After the flood, Noah builds an altar (mizbeach<\/em>) offers ascension offerings (ya\u2019al \u2018oloth<\/em>). It\u2019s the first altar and the first ascension offering in biblical history (Genesis 8:20). Noah is the first king, the first to be given authority to shed human blood, the first to drink wine, the first to send an animal up to Yahweh as a symbol of enthronement.<\/p>\n Every clean animal and bird is included. There is not yet a distinction between sacrificial and non-sacrificial beasts, only between pure and impure. That further distinction is introduced only after Israel is separated as Yahweh\u2019s flock from the nations.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s also the first time the Lord breathes in the smoke and enjoys the soothing aroma. The Hebrew has, vayarach yehvah et-reyach hanniychoach<\/em>, which includes multiple puns. riyach <\/em>and reyach <\/em>(verb and noun for \u201csmell\u201d) recall the ruach<\/em>-Spirit of the original creation. \u00a0<\/p>\n And the word for soothing or pacifying (niychoach<\/em>) is a pun on the name of Noah (noach<\/em>), whose name means \u201crest\u201d (Genesis 5:29). Noah is the Sabbath-bringer (appropriately also a vine-dresser), and he brings rest by offering an ascension that delights Yahweh for its Noahroma.<\/p>\n What Yahweh smells when sacrifices ascend is Noah, the \u201crighteous man, blameless in his generation,\u201d who \u201cwalks with God\u201d (Genesis 6:9), the Noah who finds favor before Yahweh (6:8). Ultimately, this is fulfilled in the righteous whole-life sacrifice of Jesus, for the Father delights in the scent of the Son.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After the flood, Noah builds an altar (mizbeach) offers ascension offerings (ya\u2019al \u2018oloth). It\u2019s the first altar and the first ascension offering in biblical history (Genesis 8:20). Noah is the first king, the first to be given authority to shed human blood, the first to drink wine, the first to send an animal up to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-ot-genesis"],"yoast_head":"\n