IGenesis ithi uThixo wayezimisele ukushenxisa ubungendawo emhlabeni ngomkhukula wamanzi womhlaba uphela. Waxelela uNowa ukuba akhe umkhombe owawuza kusindisa yena, intsapho yakhe neendidi zonke zezilwanyana. UThixo wayalela uNowa ukuba loo mkhombe ufanele ube ziikubhite ezingama-300 ubude, iikubhite ezingama-50 ububanzi, neekubhite ezingama-30 ukuphakama. (Genesis 6:15) Ngokutsho kolunye uqikelelo, oku kwakuthetha ukuba loo mkhombe wawuza kuba ziimitha ezili-134 ubude, neemitha ezingama-22 ububanzi, neemitha ezili-13 ukuphakama.a Oku kuthetha ukuba umkhombe wawunomthamo weekyubhik-mitha ezingama-40 000, umthamo ophantse ulingane nalowo wenqanawa yodumo iTitanic.

Ukuzinza Kwenqanawa Elwandle

Ubude bomkhombe babubuphinda kathandathu ububanzi buze bukuphinde kalishumi ukuphakama kwawo. Iinqanawa ezininzi zale mihla zinemilinganiselo efanayo, nangona kuzo ubude nobubanzi buxhomekeke kumandla afunekayo ukuze zihambe. Kanti ke, wona umkhombe wawuza kudada nje ngaphezulu. Wawuza kudada kakuhle kangakanani?

Ukuba inqanawa iyakwazi ukumelana nomoya namaza kuthiwa izinzile. Oku kuxhomekeke kubude, ububanzi nokuphakama kwenqanawa. IBhayibhile ichaza izantyalantyala zemvula ezabangela uMkhukula ize ithi kamva uThixo wenza kwabhudla umoya. (Genesis 7:11, 12, 17-20; 8:1) IZibhalo azisixeleli ukuba ayemakhulu kangakanani na amaza nomoya, kodwa kusenokwenzeka ukuba umoya namaza ayenamandla yaye ayeguquguquka njengokuba kusenokuba njalo nanamhlanje. Okukhona umoya ubhudla ixesha elide yaye usiba namandla, kokukhona namaza esiba makhulu yaye eqelelelana. Kwakhona, nenyikima yayiya kuvelisa amaza amakhulu.

Ubude, ububanzi nokuphakama komkhombe kwawenza wazinza, nto leyo eyenza ukuba ungawi. Kwakhona wakhiwa ukuze ukwazi ukujamelana nemimoya eyayinokuwenza udlokove xa ulwandle lugqutha. Ukudlokoviswa gqitha ngamaza kwakuza kubenza abantu nezilwanyana bangahlali ngokukhululekileyo ngaphakathi kumkhombe. Kwakhona oku kwakuza kuwonakalisa umkhombe. Indlela owawakhiwe ngayo kwakufanele ungophuki phakathi xa amaza ewuphakamisa macal’ omabini ngexesha elinye. Kanti, xa uphakanyiswa liliza elikhulu embindini, kungekho nto yokuwuxhasa, umphambili nomva wenqanawa wawusenokugoba. UThixo waxelela uNowa ukuba ubude bomkhombe buwuphindaphinde kalishumi umlinganiselo wokuphakama. Abakhi beenqanawa bamva bafunda kabuhlungu ukuba loo mlinganiselo wawuza kukwazi ukumelana nezi meko.