Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
– Genesis 8:20-22
When Noah went forth from the ark, he was on the ground of resurrection. Here he built an altar, and offered burnt offerings on it. When God smelled the soothing aroma from Noah’s offering, He said, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” The mixture that God hated was gone, and there was a fresh beginning. From that day, God would never again curse the ground for man’s sake or smite every living thing (v. 21).
Adapted from A Sketch of Genesis, pages 73-74.
Tomorrow: “God Bearing the Responsibility” (2)