Noah Gives Thanks
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.
After Noah and his family left the ark, one of the first things Noah did was build an altar and offer a sacrifice to God of every clean animal that was on the ark. The size and scope of this offering is fascinating to ponder. The specifications for clean animals are found in Leviticus 11:3. It is possible that Noah sacrificed around 100 animals.
The type of sacrifice Noah offered is later called a “freewill offering” in the Mosaic law (Leviticus 22:17-22; Numbers 29:39; Deuteronomy 12:17; Amos 4:5). A freewill offering was essentially an offering of thanksgiving voluntarily given to God. This offering of a clean animal could be made at any time—and was usually offered around God’s holy days or to give thanks for a specific blessing.
This is one of many examples of laws that were practiced in the patriarchal period of biblical history that were also codified in the Mosaic law, almost 1,000 years later.
The key lesson we should learn from this scripture is that it is important to thank God for the blessings He gives us. In Noah’s case, he offered a freewill sacrifice to give thanks to God for preserving him and his family in the ark and for allowing them to be used to repopulate the earth.
Consider the following scriptures on giving thanks to God for His blessings in our lives: 2 Corinthians 9:11-12; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2.
To learn more about the laws of God that predate Moses, read “Were the 10 Commandments Around Before Moses?”
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “God to Never Again Destroy Mankind.”
