U-Ruthe: Indaba Yothando LukaNkulunkulu OluhlengayoIsampula

KuRuthe 1, uNkulunkulu ukhombisa ukwethembeka Kwakhe kithi:

·UNkulunkulu uthembekile lapho singathembekile

·UNkulunkulu uthembekile lapho singenathemba

·UNkulunkulu uthembekile lapho sikhohlwa izithembiso zakhe.

U-Elimeleki, nomkakhe uNawomi, namadodana abo amabili baphila ngesikhathi eBhetlehema kunendlala. Ngokuvamile, indlala yayiwumphumela wokungalaleli okukhulu kuka-Israyeli uNkulunkulu. Ngalezo zikhathi, uNkulunkulu wavumela abantu bakhe ukuba bahlupheke ngenxa yendlala ukuze abakhuthaze ukuba baphenduke ezonweni zabo. Esikhundleni sokubuyela kuNkulunkulu, u-Elimeleki wafulathela uJehova futhi wathatha umndeni wakhe waya kwaMowabi. Bazama ukubalekela isijeziso sikaNkulunkulu kunokuba baphenduke. Kunjengokungathi u-Elimeleki uthi, “Uma uNkulunkulu engeke anginakekele mina nomndeni wami, khona-ke kuyomele ngithathele izinto ezandleni zami ngizenze ngokwami. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamzonda uMowabi nokukhulekela kwabo unkulunkulu wamanga, uKemoshi. Wayebatshelile ngokusobala abantu baKhe ukuthi bangazihlanganisi ngalutho noMowabi. U-Elimeleki wakhetha ukusinda kunokulalela. Ukunakekela umndeni wakhe kwakungesona isizathu sokwephula imiyalo kaNkulunkulu. Kodwa uNkulunkulu akabuyiseli ukungakholwa kwethu ngokufanayo (KwabaseRoma 3:3-4). Sizobona ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyohlala ethembekile nakuba babengathembekile.

Kwathi bekwaMowabi, u-Elimeleki namadodana akhe bafa, washiya uNawomi nomalokazana bakhe ababili, u-Orpa noRuthe. Ungacabanga ukuthi uNawomi wayebhekene nani? Emi phambi kwethuna lesithandwa sakhe sesithathu, uNawomi washayeka phansi. Wayesephelelwe ithemba. Futhi ukulahlekelwa umyeni wakhe namadodana kwadlula umndeni. Babengabafelokazi abathathu abampofu ezweni elinobutha bengenayo indlela yokuziphilisa.

Ubunzima buvame ukuphumela ekungabazeni uNkulunkulu. UNawomi wayengaboni icebo elikhulu likaNkulunkulu kodwa akazange angabaze ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu; walungabaza uthando nokunakekela kwakhe okumnene. Nokho, lapho izinto zibonakala zinzima kakhulu kubantu bakaNkulunkulu, ngokuvamile kuba nosuku olusondelayo lwesihe sikaNkulunkulu. UNkulunkulu unathi ezinsizini zethu. Kumele sikhumbule ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyohlala ethembekile ngisho nalapho sizizwa singenathemba.

Lapho abantu basedolobheni ababechichima injabulo bebingelela uNawomi, wabatshela ukuthi bambize ngoMara. UNawomi waba nomuzwa wokuthi wayeyisisulu solaka lukaNkulunkulu ngoba ‘wayemphathe ngomunyu. Ngenxa yalokho, wayeshintshe igama alinikwe uNkulunkulu (uNawomi, elisho “okujabulisayo”) elisekelwe ezimweni nasemizweni yakhe (uMara, okusho “okumunyu”). UNawomi wayengaboni ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayemgcinele izinto “ezijabulisayo”. Wawushintsha umbono wakhe ngeqiniso, futhi kanye nawo, wawuchaza kabusha umqondo wakhe ngoNkulunkulu. UNawomi wayengasamboni uNkulunkulu njengothembekile nonothando kuye. Wayengakwazi ngisho “ukumbona” uRuthe owayemi eduze kwakhe. URuthe, owamemezela uthando nokuzinikela okungapheli kuNawomi, kungenzeka wacabanga, “Ngimi lapha!” UNawomi wayesekhohliwe izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu (uDuteronomi 31:8). UNawomi wakhohlwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamthembisa ukuthi uzakuba naye futhi angeke amshiye noma amlahle. Nokho, uNkulunkulu uthembekile, ngisho nalapho sikhohlwa izithembiso zakhe.

Kuwo wonke umBhalo, sikhunjuzwa ngothando lukaNkulunkulu olungaguquki. Ezimweni ezihlukahlukene ekuphileni kukaNawomi, uthando lukaNkulunkulu ngaye lwalungashintshile. Lapho u-Elimeleki noNawomi befulathela uNkulunkulu, wahlala ethembekile. UNkulunkulu wahlala ethembekile lapho uNawomi ezizwa engenathemba ngemva kokushonelwa umyeni wakhe namadodana akhe amabili. Lapho esezikhohliwe izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wakhumbula ezakhe. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi izimo sizithola sikuzo, singathembela futhi ekutheni uNkulunkulu uzothembeka kithi. Angeke abalahle abantwana Bakhe.

Wake wazizwa unomunyu noma uphelelwe ithemba njengoNawomi? Ingabe uphuthelwe izibusiso ezikuzungezile ngenxa yokuthi ubugxile ezinhlungwini zakho? Sonke sivamise ukukhohlwa izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu kithi futhi siphile njengezintandane esikhundleni sezindlalifa zombuso waKhe. Yiziphi ezinye zezinto ongazenza ukuze uzikhumbuze ngokwethembeka kukaNkulunkulu?