UNYANA kaNowa uShem wasinda xa kwakutshatyalaliswa ihlabathi lo mhla kaNowa waza waphila kwelalandelayo. Ngaba uyasazi isizathu sokuba ihlabathi elingaphambi koMkhukula awayephila kulo uShem litshatyalaliswe? Ngaba uyayazi yona indlela yena nabantu bakowabo abasinda ngayo baza baphila kwihlabathi elalandelayo?— * Makhe sithethe ngaloo nto.

IBhayibhile isixelela ukuba xa uShem wayesengumntwana, “ububi bomntu” babandile emhlabeni. Abantu babecinga ‘ngezinto ezimbi ngalo lonke ixesha.’ Ngaba uyayazi into awayenzayo uThixo?— Wanisa umkhukula waza walitshabalalisa lonke ihlabathi elingendawo. Umpostile uPetros wathi: “Ihlabathi langoko latshatyalaliswa xa lakhukuliswa ngamanzi.”—Genesis 6:5; 2 Petros 3:6.

Ngaba uyasibona isizathu sokuba uThixo alitshabalalise elo hlabathi?— Abantu balo babezaliswe bububi, yaye babecinga ‘ngezinto ezimbi ngalo lonke ixesha.’ UYesu wathetha ngabo bantu. Wathi: “Ngaphambi komkhukula,” abantu babonwabile “besidla, besela” ‘betshata yaye betshatiswa.’ Wandula ke wathi: “Abazange banikele ngqalelo de wafika umkhukula waza wabatshayela bonke.”—Mateyu 24:37-39.

Yintoni le bangazange bayiqonde abo bantu?— Utata kaShem, uNowa ‘wayengumshumayeli wobulungisa,’ kodwa abantu abazange bazimamele izinto awayezithetha. UNowa wamphulaphula uThixo waza wakha umkhombe owawuza kusindisa yena nentsapho yakhe kuMkhukula. Yaba nguNowa, umfazi wakhe, oonyana bakhe—uShem, uHam noYifete—nabafazi babo kuphela abazenzayo izinto awayethe mabazenze. Bonke abanye abantu benza kuphela izinto ezazithandwa ngabo, ngoko ke wabatshayela uMkhukula.—2 Petros 2:5; 1 Petros 3:20.

Malunga nonyaka ukususela kusuku owaqalisa ngalo uMkhukula, uShem nabantu bakowabo baphumela ngaphandle komkhombe baya kumhlaba owomileyo. Babengasekho bonke abantu abenza ububi, kodwa ke kungekudala baphinda baba khona. UKanan, unyana kaHam umntakwabo Shem wenza into embi kangangokuba uNowa wathi: “Makaqalekiswe uKanan.” Umzukulwana kaHam, uNimrodi, naye wenza izinto ezimbi. Wachasa uThixo oyinyaniso, uYehova, waza wathi abantu mabakhe inqaba ende ebizwa ngokuba yiBhabheli ukuze badume umhlaba wonke. Ucinga  ukuba bathini uShem noYise xa abantu babesenza le nqaba?—Genesis 9:25; 10:6-10; 11:4, 5.

Baba buhlungu gqitha, ngokufanayo noYehova. Ngaba uyazi ukuba wenza ntoni uYehova?— Waduba ulwimi lwabantu ukuze bangevani xa bethetha. Kwanyanzeleka ukuba bayeke ukwakha baza bachithachitheka besaa kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo, elowo ehamba nabanye abantu abathetha ulwimi lwakhe. (Genesis 11:6-9) UThixo akazange alutshintshe ulwimi lukaShem nentsapho yakhe. Bona bakwazi ukuhlala kunye baza bancedana ukuze bakhonze uThixo. Ngaba wakha wazibuza ukuba uShem wamkhonza ixesha elide kangakanani uYehova?—

UShem waphila iminyaka engama-600. Wayeneminyaka engama-98 ukufika koMkhukula waza waphila engama-502 emva kwawo. Siqinisekile ukuba wamncedisa uNowa xa wayesakha umkhombe naxa wayelumkisa abantu ngokuza koMkhukula. Ucinga ukuba yintoni awayenzayo uShem kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-500 awayiphilayo emva koMkhukula?— UNowa wabhekisela kuYehova ngokuthi ‘nguThixo kaShem.’ UShem umele ukuba waqhubeka ekhonza uYehova yaye enceda nezihlobo zakhe ukuba nazo zenjenjalo. Kamva, kwintsapho kaShem kwavela uAbraham, uSara noIsake.—Genesis 9:26; 11:10-31; 21:1-3.

Ngoku khawucinge ngehlabathi lanamhlanje, ebelisiya lisonakala ukususela ngexesha likaShem. Kuza kwenzeka ntoni kulo?— IBhayibhile ithi “liyadlula.” Kodwa phawula esi sithembiso: “Lowo wenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.” Ukuba senza ukuthanda kukaThixo, sisenokuba phakathi kwabo baya kusinda bangene kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo. Emva koko, uThixo uya kusinceda siphile ngonaphakade nangolonwabo emhlabeni!—1 Yohane 2:17; INdumiso 37:29; Isaya 65:17.