Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
Genesis 8:20 NIV
Have you ever wondered what it truly means to worship God in spirit and truth? Noah, the faithful servant of God, provides a profound example of genuine worship in the book of Genesis. In this verse of today, we find Noah constructing an altar and offering sacrifices to the Lord. However, his act of worship was not a mere ritual. Instead, it was a demonstration of his deep understanding of God’s character and a reflection of his spiritual maturity.
Noah’s unwavering faith in God’s promises was foundational to his act of worship. From his personal relationship with God, he knew Him to be faithful in keeping His word. Likewise, he also recognised the importance of how God is to be worshiped. His willingness to construct an altar and offer a correct and acceptable sacrifice reveals the maturity that comes with truly knowing the Lord. He built and altar to the Lord without needing anyone to compel him to do so, not even God. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of spiritual growth.
For you should already be professors instructing others by now; but instead, you need to be taught from the beginning the basics of God’s prophetic oracles! You’re like children still needing milk and not yet ready to digest solid food. For every spiritual infant who lives on milk is not yet pierced by the revelation of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, whose spiritual senses perceive heavenly matters. And they have been adequately trained by what they’ve experienced to emerge with understanding of the difference between what is truly excellent and what is evil and harmful.
Hebrews 5:12-14 TPT
Many Christians today, despite having accepted Christ long ago, remain spiritual infants. They warm the pews on Sundays but show little transformation in their lives. They cannot prepare an altar of communion with the Lord unless they are compelled. We can barely differentiate an unbeliever from them – what a pity. It’s time for these believers to mature in their faith, to move from being fed with milk to digesting solid spiritual food, and to learn to discern right from wrong.
Furthermore, we find another crucial lesson in Noah’s worship – not just anything goes when offering sacrifices to God. Noah intentionally selected “clean animals and clean birds” for his sacrifice. Because he understood that the acceptability of the offering matters more than the act itself. Knowing the Lord intimately teaches us to live lives that emit a pleasing and sweet-smelling aroma before Him. We learn how to constantly offer acceptable sacrifices on the altar of our hearts.
Unfortunately, many still live in spiritual disguise, thinking that an abundance of sacrifices will please God. King Saul made a similar mistake when he kept the best animals instead of destroying them, claiming they were for a sacrifice. God’s response through the prophet Samuel reveals a profound truth: obedience is superior to offering sacrifices. God values a heart that listens and obeys more than a multitude of offerings.
But Samuel said, ‘What makes the Lord happy? Which is better? Is he more pleased when people offer burnt offerings and sacrifices to him? Or is he more pleased when people obey him? Listen! It is better to obey the Lord than to offer sacrifices to him. That is true even if you offer to him the best animals that you have. You have turned against God. That is worse than using magic. You think that you know what is right better than God does. That is as bad as worshipping idols. You decided not to obey the Lord ‘s command. Now the Lord has decided that you will not be king any longer.’
1 Samuel 15:22-23 EASY
In conclusion, Noah’s act of worship is a powerful example of the heart of true worship. It teaches us the significance of knowing God, growing spiritually, and offering acceptable sacrifices. Instead of empty rituals, let our worship be an expression of faith, obedience, and an aroma that pleases the Lord. May we learn from Noah’s life that it’s not about the quantity of our offerings but the quality of our hearts.
