TIYEREKEZE kuti mukuona Nowa atakhalira mtengo waukulu ndipo akupumula. Akudziongola kwinaku akuyang’ana chingalawa chimene akupanga. Pakumveka fungo la phula komanso phokoso la anthu akukhoma chingalawa. Iye akuona ana ake atatanganidwa ndi kucheka matabwa. Tsopano patha zaka zambiri kuchokera pamene ntchitoyi inayamba ndipo mkazi wake, ana ake komanso akazi awo akhala akugwira ntchitoyi mwakhama. Komabe padakali ntchito yambiri yoti igwiridwe.

Anthu a m’dera lawo ankaona Nowa ndi banja lake ngati opusa. Pamene Nowa ndi banja lake ankagwira ntchito yomanga chingalawayi, anthu ankaseka kwambiri zoti kudzabwera chigumula chimene chidzachitike padziko lonse. Ngakhale kuti Nowa ankawachenjeza kuti kudzabwera chigumula, iwo ankaona kuti zimenezo sizingachitike. Iwo ankadabwa kuti n’chifukwa chiyani Nowa ndi banja lake ankawononga nthawi ndi mphamvu zawo pachabe. Koma Yehova Mulungu sankaona motero.

Mawu a Mulungu amati: “Nowa anayenda ndi Mulungu woona.” (Genesis 6:9) Kodi zimenezi zikutanthauza chiyani? Sizikutanthauza kuti Mulungu ankayendadi ndi Nowa padziko lapansili kapena Nowa anapita kumwamba n’kumakayenda ndi Mulungu. Koma zikutanthauza kuti Nowa ankamvera Mulungu komanso ankamukonda kwambiri moti zinali ngati iye ndi Mulunguyo akuyenda limodzi ngati mabwenzi. Patapita zaka zambiri Baibulo linanena za Nowa kuti: “Mwa chikhulupiriro [chake], anatsutsa dziko.” (Aheberi 11:7) Kodi Nowa anatsutsa bwanji dziko ndi chikhulupiriro chake? Nanga ifeyo tingaphunzirepo chiyani?

Nowa ankakhala m’dziko lomwe linkaipiraipira. Dzikoli linaipa kuyambira nthawi ya Inoki yemwe anali agogo ake a Nowa. Inoki analinso munthu wolungama ndipo nayenso anayenda ndi Mulungu. Iye analosera za chiweruzo chimene chidzafikire anthu osaopa Mulungu. Koma pomafika m’nthawi ya Nowa dziko linali litaipa kwambiri. Ndipotu Yehova ankaona kuti dziko lawonongeka chifukwa linali litadzaza ndi chiwawa. (Genesis 5:22; 6:11; Yuda 14, 15) Kodi n’chiyani chinachititsa kuti zinthu ziipe choncho?

Angelo ena ndi amene anayambitsa mavutowa. Mngelo wina anali atapandukira kale Yehova n’kukhala Satana Mdyerekezi. Iye ananamizira Mulungu ndipo ananyenga Adamu ndi Hava kuti nawonso achimwire Mulungu. M’nthawi ya Nowa angelo ena anapandukira ulamuliro wolungama wa Yehova. Iwo anasiya malo awo kumwamba n’kubwera padziko lapansili ndipo anatenga akazi okongola kuti akhale akazi awo. Angelo opanduka amenewo ankachititsa kuti anthu azichita makhalidwe oipa.—Genesis 3:1-5; 6:1, 2; Yuda 6, 7.

Komanso angelo amenewa anabereka ziphona zomwe zinali zamphamvu kwambiri komanso zazitali. Baibulo limatchula ziphona zimenezi kuti Anefili, dzina lomwe limatanthauza kuti “Ogwetsa.” Anefiliwa ankachitira nkhanza anthu ndipo anachititsa kuti dziko likhale lachiwawa komanso losaopa Mulungu. N’zosadabwitsa kuti Mlengi ankaona kuti “kuipa kwa anthu kwachuluka padziko lapansi, ndipo malingaliro onse a m’mitima ya anthu anali oipa okhaokha nthawi zonse.” Choncho Yehova anaganiza zowononga dziko loipali m’kati mwa zaka 120.—Genesis 6:3-5.

