Christ the Pleasing Aroma

When Noah left the Ark, he "builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour ..." (Gen 8:20-21).

The words "sweet savour" mean a "pleasant smell" or a "soothing aroma" (NKJV). It could be translated as "an aroma of rest". Thus, linked with the offering made by Noah there was to the LORD a pleasant, satisfying, restful, soothing aroma.

Christ ... a sweet smelling savour

This offering illustrates (as do the vast majority of OT offerings) the offering of the Lord Jesus. In Eph 5:2 we read "Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour". 

When the Saviour "through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God" (Heb 9:14), He brought infinite pleasure, satisfaction, and rest to God's heart. Here was One upon earth who honoured God in everything, and who gave everything to God. This is more fully told out in the Burnt Offering of Leviticus 1.

We ... a sweet savour of Christ

A related truth is revealed by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. In v15 he notes "we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish ...".

Paul speaks in the context of his service for God. He likens the forward march of Christ to the triumphal procession made by Roman Conquerors. In the victory parade of a triumphant Roman general, captives were led along and incense was burned, producing a sweet smell. Paul sees in his own service a number of parallels.

First, he is in the train of Christ, conquered by the mighty victor, a willing captive to grace. We sometimes speak of "surrendering to Christ", and it is those who submit to His authority and own Him as their Lord and Saviour who are eternally blessed.

Second, he is an incense bearer. The victory parade was all for the glory of the triumphant conqueror, and the incense declared this. To some this aroma was associated with humiliating defeat and death, to others it was the smell of triumph, joy and celebration. So we are "to God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish". As we spread the Gospel, we are fragrant to God with the very aroma of Christ.

Paul further explains "To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life ..." (2 Cor 2:16). How solemn this is, and yet how encouraging too! It means that, as Christ is magnified, there are results in both the salvation and damnation of souls. In our preaching of the Gospel we often measure success by the salvation of souls. There is a sense in which this is true, but only a limited sense. Our ultimate goal should be the glory of Christ and the pleasure of God. Let us take encouragement that, while we strive for the salvation of sinners, and God desires the salvation of "all men" (1 Tim 2:4), yet when people refuse to bow their wills and trust the Lord, Christ is still glorified, and God still receives pleasure from our service and Gospel proclamation.

May God help us to rejoice in what He appreciates of the person of Christ. And may the Lord enable us to be involved in spreading the Gospel with the assurance that God "through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of [Christ] everywhere" (2 Cor 2:14, ESV).