NOWA ndi banja lake anakumbatilana pamene cimvula cacikulu cinali kugwa. Tayelekezani kuti muli nao mu mdimamo ndipo nyali ikuyaka. Nkhope zao zikuoneka pang’ono ndipo maso ao ali tuzu modabwa cifukwa ca cimvula cacikulu cimene cikumveka mbali zonse za cingalawa cimeneco. Phokoso lake ndi loopsa kwambili.

Pamene Nowa anali kuyang’ana anthu a m’banja lake, kutanthauza mkazi wake wokhulupilika ndi ana ake atatu olimba mtima ndi azikazi ao, ayenela kuti anali kusangalala kwambili mu mtima mwake. Panthawi yovuta imeneyo, iye anali kutonthozedwa kuona kuti ali limodzi ndi anthu amene amawakonda kwambili. Iwo onse anali moyo ndi osavulazidwa. Mosakaikila iye anatsogolela banja lake kupeleka pemphelo loyamikila Mulungu, ndipo anali kucita kukweza kwambili mau kuti onse amve cifukwa kunali phokoso lacimvula.

Nowa anali ndi cikhulupililo colimba kwambili. Mulungu wake, Yehova, anamuteteza limodzi ndi banja lake cifukwa ca cikhulupililo cake cimeneco. (Aheberi 11:7) Koma kodi cikhulupililo cao cinatha nchito pamene mvula inayamba kugwa? Iyai, m’malo mwake io anali kufunikila khalidwe limeneli maka-maka panthawi yovuta imene inali kubwela mtsogolomo. Ifenso tifunikila khalidwe limeneli cifukwa tili m’nthawi zovuta. Conco, tiyeni tione zimene tingaphunzile pa cikhulupililo ca Nowa.

Kunja kwa cingalawa, cimvula cacikulu cinapitiliza kugwa kwa “masiku 40, usana ndi usiku.” (Genesis 7:4, 11, 12) Madzi anapitilizabe kukwela. Pamene zimenezi zinali kucitika, Nowa anali kuona kuti Mulungu wake, Yehova anali kuteteza olungama ndipo panthawi imodzi-modziyo anali kuononga oipa.

Cigumula cinathetsa cipanduko cimene cinali pakati pa angelo. Cifukwa cosonkhezeledwa ndi maganizo a Satana adyela, angelo ambili “anasiya malo awo okhala” kumwamba ndi colinga cakuti agonane ndi akazi ndipo anabeleka ziphona zochedwa Anefili. (Yuda 6; Genesis 6:4) Mosakaikila, Satana anasangalala kwambili kuona cipandukoco cimene cinaononga khalidwe la mtundu wa anthu amene ndi colengedwa capamwamba kwambili ca Yehova padziko lapansi.

Komabe, pamene madzi a cigumula anaculuka kwambili, angelo opandukawo anakakamizika kuvula matupi ao aumunthu ndi kubwelela ku malo a mizimu, ndipo sakanatha kuvalanso matupi aumunthu amenewo. Iwo anasiya akazi ao ndi ana ao kuti afe m’madzi a cigumula pamodzi ndi mtundu wonse wa anthu.

Kuyambila m’masiku a Enoki, zaka pafupi-fupi 700 m’mbuyomo, Yehova anali atacenjeza mtundu wa anthu kuti adzaononga anthu onse oipa ndi osapembeza. (Genesis 5:24; Yuda 14, 15) Kuyambila nthawi imeneyo, anthu anacita kunyanya kuipa, anaononga dziko ndi kulidzaza ndi ciwawa. Koma tsopano anali kuonongedwa. Kodi Nowa ndi banja lake anasangalala ndi cionongeko cimeneco?

Iyai. Ngakhale Mulungu wao wacifundo sanasangalale. (Ezekieli 33:11) Yehova anacita zonse zotheka kuti apulumutse anthu ambili. Mulungu anauza Enoki kupeleka cenjezo kwa anthu amenewo, ndi kulamula Nowa kumanga cingalawa. Nowa ndi banja lake anagwila nchito ya kalavulagaga imeneyi kwa zaka zambili ndipo anthu onse anali kuwaona. Kuonjezela pamenepo, Yehova anauza Nowa kutumikila monga “mlaliki wa cilungamo.” (2 Petulo 2:5) Monga mmene Enoki anacitila m’mbuyomo, Nowa anacenjeza anthu za ciweluzo cimene cinali kudzabwela padziko. Koma kodi anthu amenewo analabadila motani macenjezo amenewo? Pamene  anali kumwamba, Yesu anaona zinthu zimene zinali kucitika padziko lapansi m’nthawi ya Nowa. Yesu pambuyo pake anafotokoza za anthu a m’nthawiyo kuti: “Anthu ananyalanyaza zimene zinali kucitika mpaka cigumula cinafika n’kuwaseselatu onsewo.”—Mateyu 24:39.

