URahabi—Kwathiwa Ulungile Ngenxa Yemisebenzi Yokholo

AKE ucabange nje! Isifebe kuthiwe silungile ngokombono kaNkulunkulu. “Ngeke kwenzeke!” abaningi bangasho kanjalo. Nokho, yilokho okwenzeka esifebeni esinguRahabi waseJeriko, umuzi wasendulo waseKhanani.

Umlobi weBhayibheli uJakobe uyabhala: “Umuntu uyalungisiswa ngemisebenzi‚ kungengokukholwa kuphela. Kanjalo-ke noRahabi isifebe wayengalungisiswa ngemisebenzi yini‚ ezamukele izithunywa eziphumisa ngenye indlela na? Ngokuba njengalokhu umzimba ngaphandle komoya ufile‚ kanjalo nokukholwa ngaphandle kwemisebenzi kufile.” (Jakobe 2:24-26) Kungani kwathiwa uRahabi ulungile? Yini ayenza eyenza wanikezwa ukuma okuyilungelo elingaka kuNkulunkulu?

Ama-Israyeli Ayeza!

Ake sicabangele unyaka ka-1473 B.C.E. Ake ubone lesimo ngamehlo engqondo. IJeriko livikelekile kakhulu. Phezu kwezindonga zomuzi kunendlu kaRahabi isifebe. Kulendawo ephakeme, cishe angakwazi ukubuka ngasempumalanga ngasemanzini adla izindwani omfula iJordani. (Joshuwa 3:15) Ngasosebeni lwawo olungasempumalanga, wayengabona ama-Israyeli ekanisile, kanye namabutho empi angaphezu kuka-600 000. Aqhele ngamakhilomitha ambalwa kuphela!

URahabi ufundile ngezenzo zama-Israyeli zobuqhawe empini. Uzwile nangokubonakaliswa kwamandla kaJehova, ikakhulukazi ngokuvula indlela yokuba ama-Israyeli adlule oLwandle Olubomvu. Khona-ke, ngokuqinisekile amanzi adla izindwani eJordani ayengeke abe isithiyo. Lesi isikhathi senhlekelele! URahabi uzosabela kanjani?

URahabi Uthatha Ukuma Kwakhe

Ngokushesha, uRahabi uthola izivakashi ezimbili abengazilindele—izinhloli ezivela ezinkanjini zama-Israyeli. Zifuna indawo yokulala, futhi uyazamukela emzini wakhe. Kodwa kuyafika ezindlebeni zenkosi yaseJeriko ukuthi zikhona. Ngokushesha ithumela izikhulu zayo ezinakekela ukugcinwa komthetho ukuba zizivalele etilongweni.—Joshuwa 2:1, 2.

Lapho izikhulu zenkosi zifika, uRahabi usekuthathile ukuma kwakhe ngakuJehova uNkulunkulu. “Khipha lawomadoda afikile kuwe,” kumemeza ngenkani izithunywa zenkosi. URahabi izinhloli uzifihle ezinhlangeni zefilakisi ezazibekwe ophahleni ukuze zome. Uthi: “Kunjalo; amadoda afika kimi, kepha ngangingazi ukuthi avelaphi; kwathi ngesikhathi sokuvalwa kwesango [lomuzi] lapho sekumnyama, amadoda aphuma; angazi ukuthi ayaphi lawomadoda; sheshani niwaxoshe, ngokuba niyakuwafica.” (Joshuwa 2:3-5) Amadoda athunywe inkosi akwenza lokho—kodwa abuya nenduku yombangandlala.

URahabi uzidukisile izitha. Ngokushesha uthatha ezinye izinyathelo ezibonisa ukuba kwakhe nokholo emisebenzini kaJehova. Ugibela ophahleni futhi utshela izinhloli: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uJehova uninikile izwe.” URahabi uyavuma ukuthi zonke izakhamuzi zezwe ziyesaba ngoba zizwile ukuthi uNkulunkulu “womisa amanzi oLwandle oluBomvu” phambi kuka-Israyeli eminyakeni engu-40 ngaphambili. Abantu bayazi nokuthi ama-Israyeli aqothula amakhosi amabili ama-Amori. URahabi uthi: “Sathi sikuzwa lokho, izinhliziyo zethu zaphela amandla, akwabe kusabakho-sibindi kumuntu phambi kwenu, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu unguNkulunkulu ezulwini phezulu nasemhlabeni phansi.”—Joshuwa 2:8-11.

