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). 

Christ in the Fall (3)

In our previous two posts we noted that Genesis 3 presents the Lord to our view in at least four aspects. He is:

1. The Contrast

2. The Caller

3. The Conqueror

4. The Covering

We have considered Him as the Contrast to Adam and Eve, and as the Caller of Adam and Eve already. Now we view Him as:

The Conqueror

The first direct prophecy of the coming of the Saviour is given in this passage. Sin has barely entered the world, and God in grace announces the Proto-evangelium*. During His judicial statement concerning the serpent, He declares: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (v15). 

This is a promise of victory for the "Seed" of the woman. The poetic justice of this is evident. The devil used a woman (Eve) to influence the first man, Adam, to bring sin into the world, and to gain a "victory" for himself.  God will use another woman (Mary) to bring into this world the "second Man, the Lord from heaven" to put away sin, and to gain the ultimate victory over the devil. 

Notice the promise of continual warfare and opposition between the Serpent and the Woman, and between their offspring. Notice also that it is the woman's seed. This is enlarged upon in the prophecy of Isaiah 7.14 "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel". 

The eternal God became flesh, by means of the virgin birth, for the purpose of defeating the greatest foe of man and God. "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery" (Heb 2.14-15 ESV).  

At Calvary the death-blow was struck. Just as David cut off the head of Goliath with his own sword, so the Lord Jesus destroyed satan with his own formidable weapon - death. 

"And now, the mighty deed is done

On the Cross!

The battle fought, the victory won

On the Cross!

To heaven He turns victorious eyes,

'Tis finished now, the Conqueror cries,

Then bows His sacred head and dies

On the Cross."

(Joseph Hoskins) 

We enjoy the benefits of a victory already won, we reap the spoils of a battle already fought. May God enable us to take sides with the Mighty Conqueror, and to sing His praises! 

*Proto-evangelium: i.e the first messianic prophecy in the Old Testament, the first glimmer of the divine purpose in respect of the Gospel