The verse in Genesis 1:18 states: “And God saw that it was good.” This verse comes after each day of creation, when God would create something new and then declare it as “good.” But what exactly does it mean when the Bible says “God saw that it was good”? Here are some key things to understand:
It Means God Was Pleased with His Creation
First and foremost, when God saw that His creation was “good,” it means He was pleased with what He had made. The Hebrew word used for “good” in Genesis 1 implies something that is pleasing, agreeable, and functionally excellent. God did not create haphazardly – everything He made had a purpose and functioned the way He intended it to. When God saw it was good, He was essentially giving His stamp of approval and taking joy and satisfaction in His work.
It Reflects God’s Character of Perfection
The “goodness” of creation also flows directly from the perfect nature of God. As 1 John 1:5 tells us, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” There is no imperfection or error with God – He is wholly perfect and excellent. When God created the heavens and the earth, His aim was to pour out that goodness into His creation. The goodness of creation thus reflects the goodness and perfection of its Creator.
It Shows Creation Accomplished Its Purpose
Additionally, God declaring creation as “good” shows that it had accomplished what He designed it to do. In Genesis 1, God systematically creates different elements of the world and universe. With each day, God declares that particular aspect of creation as good – meaning it is fulfilling its purpose and functioning as God intended. The vegetation, the animals, the sun and stars, and the human beings were all called good – they were doing what God created them to do.
It Was Uncorrupted and Pleasing to God
Before sin entered the world, creation accurately reflected God’s goodness and holiness. There was no corruption, decay or flaw in creation yet – it was purely “good” just as God designed it. Even though the Fall later introduced brokenness into God’s good world, Genesis 1 shows us that what comes from the hand of God is holy, spotless and exactly according to His will. Creation as He originally made it was untainted by sin and this brought God joy and delight.
It Sets the Stage for God’s Ultimate Plan
Seeing the original goodness of creation also gives us perspective on God’s redemptive plan. Though creation is now flawed due to human sin, God’s original intent was for a perfect, good world that reflected His nature – and He will ultimately restore creation to that state. As Romans 8 says, “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” God’s original “good” creation sets the stage for His plan to redeem and renew all things in Christ.
It Reveals God’s Sovereignty and Ownership
Lastly, God’s pronouncement of creation as “good” affirms His sovereignty over all things as their Creator and Ruler. God owns all things because He made all things. Because He carefully designed creation and was pleased with its goodness, He has full authority over the world. God’s sovereignty flows directly from His identity as the Creator who fashioned all things good according to the counsel of His will (see Ephesians 1:11).
Key Bible Verses about Creation Being Good
Here are some key Bible verses that describe God seeing creation as “good”:
– “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
– “And God saw the light, that it was good.” (Genesis 1:4)
– “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.'” (Genesis 1:28-29)
– “And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:7-8)
– “And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.’ So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:20-21)
An Act of Divine Approval
In summary, when the Bible says “God saw that it was good” in Genesis 1, it is a divine seal of approval over creation. God evaluated what He had made – the skies, the seas, the plants, the animals, the humans – and declared it all to perfectly match His holy character and achieve the purpose He intended. The original goodness of creation brings God joy even though sin later corrupted what He had declared good. As image-bearers of God, we are called to cultivate, care for and appreciate the intrinsic goodness of God’s creation.
Through Christ, God promises to liberate His creation from the grip of sin and death imposed upon it. In the new heavens and new earth, we will again see creation as God originally designed it and hear Him declare once more that all He has made is “very good” (Genesis 1:31). This was true at creation, and the goodness of God ensures it will be true for eternity as creation fulfills its purpose of bringing all glory, honor and praise to its Creator.
