KHAWUBE nomfanekiso ngqondweni kaNowa esolula umqolo wakhe kunye nezihlunu zakhe ezibuhlungu. Khawumbone ethe vu kwisiphunzi somthi ejonge loo mkhombe mkhulu njengoko ephumle emva kokusebenza nzima. Ivumba elibi letela linuka kuyo yonke indawo; isandi sezixhobo zokusebenza naso sivakala sivakele. Kwindawo ahleli kuyo, uNowa ubukele oonyana bakhe njengoko besebenza nzima kuloo bhazabhaza womkhombe. Sele kudlule amashumi eminyaka yena, umfazi wakhe, oonyana bakhe kunye nabafazi babo besebenza kulo mkhombe. Mninzi umsebenzi abasele bewenzile, kodwa ke kusekude phambili!

Abantu bendawo ahlala kuyo bacinga ukuba uNowa nentsapho yakhe bashiywe ziingqondo. Okukhona ubonakala ukuba lo mkhombe uza kuba njani, kokukhona abantu behleka balale ngomqolo xa besiva uNowa esithi kuza umkhukula oza kutshabalalisa wonke umhlaba. Le ntlekele athi uNowa iyeza ivakala iyintsomi emini! Abantu bacinga ukuba iphambene le ndoda eye yachitha ubomi bayo kunye nobentsapho yayo isakha lo mkhombe. Noko ke, kuThixo wakhe uYehova, uNowa akasosidenge.

ILizwi likaThixo lithi: “UNowa wahamba noThixo oyinyaniso.” (Genesis 6:9) Yayitheth’ ukuthini loo nto? Yayingathethi kuthi uThixo wayehamba emhlabeni okanye uNowa yena waya ezulwini. Kunoko, uNowa wamthanda uThixo waza wamthobela kangangokuba kwaba ngathi bahamba kunye oku kwabahlobo. Kumawakawaka eminyaka kamva, iBhayibhile yathi ngoNowa: “[Ngokholo lwakhe] waligwebela isohlwayo ihlabathi.” (Hebhere 11:7) Yenzeka njani loo nto? Thina, sinokufunda ntoni kukholo lwakhe?

UNowa wakhulela kwihlabathi elalisiya lisonakala. Elo hlabathi lalisele lonakele nangemihla kakhokho wakhe uEnoki, enye indoda elilungisa eyahamba noThixo. UEnoki wayeprofetile esithi iyeza imini ababeza kugwetywa ngayo abantu abangendawo. Kodwa ke, ngemihla kaNowa obo bungendawo babuqatsele. Eneneni, kuYehova umhlaba wawonakele kuba wawuzaliswe lugonyamelo. (Genesis 5:22; 6:11; Yude 14, 15) Kwakonakele phi?

Intlekele yehla phakathi kweengelosi zikaThixo. Kaloku enye yazo yayisele iyinjubaqa eyavukela uYehova yaza yaba nguSathana uMtyholi, owangcolisa igama likaThixo waza walukuhla uAdam noEva ukuba bone. Ngemihla kaNowa, nezinye iingelosi zavukela ulawulo lukaYehova. Zashiya izikhundla zazo zasezulwini zaza zeza emhlabeni, apho zafika zazenza abantu zaza zatshata nabafazi abahle. Ezo njubaqa zeengelosi zabafaka umoya wezikhova abantu.—Genesis 3:1-5; 6:1, 2; Yude 6, 7.

Ukulala kweengelosi kunye nabafazi kwabangela ukuba abo bafazi bazale oonyana ababebakhulu yaye benamandla ngendlela egqith’ emgceni. IBhayibhile iwabiza ngokuba ziiNefili la makhwenkwe, igama elithetha ukuthi “Abawisi”—okanye abo bawisa abanye. Ezi Nefili zazingoophuma silwe ababexhaphaza abantu, ibe zafaka isandla ekwenzeni ukuba umhlaba uzaliswe ngabantu abangenatarhu nabangamthobeliyo uThixo. Kungenxa yoko le nto uMdali wajonga umhlaba waza wabona ukuba “ububi bomntu bandile emhlabeni yaye zonke iingcamango zentliziyo yakhe zityekele ebubini ngalo lonke ixesha.” UYehova wagqiba kwelokuba abusiphule kunye neengcambu  bonke ububi obabusemhlabeni ngelo xesha, ingekapheli iminyaka eli-120.—Genesis 6:3-5.