 Taganizani mmene zinalili zovuta kukhala ndi banja labwino pa nthawi imeneyo. Komabe Nowa anayesetsa kukhala ndi banja labwino. Iye anapeza mkazi wabwino ndipo ali ndi zaka 500 mkazi wakeyo anamuberekera ana aamuna atatu, Semu, Hamu ndi Yafeti. * Iye ndi mkazi wake anafunika kuteteza ana awowo kuti asatengere makhalidwe oipa. Ana sachedwa kutengera makhalidwe oipa a anthu amphamvu komanso “otchuka” ndipo Anefili anali anthu otero. Ngakhale kuti palibe chimene Nowa ndi mkazi wake akanachita kuti ana awowa asamamve zinthu zokhudza Anefili, iwo anayesetsa kuphunzitsa anawo zoti Yehova Mulungu amadana ndi zoipa. Iwo anathandizanso ana awowo kuona kuti Yehova amakhumudwa ndi chiwawa komanso kupanduka komwe kunali m’dzikolo.—Genesis 6:6.

Makolo angamvetse mmene zinalili zovuta kwa Nowa ndi mkazi wake kulera ana, chifukwa masiku anonso m’dzikoli chiwawa ndi mtima wosamvera zili ponseponse. Zosangalatsa zambiri za ana zimalimbikitsa makhalidwe amenewa. Koma makolo anzeru amayesetsa kuphunzitsa ana awo kuti Yehova ndi Mulungu wamtendere ndipo posachedwapa adzawononga dziko loipali. (Salimo 11:5; 37:10, 11) N’zotheka kuphunzitsa ana kuti asatengere makhalidwe oipa a m’dzikoli. Nowa ndi mkazi wake anakwanitsa kulera bwino ana awo. Ana awo anakula ndi makhalidwe abwino ndipo anakwatira akazi amene nawonso ankatumikira Yehova Mulungu.

Tsiku lina Yehova analankhula ndi Nowa, yemwe anali mtumiki wake wokondedwa, ndipo anamuuza kuti akufuna kuwononga anthu oipa a pa nthawiyo. Mulungu anauza Nowa kuti: “Udzipangire chingalawa cha mtengo wa mnjale.”—Genesis 6:14.

Anthu ena amanena kuti chingalawa chimenechi chinali sitima koma zimenezi si zoona. Chingalawachi chinkaoneka mosiyana kwambiri ndi mmene sitima zimaonekera chifukwa chinkaoneka ngati chibokosi chachikulu. Yehova anauza Nowa kukula ndi kapangidwe ka chingalawachi ndipo anamuuza kuti achimate phula mkati ndi kunja komwe. Iye anamuuza chifukwa chake anafunika kupanga chingalawachi. Yehova anati: “Ndidzabweretsa chigumula chamadzi padziko lapansi. . . . Chilichonse cha m’dziko lapansi chidzafa.” Yehova anauzanso Nowa kuti: “Iweyo udzalowe m’chingalawacho limodzi ndi ana ako, mkazi wako, ndi akazi a ana ako.” Nowa anafunikanso kudzalowetsa nyama za mitundu yonse m’chingalawamo. Yehova ananena kuti anthu ndi nyama zimene zidzakhale m’chingalawamo ndi zomwe zidzapulumuke Chigumula.—Genesis 6:17-20.

Pamenepatu Nowa anali ndi ntchito yaikulu kwabasi. Chingalawa chinali chachikulu kwambiri. Chinayenera kukhala chachitali mamita 133 m’litali, mamita 22 m’lifupi ndipo kutalika kwake kuyambira pansi mpaka m’mwamba chinayenera kukhala mamita 13. Kodi Nowa anakana ntchitoyi kapena kudandaula kuti ndi yovuta kwambiri kapenso kuganiza zoisintha mwina ndi mwina kuti isamuvute? Ayi, chifukwa Baibulo limati: “Nowa anachita zonse motsatira zimene Mulungu anamulamula. Anachitadi momwemo.”—Genesis 6:22.

Ntchitoyi inatenga zaka zambiri mwina 40 kapena 50. Iwo anafunika kugwetsa mitengo, kuinyamula komanso kuidula moyenerera ndi kuilumikiza.  Chingalawachi chinafunika kukhala ndi nyumba zosanjikiza zitatu, zipinda komanso khomo. Chiyeneranso kuti chinali ndi mawindo m’mwamba komanso denga lake linali lotsetsereka kuti madzi asamalowe mkati.—Genesis 6:14-16.

