Chapter 6

Izwe Elabhujiswa

1. (a) Ingabe isintu sake sabhekana nokubhujiswa kwezwe ngaphambili? (b) Kungani kumelwe sibonge ngokuthi uNowa akazange asihleke usulu isixwayiso salokho?

KWAKE kwaba nesikhathi lapho ukubhujiswa kwezwe kwakuseduze. Abantu bazo zonke izizwe bangabonga ngokuthi phakathi kokhokho babo kwakukhona indoda engazange isihleke usulu isixwayiso sikaNkulunkulu ngozamcolo wembulunga yonke. Ngenxa yokuthi uNowa wezwa futhi walalela, yena nomkakhe, amadodana akhe amathathu nomkawo basinda. Sonke siye saphuma kubo.—Genesise 10:1, 32.

2. Kungani uNkulunkulu abhubhisa lelozwe?

² UNkulunkulu wabhubhisa lelozwe ngoba wabona ukuthi umhlaba wawugcwele ubudlova. “Ububi bomuntu bukhulu emhlabeni.” (Genesise 6:3, 5, 13) Izimo zazifana kakhulu nalezo zalelikhulu lethu leminyaka lama-20.

3. Yini eyabangela ukuba isimo sibe sibi kangako?

³ Yini eyayibangele ukuba isimo sibe sibi kangako ngosuku lukaNowa? Isici esibalulekile sembulwe kuGenesise 6:2, ebika kanje: “Amadodana kaNkulunkulu abona amadodakazi abantu ukuthi mahle, azithathela abafazi kuwo awathandayo.” Kodwa yini eyayiyimbi ngalokho? Phela, lawa kwakungewona nje amadoda abantu anquma ukuba aganwe. ‘Lamadodana kaNkulunkulu weqiniso’ kwakuyizingelosi, izidalwa zomoya, ezabona abesifazane abahle emhlabeni nenjabulo yokushada zase zizithathela isimo sabantu. (Qhathanisa noJobe 1:6.) Ukuzithathela kwazo imizimba yabantu bese zishada kwakuyizenzo zokungamlaleli uNkulunkulu. ImiBhalo iphawula ukuthi “zalishiya ikhaya lazo” nokuthi ubuhlobo bazo nabesifazane ‘babungebona obemvelo.’ (Juda 6, 7; 1 Petru 3:19, 20) Inzalo yazo exubile kwakungabantu abakhulu ngokungavamile. Laba babebizwa ngokuthi amaNefili, noma “iziqhwaga,” ngoba babeyizidlakela.—Genesise 6:4.

4. (a) Kungani uNowa aboniswa umusa nguNkulunkulu? (b) Yiliphi ilungiselelo elenzelwa ukulondolozwa kokuphila?

⁴ Nakuba ayephila phakathi kwalelozwe elonakele, uNowa wathola umusa emehlweni kaJehova. Ngani? Ngoba “uNowa wayengumuntu olungileyo.” Wayezazi izimpikiswano ezaphakanyiswa e-Edene, futhi wayengenacala, “eyindoda eqotho.” (Genesise 6:8, 9; The Jerusalem Bible) Enombono wokulondoloza uNowa nomkhaya wakhe, kanye nezinhlobo zazo zonke izilwane zasezweni nezindizayo, uJehova wamyala ukuba akhe umkhumbi, isakhiwo esikhulu esinjengebhokisi. Njengoba uNkulunkulu achaza: “Mina ngizakuzisa uzamcolo wamanzi emhlabeni ukuba achithe yonke inyama okukuyo umoya wokuphila phansi kwezulu; konke okusemhlabeni kuzakufa.” (Genesise 6:13-17) Ngokuhlakanipha, uNowa wamuzwa uNkulunkulu futhi walalela.