Khawuthelekelele indlela ekufanele ukuba kwakunzima ngayo ukukhulisa abantwana kwelo hlabathi! Kodwa ke uNowa wabakhulisa abakhe. Wafumana umfazi onengqondo. Emva kokuba uNowa eneminyaka engama-500 ezelwe, umfazi wakhe wamzalela oonyana abathathu—uShem, uHam noYafete. * UNowa nomkakhe kwafuneka baqeqeshe oonyana babo ukuze bangafani neenjubaqa ezazibangqongile. Amakhwenkwana adla ngokuwathanda ‘amadoda azizigantsontso’ okanye ‘amadoda adumileyo’—ngoko zazithandwa kakhulu iiNefili. UNowa nomfazi wakhe babengenakukwazi ukubavala iindlebe abantwana babo ukuze bangeva kwanto ibaliswa ngezi zigantsontso, kodwa ke babenokukwazi ukubafundisa inyaniso ngoYehova uThixo, obuthiye bonke ubungendawo. Kwakufuneka bafundise oonyana babo ukuba uYehova wayengabuthandi ubundlobongela nokusa okwakugquba emhlabeni ngelo xesha.—Genesis 6:6.

Abazali banamhlanje bayiqonda kakuhle imeko kaNowa nomfazi wakhe. Ihlabathi namhlanje lizaliswe bubundlobongela nokuqaqadeka kwezimilo. Obu bundlobongela nokuqaqadeka kusasazeke nakwizinto abonwatyiswa ngazo abantwana. Abazali abazizilumko benza konke abanokukwenza ukuze bakhusele abantwana babo ngokubafundisa ngoThixo woxolo uYehova, oza kulusiphula kunye neengcambu ugonyamelo. (INdumiso 11:5; 37:10, 11) Abantwana banako ukuba nesimilo nangona bephila kwihlabathi elonakeleyo! UNowa nomkakhe baphumelela. Oonyana babo bakhula benesimilo baza batshata nabafazi ababemxabisa uYehova uThixo.

Kwafika imini apho ubomi bukaNowa batshintsha ngonaphakade. UYehova wathetha nalo mkhonzi wayemthanda waza wamxelela ukuba uza kulitshabalalisa elo hlabathi. UThixo wayalela uNowa esithi: “Zenzele umkhombe ngomthi onentlaka.”—Genesis 6:14.

Lo mkhombe wawungeyonqanawa njengoko abanye becinga. Wawungenalo iphini eziqhutywa ngalo izikhephe ezininzi. Wawungubhazabhaza nje webhokisi. UYehova waxelela uNowa indlela awayefanele awakhe ngayo, kuquka nendlela awayefanele awuqabe ngayo ngetela. Wachazela uNowa isizathu soko esithi: “Ndizisa unogumbe wamanzi . . . Yonke into esemhlabeni iya kubhubha.” Noko ke, uYehova waphinda wathi kuNowa: “Umele ungene emkhombeni, wena kunye noonyana bakho nomfazi wakho nabafazi boonyana bakho.” UNowa wayefanele afake ezithile kuzo zonke iintlobo zezilwanyana. Zezo zazisemkhombeni kuphela ezaziza kusinda xa kufika uMkhukula!—Genesis 6:17-20.

UNowa kwakufuneka enze umsebenzi onzima. Lo mkhombe wawuza kuba mkhulu—kwakufuneka ube ziimitha ezili-133 ubude, ube ngama-22 ububanzi uze ube zezili-13 ukuphakama. Wawumkhulu kude lee kunayo nayiphi na inqanawa eyenziwe ngomthi kwezakha zakho namhlanje. Ngaba uNowa wala ukusebenza, ekhalazela iingxaki zomsebenzi wakhe okanye watshintsha umkhombe kuba efuna kube lula ukuwenza? IBhayibhile iyaphendula: “Wenza ke uNowa njengako konke oko uThixo  abemyalele kona. Wenza kanye njengoko.”—Genesis 6:22.

