Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (Genesis 8:20)

Noah Built An Altar

One of the fundamental characteristics of the human gene is the need to worship. Man is the only creature that worships because he is made in the image of his Creator. God formed man and woman as creatures that would glorify Him, but the devil changed that. What was not lost in the fall of man was the need for man to worship God. Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve, understood the importance of worship. In the process of time, the sons of Adam brought offerings to the Lord for worship. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, and Abel sacrificed of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. Both sacrifices were prescribed by the Lord, although the text does not describe how Cain and Abel came to know the importance of sacrifice.

The evil heart of Cain shows that the first man knew the importance of true worship. God refused to accept the sacrifice of Cain because his heart was evil. Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice to God because he was righteous. The Lord accepted his offering, establishing worship as based upon doing the will of God and having a heart guided by truth and spirit. Worship has always been based upon the spirit and truth of the worshipper as he seeks the blessing of God. A man must worship God according to the will of God.

Noah lived in a world void of righteousness. He found grace in the eyes of the Lord because he was righteous and, along with his family, was saved in the ark. Noah obeyed the will of God when he built the ark. The ark had to be constructed according to everything required by the Lord – it was made of gopherwood, covered inside and outside with pitch, measuring 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high, with one window. Noah did according to all that God commanded him. Through his obedience, Noah was saved from the wrath of God. When the flood was over and Noah stood on dry land, Noah built an altar to the Lord. He took of every clean animal and every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

There were only eight people on Earth when Noah built an altar. Who told him to build an altar? Why did Noah build an altar after witnessing the deluge of a global flood killing every human being on the face of the planet? Noah understood the laws of worship, including offering burnt offerings to the Lord God. This event took place long before Moses received the law from God on Sinai. Noah acted as a man who knew God required worship and worship in spirit and truth. Many years later, Noah’s descendant Abraham would leave his mark throughout the world by the smoke of his altars as he obeyed the voice of the Lord.

Abraham rescued his nephew Lot from an invading army that had taken him captive. On the return home from the rescue mission, Abraham met Melchizedek, the king of Salem, who was also the priest of God Most High. Melchizedek predates Moses, yet he was a priest of the Lord. A priesthood establishes law, which includes worship. During the days of Abraham, there was “organized religion,” as Melchizedek proves that God has always required man to worship Him in spirit and truth. From righteous Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Melchizedek, God has patterned the nature of man to serve Him in accordance with His word.

The covenant God offers man today is found in worship through His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no other way to eternal life but Jesus Christ. Worship is vain if it is not founded on the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that His Father demands worship in spirit and truth. This is not a new idea, but one as old as the earth. Does it make a difference in how we worship? Ask Cain. Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron (nephews of Moses), learned what worship meant. Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders of His day for corrupting the worship of God. Vain worship leads to failure. True worship leads to victory.