5. Wahlanganisa indawo engakanani uZamcolo?

⁵ UZamcolo wafika ngonyaka ka-2370 B.C.E., njengoba kuboniswe umlando wezikhathi zeBhayibheli oningiliziwe. Kwakuyisimihli esikhulu kakhulu emlandweni wesintu, kuze kube ngisho nasesikhathini sethu. Sasisikhulu kangangokuthi “zasitshekelwa zonke izintaba eziphakemeyo eziphansi kwezulu lonke.” (Genesise 7:19) NgoZamcolo “izwe elalikhona labhubha.” (2 Petru 3:6) Kodwa omunye angabuza, ‘Uma ngisho nezintaba eziphakeme kakhulu zazisitshekelwe ngamanzi, aphi wonke lawomanzi manje?’ Ngokusobala alapha emhlabeni.

6. Ngemva kukaZamcolo, ashonaphi wonke amanzi?

⁶ Kumelwe kuqondakale ukuthi iBhayibheli alisho ukuthi noma iziphi izintaba zosuku lukaNowa zaziphakeme njengeNtaba iEverest. Izazi zesayensi ziye zathi esikhathini esidlule izintaba zaziphansi kakhulu kunamanje nokuthi ezinye ziye zaphakama ngisho nasezilwandle. Ngokungaphezulu, kunenkolelo yokuthi kunesikhathi lapho izilwandle ngokwazo zazizincane namazwekazi emakhulu kunokuba enjalo manje, njengoba kufakazelwa izinsungubezi zemifula ezifinyelela ngaphansi kwezilwandle. Kodwa ngokuqondene nesimo samanje, umagazini iNational Geographic, kaJanuary 1945, wabika: “Kunomthamo wamanzi amaningi ngokuphindwe kashumi olwandle kunezwe eliphakeme kunesilinganiso solwandle. Uma ungaphonsa inhlabathi yezwe olwandle, amanzi angamboza wonke umhlaba, ajule ngamakhilomitha amabili nesigamu [Cishe imayela nesigamu].” Ngakho-ke ngemva kokwehla kwamanzi kazamcolo, kodwa ngaphambi kokuba ukuphakama kwezintaba nokwehla kokuphakama kwezilwandle kubangele ukuba amanzi agobhoze ashiye izwe nangaphambi kokwakheka kweqhwa ezintabeni, kwakukhona amanzi anele okusibekela “zonke izintaba eziphakemeyo,” njengoba iBhayibheli liphawula.—Genesise 7:17-20; 8:1-3; qhathanisa neHubo 104:8, 9.

7, 8. Imuphi omunye umlando okhona kaZamcolo ngaphandle kweBhayibheli?

⁷ Uzamcolo wembulunga yonke okhukhula kangako ngokuqinisekile kumelwe ukuba waba yinto engenakulibaleka kulabo abasinda kuwo. Izizukulwane ezilandelayo zaziyotshelwa ngawo. Njengoba umlando weBhayibheli uphawula ukuthi zonke izizwe zavela eqenjini elifanayo elasinda kuZamcolo, kungokunengqondo ukulindela ukuba kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba bekuyoba nobufakazi benkumbulo yangaphambili yalesosimihli esikhulu. Ingabe kunjalo? Yebo, kunjalo!

⁸ Njengoba inzalo yalabo ababesinde kuZamcolo yayihlakazekela ezingxenyeni ezikude futhi nesikhathi sihamba, imininingwane yalokho yahlanekezelwa indaba yayisifaneliswa nezinkolelo ezingokwenkolo zalezozindawo. Kodwa akunakwenzeka neze ukuba kwenzeke ngengozi ukuthi ezinganekwaneni ezindala emhlabeni wonke kube khona inkumbulo kazamcolo omkhulu owabhubhisa isintu kwasala abambalwa nje abalondolozwa ndawonye. Inkumbulo yalokhu itholakala eMesophothamiya nakwezinye izingxenye zeAsia, eAustralia naseziqhingini zasePacific, phakathi kweziningi izizwe zamaNdiya eNyakatho naseNingizimu Melika, ezindabeni ezixoxwa phakathi kwamaGreki asendulo namaRoma, eScandinavia, naphakathi kwezizwe zama-Afrika. Eziningi zalezindaba zixoxa ngezilwane ezalondolozwa emkhunjini kanye nabantu. Ngokuvumelana nomlando weBhayibheli, ezinye zilandisa ngokuthi kwathunyelwa izinyoni ukuba ziyohlola ukuthi amanzi ayesebohlile yini. (Qhathanisa noGenesise 7:7-10; 8:6-12.) Asikho esinye isenzakalo sasendulo esikhunjulwa kabanzi kangako.