Ganizilani mmene Nowa ndi banja lake anali kumvelela masiku onse 40 pambuyo pakuti Yehova watseka citseko ca cingalawa. Pamene cimvula camphamvu cinapitiliza kukhuthukila pa cingalawaco, anthu okwana 8 aja amene anali mu cingalawa, ayenela kuti anayamba kuzolowela moyo wao wa tsiku ndi tsiku monga kusamalilana, kusamalila nyumba yao ndi kusamalila nyama zimene anali nazo. Ndipo panthawi inayake, cingalawa cacikulu cimeneco, cinagwedezeka ndi kudzandila uku ndi uku. Cingalawaco cinali kuyenda pamwamba pa madzi ndipo nthawi iliyonse cinali kukwela m’mwamba cifukwa ca kuculuka kwa madzi “mpaka cinali kuyandama pamwamba kwambili kucokela padziko lapansi.” (Genesis 7:17) Zimenezo zinaonetsa mphamvu zodabwitsa za Mulungu Wamphamvuyonse, Yehova.

Nowa ayenela kuti anali woyamikila kaamba kakuti Yehova anam’teteza iye ndi banja lake, ndiponso cifukwa ca cifundo cimene Mulungu anawasonyeza powagwilitsila nchito kucenjeza anthu amene anafa pa cigumula. Zaka zonse zimene io anagwila nchito ya kalavulagaga imeneyo, ziyenela kuti zinali kuoneka zosaphula kanthu panthawiyo. Anthu sanali kuwalabadila. Mosakaikila, Nowa anali ndi abale ndi alongo ake pamodzi ndi ana ao amene anali ndi moyo Cigumula cisanayambe. Koma palibe ngakhale mmodzi amene anamvela kupatulapo anthu a m’banja lake leni-lenilo. (Genesis 5:30) Komabe, pamene anthu 8 aja anapitilizabe kupeza citetezo mu cingalawa, ayenela kuti anali kutonthozedwa akakumbukila nthawi imene anagwilitsa nchito kuthandiza anthu kuti mwina akapulumuke.

Kuyambila nthawi ya Nowa, Yehova sanasinthe. (Malaki 3:6) Yesu Kristu anafotokoza kuti masiku athu ano amafanana ndi “masiku a Nowa.” (Mateyu 24:37) Tikukhala m’nthawi yovuta kwambili imene idzatha pamene dongosolo la zinthu loipa lidzaonongedwa. Masiku ano, anthu a Mulungu akupelekanso uthenga wocenjeza anthu onse amene angamvele. Kodi inu mudzalabadila cenjezo limenelo? Ngati munaphunzila kale coonadi ca uthenga wopatsa moyo umenewo, kodi mudzatengako mbali kugaŵila ena uthenga umenewu? Nowa ndi banja lake anatisiila citsanzo ife tonse.

Pamene cingalawa cinali kuyenda pamwamba pa madzi ambili othamanga, onse amene anali mkati mwake ayenela kuti anali kumva kulila kwa matabwa akulu-akulu amene anagwilitsilidwa nchito kumanga cingalawaco. Kodi Nowa anali kudela nkhawa za kukula kwa mafunde ndi kuti mwina cingalawa cingaphwasuke? Iyai. Anthu otsutsa ndi amene angakhale ndi maganizo amenewo masiku ano. Koma Nowa anali munthu wa cikhulupililo. Baibo imati: “Mwa cikhulupililo, Nowa . . . anamanga cingalawa.” (Aheberi 11:7) Kodi anali kukhulupilila ciani? Yehova anacita pangano ndi Nowa lakuti adzamupulumutsa pa Cigumula ndi ena onse amene adzakhala naye. (Genesis 6:18, 19) Kodi Mlengi wa cilengedwe conse kuphatikizapo dziko ndi za moyo zonse zili mmenemo, sakanateteza cingalawaco? Inde akanatelo. Nowa anali ndi cikhulupililo cakuti Yehova adzasunga lonjezo lake. Ndipo zoonadi, iye ndi banja lake ‘anapulumutsidwa pamadzi.’—1 Petulo 3:20.

