Christian Bible Discipleship

Siqala ukuzwa ngoNowa kuGenesise 5, eqala ngokuthi “le yincwadi yezizukulwane zika-Adamu.” Lona umusho ophindaphindwayo kuGenesise, futhi isahluko 5 sichaza ngohlu lozalo lukaSeti lukaNkulunkulu oluphikisana nozalo lwezwe lukaKhayini ( Genesise 4:17-24 ). Ngokungacabangi ukuthi akukho hlukana kwesizukulwane, uNowa umelela isizukulwane seshumi kusukela ku-Adamu. Indaba yozalo lukaNowa ifundeka kanje: “Lameka wahamba iminyaka eyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili nambili, wazala indodana. Waqamba igama layo ngokuthi uNowa, wathi: ‘Uyakusiduduza ekukhandlekeni nasekukhandlekeni kanzima kwezandla zethu ngomhlabathi awuqalekisileyo uJehova.

Zisuka nje, siyabona ukuthi uNowa uzoba okhethekile njengoba kunguye yedwa oyilungu lalolu hlu lozalo elichazwayo igama lakhe. Uyise, uLameka, uthi indodana yakhe, uNowa, iyoletha impumuzo (“uNowa” kuzwakala njengegama lesiHeberu elisho “ukuphumula noma impumuzo”). Sifunda ngokushesha lokho uNowa ayezobakhulula kukho kuGenesise 6:1-8, lapho sibona khona imiphumela yokuwa engavinjelwe njengoba ukwanda kokungalungi emhlabeni wonke. UNkulunkulu usola isintu ngala mazwi: “UJehova wabona ukuthi ububi bomuntu bukhulu kangakanani emhlabeni, nokuthi zonke izizindlo zemicabango yenhliziyo yakhe zimbi ngaso sonke isikhathi.” (Genesise 6:5) UNkulunkulu wanquma “ukwesula ebusweni bomhlaba abantu engibadalile—kanye nezilwane, nezinyoni, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni—ngokuba ngiyazisola ngokuthi ngizenzile.”— Genesise 6:7 . Nokho, nakulesi simo, likhona ithemba: “Kodwa uNowa wathola umusa emehlweni kaJehova” (Genesise 6:8). Naphezu kobubi obudlangile obabudlanga emhlabeni, kunendoda eyodwa egqamayo—umuntu okuphila kwakhe kwabonakala ngesandla somusa kaNkulunkulu phezu kwakhe. UNowa wathola umusa eNkosini. UNkulunkulu wayesezoletha isahlulelo emhlabeni ngenxa yobubi bawo, kodwa Welula umusa Wakhe wokusindisa kuNowa nomndeni wakhe

UGenesise 6:9 uphawula ukuqala kokulandisa kukazamcolo, futhi kulapha lapho sifunda khona okuningi ngempilo kaNowa. Sifunda ukuthi uNowa wayeyindoda elungile, engenasici esizukulwaneni sakhe, nokuthi wayehamba noNkulunkulu. Umuntu angacishe abone ukuqhubeka kwengokomoya kule ncazelo yokuphila kukaNowa. Ngokuthi uNowa wayelungile, siyazi ukuthi wayeyilalela imiyalo kaNkulunkulu (ngokusemandleni akhe njengoba ayekwazi futhi eyiqonda ngaleso sikhathi). Wayengenasici esizukulwaneni sakhe, emi phakathi kwabantu bosuku lwakhe. Ngesikhathi behlanganyela ebubini, uNowa wayephila ukuphila okuyisibonelo. Ekugcineni, uNowa wahamba noNkulunkulu, okumbeka esigabeni esifanayo nokhokho wakhe u-Enoke ( Genesise 5:24 ); lokhu akusho nje ukuphila okulalelayo kuphela, kodwa leyo enobudlelwane obuphilayo nobuseduze noNkulunkulu.

Sibona ukuphila kukaNowa okulalelayo kuboniswa ekuzimiseleni kwakhe ukulalela ngaphandle kokungabaza imiyalo yeNkosi ngomkhumbi (Genesise 6:22; 7:5, 9; 8:18). Cabanga ngokuthi uNowa nesizukulwane sakhe cishe babengakaze bayibone imvula ngaphambili, nokho uNkulunkulu utshela uNowa ukuba akhe umkhumbi omkhulu wasolwandle endaweni ethile eduze namanzi amaningi. UNowa wayethembele kuNkulunkulu kangangokuthi walalela ngokushesha. Impilo kaNowa engenasici ibonakaliswa njengoba elalela uJehova ekukhanyeni kosuku lolaka olusondelayo. Umphostoli uPetru usitshela ukuthi uNowa ‘wayengummemezeli wokulunga’ ( 2 Petru 2:5 ) futhi umbhali wamaHeberu uthi “walahla izwe” ( Heberu 11:7 ) ngezenzo zakhe zokulunga. Phakathi naso sonke isikhathi sokubambezeleka kokwahlulelwa okuzayo, uNowa waqhubeka elalela uJehova ngokwethembeka. Njengobufakazi bokuhamba kwakhe noNkulunkulu, ngemva kukazamcolo, uNowa wakha i-altare futhi wanikela imihlatshelo kuNkulunkulu ( Genesise 8:20 ). Ukukhulekela kwakuyingxenye eyinhloko yokuphila kukaNowa.