9. Yiziphi izenzo ezibonisa ukukhumbula izenzakalo ‘zenyanga yesibili’ yekhalenda likaNowa?

⁹ Imininingwane engokomlando ehlangene noZamcolo iye yathinta amasiko abantu ngisho nasosukwini lwethu. Kanjani? Phela, iBhayibheli libika ukuthi uZamcolo waqala “ngenyanga yesibili ngosuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga.” ‘Leyonyanga yesibili’ ihambisana nengxenye yokugcina kaOctober nengxenye yokuqala kaNovember ngokwekhalenda lethu. (Genesise 7:11) Ngakho-ke kungokuphawulekayo ukuthi abantu abaningi emhlabeni wonke bakhumbula uSuku Lwabafile noma iDili Labangasekho ngalesosikhathi sonyaka. Kungani kuyileso sikhathi? Ngenxa yokuthi lamasiko abonisa inkumbulo yembubhiso eyabangelwa uZamcolo.a

10. Kungani umlando weBhayibheli kaZamcolo unokwethenjelwa kakhulu futhi ungowenzuzo enkulu kumuntu?

¹⁰ Nokho, iBhayibheli ngokwalo eliphethe ubufakazi obungonakalisiwe ngalokho okwenzeka. Lokho uNowa akubona nabhekana nakho kamuva kwahlanganiswa eBhayibhelini. Emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva, uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe, lapho ekhuluma ngomprofethi uIsaya, wabhekisela ‘emanzini kaNowa.’ (Isaya 54:9) INdodana kaNkulunkulu eyizibulo yazibona izenzakalo zosuku lukaNowa. Kamuva, Lena, uJesu Kristu, lapho isemhlabeni, yakhuluma ngoZamcolo njengeqiniso elingokomlando futhi yachaza ukuthi kungani abaningi kangaka bafa ngaleso sikhathi.

“ABANAKANGA”

11. Kungani bebaningi kangaka abantu ababhujiswa ngoZamcolo?

¹¹ UJesu akashongo ukuthi wonke umuntu ngaphandle komkhaya kaNowa wayeyisigebengu esinobudlova. Kunalokho, waphawula: “Ngokuba njengasezinsukwini lezo ezandulela uzamcolo babedla, bephuza, beganwa, bendiswa, kwaze kwafika usuku uNowa angena ngalo emkhunjini, abazanga kwaze kwafika uzamcolo wabakhukhula bonke, kuyakuba-njalo ukufika kweNdodana yomuntu [uJesu Kristu].”—Mathewu 24:37-39.

12. Kungani ‘ukunganaki’ kwabo kwakungathi sína?

¹² Kwakungekhona okubi ngabo ukuba badle futhi baphuze ngokulinganisela noma ukuba bashade ngokufanelekile. Kodwa lapho bexwayiswa ngenhlekelele yembulunga yonke, ukuqhubeka kwabo begxilisa ukuphila kwabo eminakweni enjalo yomuntu siqu kwabonisa ukuthi babengamkholwa ngempela uNowa noma uJehova uNkulunkulu, lowo uNowa ayememezela isigijimi sakhe sesixwayiso. Ukuba babekholiwe, babeyobuza ukuthi babengasinda kanjani bese bethatha isinyathelo esiphuthumayo sokuhlangabezana nalezozimfuneko. Mhlawumbe abanye babantu bavuma ukuthi kwakumelwe kwenziwe okuthile ukuze kuvinjelwe ukwanda kobudlova bangalezozinsuku, kodwa uzamcolo wembulunga yonke ngokungangabazeki wabonakala ungenakwenzeka kubo. Ngakho, njengoba uJesu aphawula, “abazanga [abasinakanga isigijimi sikaNkulunkulu ngoNowa] kwaze kwafika uzamcolo wabakhukhula bonke.” Lokho kwalotshelwa ukuxwayisa thina.

