Sacrificial Enthronement

When Noah (noach) brings the ark to its resting place (nuach) on Ararat, he offers an ascension that brings a resting (niychoach) aroma to Yahweh (Genesis 8:21). 

The aroma “pacifies” Yahweh, but there seems to be another dimension as well. When Yahweh is enthroned in heaven or the temple, He is said to take His seat in His resting place (maqom menuchah; e.g., Deuteronomy 12:9; Psalm 132:8, 14; Isaiah 66:1). Sacrifice that sends up a niychoach aroma is confirming or acknowledging Yahweh as king of heaven. Or, more strongly, it is a sacrifice that enthrones Yahweh as King of His creation. Sacrifice is a ritual of installation or coronation. After purging and renewing the world by water, sits again on His throne, hangs up His war bow, takes Sabbath.

Hence, Jesus acts as king when He offers Himself as sacrifice. As N.T. Wright has put it, the cross is “how God became king.”

And not only Yahweh: If noach offers a niychoach aroma, he is offering himself, since he is the one who brings rest. And if the offering of the aroma is an enthronement, then the “ascension” offering is the ascent of Noah to join Yahweh as king of creation. It’s no accident that Noah offers the first ascension offering in biblical history.