An Act of Gratitude

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. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”
Genesis 8:20-21 (NIV)

Cain and Abel are the very first mention of giving in Scripture. Noah represents the second mention in Scripture when he builds an altar and offers burnt offerings to God out of gratitude.

All of God’s creation was flooded because God released rain from the heavens to wash away the sin from creation, and what is it that Noah does first when he emerges? The very first thing he does is build an altar, and then he offers to God burnt offerings, and the Bible says God was pleased with Noah’s offerings.

While this is the first we hear of the building of an altar, of course that altar is a symbol of where Noah rests his confidence. That altar is an acknowledgement that Noah is acutely aware of why he now stands on dry ground.

If Cain and Abel teach us that generous giving is an act of obedience, then Noah teaches us that generous giving is an act of gratitude. Noah realizes, “I’m on dry ground because God decided to let me enjoy life on the other side of flooding,” and the text teaches that this requires a response.

Noah is not worshiping and giving because he’s attempting to manipulate God to keep giving. He worships and he gives because he’s thankful. 

What should our response be other than grateful and generous when we stand on dry ground? We respond to God’s giving with an altar, with an offering, with worship, and with thanksgiving because it’s part of how we live out our gratitude to the Lord.

It really ought to excite us to give to God as an expression of gratitude. Giving is not just connected to worship, it is worship.