Why did Noah build an altar to the LORD in Genesis 8:20? Text of the Passage (Genesis 8:20) “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.” Immediate Narrative Setting The global Deluge had just subsided (Genesis 8:13–19). Eight survivors and representative land-dwelling, air-breathing creatures exited the ark onto a geologically re-formed planet. With no cities, temples, or cultural structures remaining, Noah’s first recorded act was to construct an altar. His priority demonstrates that true civilization restarts with worship, not merely with agriculture, architecture, or commerce. Meaning of “Altar” and Pre-Mosaic Sacrifice The Hebrew מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbēaḥ) derives from the root זבח (“to slaughter for sacrifice”). Altars appear before Sinai (e.g., Abel’s offering, Genesis 4:4; Abraham, Genesis 12:7–8; Job 1:5). In each case, the structure functioned as a locus of substitutionary death, thanksgiving, and covenantal fellowship. Noah’s altar fits this continuum of early patriarchal worship. Primary Purpose: Gratitude for Deliverance God “remembered Noah” (8:1) and preserved him through cataclysmic judgment. Building an altar articulated a thankful heart. Scripture repeatedly links sacrifice with thanksgiving (Psalm 107:22; Hebrews 13:15). Behavioral studies confirm that deliberate rituals of gratitude reinforce moral commitment and communal cohesion—precisely what a post-Flood world required. Covenantal Fellowship and Propitiation Verse 21 states, “When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, ‘Never again will I curse the ground because of man…’ ” The soothing aroma (רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ) signals divine acceptance. Burnt offerings (“ascending offerings”) symbolized total consecration; the entire animal was consumed (Leviticus 1). The blood-shedding pointed ahead to the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:1-14). Thus Noah’s altar functioned as a propitiatory act that undergirded the Noahic covenant (Genesis 9:8-17). Re-consecration of a Cleansed Earth The Flood eradicated pervasive corruption (Genesis 6:11-13). An altar of clean animals and birds re-dedicated Earth to its rightful Owner (Psalm 24:1). Noah, as a second “Adam” (cf. 9:1, “Be fruitful and multiply”), formally surrendered dominion back to God, aligning with the creation mandate. Public Testimony and Instruction for Future Generations With only eight human witnesses, the event still served pedagogically. Subsequent patriarchs built altars upon critical divine encounters (Genesis 26:25; 35:7). The practice would culminate in the centralized Tabernacle altar (Exodus 27). Moses later codified distinctions between clean and unclean animals already presupposed by Noah’s actions (Genesis 7:2). Typological Foreshadowing of Christ • Only clean, unblemished creatures accepted—anticipating the sinless Messiah (1 Peter 1:19). • Total combustion—prefiguring Christ’s complete self-offering (Ephesians 5:2). • Divine pleasure in the aroma—mirrored in the Father’s approval of the Son (Matthew 3:17). Connection to the Resurrection The apostle Peter explicitly ties the Flood to baptism, which rests on the resurrection of Jesus (1 Peter 3:20-21). By offering life from death-waters, Noah’s altar typologically anticipates the risen Christ, whose empty tomb guarantees final deliverance (Romans 4:25). Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration • Ziggurat-style altars unearthed at ancient Mesopotamian sites such as Eridu illustrate early Near-Eastern sacrificial platforms consistent with Genesis’ setting. • The Sumerian Eridu Genesis tablet and the Akkadian Atra-Ḫasis Epic describe post-flood offerings to deities, confirming a widespread memory of flood-related sacrifice. • A cuneiform prism in the British Museum lists kings “before the Flood” and drastically shortened reigns “after,” aligning with the biblical reduction of lifespans (Genesis 11). Geological Affirmations of a Global Flood • Billions of fossilized marine organisms are entombed in sedimentary layers atop continents (e.g., limestone strata of the Grand Canyon), matching Genesis 7:19’s description of water covering “all the high mountains under the whole heaven.” • Rapid deposition features such as polystrate fossils (e.g., Joggins, Nova Scotia) attest to catastrophic burial, not slow uniformitarian processes. • The widespread, water-sorted “megasequences” mapped across continents correspond to successive Flood stages, as documented in creationist sedimentary research. Chronological Placement Using the Masoretic genealogies, Ussher placed the Flood at 2348 BC. Text-critical comparison with the Dead Sea Scroll fragment 4QGen and the Samaritan Pentateuch shows only minor statistic variations, none altering the reality of a historical Flood or Noah’s altar. Implications for Intelligent Design and a Young Earth The altar acknowledges a Designer who judges moral evil yet preserves life purposefully. The genetic bottleneck implied by eight survivors matches mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal studies indicating a recent common ancestry for humanity. The sudden post-Flood diversification of kinds parallels epigenetic and baraminic plasticity rather than unguided macroevolution. Practical Application Modern believers, though no longer offering animal sacrifices, are called to respond similarly—building “spiritual altars” of surrendered lives (Romans 12:1), prayers (Psalm 141:2), praise (Hebrews 13:15), and gospel proclamation. The pattern set by Noah—salvation, gratitude, worship, mission—remains normative. Summary of Reasons Noah Built the Altar 1. To express thankful worship for deliverance. 2. To procure divine favor through substitutionary sacrifice. 3. To dedicate the cleansed earth to God’s glory. 4. To establish a covenantal witness for his family and future generations. 5. To foreshadow the ultimate, perfect sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, securing eternal salvation. “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8), and his first act upon receiving grace was to worship. The altar stands as an enduring testimony that life’s chief end, even after judgment and renewal, is to glorify and enjoy God forever. |
    |