 URahabi uyanxusa: “Ake nifunge manje uJehova kimi, njengokuba nginenzele umusa, ukuba nani niyenzele indlu kababa umusa, ningiphe uphawu oluqinisileyo, nisindise ubaba, nomame, nabafowethu, nawodadewethu, nabo bonke abanabo.”—Joshuwa 2:12, 13.

Lamadoda ayavuma futhi atshela uRahabi lokho okufanele akwenze. Efasiteleni lakhe kufanele alengise intambo ebomvu ayeyisebenzisele ukwehlisela lezinhloli phansi ngaphandle kwezindonga zaseJeriko. Kufanele aqoqele umkhaya wakubo endlini yakhe, okufanele uhlale kuyo ukuze uvikeleke. URahabi unikeza izinhloli ezihambayo ukwaziswa okuwusizo ngokuphathelene nomumo wezwe futhi uzitshela nendlela ezingababalekela ngayo labo abazifunayo. Nangempela izinhloli zababalekela. Ngemva kokulengisa intambo ebomvu nokuqoqa amalungu omkhaya wakubo, uRahabi ulindela ezinye izenzakalo.—Joshuwa 2:14-24.

Yini uRahabi ayenzile? Phela, ubonise ukuthi unokholo kuNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, uJehova! Uyophila ngokuvumelana nezindinganiso zakhe. Yebo, uyakuthiwa ulungile ngenxa yemisebenzi enjalo yokholo.

Zawa Izindonga!

Kudlula amasonto ambalwa. Ekanye nabapristi—amanye ephethe amacilongo ejubili futhi amanye ethwele umphongolo ongcwele wesivumelwano—amadoda empi akwa-Israyeli azungeza iJeriko. Sekuyizinsuku eziyisithupha manje belokhu benza lokhu kanye usuku ngalunye. Nokho, ngalolusuku lwesikhombisa sebewuzungeze izikhathi eziyisithupha umuzi. Nabo-ke bayaphinda futhi!

Sebekuqedile ukuwuzungeza ngokwesikhombisa, ukukhala kwamacilongo okukhulu kuzwakala yonke indawo. Ama-Israyeli manje akhamuluka ngamandla. Kulokho, uJehova ubangela ukuba izindonga zaseJeriko eziyisivikelo zidilike ngomsindo ondindizelayo. Ingxenye esekele indlu kaRahabi kuphela esala imile.  Yonke enye ingxenye yomuzi nabahlala kuyo iyabhujiswa. Ngenxa yokholo lwaso olwaboniswa ngemisebenzi, isifebe esiphendukile siyasindiswa kanye nabendlu yaso, futhi siqala ukuhlala nabantu bakaJehova.—Joshuwa 6:1-25.

Ukuhlola Izimfanelo ZikaRahabi

URahabi wayengesiye owesifazane oyivila, ototoswayo, ngoba phezu kophahla lwakhe kwakunezinhlanga zefilakisi ezazomiswa elangeni. Imicu yefilakisi yayingasetshenziselwa ukwenza ilineni. Endlini kaRahabi kwakukhona nokhuni lwentambo ebomvu. (Joshuwa 2:6, 18) Ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi wayehilelekile ekukhiqizeni ilineni futhi ngokunokwenzeka enolwazi lobuchwepheshe lokushintsha umbala. Yebo, uRahabi wayengowesifazane okhuthele. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, wayefinyelele ekumesabeni okunenhlonipho uJehova.—Qhathanisa nezAga 31:13, 19, 21, 22, 30.

Yimuphi omunye umsebenzi uRahabi ayewenza? Wayengesiye nje owesifazane owamukela izivakashi endlini yezivakashi. Cha, imiBhalo imchaza ngokusebenzisa amagama esiHeberu nesiGreki asho isifebe. Ngokwesibonelo, igama lesiHeberu elithi zoh·nahʹ njalo libhekisela ebuhlotsheni obungemthetho. Ngenhlanhla, kubantu baseKhanani ubufebe babungesilo ibhizinisi elenyanyekayo ngokokuziphatha.

Ukusebenzisa kukaJehova isifebe kubonisa isihe sakhe esikhulu. Ukubonakala kwangaphandle kungasikhohlisa, kodwa uNkulunkulu “ubheka okusenhliziyweni.” (1 Samuweli 16:7) Ngakho, izifebe ezinenhliziyo enhle eziphendukayo ebufebeni bazo zingathola intethelelo kaJehova uNkulunkulu. (Qhathanisa noMathewu 21:23, 31, 32.) URahabi ngokwakhe waphenduka esonweni wathatha inkambo yokulunga enokuvunyelwa kwaphezulu.

