WORD STUDY – SWEET SAVOR
Genesis 8:21: “And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done.”
Just what is this sweet savor, this odor that was so satisfying and restful to the Lord? We read in the prior verse that it was the burning flesh of innocent animals and birds that were slaughtered by Noah and burnt as an offering to God. Such an act would muster an army of PETA volunteers armed with picket signs and restraining orders. Yet, God found this not only acceptable but pleasant. I mean don’t you find it a bit disturbing that God finds a visit to a butcher shop as something pleasant?
First let’s look at this little phrase that is often overlooked, the Lord said in His heart. If the Lord has neither mouth nor any vocal cords (He is a Spirit), then how can He speak to His heart. The word speak in Hebrew is amar which is merely a communication of a thought or idea. It most cases it is spoken words, but amar can also be a gesture, a look, or any number of nonverbal communication. The Lord communicated this sweet savor to His heart.
This passage also tells us that the Lord smelled. The word in Hebrew for smelled is yarach which comes from the root word rauch. Rauch is the same word for Kodesh Rauch or the Holy Spirit. In many cases the word rauch means spirit sometimes it is used for breathe, wind, mind, disposition and smelling. Again, God is a Spirit, He does not need breathe, He has no lungs, He does not smell as he has no nostrils, in fact he has none of the five senses. They are attributed to Him in Scripture but as a Spirit He cannot possess what only exist in the natural world. The ancient Jewish sages used to teach God has only one sense. All five senses, (sight, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting) are incorporated into one sense. Although we have five separate senses they all serve one function and that is to trigger one or two possible reactions in the brain. It either taste, feel, see, hear or smells something that is pleasant or unpleasant. When Scripture uses one of the five senses in relation to God it is only creating a personification and a metaphor to help us understand that something has been communicated to God.
So what we have is that the sweet savor of the burning flesh of these innocent creatures communicated something pleasant to God. So how can the slaughter of a cute, innocent little bird be a sweet savor to God. The word in Hebrew for sweet savor is hanichoch which comes from the root word nuach which is really a play on the name of Noah. Nuach has the idea of restfulness, with the Vav placed after the first Chet you have the idea of an odor or smell that is pleasant and restful. This really a picture of an aroma that causes you to relax and feel restful and at peace. Of course since God cannot smell anything since he has no nostrils this is only a metaphor to show that the burnt offering brought a sense of pleasure to God.
So again I ask, how can the slaughter and burning of innocent animals bring pleasure to God. I believe the play on the word Noah carries the key. God felt rest, peace and pleasure because the Noah that He loved felt rest, peace and pleasure. Just as a parent is happy when their children are happy and sad when their children are sad. That parent has a link or bond with that child that causes them to feel what they feel. As to the slaughter of innocent animals, we must remember that certain animals were given to man as a food source and a good portion of the meat that was used in the sacrifice was given to the priest and his family for food. Noah just did not slaughter these animals, these animals were slaughtered using a method of shechita or a ritual slaughter. When animals are slaughter for food, to be Kosher or clean it must be carried out by a shochet one who is trained in the proper method of slaughtering an animal so that animal feels no pain or fear.
Our Native Americans used to call animals to them and ask their permission to hunt them so they may feed their families. The animals would respond that this was the purpose of their existence and would give their permission. Certain animals in the ancient Jewish culture were born and raised for only one purpose, to be used as a sacrifice to God. This was their total purpose for life and the slaughter of these animals were fulfilling that purpose.
Ok, now this is where I get a little weird. If you don’t like weirdness, then you best stop reading now. What was the essence of this hanichoch (sweet smelling savor)? If God does not smell what was the pleasure or pleasant feeling that God received when the animals were sacrificed?
Scientist and physicists tell us that every living thing has energy. Physicists teach that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. When a living creature dies that energy must go somewhere. Note that Noah was only to use clean animals and birds for this burnt offering. The word clean in Hebrew here is hatehorah from the root word tohar. This does mean clean or pure but in the sense that it is a purity which is compatible with God. Animals have no free will so that have a pure heart. As we learn in our science that when a living being dies, its energy must go somewhere. Of course our physicist and scientist scoff at the idea of anything supernatural associated with this. Note I say, scoff, they don’t deny anything spiritual about it, they do not know where that energy goes. The leave that proverbial door open just enough for me to say that energy goes right back to God where it originated in the first place. When it was the energy of the sacrificial animals, sacrificed by someone like Noah who had a pure heart, God finds deep pleasure in receiving that energy. The animal had fulfilled its ultimate purpose for that which it was created and God not only receives the pleasure of receiving that energy back from the creature he created, but receiving it from one who had a pure heart in following his laws and the strict guidelines of sacrifice to send it back to Him.
One day our energy will leave our bodies and return to God. Yet, we as human beings, have a free will and our energy may be tainted and not compatible with God. That is a major problem, however, God sent His Son to earth 2,000 years ago to be that sacrifice for us so that through Him our energy may be may pure enough so that when it leaves these earthly bodies it will be compatible with God as He first intended. We need to stop and ask ourselves, “Will our energy be a hanichoch (sweet smelling savor) to God?” Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ is can be so and all we have to do is allow Him to enter our lives.
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