Genesis 1:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

NIV: God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

NASB: And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

CSB: God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

NLT: Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

KJV: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

NKJV: Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

On each day of this creation week, God recognized what He made as good. Now, having created mankind to populate and rule over this world, God declares what He has made as "very good." The balance of nature, the process of reproduction, and the supremacy of mankind are all part of this "goodness." As such, Genesis chapter 1 not only credits God as Creator, and dispels other religious myths, it also establishes His stamp of approval on the natural order.

On every day, at each step along the way, God declared what He would make, and then He made it. He succeeded in creating the perfect version of what He, in His absolute perfection, decided to create. After six days of creation, the universe not only existed, but it was flawless in beauty, in function, in purpose, and in potential. God saw all of it and saw that it was very good.

Genesis 1:26–31 describes the origin of human beings, the most unique of all God's creations. As with other aspects of the creation account, very few details are given. The information we are given, however, is unmistakable. Man is uniquely created ''in the image'' of God, invested with authority over the earth, and commanded to reproduce. These points each establish critical aspects of the Christian worldview, and the proper attitude towards humanity. As with other portions of this chapter, debates over certain details do not override the central truth: man is the purposeful creation of the One True God, and represents something special in this universe as a result.

Genesis 1 is nothing less than a bare-bones claim that God created the universe. Setting all of the debates on models and interpretations aside, the chapter undeniably insists on one thing: God means to be known as the Creator of all things. Written in the original Hebrew language according to a rigid, poetic structure, the chapter unfolds in a series of patterns and revelations. For those who believe these words, our response should be nothing less than to worship our Maker.

Genesis 1 is the first chapter of what came to be known as the Pentateuch: the first five books of the Bible. Likely written by Moses, Genesis 1 begins the story of God and His relationship with His people Israel. The role of God as Creator is not only important for setting up His work in later chapters, but also in His supremacy and authority for all of the other words of the Scriptures. God intends first to be known to all peoples as the Creator of all things—from sun, moon, and stars, to human life itself. And as the Creator, He is owed worship by all He has made, including and especially human beings

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 9/7/2024 11:46:12 PM