho uOrpa uqala indlela yakhe eya ekhaya. Nokho, uRuthe akahambi.
UNawomi uphendukela kuRuthe athi: “Buya nawe, umlandele umnakwenu.” Kodwa uRuthe uphendula ngokuzimisela okwanelisayo: “Ungangincengi ukuba ngikushiye, ngibuye, ngingakulandeli, ngokuba lapho uyakhona, ngiyakuya khona nami, nalapho uhlala khona, ngiyakuhlala khona nami; abantu bakho bayakuba-ngabantu bami, uNkulunkulu wakho abe-nguNkulunkulu wami.” (Ruthe 1:1-17) Ngakho uRuthe ubuya noNawomi futhi uba yingxenye yabantu bakaNkulunkulu bakwaIsrayeli.
Ingabe wena njengoRuthe, uye wamazi uNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, nabantu abamkhonzayo? Uma kunjalo, sengathi ungaba nokuzimisela okufanayo kokunikeza ukusekela kokwethembeka ezincekwini zikaJehova namuhla njengoba uRuthe enza mandulo!
[Ibalazwe elisekhasini 8]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi kumi kanjani, bheka encwadini)
ULWANDLE OLUFILE
KWAMOWABI