Pamene zaka zinkapita komanso ntchito yomanga chingalawa inkayenda bwino, Nowa ayenera kuti ankasangalala kuona kuti banja lake linkagwira ntchito mwakhama. Koma panalinso ntchito ina yovuta imene Nowa ndi banja lake ankagwira. Baibulo limanena kuti Nowa anali “mlaliki wa chilungamo.” (2 Petulo 2:5) Choncho iye ankatsogolera pa ntchito yochenjeza anthu oipa za chiwonongeko. Kodi anthu anatani atamva chenjezoli? Patapita zaka zambiri, Yesu Khristu ananena kuti anthu pa nthawiyo “ananyalanyaza zimene zinali kuchitika.” Iye ananena kuti anthuwo anali otanganidwa ndi kudya, kumwa komanso kukwatira moti sanamvere zimene Nowa ankawauza. (Mateyu 24:37-39) N’zosakayikitsa kuti anthu ambiri ankanyoza Nowa ndi banja lake mwinanso kuwaopseza kumene.

Komabe Nowa ndi banja lake sanagwe ulesi. Ngakhale kuti anthu ambiri ankangoganizira zofuna zawo moti ankaona ntchito yomanga chingalawa ngati yopanda pake komanso kungotaya nthawi, Nowa anapitirizabe kugwira ntchitoyi mokhulupirika. Mabanja achikhristu angaphunzire zambiri pa chikhulupiriro cha Nowa ndi banja lake. Ndipotu Baibulo limati tili ‘m’masiku otsiriza.’ (2 Timoteyo 3:1) Yesu analosera kuti anthu a nthawi yathu ino azidzachita zofanana ndi zimene anthu a m’nthawi ya Nowa ankachita. Choncho Akhristufe tikamalalikira uthenga wonena za Ufumu wa Mulungu, anthu n’kumakana, kutinyoza kapena kutizunza, tizikumbukira Nowa. Ifeyo si oyamba kukumana ndi mavuto oterewa.

Patapita nthawi, chingalawa chinayamba kuoneka kuti chikutha. Nowa atatsala pang’ono kukwanitsa zaka 600, achibale ake ena anamwalira. Lameki, yemwe anali bambo ake a Nowa, anamwalira. * Patangopita zaka zisanu, Metusela, yemwe anali agogo ake a Nowa anamwaliranso ali ndi zaka 969. Baibulo limasonyeza kuti Metusela ndi amene anakhala ndi moyo zaka zambiri pa anthu onse. (Genesis 5:27) Metusela ndi Lameki anakhalapo pa nthawi imene Adamu anali ndi moyo.

Chaka chomwechi, Yehova Mulungu anauza Nowa kuti: “Lowa m’chingalawacho, iwe ndi banja lako.” Mulungu anauzanso Nowa kuti alowetse nyama za mitundu yonse m’chingalawa. Anamuuza kuti pa mtundu uliwonse wa nyama zimene zinkagwiritsidwa ntchito popereka nsembe, alowetse nyama zokwana 7, yamphongo ndi yaikazi yake. Pa nyama zosaperekedwa nsembe anamuuza kuti alowetse ziwiriziwiri yamphongo ndi yaikazi yake.—Genesis 7:1-3.

Ziyenera kuti zinali zochititsa chidwi kuona nyama zambiri zikulowa m’chingalawa. Panali nyama zoyenda, zokwawa, zouluka komanso zodumpha. Nyamazi zinali zosiyanasiyana, zina zinali zazikulu, zina zazing’ono, zina zofatsa ndipo zina zolusa. Koma sikuti Nowa anavutika kulowetsa nyamazi m’chingalawamo chifukwa Baibulo limati “zinalowa . . . m’chingalawa mmene munali Nowa.”—Genesis 7:9.

