At last an angel descended from heaven, opened the massive door, and bade the patriarch and his household go forth upon the earth and take with them every living thing. In the joy of their release Noah did not forget Him by whose gracious care they had been preserved. His first act after leaving the ark was 106 to build an altar and offer from every kind of clean beast and fowl a sacrifice, thus manifesting his gratitude to God for deliverance and his faith in Christ, the great sacrifice. This offering was pleasing to the Lord; and a blessing resulted, not only to the patriarch and his family, but to all who should live upon the earth. "The Lord smelled a sweet savor; and the Lord said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake. . . . While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Here was a lesson for all succeeding generations. Noah had come forth upon a desolate earth, but before preparing a house for himself he built an altar to God. His stock of cattle was small, and had been preserved at great expense; yet he cheerfully gave a part to the Lord as an acknowledgment that all was His. In like manner it should be our first care to render our freewill offerings to God. Every manifestation of His mercy and love toward us should be gratefully acknowledged, both by acts of devotion and by gifts to His cause.

Til sidst steg en engel ned fra himmelen, åbnede den massive dør og bød patriarken og hans husstand gå ud på jorden og tage alt levende med sig. I sin glæde over befrielsen glemte Noa ikke ham, ved hvis nådige omsorg de var blevet bevaret. Hans første handling efter at have forladt arken var at bygge et alter og bringe et offer af hver slags af de rene dyr og fugle som et udtryk for sin taknemmelighed mod Gud for befrielsen og sin tro på Kristus, det store offer. Denne offergave var behagelig for Gud, og den bragte velsignelse ikke alene til patriarken og hans familie, men til alle, der ville komme til at leve på jorden. "Da Herren indåndede den liflige duft, sagde han til sig selv: "Jeg vil aldrig mere forbande jorden for menneskenes skyld. ..... Herefter skal, så længe jorden står, sæd og høst, kulde og hede, sommer og vinter, dag og nat ikke ophøre!" Her var en lærdom for alle følgende slægter. Noa var kommet ud på en øde jord, men inden han byggede et hus til sig selv, rejste han et alter for Gud. Hans kvægbestand var lille og var blevet bevaret med store omkostninger; og dog gav han med glæde en del af den til Herren som en anerkendelse af, at alt tilhører Gud. På samme måde bør vi først give vore frivillige gaver til Gud. Ethvert bevis på hans nåde og kærlighed til os bør modtages i taknemmelighed, både ved selvopofrende arbejde og ved gaver til hans sag.