Noah Built an Altar

Genesis 8:20–22
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After coming out of the ark the first thing that Noah did was to build an altar and celebrate by offering some of the ritually clean animals to God (v. 20). We might ask, why did he do this?

1. He wanted to please God and desired His fellowship.

2. This was an expression of his commitment to God and God’s #1 place in his life.

We need to ask if our hearts are oriented towards God like Noah’s was? 

1. Is the worship of God our top priority.

2. Is the seeking of God and fellowship with Him our priority. 

3. What place does God have in our lives.

4. When God does something for us, is going to Him the first thing we do?

Leaving the ark, Noah made a sacrifice to God, which was a pleasing aroma to Him. The people of God are a worshiping people, as Israel would learn, and that worship was to take the form of giving God some of the best of what was His.

God spoke secretly to Himself as if it were, in response to Noah’s sacrifice “ (vv. 20-22). The fragrance of Noah’s offering ascended to Him, and He said in his heart, “I will not curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done.” While the earth remains there will be planting, harvesting, cold and heat, summer and winter and day and night” (vv. 21-22). God will not destroy the world again with a universal flood. In his heart He pledged too that henceforth the seasons would come and go without interference from on high.

Application

Hebrews 13:15 says, we are to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, giving thanks to  his name. In Proverbs 3:9 we are to honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase. In other words, I need to empty myself and walk with the Lord our God as Noah did.