Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 8:13-22.

“Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth.  Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up.  In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.  Then God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.  Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”  So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.  Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by their families from the ark.

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 8:13-22.

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God led Noah and his family and all the animals and all the other things out of the ark and onto the earth, family by family, commanding them:  “be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 

What a joyful procession that must have been!    

“The LORD smelled the soothing aroma”. 

But, we should not think that the soothing aroma came from man who probably stunk after being cooped up in the ark with all the animals for so many days.  Nor, should we think that the LORD suddenly changed His view of man, for He says:  “the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth”.

The LORD smelled the soothing aroma from the sacrifice, the burnt offerings on the altar.  

So to speak, when the LORD considers us, He smells the soothing aroma of Christ from those in Christ, His elect, and He likewise leads us out into the world in triumph.  

“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;  to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.  And who is adequate for these things?  For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”  2 Corinthians 2:15-17.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”  2 Corinthians 2:14.