The Sweet Smell Of Burnt Offerings: Pleasing God

The idea of a burnt offering being a pleasing aroma to God is mentioned several times in the Bible. The phrase occurs 43 times in the Old Testament, specifically in reference to offerings by fire. The first mention of God smelling the aroma of a burnt offering is found in Genesis 8:21, when Noah offers a burnt offering of clean animals and birds after leaving the ark. The Bible states that God found this to be a pleasing aroma. This phrase is also mentioned in Leviticus in connection with the various offerings of Jewish tabernacle worship. However, it is important to note that the significance of the aroma is not the smell itself, but what it represents—the substitutionary atonement for sin. The pleasing aroma is a symbol of God's satisfaction in experiencing the proper worship of Him and the commitment to offer worship in His name as He commanded.

The aroma represents the proper worship of God

The aroma of a burnt offering is representative of the proper worship of God. The pleasing scent is not the smell itself but what the smell represents: the substitutionary atonement for sin. The aroma is a symbol of God's satisfaction in experiencing the proper worship of Him.

The first mention of God smelling the aroma of a burnt offering is in Genesis 8:21, when Noah offered a burnt offering of clean animals and birds after leaving the ark. God was pleased with the sacrifice and gave the promise to never again destroy every living creature with a flood.

The idea of a pleasing aroma is also present in Leviticus, which states that the priest is to burn the offering on the altar as a "food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." The book of Leviticus emphasizes that it is the action of propitiation, rather than the actual smoke of the burnt offering, that is significant.

The pleasing aroma represents the proper worship of God because it signifies the commitment to offer worship in His name as He commanded. It is a symbol of obedience and devotion, demonstrating that the worshipper is willing to follow God's instructions and offer sacrifices that meet His standards.

The pleasing aroma also points to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who became the final sacrifice for sin and made atonement for humanity. Through Christ's sacrifice, we are brought into a permanent relationship with God, fulfilling God's desire for fellowship and friendship with His people.

The aroma symbolises the satisfaction of God's righteous requirements

The aroma of a burnt offering symbolises the satisfaction of God's righteous requirements. This is because the aroma is not important in itself, but rather what it represents. The pleasing smell of a sacrifice represents the substitutionary atonement for sin.

The first mention of God smelling the aroma of a burnt offering is in Genesis 8:21, when Noah offers a burnt offering of clean animals and birds after leaving the ark. God is pleased with the sacrifice and promises never again to destroy every living creature with a flood.

The idea of a sacrifice as a propitiation, or satisfaction, of God's righteous requirement is further emphasised in Leviticus. For example, Leviticus 1:9 states: "The priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." Here, it is not the smell of the smoke itself that pleases God, but rather the commitment to offer worship in His name as He commanded.

The pleasing aroma symbolises the satisfaction of God's righteous requirements, as it represents the proper worship of Him. It is not the smell that is important, but the act of sacrifice and the commitment to God that it entails. This is further emphasised by the fact that offerings made to false gods were also described as having a "pleasing aroma" to the idols (Ezekiel 6:13, ESV).

The New Testament reveals Christ as the final sacrifice for sin, the ultimate propitiation: "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2). Jesus, as the perfect and spotless Lamb of God, is the only one who can wash away our sins and make us children of God.

The aroma is a metaphor for the obedience of doing what God instructed

The Bible mentions "aroma" several times in connection with burnt offerings, referring to them as a "pleasing aroma" to God. However, the significance of the aroma lies not in the smell itself, but in what it symbolises—the obedience of doing what God instructed.

The idea of a "pleasing aroma" first appears in Genesis 8:21, when Noah made a burnt offering to God after leaving the ark. This sacrifice was a propitiation, or satisfaction, of God's righteous requirement. By following God's command to offer worship, Noah's sacrifice averted God's wrath and prompted Him to promise never again to destroy all living creatures with a flood.

The book of Leviticus reinforces this notion, stating that the "pleasing aroma" is associated with the act of propitiation rather than the actual smoke of the burnt offering. For instance, Leviticus 1:9 instructs priests to burn the entire offering on the altar as "a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." Similarly, Leviticus 2:2 describes a grain offering, which also produces "an aroma pleasing to the Lord."

The Bible also mentions the "pleasing aroma" in connection with larger sacrifices, such as the yearly Feast of Weeks. Leviticus 23:18 highlights that the aroma is linked to the redemption of sinners:

> "Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord."

The "pleasing aroma," therefore, serves as a metaphor for obedience to God's instructions. It symbolises the worshipper's commitment to follow God's commands and offer sacrifices in His name. This act of obedience brings satisfaction to God and establishes a relationship of fellowship between Him and the worshipper.

The aroma signifies the substitutionary atonement for sin

The aroma of a burnt offering signifies the substitutionary atonement for sin. This concept is central to Western Christian theology and is mentioned in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, where God expresses pleasure at the aroma of sacrifices made to Him. The significance of the aroma lies not in the smell itself but in what it represents—the act of substitutionary atonement, where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died as a substitute for sinners.

The idea of substitutionary atonement is deeply rooted in the Bible. In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were made to atone for sins, with the animals serving as substitutes for the people. This is evident in the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16, where the sins of Israel were atoned for through the sacrifice of animals. Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus Christ is portrayed as the ultimate sacrifice, dying on the cross as a substitute for humanity's sins.

The book of Romans, particularly Romans 3:21–26, offers a clear explanation of penal substitutionary atonement. It highlights that a right relationship with God cannot be achieved through following the law, as all humans are sinners (Romans 3:23). Instead, it is through faith in Jesus Christ that atonement is possible. By dying on the cross, Jesus took upon himself the punishment that sinners deserved, satisfying God's wrath and making it possible for humans to be reconciled with God.

The concept of substitutionary atonement is also found in other books of the New Testament, such as Galatians, 2 Corinthians, Mark, and John. These books reinforce the idea that Jesus willingly gave his life as a ransom or sacrifice for the sins of the world, taking the place of sinners and enduring the punishment they deserved.

The aroma of the burnt offerings, therefore, serves as a powerful reminder of the substitutionary atonement for sin. It symbolises the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who, through his death, made it possible for sinners to be forgiven and reconciled with God.

The aroma represents the prayers of the saints

The aroma of a burnt offering is mentioned in the Bible as something pleasing to the Lord. This is mentioned in the book of Leviticus, specifically in Leviticus 1:9, which says, "The priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." The Bible also mentions that offerings made to false gods were described as having a "pleasing aroma" to the idols.

The importance of the aroma of a sacrifice is not the smell itself but what the smell represents—the substitutionary atonement for sin. The idea is that the sacrifice is a propitiation, or satisfaction, of God’s righteous requirement. The "pleasing aroma" is mentioned in connection with the various offerings of Jewish tabernacle worship, such as the grain offering in Leviticus 2.

Nearly forty times in the Old Testament, God declares how pleasing the aroma of a burnt offering is. This positive imagery of scent represents God's satisfaction in experiencing the proper worship of Him. The smoke of incense and its fragrance, representing the prayers of the saints, is well known in biblical imagery. For example, Psalm 141:2 says, "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."

The pleasing aroma of a burnt offering to God is thus a representation of the prayers of the saints, their worship, and their dedication in service to God and fellow man.

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