Izinhloli zakwa-Israyeli zaziphila ngokuvumelana noMthetho kaNkulunkulu, ngakho azizange zilale endlini kaRahabi ngenxa yezizathu zokuziphatha kabi. Kungenzeka ukuthi isizathu sazo sasiwukuthi kwakungenakusoleka kalula ukuba kwazo sendlini yesifebe. Ukuba kwayo sodongeni lomuzi nakho kwakuyokwenza kube lula ukubaleka. Ngokusobala uJehova waziholela esonini esasithintwe imibiko yokusebenzelana kukaNkulunkulu nama-Israyeli kangangokuba saphenduka futhi sashintsha izindlela zaso. Amazwi kaNkulunkulu okuthi ama-Israyeli kwakufanele abhubhise amaKhanani ngenxa yezenzo zawo zokuziphatha  okubi, kanye nesibusiso sakhe kuRahabi nasekunqotshweni kweJeriko, kwenza kube sobala ukuthi izinhloli azizange ziziphathe kabi.—Levitikusi 18:24-30.

Kuthiwani ngamazwi akhohlisayo kaRahabi kulabo ababefuna izinhloli? UNkulunkulu wayivumela inkambo yakhe. (Qhathanisa namaRoma 14:4.) Wazifaka engozini ukuze avikele izinceku zakhe, enikeza ubufakazi bokholo lwakhe. Nakuba amanga alimazayo emabi emehlweni kaJehova, umuntu akabophekile ukwembula ukwaziswa okuyiqiniso kubantu abangakufanelekeli. Ngisho noJesu Kristu akazange anikeze imininingwane egcwele noma izimpendulo eziqondile lapho ukwenza kanjalo kwakungaletha ukulimala okungadingekile. (Mathewu 7:6; 15:1-6; 21:23-27; Johane 7:3-10) Ngokusobala, inkambo kaRahabi yokudukisa izithunywa zesitha kufanele ibhekwe ngokwalowomqondo.

Umvuzo KaRahabi

URahabi wavuzwa kanjani ngenxa yokubonisa ukholo? Ukulondolozwa kwakhe phakathi nokubhujiswa kweJeriko ngokuqinisekile kwakuyisibusiso esivela kuJehova. Kamuva, washada noSalimoni (Salima), indodana yesikhulu sasehlane uNaheshoni wesizwe sakwaJuda. Njengabazali bakaBowazi owayesaba uNkulunkulu, uSalimoni noRahabi bakha ukuxhumana kohlu lozalo olwaholela eNkosini uDavide yakwa-Israyeli. (1 IziKronike 2:3-15; Ruthe 4:20-22) Okubaluleke kakhulu, uRahabi owayeyisifebe ungomunye wabesifazane abane kuphela ababalwayo ohlwini lozalo lukaJesu Kristu olunikezwa uMathewu. (Mathewu 1:5, 6) Yeka isibusiso esivela kuJehova!

Nakuba ayengesiye um-Israyeli futhi ake aba isifebe, uRahabi uyisibonelo esivelele sowesifazane owabonisa ngemisebenzi ukuthi wayenokholo oluphelele kuJehova. (Heberu 11:30, 31) Njengabanye abantu, abanye babo abaye bakushiya ukuphila kobufebe, uyothola omunye umvuzo—ukuvuswa kwabafileyo avuselwe ekuphileni emhlabeni oyipharadesi. (Luka 23:43) Ngenxa yokholo lwakhe olusekelwe ngemisebenzi, uRahabi wazuza ukuvunyelwa kukaBaba wethu wasezulwini onothando nothethelelayo. (IHubo 130:3, 4) Futhi ngokuqinisekile isibonelo sakhe esihle sinikeza isikhuthazo kubo bonke abathandi bokulunga sokuba babheke kuJehova uNkulunkulu ukuze bathole ukuphila okuphakade.

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URahabi kwathiwa ulungile ngoba imisebenzi yakhe yabonisa ukuthi wayenokholo

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Abavubukuli baye bavubukula izinsalela zeJeriko lasendulo, kuhlanganise nengxenye encane yodonga lwesikhathi esidlule

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Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.