Ngaphandle kokulandisa kukazamcolo kanye nendaba yokudakwa kwakhe elotshwe kuGenesise 9:20-27, akukho okuningi esikwaziyo ngempilo kaNowa. Ngokuqinisekile, ukudakwa kwakungesona ukuphela kwesenzakalo esingafaneleki ekuphileni kukaNowa. Njengathi sonke, uNowa wazalwa enesono. Isiqephu sokudakwa kwakhe safakwa endabeni, cishe, ukuze sichaze ubutha phakathi kwamaKhanani nama-Israyeli. Naphezu kwalesi senzakalo, siyabona ukuthi uNowa wayehlonishwa njengomunye wabantu abambalwa abalunge kakhulu emlandweni wabantu bakaNkulunkulu. Kabili kuHezekeli 14, uNkulunkulu uthi ngomprofethi ukuthi noma ngabe uNowa, uDaniyeli, noJobe bekhona ezweni, uNkulunkulu wayengeke abasindise abantu ekwahlulelweni. Leyo yinkampani ethile elungile okumelwe ibe kuyo (uDaniyeli noJobe). Siyazi futhi ukuthi uNowa uhlanganisiwe njengesibonelo sokholo kumaHeberu 11, okunye okubonisa ukuthi uNowa wayebhekwa njengesibonelo sokwethembeka nokuthi wayenokholo olujabulisa uNkulunkulu (Hebheru 11:6).

Ngalokho okushiwoyo, Wayengubani uNowa eBhayibhelini? Empeleni, uNowa uyisibonelo sokholo.  AmaHeberu 11:7 athi ngoNowa, “Ngokholo uNowa, lapho exwayiswa ngezinto ezingakabonwa, ngokwesaba okungcwele wakha umkhumbi wokusindisa umndeni wakhe. Ngokukholwa walahla izwe futhi waba indlalifa yokulunga okuvela ngokukholwa.” UNowa kwakungadingeki “avivinye” uNkulunkulu ngaphambi kokuthatha isinyathelo; UNkulunkulu wayala, futhi walalela. Lokhu kwakuwumfanekiso wempilo kaNowa. UNowa wayeyingxenye yohlu lozalo lukaSeti, okwathiwa ngaye, “Ngaleso sikhathi abantu baqala ukukhuleka egameni likaJehova” ( Genesise 4:26 ). UNowa waba umphumela wokulalela nokwethembeka kwesizukulwane kuNkulunkulu. Uma singalingisa ukuphila kwethu njengoNowa, awukho umthetho ongcono ongawulandela wokuba “abalungileyo, abangenasici esizukulwaneni sethu, futhi sihambe noNkulunkulu.” Ngamanye amazwi, lungile kuNkulunkulu, ulungile kwabanye, futhi ube nobuhlobo obunenhlonipho nokukhulekela uNkulunkulu. Cishe ungawezwa amazwi kaJesu enanela lapha lapho ephendula umbuzo wommeli mayelana nomyalo omkhulu kunayo yonke (Mathewu 22:37-39).

Ngokwemfundiso yenkolo, singathola nezifundo ezithile ekuphileni kukaNowa. Okokuqala nokubaluleke kakhulu, ukuphila kukaNowa kusibonisa iqiniso laphakade lokuthi sisindisiwe ngomusa ngokukholwa (Kwabase-Efesu 2:8). UNowa wayengeyena umuntu oyisibonelo ngoba wakwazi ngandlela-thile ukweqa imvelo yesono esinayo sonke. Umusa kaNkulunkulu wawuphezu kwakhe, ngaphandle kwalokho uNowa wayezobhubha kanye nazo zonke ezinye izoni ezimbi ngozamcolo. UNowa futhi uyisibonelo esihle sokuthi uNkulunkulu usindisa abakhethiweyo Bakhe. Siyabona ukuthi uNkulunkulu wabekezela mayelana nokwahlulelwa okuzayo ngenkathi uNowa akha umkhumbi (1 Petru 3:20; 2 Petru 2:5). INkosi iyakwazi ukuhlenga abamesabayo ekulingweni. Leli qiniso libekwe ngokucacile ku-2 Petru 3:8-9, njengoba sifunda ukuthi iNkosi izohlehlisa ukwahlulela kokugcina kuze kube yilapho bonke abakhethiweyo befinyelela ukuphenduka.

Ekugcineni, ukuphila kukaNowa kuyisikhumbuzo sokuthi kuyofika ukwahlulelwa esonweni. Usuku lweNkosi luyofika (2 Petru 3:10). UJesu usebenzisa ukuphila kukaNowa njengesifanekiselo salokho okuyoba yikho lapho iNdodana yomuntu ibuya ngokwahlulela kokugcina ( Mathewu 24:37-38; Luka 17:26-27 ). Ngakho, kudingeka silandele isibonelo sikaNowa futhi sibe ‘ummemezeli wokulunga’ futhi silalele amazwi kaPawulu: “Ngakho-ke singamanxusa kaKristu, uNkulunkulu enxusa ngathi. Siyanincenga esikhundleni sikaKristu, sithi: “Buyisanani noNkulunkulu” (2 Korinte 5:20). NjengoNowa, singamanxusa kaKristu kulezi zinsuku zokugcina. Ukwahlulela kukaNkulunkulu kuyeza, kodwa unikeza ukubuyisana ngoJesu Kristu. Kumele siyise lomlayezo wokubuyisana kwabanye.