*not a word for word manuscript**

HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE

PART TWO: IT IS ALL GOOD

The Bible is more than a law book. It does have commands from God that are for our good, both of the “do’ and “do not” varieties. However, the Bible does not begin with a list of rules. The book that claims it is God’s Word, which we believe, begins with stories about how the world was made.

While there is much to discuss about creation from a scientific perspective, that is not the purpose of our series. Our emphasis is on the theological importance. The world was created by God who is eternal, Triune, all-powerful, and all-loving.

READING THE TEXT: Genesis 1:3-31

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light form the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water.” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” Evening came and then morning: the second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of the water he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And it was so. 12 The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 Evening came and then morning: the third day. 14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for seasons and for days and years. 15 They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth. And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—greater light to rule over the day and lesser light to rule over the night—as well as the stars. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, 18 to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 Evening came and then morning: the fourth day. 20 Then God said, “Let the water swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21 So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them: “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 23 Evening came and then morning: the fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you,. 30 for all wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day. (CSB)

This is the Word of God, for the people of God, thanks be to God.

IN THE TEXT: 

***Key verse***

The last verse of Genesis 1 says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” What does that mean? Rather than go verse by verse through this text to find our answer, because of the length of this section, I will only highlight somethings that point us toward the answer.

*** Sovereignty in naming ***

In verses 5, 8, 10 it says, “God called” then names an object that He spoke into existence. Naming is a powerful thing, because when someone or something is named by another it establishes authority. When we say “God is Sovereign,” we mean He is the supreme authority. The act of creating and naming the “day,” “night,” “sky,” “earth,” and “seas” testifies to this fact.

While God alone is Sovereign Lord over all creation, when we study Genesis 2, we see that God allows mankind the opportunity to name the creatures of the earth. Why? To enable humanity to “rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” Human beings are more than part of creation, we are God’s stewards over it.

*** Sovereignty over creation ***

At least five times in this passage, the text shares God speaking something into existence, then the writer follows those commands with “And it was so.” Again, creating and naming establish God’s authority over all the pieces outlined in the creation account, but it also tells the objects and beings created there is a God who is more powerful than them.

Interestingly, all the things listed here are objects that are listed have been or are worshipped instead of God. The very opening of the Bible shares that there is nothing else, nor anyone else worthy of our worship. For centuries, humanity has worshipped the sun, moon, and stars, or tried to use them to gauge their future. And rulers have attempted and been treated as gods themselves, others behave as if they are their own god. But make no mistake, there is only one true and living God who is over all.

*** Sovereignty out of goodness ***

At the end of each day, except for the second and sixth days, God surveys the work He has completed. And by His judgment, God declares, “it was good.” God looked at the world He made, knew it was beautiful and perfect for His purposes. Time, the stars, and creatures of all kinds, God declared them good. Even broccoli and the other vegetables God declared good.

In the Psalms, David is reflecting on the beauty and goodness of God’s creation, and it leads him to a powerful observation. He wrote, “When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?” (8:3-4) David was humbled by the knowledge that Sovereign Lord of the universe would pay attention to him, not only him but each person. Here in Genesis 1, we read that God created humanity in His own image, and that mankind was beautiful and good.

Everything God made in Genesis 1 was good. A reflection of their maker, who Himself is good and only does good things. The completed body of creation was labeled, “very good indeed.” Another way to phrase it is “only good and exceedingly so.” That is how God made all things, good.

FROM THE TEXT: 

*** Now ***

God created everything according to His will and purposes, the world and humanity were very good. Of course, there are a lot of things that happen in our world that are clearly not good, condemned by this same God’s law. Sin has corrupted God’s very good creation, poisoning and destroying it.

After being created by the Sovereign God, Adam and Eve sinned against him. And the corruption that stemmed from their disobedience would so badly inflict humanity that 1600 years later, God labeled His once very creation as corrupt and filled with wickedness. (Genesis 6:11) It had become so vile that God sent a flood that wiped out all life on the planet except Noah, his family, and the creatures gathered on the ark. 

Sin continued from this one man and his family. 2300 years after the flood, God sent Jesus to atone for sin by dying on the Cross. But Jesus did not stay dead, He rose again because Jesus had to ascend so He can return. The world is still wicked and corrupt because of sin, Jesus is going to return to put an end to the wickedness.

*** Ow ***

Sin continues through you and me. Paul wrote in Romans, “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.” (5:12) Our sin is killing creation. The creation God set us part as stewards over, we are wasting. 5 trillion pieces of trash are floating in the oceans. All kinds of creatures have been hunted to extinction. This is sin. If that were not bad enough, our sinful appetites having us killing one another. According to a study from 2016/2017, 1100 people are murdered on a daily basis. And while we may not physically end lives, we certainly do our best using words and displaying our selfishness and hatred. Sin is destroying all that is good.

It will one day reach a point, just as in the days of Noah, when God will say, “enough!.” And then He will send Jesus back. When Jesus returns He will make everything new. All the old that is tainted with sin will be destroyed by the holiness of God, and everything will be made very good again. (Revelation 21:5) What a day that will be.

*** Wow ***

The Kingdom of God will one day be merged with creation, and all will be very good. But here is something that we often overlook while looking forward to Christ’s return. In Luke, Jesus is asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. Jesus gave them a very curious answer. He said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, ‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:20-21) Jesus was saying the kingdom of God arrived with Him. The restoration of creation to “very good” began when the Word became flesh.

While the world and all creation will only be made new at the end of all things, you and I do not have to wait until then. Jesus brought the Kingdom of God here and wants to build that Kingdom in our hearts. Through the power of His resurrection, Jesus can restore you and me to our place in the “very good” creation now. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, “as the truth is in Jesus, take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:20-24) Later, Paul wrote in Colossians 3:10, “Put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.” 

Confess Jesus as Lord, repent of your sins, and believe this good news, and through Christ the Lord of all creation will renew “the very good” creation in your heart and life. No matter what you have done, the situation you are in, or what others are telling you, the goodness you are seeking is found in Jesus.

BEYOND THE TEXT: 

As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, I plead “on Christ’s behalf: ‘Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) That word reconciled means “reunited”. In other words, let Jesus restore you.