Genesis 8, 15-24

Genesis

Chapter 8

15-24

15 Then God said to Noah:

16 "Go out of the ark, together with your wife and your sons and your sons' wives.

17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you--all bodily creatures, be they birds or animals or creeping things of the earth-and let them abound on the earth, breeding and multiplying on it."


18 So Noah came out, together with his wife and his sons and his sons' wives;

19 and all the animals, wild and tame, all the birds, and all the creeping creatures of the earth left the ark, one kind after another.


20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird, he offered holocausts on the altar.


21 3 When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself: "Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the desires of man's heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.


22 As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Reflection:  As long as the earth lasts. . . this does imply that eventually the earth will not last.  Life will be allowed to exist.  We will have seasons, we will have extremes, we will still have natural disasters but God will not destroy all life on earth.  Earth was a beautiful creation independant of man.  God promises not to destroy it because of man.  How come man now thinks that they can destroy the earth.   I am not speaking as a person afraid of global warming.  Just the opposite.  I love that Noah remembered to pick the finest of animals and offer a back to go.  We must be thankful for all that he has given us.  We will never have a sacrifice worthy of this alter but Christ will come and be that offering.