UNowa NeSikhukhula—Iqiniso, Akuyona Insomi
INGABE ulangazelela izwe elingcono—elinabantu abahlalisene ngokuthula? izwe elingenayo impi, ubugebengu, nokucindezela? Uma kunjalo, ungathola isikhuthazo endabeni ewumlando oyazi kahle. Indaba kaNowa, indoda elunge ngempela eyakha umkhumbi owasindisa yona nomkhaya wayo esikhukhuleni somhlaba wonke okwabhujiswa ngaso ababi.
Zimbalwa izindaba ezaziwa kabanzi njengale. Umlando walokho okwenzeka kuNowa utholakala encwadini yeBhayibheli uGenesise, izahluko 6 kuya ku-9, futhi uyalandiswa kuyiKoran nasezinganekwaneni zezizwe eziningi emhlabeni. Ingabe iSikhukhula senzeka ngempela, noma kumane nje kuyinganekwane ukuze kukhuthazwe abantu ukuba benze okulungile? Sekuphele amakhulu eminyaka izazi zenkolo nezesayensi ziphikisana ngalo mbuzo. Kodwa iBhayibheli, iZwi likaNkulunkulu, alishiyi kungabaza—lo mlando uyiqiniso, hhayi inganekwane. Cabanga ngalokhu:
Umlando kaGenesise usitshela ngokuqondile unyaka, inyanga nosuku uZamcolo owaqala ngalo, ukuthi umkhumbi wama nini futhi kuphi nokuthi umhlaba woma nini. Imininingwane ephathelene nomkhumbi nayo inembile—ukuklanywa kwawo, izilinganiso zobukhulu bawo nezinto ezasetshenziswa ekuwakheni. Ngokuphambene, izinganekwane aziyinikezi imininingwane ecacile.
Imilando emibili yozalo eseBhayibhelini ifakazela ukuthi uNowa wayengumuntu wangempela. (1 IziKronike 1:4; Luka 3:36) U-Ezra noLuka, ababhala le milando, babengabacwaningi abacophelelayo. ULuka walandisa ngozalo lukaJesu Kristu kusukela kuNowa.
Abaprofethi u-Isaya noHezekeli kanye nabaphostoli abangamaKristu uPawulu noPetru bakhuluma ngoNowa noma ngeSikhukhula.—Isaya 54:9; Hezekeli 14:14, 20; Hebheru 11:7; 1 Petru 3:19, 20; 2 Petru 2:5.
UJesu Kristu wakhuluma ngeSikhukhula, ethi: “Njengoba nje kwenzeka ezinsukwini zikaNowa, kuyoba njalo nasezinsukwini zeNdodana yomuntu: babedla, bephuza, amadoda eshada, abesifazane bendiswa, kwaze kwaba yilolo suku lapho uNowa engena emkhunjini, futhi kufika uzamcolo ubabhubhisa bonke.” (Luka 17:26, 27) Ukube uZamcolo awuzange ube khona, khona-ke amazwi kaJesu ‘ngezinsuku zeNdodana yomuntu’ abeyoba yize.
Umphostoli uPetru wabikezela ukuthi kwakuyoba khona “abahleki bosulu” ababeyokuhleka usulu okushiwo yiBhayibheli. UPetru wabhala: “Ngokwesifiso sabo, leli qiniso liyabaphunyuka, lokuthi . . . izwe [lesikhathi sikaNowa] labhujiswa lapho limbozwa amanzi.” Ingabe kufanele silizibe “leli qiniso”? Lutho neze! UPetru uyaqhubeka: “Amazulu nomhlaba okukhona manje abekelwe umlilo futhi ayagcinwa kuze kube sosukwini lokwahlulelwa nolokubhujiswa kwabantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu.”—2 Petru 3:3-7.
UNkulunkulu uyophinde abhubhise ababi, futhi kuyophinde kube khona abayosinda. Ngokulingisa uNowa, singase sibe phakathi kwabalungile abayosindela ezweni elingcono.