Potsilizila pake mvula inatha pambuyo pa masiku 40. Tikagwilitsila nchito kalenda yathu, zimenezi zinacitika mu December caka ca 2370 B.C.E. Koma imeneyo sinali nthawi yakuti banja la Nowa lituluke m’cingalawa. Cingalawaco cinali codzaza ndi zamoyo, ndipo cinali kuyenda pamwamba pamadzi ambili omwe anali kupitilila mapili atali-atali. (Genesis 7:19, 20) Nowa ndi ana ake, Semu, Hamu ndi Yafeti ayenela kuti anali ndi nchito yaikulu yodyetsa ndi kusamalila nyama zonse kuti zikhale za udongo ndi za thanzi. Ndithudi, Mulungu amene anacititsa kuti nyamazo zigonjele poloŵa m’cingalawa, sakanalephela kuzicititsanso kukhala za udongo ndi za thanzi panthawi yonse ya Cigumula. a

Mwacionekele, Nowa anaonetsetsa kuti zonse zimene zinali kucitika zalembedwa. Zolembedwa zimenezo zimakamba za nthawi pamene mvula inayamba ndi pamene inatha. Zimavumbulanso kuti madzi anaculuka padziko lapansi kwa masiku 150. Pomalizila pake, madzi anayamba kupwa. Ndiyeno cingalawa cinaima “pamapili a Ararati” amene masiku ano amapezeka ku dziko la Turkey. Tsiku limenelo linali losaiwalika. Zimenezo ziyenela kuti zinacitika mu April caka ca 2369 B.C.E. Patapita masiku 73, m’mwezi wa June, nsonga za mapili zinayamba kuonekela. Pambuyo pa miyezi itatu, mu September, Nowa anaganiza zocotsa matabwa ena mbali ina ya denga la cingalawa. Mosakaikila nchito yao ya kalavulagaga ija inaoneka kuti inali yaphindu pamene anaonanso kuunika ndi kuwomba kwa kamphepo kayazi-yazi. Ndiponso Nowa anali atayamba kale kufufuza ngati kunja kwa cingalawa kunali bwino-bwino kuti anthu akhaleko. Iye anatumiza khwangwala, amene anali kubwela ndi kupita kwa kanthawi, mwina khwangwalayo akauluka-uluka anali kubwela kudzapumila pa denga la cingalawa. Ndiyeno Nowa anatumiza njiwa imene inapitiliza kubwelela kwa iye kufikila pamene inapeza malo okhala.—Genesis 7:24–8:13.

Nowa anali kuona zinthu za kuuzimu kukhala zofunika kwambili kuposa nchito zina za kuthupi zimene tinachula poyamba. Tingathe kumuona ndi banja lake m’maganizo athu akukumana pamodzi nthawi zonse kuti apemphele, ndi kukambilana za mmene Atate wao wa kumwamba wakhala akuwatetezela. Nowa anali kudalila Yehova asanapange cosankha ciliconse cofunika. Pambuyo pokhala m’cingalawa koposa caka cimodzi, iye anaona kuti ‘madzi aphwelatu’ padziko lapansi. Komabe Nowa sanatsegule citseko kuti iye ndi anthu ena amene anali m’cingalawa kuphatikizapo nyama atuluke. (Genesis 8:14) M’malo mwake, iye anayembekezela Yehova kuti amulamule kutelo.

Mitu ya mabanja ikhoza kuphunzila zambili kwa munthu wa cikhulupililo ameneyu. Nowa anali wadongosolo, wakhama panchito, woleza mtima, ndipo anali kuteteza anthu a m’banja lake. Komabe, iye anali kuona kuti kucita cifunilo ca Yehova Mulungu kunali kofunika kwambili kuposa cina ciliconse. Ngati tingatsanzile cikhulupililo ca Nowa m’mbali zimenezi, anthu onse amene timakonda angapindule.

Pomalizila pake, Yehova anauza Nowa kuti: “Tsopano tulukani m’cingalawamo, iweyo, mkazi wako, ana ako, ndi akazi a ana ako.” Iwo anamvela ndipo banjalo ndi limene linayambila kutuluka kenako nyama zonse. Kodi nyamazo zinatuluka mwa njila yotani? Kodi zinatuluka mwacisawawa popanda dongosolo labwino? Ayi sizinatelo. Baibo imanena kuti “monga mwa magulu awo, zinatuluka m’cingalawamo.” (Genesis 8:15-19) Pamene Nowa ndi banja lake anatuluka m’cingalawa ndi kuyang’ana madela ozungulila phili la Ararati, anaona kuti dziko layeletsedwa. Analinso kupuma mpweya wabwino wocokela ku mapili. Panalibe Anefili, ciwawa, angelo opanduka, ndi dziko lonse lija la anthu oipa. b Anthu tsopano anali ndi mwai wakuti ayambilenso umoyo wabwino.