Lo msebenzi wawenza kangangeminyaka emalunga nama-40 ukuya kwengama-50. Kwakufuneka agawule imithi, ayirhuqe, ayisarhe, ayenze ibe yile nto ayifunayo aze ayibethelele. Umkhombe kwakufuneka ube nemigangatho emithathu, ube namacandelo kunye nomnyango ecaleni. Kuyabonakala ukuba wawuneefestile kunye nophahla olwalwenziwe ngendlela yokuba lukwazi ukutyekeza amanzi.—Genesis 6:14-16.

Njengoko iminyaka yayihamba yaye nokwakhiwa komkhombe kuhambela phambili, uNowa ufanele ukuba wayevuya njengoko ebukele intsapho yakhe isebenza nzima! Kwakukho nomnye umsebenzi ekufanele ukuba wawunzima nangaphezu kokwakha umkhombe. IBhayibhile ithi uNowa ‘wayengumshumayeli wobulungisa.’ (2 Petros 2:5) Ngoko waba nesibindi sokulumkisa abantu abangendawo ukuba baza kutshabalala. Bathini abantu xa besiva eso silumkiso? UYesu Kristu wathetha ngabantu bomhla kaNowa esithi, “abazange banikele ngqalelo.” Wathi babexakeke gqitha—besitya, besela yaye betshata—kangangokuba abazange bamphulaphule uNowa. (Mateyu 24:37-39) Ngokuqinisekileyo abaninzi bamhleka yena nentsapho yakhe; kusenokwenzeka ukuba abanye babemsongela ngokumbetha.

Sekunjalo, uNowa nentsapho yakhe abazange batyhafe. Ukwakha umkhombe kwaqhubeka kuyeyona nto iphambili kubomi babo nangona abantu bomhla wabo babecinga ukuba loo nto bubudenge nenkcitha-xesha. Neentsapho zamaKristu namhlanje zinokufunda lukhulu kuNowa nentsapho yakhe. Kaloku nathi siphila kwixesha iBhayibhile elibiza ngokuba ‘yimihla yokugqibela’ yale nkqubo yezinto. (2 Timoti 3:1) UYesu wathi abantu bomhla wethu babeza kufana twatse nabo babephila xa uNowa wayesakha umkhombe. AmaKristu kufuneka akhumbule oko kwenzeka kuNowa xa abantu bengenamdla kwiindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo, besihleka okanye besitshutshisa. Afanele aqonde ukuba bakho nabanye abantu abakha baphathwa ngolo hlobo.

Kwaqengqeleka amashumi eminyaka umkhombe usakhiwa. Njengoko uNowa wayesondela kwiminyaka engama-600 ubudala, wafelwa ngabantu abathandayo. Kwaqala uyise uLameki. * Kwiminyaka emihlanu kamva kwalandela uyisemkhulu uMethusela, eneminyaka engama-969—oyena mntu waphila ixesha elide ekuthethwe ngaye eBhayibhileni. (Genesis 5:27) UMethusela noLameki babephile ngexesha elinye noAdam.

Kwangaloo nyaka, usolusapho uNowa wafumana umyalelo omtsha kuYehova uThixo: “Ngena, wena nayo yonke indlu yakho, emkhombeni.” Kwangaxeshanye, uThixo waxelela uNowa ukuba angenise zonke iintlobo zezilwanyana—ezihlambulukileyo zibe sixhenxe ukuze kubingelelwe ngazo, aze afake ngambini kuzo zonke ezinye.—Genesis 7:1-3.

Kumele ukuba lowo yayingumbono ongalibalekiyo. Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni waloo mngcelele—ezinye zihamba ngamanqina amane, ezinye zibhabha, ezinye zirhubuluza, ezinye zinyalasa, ezinye zithe chu—ezinye zizikhulu, ezinye zincinci, zonke nje iintlobo zezilwanyana onokucinga ngazo. Akuzange kufuneke uNowa ahl’ esenyuka, ebil’ esoma erhawula izilwanyana ezibalekayo, aziqhube okanye azicenge ukuba zingene emkhombeni. IBhayibhile ithi, ‘zangena ngambini ukuza kuNowa ngaphakathi emkhombeni.’—Genesis 7:9.