Anthu ena otsutsa Baibulo amanena kuti zimenezi sizingatheke. Iwo amati n’zosatheka kuti nyama zonsezi zikhale mwamtendere m’chingalawa. Koma taganizirani mfundo iyi: Kodi n’zovuta kwa Mlengi yemwe ndi wamphamvu m’chilengedwe chonse kupangitsa nyama zimene analenga kuti zikhale mwamtendere ngati mmene iye akufunira? Kumbukirani kuti pa nthawi ina Yehova Mulungu analekanitsa Nyanja Yofiira komanso anaimitsa dzuwa kuti kusade. Ndiye kodi iye sangathe kuchita zimene zinatchulidwa m’nkhani ya Nowayi? N’zodziwikiratu  kuti Yehova angathe kuchita zimenezi ndipo n’zimene anachitadi.

Ndipotu Mulungu akanafuna akanatha kusankha njira ina yoti apulumutsire nyamazi. Koma iye anasankha kupulumutsa nyama mwa njira imeneyi n’cholinga chofuna kutithandiza kukumbukira ntchito imene iye anapatsa anthu yosamalira nyama padziko lapansi. (Genesis 1:28) Makolo ambiri masiku ano amagwiritsa ntchito nkhani ya Nowa kuphunzitsa ana awo kuti Yehova amaona kuti moyo wa anthu komanso wa nyama ndi wofunika kwambiri.

Kenako Yehova anauza Nowa kuti Chigumula chibwera pakatha masiku 7. Banjali liyenera kuti linatanganidwa kwambiri litamva zimenezi. Tangoganizani chintchito chimene chinalipo cholowetsa nyama zonse ndiponso chakudya chake komanso kulowetsa katundu wa banja lonse. Mkazi wa Nowa komanso akazi a Semu, Hamu ndi Yafeti ayenera kuti anatanganidwa kwambiri ndi kukonza mkati mwa chingalawamo kuti mukhale malo abwino.

Kodi anthu pa nthawiyi ankachita chiyani? Iwo anapitirizabe ‘kunyalanyaza’ ngakhale kuti panali umboni wonse wosonyeza kuti Yehova akudalitsa zimene Nowa ankachita. Anthuwo anaona ndithu nyama zikulowa m’chingalawa koma sanachite chilichonse. Koma zimenezi siziyenera kutidabwitsa. Anthu masiku ano amanyalanyaza umboni woonekeratu wosonyeza kuti tikukhala m’masiku otsiriza. Mogwirizana ndi zimene mtumwi Petulo analosera, anthu onyodola amanyoza anthu amene amatsatira chenjezo la Mulungu. (2 Petulo 3:3-6) Koma tikudziwa kuti Nowa ndi anthu a m’banja lake ankanyozedwanso ndi anthu a m’nthawi yawo.

Kodi anthu onyozawo chinawachitikira n’chiyani? Baibulo limanena kuti Nowa ndi banja lake atalowa m’chingalawa limodzi ndi nyama, “Yehova anatseka chitseko.” Ngati anthu onyozawo anali pafupi, ayenera kuti anadabwa kwambiri ndi zimenezi. Apo ayi, ndiye kuti anadabwa ataona kuti chimvula chayamba kugwa. Chimvulachi chinapitirizabe kugwa mpaka madzi anasefukira padziko lonse mogwirizana ndi mmene Yehova ananenera.—Genesis 7:16-21.

Kodi Yehova anasangalala ndi imfa ya anthu oipawo? Ayi ndithu. (Ezekieli 33:11) Iye anawapatsa mwayi woti asiye makhalidwe awo oipa. Kodi iwo akanatha kusiya makhalidwe oipa n’kuyamba kusangalatsa Mulungu? Zimene Nowa anachita zimayankha funso limeneli. Nowa anayenda ndi Yehova komanso kumumvera pa zinthu zonse ndipo izi zikusonyeza kuti zinali zotheka kupulumuka. Apa tingati Nowa anatsutsa dziko chifukwa anasonyeza kuti n’zotheka kuchita zinthu zokondweretsa Mulungu. Chikhulupiriro chake chinapangitsa kuti iye ndi banja lake apulumuke. Ngati nanunso mutatsanzira chikhulupiriro cha Nowa, zingathandize kuti inuyo komanso banja lanu mudzapulumuke. Mofanana ndi Nowa, nanunso mukhoza kuyenda ndi Yehova Mulungu monga bwenzi lanu. Ndipotu ubwenzi umenewu ukhoza kukhala mpaka kalekale.