Genesis 8:20-22, 9:8-17 (ESV)
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. 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. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Devotional Reflection
After the flood waters subside from the face of the earth. And after all the occupants of the ark have disembarked, Noah builds an altar to the Lord and offers a burnt offering of some of the clean animals that the Lord had instructed him to bring onto the ark. By the way, this is the first time in Scripture that we hear of an altar being built.
The burnt offering is described as a “pleasing aroma” to the Lord—indicating that the Lord accepts this offering. And the Lord says something interesting. He addresses not the man offering the sacrifices, but addresses Himself. The Lord vows to himself that he “will never again curse the ground because of man for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” This can also be translated as “even though the intention of man’s heart is evil since his youth.” Then the Lord continues, “Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done…” For as long the earth remains—despite man’s continual and innate sinfulness, the Lord promises that he will never again exact this kind of penalty on the human race, but that he will graciously and patiently preserve it.
As we journey through this season of repentance, we certainly recognize the truth of what the Lord has said about the human heart. We are sinful and unclean creatures—every inclination of our heart is set upon defying God and practicing evil. As Jeremiah says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9)
And yet, while the Lord’s words cut us to the very core—they also comfort us because of the depth and kindness of his mercy. Notice that the Lord does not pledge here to excuse or ignore man’s inherent sinfulness, but rather, he pledges to himself that he will never again strike down every living creature. Here, we can look back through the revelation of Christ and see that, as the Lord is smelling the pleasing aroma offered from Noah’s altar, he is speaking about an altar far into the future. There, he would cause his very own Son to be “stricken, smitten, and afflicted” with every judgment that the evil inclination of man’s heart had earned. There on that altar, his own Son would be the sacrifice that was consumed by the fire. There, from that altar, Christ who loved us would give himself up for us—a pleasing aroma and sacrifice to God. There, Christ would atone for the evil inclinations of your heart and mine. There, by his sacrifice, Christ would forever cause God to put away his anger toward us and would make us the beneficiaries of a new covenant by his blood that brings us peace with God.
Image Description (AI Prompt)
Create an image in the style of Lucas Cranach, featuring a cross with fire and smoke rising from it, and a smooth rainbow above. Cranach's style is characterized by intricate detailing, vivid color palettes, and expressive compositions. The cross, engulfed in flames, should be detailed and vivid. Billowing smoke rises into the air, adding to the dramatic effect. Above, a smooth, uninterrupted rainbow arches gracefully, contrasting the scene below. The rainbow should be depicted with Cranach's approach to color and detail, showing a seamless transition of colors. The overall composition should reflect the historical and artistic style of Lucas Cranach, combining the elements of the scene in a harmonious and expressive manner.