Bible Passage: Genesis 8:15-22
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: October 9, 2022

Bulletin October 9, 2022

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

Our text for this morning allows us to review, at least in part, that event in the history of the world called The Flood.  Most of us have heard the story how after about 18 centuries of world history, humankind had become so corrupt and violent that God destroyed the world in a great flood.  But in his grace and mercy, he saved one man and his family.  That man was Noah.

We remember the instructions the Lord gave to Noah.  He instructed Noah to build an ark.  By “ark,” don’t think sleek sailing vessel.  Think “large floating box.”  The dimensions of this floating box are given to us in Genesis 6.  It was to be 450 feet long.  That is the length of 1 ½ football fields!  It was 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.  It was to have a roof over the top with an 18 inch window/vent under the eave, and three decks inside, and a door on the side.  It was ENORMOUS!

Now, we don’t know if God gave Noah more detailed instructions on how to build it, like engineered drawings today.  But suffice it to say, this was a marvel of a building project for Noah and his boys!  I sometimes wonder what that looked like as Noah and his boys showed up to the site each day and rolled up their sleeves!

Noah built something else quite impressive.  It is mentioned in our text this morning.  In size and scale it does not compare at all to the ark.  In fact, it was puny by comparison.  But in meaning and significance, it might be even bigger.  I am talking about the altar we are told Noah built.  This morning we want to consider these two building projects of Noah, paying careful attention to the order in which they were built:  First the Ark…then the Altar.

Our text begins with these words:  Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.  Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you… (v. 15-17)  I don’t think there is any way for us to begin to comprehend how Noah felt when he heard those words!  God was inviting them to come off the ark!  Noah and his family and those animals had been, at this point, on the ark for one year and ten days!  The day they had boarded the ark, God had opened the floodgates of the heavens and the fountains of the deep and began a flood that would kill every human and land animal.  You say, “That sounds horrible!”  It was horrible.  It was a judicial act of God; it was judgment on the wickedness of humanity.  But there on that ark, Noah and his family were kept safe!  While the judgment of God splashed all around them, there they were – safe inside this 450’ long, floating box of GRACE!

Once again, I don’t think there is any way for us to imagine what that was like for Noah and his family finally to step off of the ark and touch ground again.  I wonder if it was eerie to look to the far horizon and see absolutely no signs of life.  To step out into open air and know that you are the only humans on the planet breathing it.  I wonder if they thought, “What do we do now?”

Noah knew what he wanted to do.  Noah built an altar to the LORD and took from every clean animal and every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (v. 20)  Noah went back to building.  A much smaller project to be sure.  He built an altar.  Maybe he found some stones that were scattered about.  Maybe the boys helped him carefully stack them, fitting them as best they could into an altar.  And then he worshiped.  In gratitude, in consecration, in dedication, he worshiped!  And that little fire with that little plume of smoke rising from this planet that had smelled so bad God destroyed it, smelled good to God.  The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma. (v. 21)

First there was the ark, then there was the altar.  First there was God’s rescue, then there was consecration and dedication.  This is always the order.  God’s saving action always comes before any movement on our part.  The order is never this:  we build our altar and make our sacrifice and dedicate ourselves to God and then he says, “I will save this one.”  First there is grace, then there is gratitude.  First must be an ark, then there can be an altar.

Does it work that way in your life?  Startlingly so!  There is a “water-rescue” story in your life.   It is baptism.  Think that’s a stretch?  Listen to what Peter writes in his first letter:  In this ark [Peter is referring to Noah’s ark] a few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.  And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:20-21)  God has rescued you from the corruption of this sinful world and the coming judgment.  Oh, this world will not be destroyed again by another Great Flood, the Lord promised in our text he wasn’t going to do that.  But final judgment is coming.  But you are safe!  Baptism connected you to Jesus…the risen Jesus!  His life and his death and his resurrection allow you a clear conscience even as you think about meeting the God who sent the Flood!  God rescued you!

Now what?  Now, the altar.  But for you it doesn’t mean going out in your yard and stacking stones into an altar and then sacrificing a bull or ox on it.  Paul describes your sacrifice this way:  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices to God. (Romans 12:1)  For this sacrifice, nothing dies…something lives.  You do!  Your living body is on the altar!  You spend your life saying “thank you” to God, saying “I love you” to God with your words and your deeds and your thoughts!  And you know what?  That smells good to God!  Because in baptism you are connected to Jesus, because your body is a living sacrifice “in view of God’s mercy, “ which means it’s all done for Jesus, it smells like Jesus.

Noah’s story is really not so different from our own when you get right down to it!  First there is rescue, then there is sacrifice.  First is the ark…then comes the altar.

Amen.