September 4, 2021 -- Genesis 8:20-22 -- Extravagant Giving

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
Genesis 8:20-22 English Standard Version

Think of it, Noah and his family had just stepped off the ark after all the people of the earth and all the animals of the earth had been blotted out. Only seven pairs of clean animals, and one pair of unclean animals, were spared and kept alive along with Noah and Mrs. Noah, Ham, Shem and Japheth and the spouse of each of the sons. Now Noah builds an altar and sacrifices some of every clean animal. It almost seems extravagant, doesn’t it? We think of genetic diversity which is destroyed. We think of how few are left to repopulate the earth.

There are a number of things Noah believed. He believed, the earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof. Noah knew his righteousness is not his own, it is faith in God and ultimately in Jesus Christ. Noah understood blood needed to be spilled in order to atone for sin. The fragrance of the offering is a reference the New Testament picks up. We, as believers, are the fragrance of Christ. His blood was spilled so that all who lived in the Old Testament times and believed in Him would be saved. All who lived in the New Testament times and believed in Him, would be saved. All who believe in Jesus Christ, believing that His blood makes propitiation, takes away God’s wrath against our sin and makes us right with God, are saved in Christ. This is the fragrance which rises up.

Precious as those clean animals were which were offered at the time of Noah, so much greater, infinitely more extravagant, is the sacrifice of Jesus’ life and blood given that all who believe on Him might be saved and called beloved daughters and sons of God. Tomorrow is Sunday. We are called to go to church and celebrate the greatest gift of love ever given—the Father’s gift of Christ, the willing sacrifice of Jesus, giving Himself up for the world, the willing work of the Holy Spirit to fill the Man Jesus and dwell in Him without measure and the work of the Spirit Who lives in us, binding believers to Jesus.

We praise You, O God. Our short lives are a mist and quickly passing shadow, yet as long as You give us breath in our lungs we offer to You, Triune God, praise and thanksgiving for the great gift of Your love. We anticipate the wonders and splendours of eternity, where Your beauty and brilliance, the awesome majesty of Your terrible power will be ever better known and increasingly precious to us. In our lives, Your Church and in Your world, LORD of Wondrous Love and Justice, be glorified.

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