13. (a) Njengoba kwabikezelwa, abantu abaningi namuhla basabela kanjani uma betshelwa ukuthi uKristu ukhona ngokungabonakali, futhi ngani? (b) Yini uPetru athi abayinaki?

¹³ Umphostoli uPetru ophefumlelwe ngokufanayo wayekhipha isixwayiso uma eloba: “Ngezinsuku zokugcina [esikuzo manje] kuyakufika abahleki abahleka usulu, behamba ngezinkanuko zabo, bethi: Siphi isithembiso sokufika kwakhe na? Ngokuba kuselokhu obaba balala, konke kumi kunjalo njengakwasekuqaleni kokudalwa.” Abantu abanjalo abafuni ukuzizwa bebopheke kothile. Ngakho-ke bayawususa ezingqondweni zabo umqondo wokuba khona kukaKristu nokuthi kuyosho ukuthini ngalabo abalandelela indlela yokuphila yokungamesabi uNkulunkulu. Kodwa uPetru uyaqhubeka: “Ngokuba bathanda ukukhohlwa lokhu ukuthi kwaphakade izulu lalikhona kanye nomhlaba owavela emanzini nangawo amanzi, umi ngezwi likaNkulunkulu, okwathi ngawo izwe elalikhona labhubha ngokukhukhula kwamanzi; kepha izulu nomhlaba okukhona manje kubekelelwe umlilo ngalo lona lelizwi, kulindele usuku lokwahlulela nolokubhubha kwabantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu.”—2 Petru 3:3-7.

14. Kungani ukugcwaliseka ‘kwezwi likaNkulunkulu’ ngesikhathi sendalo nasosukwini lukaNowa kusenza sicabange ngokungathi sína namuhla?

¹⁴ Labo abahleka usulu abalinaki iqiniso lokuthi “izwi likaNkulunkulu” alihlali lingagcwaliseki. Ekuphikiseni umbono wabo, umphostoli uPetru usibhekisa emuva esikhathini sendalo. Ngalesosikhathi uNkulunkulu wathi: “Makube-khona umkhathi phakathi kwamanzi, kwahlukaniswe amanzi namanzi.” Ngemva kwalokho, “uNkulunkulu wenza umkhathi, wahlukanisa amanzi aphansi komkhathi namanzi aphezu komkhathi.” Ngaleyondlela “izwi likaNkulunkulu,” inkulumo yakhe yenjongo, yagcwaliseka. (Genesise 1:6, 7) Izwi lakhe lagcwaliseka futhi lapho ememezela uzamcolo wembulunga yonke ngosuku lukaNowa futhi esebenzisa lawomanzi ekubhubhiseni “izwe elalikhona.” Futhi kuyoba ngalelozwi elifanayo likaNkulunkulu elingahluleki ukuthi imbubhiso iyofika kulesimiso sezinto samanje esingamesabi uNkulunkulu.

15. (a) Kungani eyesi-2 Petru 3:7 ingabikezeli ngokusha kwembulunga enguMhlaba? (b) Khona-ke liyini “izulu” “nomhlaba” ‘okubekelelwe umlilo’?

¹⁵ Okwenzeka ngesikhathi sikaZamcolo kwakuyisibonelo sezinto ezizayo. Umhlaba awubhujiswanga ngalesosikhathi, kodwa kwaba abantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu. Kushiwoni-ke ngenkulumo ethi “izulu nomhlaba okukhona manje kubekelelwe umlilo”? (2 Petru 3:7; 2:5) Nokho, imuphi umphumela umlilo ongokoqobo ongaba nawo elangeni nezinkanyezi osekushisa kakade emazulwini angokoqobo? Futhi ukushiswa komhlaba ongokoqobo kungavumelana kanjani nenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokuwenza iPharadesi? Ngokusobala, “izulu nomhlaba okukhona manje,” okubhekiselwe kukho lapha, kumelwe kube ngokomfanekiso. (Qhathanisa noGenesise 11:1; 1 AmaKhosi 2:1, 2; 1 IziKronike 16:31.) “Izulu” limelele imibuso engohulumeni ephakeme ngaphezu kwesintu esivamile, “umhlaba” ungumphakathi wabantu abangalungile. Ngosuku olukhulu lukaJehova bayobhujiswa baqothulwe njengokungathi bashiswe ngomlilo. Labo abaqhubeka besihleka usulu isixwayiso saphezulu salokhu babeka ukuphila kwabo engozini engathi sína.

