God smells the pleasing aroma of Noah's sacrifice and resolves in his heart never again to curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. The second half of the verse is remarkable: the reason God gives for his commitment is not that humanity has improved. He knows they have not. The evaluation of the human heart in verse 21 is almost word-for-word the same as Genesis 6:5 — the condition that caused the flood. But God's response to that same condition is now different: not judgment but forbearance, grounded in the offering that rose as a pleasing aroma. Romans 3:25 describes God's restraint of judgment through the atoning sacrifice of Christ — the pattern Noah establishes on the altar is the pattern the cross fulfills. The application: God's ongoing patience with the world is not because humanity deserves it. It is grounded in sacrifice. The same is true of his patience with you personally. Receive that today without minimizing what it cost.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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