Nowa anadziŵa zimene anali kufunikila kucita. Iye anayamba ndi kulambila. Anamanga guwa la nsembe ndi kupeleka nsembe yopseleza kwa Yehova mwa kugwilitsila nchito nyama zina zimene Mulungu anali kuziona kuti ndi zoyela. Iye analowetsa m’cingalawa nyama zoyela “zokwanila 7” pa mtundu uliwonse. (Genesis 7:2; 8:20) Kodi kulambila kumeneko kunasangalatsa Yehova?

Baibo imayankha ndi mau osangalatsa akuti: “Yehova anamva fungo lokhazika mtima pansi.” Kuwawidwa mtima kumene Mulungu anamva pamene anthu anali kudzadza dziko lapansi ndi ciwawa kunatha. Tsopano iye anasangalala pamene anaona banja la anthu amene anali kum’lambila mokhulupilika padziko lapansi, ndiponso amene anali otsimikiza mtima kucita cifunilo cake. Yehova sanawayembekezele kukhala angwilo. Lembalo limapitiliza ndi mau akuti: “Maganizo a anthu amakhala oipa kuyambila pa ubwana wao.” (Genesis 8:21) Ganizilani mmene Yehova anasonyezelanso kuleza mtima kwake ndi cifundo kwa anthu.

Mulungu anacotsa tembelelo lake panthaka. Pamene Adamu ndi Hava anacimwa m’mbuyomo, Mulungu anatembelela nthaka ndipo zimenezo zinali kupangitsa ulimi kukhala wovuta. Atate ake a Nowa, a Lameki, anamupatsa dzina lakuti Nowa, limene mwina limatanthauza “Mpumulo” kapena “Citonthozo,” ndipo ananenelatu kuti iye adzabweletsela anthu mpumulo ku tembelelo la nthaka. Nowa ayenela kuti anasangalala kwambili pamene anadziŵa kuti adzaona ulosi umenewu ukukwanilitsidwa ndi kuti anthu azilima dziko lapansi popanda kuvutika kwambili. N’cifukwa cake Nowa anayamba ulimi mwamsanga pambuyo pa cigumula.—Genesis 3:17, 18; 5:28, 29; 9:20.

Yehova anapatsanso mbadwa za Nowa malamulo omveka bwino ndi osavuta kuti aziwatsogolela pa umoyo wao. Malamulo amenewo anaphatikizapo kuletsa kupha munthu ndi kugwilitsila nchito magazi molakwika. Mulungu anapanganso pangano ndi anthu, mwa kuwalonjeza kuti sadzabweletsanso cigumula kuti ciononge zamoyo zonse za padziko lapansi. Kuti asonyeze kutsimikizilika kwa lonjezo lake, Yehova anapatsa anthu cizindikilo cocititsa cidwi ca m’cilengedwe. Cizindikilo cimeneco cinali utawaleza. Mpaka masiku ano, tikaona utawaleza uliwonse, timakumbukila lonjezo la cikondi ndi lotonthoza mtima la Yehova.—Genesis 9:1-17.

Nkhani ya Nowa ikanakhala nthano cabe, ikanathela pa nkhani ya utawaleza. Koma Nowa anali munthu weni-weni amene anakhalako ndipo sikuti anali ndi umoyo wopanda mavuto. Popeza kuti panthawiyo anthu anali kukhala ndi moyo wautali, munthu wokhulupilika ameneyo anapilila zaka zina zokwanila 350, ndipo zaka zimenezo zinam’bweletsela mavuto. Analakwa kwambili pa nthawi ina pamene analolela kuledzela ndipo vuto limenelo linakula kwambili pamene mdzukulu wake Kanani anacita chimo lalikulu. Chimo limenelo linacititsa kuti banja la Kanani likumane ndi mavuto aakulu. Nowa anakhala ndi moyo kwa nthawi yaitali ndipo anaona mbadwa zake zikugwela m’macimo monga kupembedza mafano ndi ciwawa m’nthawi ya Nimurodi. Koma zosangalatsa n’zakuti, Nowa anakhala ndi mwai woona mwana wake Semu akupeleka citsanzo cabwino ku banja lake pankhani yokhala ndi cikhulupililo colimba.—Genesis 9:21-28; 10:8-11; 11:1-11.

Monga Nowa, tiyenela kukhalabe okhulupilika tikakumana ndi mavuto. Pamene anthu ena anyalanyaza Mulungu woona, kapena kuleka kum’tumikila, ife tiyenela kupitilizabe kum’tumikila monga mmene Nowa anacitila. Kupilila mokhulupilika kwa conco kumasangalatsa Yehova. Yesu Kristu ananena kuti, “amene adzapilile mpaka pa mapeto, ndiye amene adzapulumuke.”—Mateyu 24:13.