UKUSINDISWA KWABANTU ABESABA UNKULUNKULU

16. Njengoba kuboniswe kweyesi-2 Petru 2:9, siyini isihluthulelo sokusindiswa?

¹⁶ Umlando kaZamcolo uchaza ngokukhanyayo iphuzu thina namuhla okumelwe silithathe ngokungathi sína. Liyini lelo? Ngemva kokubhekisela kulokho uNkulunkulu akwenza ngosuku lukaNowa, umphostoli uPetru uyaphetha: “INkosi [uJehova] iyakwazi ukuhlangulisa ekulingweni abamesabayo uNkulunkulu, kepha abangalungile iyabagcinela usuku lokwahlulelwa, bajeziswe.” (2 Petru 2:9) Ngakho-ke, isihluthulelo sokukhululwa siwukuba umuntu owesaba uNkulunkulu.

17. UNowa wabunikeza kanjani ubufakazi bokwesaba uNkulunkulu?

¹⁷ Kusho ukuthini lokho? Ngokusobala uNowa wayengumuntu owesaba uNkulunkulu. “UNowa wayehamba noNkulunkulu.” (Genesise 6:9) Walandelela inkambo yokuphila evumelana nentando kaJehova embuliwe. Wayenobuhlobo obuseduze noNkulunkulu. Ukwakha umkhumbi nokuqoqa izinhlobo zazo zonke izinyoni nezilwane kwakungumsebenzi omkhulu. UNowa akazange abe nesimo sokuthi sizolinda sibone. Wayenokholo. “UNowa wenze njalo; njengalokho uNkulunkulu emyalile wakwenza.” (Genesise 6:22; Heberu 11:7) Abantu babedinga ukukhunjuzwa ngezindlela zikaJehova zokulunga futhi baxwayiswe ngokuzayo ukubhujiswa kwabangalungile. UNowa wenza lokho futhi ‘njengomshumayeli wokulunga.’—2 Petru 2:5.

18. Kungani ngamunye owasinda kuZamcolo kumelwe ukuba wayenokuzinikela okunjalo?

¹⁸ Kuthiwani ngomkaNowa, amadodana akhe nomkawo—yini eyayidingeka kubo? Umlando weBhayibheli udonsela ukunakekela okukhethekile kuNowa ngoba wayeyinhloko yomkhaya, kodwa nabanye kumelwe ukuba babengabantu abesaba uNkulunkulu. Ngani? Indaba yabantwana bakaNowa yathintwa uJehova kamuva kumprofethi wakhe uHezekeli ukuze abonise ukuthi, ukuba uNowa wayephila kwaIsrayeli ngalesosikhathi, abantwana bakhe babengeke balindele ukusinda ngenxa yokulunga kukayise. Babebadala ngokwanele ukuba balalele noma bangalaleli, ngakho bona ngokwabo kwakudingeka banikeze ubufakazi bokuzinikela kwabo kuJehova nezindlela zakhe zokulunga.—Hezekeli 14:19, 20.

19. Ngakho-ke, yini okumelwe ngabe siyayenza, futhi kanjani?

¹⁹ Ngenxa yokuqiniseka ngokusondela kokubhujiswa kwezwe, iBhayibheli lisinxusa ukuba sikukhumbule njalo futhi sibonise ukuthi nathi, singabantu abesaba uNkulunkulu. (2 Petru 3:11-13) Esizukulwaneni sikaNowa, kunabantu namuhla kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba abagcina lesoseluleko esihlakaniphile futhi abayosindela ‘emhlabeni omusha.’

[Umbhalo waphansi]