Abanye basenokuyithandabuza loo nto besithi: ‘Inokwenzeka njani loo nto? Yayinokwenzeka njani  into yokuba zonke izilwanyana zihlale kunye ngoxolo kwindawo encinci ngolo hlobo?’ Kodwa ke khawuyicinge ngolu hlobo le nto: Ngaba nyhani uMdali wezulu nomhlaba ebenokuxakwa kukulawula nokwenza mbuna izilwanyana azidalileyo? Khumbula, uYehova nguThixo owahlula uLwandle Olubomvu phakathi waza wamisa nelanga. Ngaba wayenokoyiswa kukufaka izilwanyana emkhombeni? Yayingenakwenzeka loo nto, ibe wazifaka nangoku!

Yinyaniso ukuba uThixo ngewayezisindise nangenye indlela izilwanyana. Noko ke, wakhetha ukuzisindisa ngendlela esikhumbuza ukuba ekuqaleni wayenike abantu umsebenzi wokunyamekela yonke into ephilayo emhlabeni. (Genesis 1:28) Abazali abaninzi namhlanje basebenzisa ibali likaNowa ukuze bafundise abantwana babo ukuba uYehova uyabathanda abantu kunye nezilwanyana azidalileyo.

UYehova waxelela uNowa ukuba umkhukula wawuza kufika kwisithuba seveki. Kumele ukuba uNowa nentsapho yakhe babexakekile. Khawuthelekelele umsebenzi onzima wokuqinisekisa ukuba izilwanyana kunye nokutya kwazo kufakwa emkhombeni kuze kubekwe kwiindawo zako, kufakwe nempahla yentsapho. Umfazi kaNowa, okaShem, uHam noYafete kufanele ukuba babexakekile belungisa indawo yokuhlala kuloo mkhombe.

Kuthekani ngabantu bomhla wakhe? Abazange ‘banake’—naxa kwakubonakala ngokucacileyo ukuba uYehova uyamsikelela uNowa nomsebenzi wakhe. Kufanele ukuba bazibona izilwanyana zilukrozo ukuya emkhombeni. Kodwa ke akufanele kusothuse ukungabi namdla kwabo. Nanamhlanje, abantu ababuhoyanga ubungqina obucacileyo bokuba siphila kwimihla yokugqibela. Kanye njengoko nompostile uPetros waprofetayo, abagculeli baye babagculela abo baphulaphula isilumkiso sikaThixo. (2 Petros 3:3-6) Kufanele ukuba abantu bamhleka uNowa nentsapho yakhe.

Abantu bamhleka de kwanini? IBhayibhile ithi emva kokuba uNowa nentsapho yakhe kunye nezilwanyana bengenile emkhombeni, “uYehova waluvala ucango emva kwakhe.” Ukuba abanye babo bantu babehleka babekufutshane nomkhombe, ngokuqinisekileyo amazinyo aba ziinyanda. Ukuba babengekho ecaleni komkhombe, ngokuqinisekileyo batsho esimantshiyane xa kwagaleleka izantyalantyala zemvula! Kaloku kwanetha izantyalantyala zemvula ezagubungela umhlaba wonke, kanye njengokuba wayetshilo uYehova.—Genesis 7:16-21.

Ngaba uYehova wavuya xa ebona abo bantu bangendawo betshabalala? Hayi! (Hezekile 33:11) Kaloku wayebanike ithuba lokuba batshintshe baze benze okuhle. Ngaba ngebabekwazile ukuguquka? Ubomi bukaNowa bawuphendula lo mbuzo. Ngokuhamba noYehova nangokuthobela kwakhe uThixo kwinto yonke, uNowa wabonisa ukuba umntu wayenako ukusinda. Ngoko ke, ukholo lwakhe lwabagweba abantu bomhla wakhe; lwabubhenca ubungendawo. Ukholo lwakhe lwasindisa yena nentsapho yakhe. Ukuba uba nokholo njengoNowa, nawe uya kusinda uze usindise nabo ubathandayo. NjengoNowa, nawe unako ukuhamba noYehova uThixo uze umenze umhlobo wakho. Kwaye obo buhlobo bunokuhlala buhleli!