Umkhumbi KaNowa Nobuciko Bokuklama Imikhumbi

SEKUYIMINYAKA engu-40 manje ngingumklami nonjiniyela wemikhumbi. Umsebenzi wami uye wahilela ukuklama imikhumbi enemiklamo nobukhulu obuhlukahlukene, izinjini nezinye izimiso eziyenza ikwazi ukuhamba. Ngo-1963, lapho ngisahlala eBritish Columbia, eCanada, omunye woFakazi BakaJehova wangibonisa ukuthi incwadi yeBhayibheli kaGenesise ichaza umkhumbi kaNowa njengebhokisi elide. Le ncazelo yangithakazelisa, ngakho nganquma ukuluhlolisisa lolu daba.

Umlando kaGenesise ubonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wanquma ukususa ububi emhlabeni ngokuletha uzamcolo. Watshela uNowa ukuba akhe umkhumbi ukuze azisindise yena, umkhaya wakhe kanye nezilwane kulesi Sikhukhula esikhulu. UNkulunkulu watshela uNowa ukuba enze lo mkhumbi ube izingalo ezingu-300 ubude, ezingu-50 ububanzi nezingu-30 ukuphakama. (Genesise 6:15) Ukulinganisela okuthile kubonisa ukuthi lo mkhumbi wawungaba amamitha angu-134 ubude, amamitha angu-22 ububanzi namamitha angu-13 ukuphakama.a Ngakho wawungathatha indawo engama-cubic meter angaba ngu-40 000, okwakwenza isisindo sawo sithathe indawo ecishe ilingane neyomkhumbi kanokusho i-Titanic lapho usemanzini.

Umklamo Womkhumbi

Umkhumbi wawunezitezi ezintathu, okwakuwenza uqine futhi ube nendawo engaba amamitha-skwele angu-8 900. Wawakhiwe ngokhuni olukhipha inhlaka—olwalungangeni manzi—mhlawumbe umsayiphuresi, futhi wahuqwa ngetiyela ngaphakathi nangaphandle. (Genesise 6:14-16) Asitshelwa ukuthi uNowa wawahlanganisa kanjani amapulangwe. Kodwa ngisho nangaphambi kokuba lisitshele ngeSikhukhula, iBhayibheli likhuluma ngabakhandi bamathuluzi ethusi nawensimbi. (Genesise 4:22) Kunoma ikuphi, kunezikhonkwane okuthiwa ama-treenail ezisasetshenziswa ngisho nanamuhla ekwakheni imikhumbi ethile yokhuni.

Umkhumbi wawunamagumbi ngaphakathi, umnyango eceleni ne-tsohari eyingalo ukuphakama, okungenzeka yayiwuphahla olumise okukanxantathu, mhlawumbe lunezimbobo ngaphansi ukuze kungene umoya nokukhanya. Kodwa-ke umlando kaGenesise awusho lutho ngengaphansi lomkhumbi elicijile noma ingaphambili lawo noma oseyili, izigwedlo noma amaphini okuwuqondisa. Empeleni, kusetshenziswe igama elifanayo lesiHebheru elisho “umkhumbi” lapho kuchazwa ubhasikidi ohuqwe ngekolitayi unina kaMose awusebenzisa lapho uMose esewusana ukuze antante emanzini oMfula iNayile.—Eksodusi 2:3, 10.

Ukuntanta Kahle Olwandle

Ubude bomkhumbi babuphinda ububanzi bawo kasithupha nokuphakama kwawo kayishumi. Imikhumbi eminingi yanamuhla inezilinganiso ezifanayo, nakuba ubude nobubanzi bayo bunqunywa ngokuvumelana namandla adingekayo ukuze ikwazi ukuhamba emanzini. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umkhumbi kwakudingeka ukuba untante kuphela. Wawuyokwenza kahle kangakanani lokhu?

Indlela imikhumbi ethinteka ngayo lapho kunomoya namagagasi ithonya ukuntanta kwayo. Nakho lokhu kuhlobene nezilinganiso zobukhulu bomkhumbi. IBhayibheli lichaza imvula enkulu eyaletha iSikhukhula futhi lithi kamuva uNkulunkulu waletha umoya. (Genesise 7:11, 12, 17-20; 8:1) ImiBhalo ayisho ukuthi amagagasi nomoya kwakunamandla kangakanani, kodwa cishe kokubili umoya namagagasi kwakunamandla futhi kushintshashintsha, njengoba kunjalo nanamuhla. Uma umoya uvunguza ngamandla isikhathi eside, amagagasi ayaphakama futhi aqhelelane kakhulu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, noma ikuphi ukuzamazama komhlaba kwakungabangela amagagasi anamandla.

