God's Good Creation
Genesis 1:4
The Word says that God created His creation "good". Good can have any of a variety of meanings when it is used in this kind of context. It can refer, for instance, to being well-made. Here it would be saying that God made the light (and since all of the created things are called good, we can speak of the entire creation in this fashion) in such a way as it was a work of of quality, and Divine quality and craftsmanship at that! It might also be referring a sort of morality mightn't it? It could be proclaiming that God made His creation free from any taint of moral evil or sin. The earth, in its created glory was free from any stain of corruption or any hint of coming failure. It might also be speaking of the truth that God made the earth without error or mistake. That its creation was perfect and without any blemish or marring. Fourthly, we could interpret this as speaking of its suitability. It was God for that which God intended it. It was perfectly suited for what God had in mind in his planning of it. Lastly, it could be said that this phrase teaches us that God was received satisfaction when He viewed his finished work, both in stages and as a whole.
Really, we could look at all of these and admit the truth in all of them. The last suggested definition is probably the best for this purpose. God looked at what He had created, and was completely satisfied, in all senses. His creation was "good". That same term is applied to man as a part of that creation. We were created good, or, more properly, Adam was as he and Eve were the only human beings created purely in the image of God. That is certainly a high and lofty beginning for us to aspire to!
The difference between this "good" condition and the condition of the earth after the fall is staggering. Very shortly, this decrepit-ness that arose because of sin overtook the world to the point that, in just a few chapters, God is willing to destroy His creation and start anew. This He did, of course, by means of the flood, saving only Noah and his family. With each dispensation God revealed a bit more truth, and with each dispensation the generation of man alive revealed that they were no less depraved than the one before it! Is it any wonder that God hates sin? Sin has corrupted His creation from the very start. It has, in fashion, stalked that creation and plagued it's every step.
Of course, we realize that God, in His power and wisdom, has made a way for us all to be reconciled and lead back towards the "good" state in which He created us. That way is a living way, a way that begins and ends with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His shed blood that can cleanse us from the stain of sin and which assures us that one day we will be present with Him, and we will be "good" again! Hallelujah!
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