Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” – Genesis 8:20-22

This is an interesting text. This is the first example of an “ascension offering” (more literal translation). The next example will be Isaac (Gen 22). This is pleasing to the Lord in a way the Israelites of Moses day would understand with their sacrificial system (Exo 29; Lev 1-3). It is worth noting here that Noah’s sacrifice came after his salvation. The same is true of Israel’s sacrificial system being given after their deliverance from Egypt. The ceremonial system if not against grace but instead grace and faith upload it (Rom 3:31; Gal 3:21).

Despite the sinfulness of man, the earth will not be cursed again. The ramification of the Lord’s concluding statements present strong eschatological questions. It is my perspective that this promise from God excludes the full destruction of the created order though the created order will need thorough purification (2 Pet 3:5-13).