MAKHE sibe ngathi siphila kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-3 500 eyadlulayo. Sihlala kwisixeko saseYeriko, kwaKanan. Kwesi sixeko kuhlala intombazana egama linguRahabhi. Le ntombazana yazalwa emva kokuba uMoses ekhuphe amaSirayeli kubukhoboka baseYiputa wawaweza uLwandle Olubomvu olomileyo! Kule ndawo ayikho iradio, iTV okanye i-Internet, kodwa uRahabhi uyawazi lo mmangaliso wokomiswa kolwandle—nangona wenzeka kude nendawo ahlala kuyo. Uyazi ukuba wawuva phi?— *

Kucacile ukuba le mimangaliso ibaliswa ngabantu abatyelele kwesi sixeko. Njengoko ekhula uRahabhi uyayikhumbula into awayenzela abantu bakhe uYehova. Uyaphinda eve nezinye izinto ezimangalisayo ngamaSirayeli. Emva kokuhlala entlango iminyaka engama-40, amaSirayeli angena eKanan, yaye uYehova uwenza oyise naluphi na uhlanga alwa nalo. Ngoku uRahabhi uyeva ukuba amaSirayeli amise inkampu kufuphi neYeriko, phesheya koMlambo iYordan!

Kuthi ke ngobunye ubusuku kufike iindwendwe ezimbini kwaRahabhi, ziya apho kuba zisazi ukuba usebenza kwindawo ezidla ngokulala kuyo iindwendwe. Ngokwesiqhelo ke, uRahabhi uyazamkela ezi ndwendwe. Ebusuku, ukumkani waseYeriko uyeva ukuba iintlola zakwaSirayeli zingene eYeriko kwaye zifikele kwaRahabhi. Ngoko uthumela amadoda ukuba aye kuxelela uRahabhi ukuba akhuphe loo madoda angene kwakhe. Ngaba uyayazi into asele eyixelelwe ngala madoda uRahabhi, nento ayenzileyo?—

Kaloku ngaphambi kokuba afike amadoda athunywe ngukumkani, uRahabhi wayesele evile ukuba iindwendwe zakhe ziziintlola ezivela kwaSirayeli. Wawafihla eluphahleni lwendlu yakhe, waza wathi kumadoda athunywe ngukumkani: “Ewe, aye afika loo madoda kum . . . Kwathi, ukuvalwa kwesango, kwakuba mnyama, aphuma.” URahabhi wabe sele esithi: “Wasukeleni.”

Ucinga ukuba uRahabhi wayezifihlela ntoni ezo ntlola?— Uchaza isizathu esithi: “Ndiyazi ukuba uYehova ngokuqinisekileyo uza kuninika eli lizwe . . . Kuba siyivile indlela uYehova awawomisa ngayo amanzi oLwandle Olubomvu phambi kwenu ekuphumeni kwenu eYiputa.” Uye weva nangezinye iindlela uThixo awancede  ngazo amaSirayeli oyisa iintshaba zawo.

UYehova wayithanda into yokuba uRahabhi efihle iintlola njengoko iBhayibhile isitsho kumaHebhere 11:31. Wakholiswa naxa uRahabhi wayecenga ezo ntlola esithi: ‘Ndiye ndanenzela ububele bothando, ngoko ndifungeleni ukuba nani niya kumsindisa ubawo nomama nabantakwethu noodade wethu xa nihlasela iYeriko.’ Ezi ntlola zithembisa uRahabhi ukuba ziza kumhlangula ukuba uyayithobela imiyalelo yazo. Ngaba uyazi ukuba ithini le miyalelo yazo?—

Ithi: ‘Le ntambo yomsonto obomvu ufanele uyibophe efestileni, yaye uyihlo nonyoko nabantakwenu nayo yonke indlu kayihlo ufanele uyihlanganisele endlwini yakho. Ukuba uyayenza loo nto bonke abantu bakowenu baya kusindiswa.’ URahabhi wenza yonke into ekuthiwe makayenze. Uyazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni emva koko?—

AmaSirayeli afika ngaphandle kweendonga zeYeriko. Kangangeentsuku ezintandathu ajikeleza eso sixeko ethe cwaka. Ngosuku lwesixhenxe, asijikeleza kasixhenxe aze akhwaze kakhulu. Iindonga ziwa bhuma phantsi—ngaphandle nje kwalaa ndlu inentambo ebomvu ejinga efestileni! URahabhi nabantu bakowabo bayasinda.—Yoshuwa 2:1-24; 6:1-5, 14, 15, 20-25.

Sifunda ntoni kwinto eyenziwa nguRahabhi?— Kaloku akazange anele nje kukufunda ngezinto ezenziwa nguThixo ukuze akhusele abantu bakhe, kodwa naye wabanceda abantu bakaThixo xa babefuna uncedo. Naye uRahabhi wakhetha ukukhonza uYehova njengamaSirayeli! Ngaba nawe uza kukhetha ukukhonza uThixo?— Sithandazela ukuba nawe wenze loo nto.