Noah’s Offering and God’s Promise

To give some context for today’s verse. God had flooded the world because of the sinfulness of mankind and after the flood had receded, Noah opened the ark, letting the animals and family out. He then set about building an altar to sacrifice a burnt offering to God. God smelled the aroma of the sacrifice, and it pleased Him, or some translations say it ‘soothed’ Him, and as a result He promised never again to wipe out mankind, even though He was fully aware they were still sinful to their very roots.

The most wonderful thing for us is that we live in the blessing from God that was the result of Noah’s immediate and righteous sacrifice. This burnt offering was to atone for the sin of Noah’s family who were starting the new peoples of the earth. It was only a partial atonement, as we now understand, but it was a fitting first action as they started on the new era. We are the descendants of Noah, so we have inherited these blessings, seed time and harvest, summer and winter and cold times and hot times. These may present very differently in places around the world, but they continue, and we are blessed by them.

Recently, in the UK, we have been delighting in spring. Daffodils and crocuses have been followed by tulips and tree blossom. It’s a daily pleasure, but one which we shouldn’t take for granted. We don’t deserve such blessings, (we are still people who more readily turn to unrighteousness), but God’s promises stand for all time, and we need to be grateful, never taking them for granted. However, although creation around us is beautiful, it is not as God initially intended it to be. Creation will, one day, be even more glorious.

As we approach Easter and think about the full and complete atonement for sin that Jesus won for us on the cross, we can also enjoy the blessings of the natural world around us. We can enjoy the cycle of the seasons, the temperature variation where we live, the differences between the day and the night, the growth in plants and trees, and the faithfulness of God demonstrated through His creation.

But what is more, we know that one day all of creation will be fully redeemed from its ‘groaning’, as we read in Romans 8:21-22, ‘creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.’

Alleluia! We will see and enjoy an even greater and more beautiful creation when all things are restored to be as God intended they should be.