Izilinganiso zomkhumbi zasiza ekuwenzeni uzinze, ungaketuki. Umkhumbi wawuklanyelwe nokuba ukwazi ukumelana namandla ayengawenza uketuke emanzini amaningi. Ukuketuka kwakuyokwenza izilwane nabantu banganethezeki ngaphakathi kuwo. Ukuketuka kulimaza nomzimba womkhumbi. Kwakumelwe uqine ngokwanele ukuze ungafohloki phakathi lapho uphakanyiswa amagagasi nhlangothi zombili ngasikhathi sinye. Kodwa uma igagasi elikhulu liphakamisa umkhumbi phakathi nendawo, kungenalutho olusekele amaphethelo awo, ingaphambili nengemuva lawo lingagoba. UNkulunkulu watshela uNowa ukuba asebenzise isilinganiso sobude esiphindwe kayishumi kunesokuphakama. Abakhi bemikhumbi bakamuva babeyofunda kanzima ukuthi isilinganiso esinjalo singamelana nalobo bunzima.

Wawuphephile Futhi Unethezekile

Ngenxa yokuthi umkhumbi wawunjengebhokisi, wawuyontanta ungatsheki. Nesisindo sawo kumelwe ukuba sasilingana nxazonke. Kungenzeka uNowa waqiniseka ukuthi umthwalo—kuhlanganise nezilwane nokudla konyaka wonke—kwakubekwe ngendlela elinganayo. Ukulinganisa umthwalo kahle kunciphisa umonakalo obangelwa impahla ekwakhekeni komkhumbi. Ngakho, kunezici ezimbili eziyinhloko ezasiza umkhumbi nabagibeli bawo ukuba basinde eSikhukhuleni sembulunga yonke—umklamo womkhumbi owawuvela kuJehova kanye nokunakekela kwakhe okuyisivikelo. Akungabazeki ukuthi uNkulunkulu waqiniseka ukuthi umkhumbi uma endaweni ephephile nefanele.

Ukuhlolisisa kwami lolu daba kwangenza ngaphetha ngokuthi lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngomkhumbi kaNowa kuyiqiniso futhi kuvumelana nezindlela zesimanje zokuklama imikhumbi. Yiqiniso, kunemininingwane eminingi ngomkhumbi nangeSikhukhula umlando kaGenesise ongasho lutho ngayo. Ngithemba ukuthi ngolunye usuku, ngemva kovuko, ngiyohlangana noNowa lapha emhlabeni, ephakathi kwemindeni yabantu nezilwane eyasinda ngenxa yomkhumbi asebenza kanzima isikhathi eside kangaka ewakha. (IzEnzo 24:15; Hebheru 11:7) Ngiyoqale ngimbonge yena nomkhaya wakhe bese ngimbuza imibuzo eminingi.—Inikelwe.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 22]

ISAMPULA LOMKLAMO WOMKHUMBI

Ungazenzela isampula lomklamo womkhumbi bese ulihlola ukuthi linjani ngokusebenzisa isampula elikuleli bhokisi. (Ungakha umklamo omkhudlwana ngokwandisa isampula elingezansi ngokwezilinganiso ezifanele.) Iphepha elivamile lingenziwa ukuba lingangeni manzi ngokuligcoba ngengcina noma ngepeni lamafutha (crayon). Ungabe usulisonga ubambe amachopho alo nge-tape noma ngengcina. Namathisela izinhlamvu ezimbalwa zemali ezinanyatheliswe nge-tape noma ngengcina phansi ngaphakathi emkhunjini kuze kube yilapho usucwile emanzini cishe ngengxenye.

Ukuze ubone ukuthi umkhumbi wakho untanta kanjani, ufake kubhavu onamanzi lapho usuwuqedile. Zama ukwenza amagagasi amancane amaningi ngokubamba ibhokisi lobisi noma into efanayo uyibhekise phansi emanzini ohlangothini olulodwa lukabhavu bese ulokhu uyifaka uyikhipha.

[Umdwebo]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

SONGA SONGA

SONGA SONGA

[Isithombe]

Izilinganiso zobukhulu bomkhumbi zazifana nezomkhumbi ohamba olwandle

[Umdwebo/Izithombe ekhasini 20, 21]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Ngaphambili

Emaceleni

Phezulu

Ngaphambili

Emaceleni

Phezulu

[Izithombe]

Umkhumbi wawuthatha indawo ecishe ilingane neye-“Titanic” emanzini

[Imithombo]

Titanic plan: Courtesy Dr. Robert Hahn/www.titanic-plan.com; photo: Courtesy of The Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, VA