Good – Genesis 1:31 (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.”

 

The end of the work of creation brings the first chapter of the Bible to a close. But there’s a term that’s used at the end of the sixth day that wasn’t used to mark the end of the five days before it. The word very. (meh-ode’ in hebrew) What happened at the end of the sixth day that was different? The sixth day marked the fact that the work was done. But what did Elohim consider done or complete? Why was it complete?

 

Synergy. By the end of the sixth day, God has created a fantastic system of systems that are beneficial to all of creation. Our God is not a selfish God, praise to His name. Through the lens of Genesis 1, good (sounds like tob but is spelled tobe in Hebrew) is defined as outwardly beneficial to others or something else. First Day: He created the light to guide all of creation. Second Day: He creates the atmosphere to hold the waters in their respective places. Third Day: He creates land so that plants can be brought forth, so that not yet created beings can eat. Fourth Day: He creates the sun, moon and stars so that not yet created beings can tell time and understand the cycles of creation. So that the plants of the Earth can then operate photosynthesis. Fifth Day: He creates fish, birds and insects to feed on the fruit of the plants. Sixth Day: He creates land animals and mankind in His image to be all of creation’s caretaker.

 

That’s what’s good. That’s what’s VERY good. A deed, action, system that’s outwardly & externally beneficial with no drawbacks. That’s what the Bible means by good.

 

Let’s see if that stands up to other verses and see if that definition works. 

 

“Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.” – Psalms 25:8 makes the declaration that God is good and puts a selfless deed behind it. God doesn’t NEED to teach sinners to be better in order to be God. The teaching doesn’t help God, it helps sinners turn their life around. It helps sinners to be more pleasant and caring. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!” – Psalms 133:1 shows that it is good for humanity to live together unified. If a society is truly unified, one’s hunger is the community’s hunger. One’s lack is seen as the community’s lack because they all see themselves in one another. Wouldn’t that be a good society or community? The benefit radiates outwards, leaving no one with lack. “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.” – Isaiah 1:17 look at all these actions after the command to do good. Are they all not selfless? Rebuking the oppressor, defending the fatherless and pleading for the widow can be summed up as protecting those who can not protect themselves. It’s a selfless act. 

 

That doesn’t mean doing good, can not feel good. “But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,

And a good blessing will come upon them.” – Proverbs 24:25. “Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.” – Psalm 119:35. Scripture clearly points out that doing good is a delight for those God has given a good heart too. The delight is seeing God’s will and desires carried out. God wants to see the hunger fed and by letting us do that work, we get to have joy, purpose and empathy. Doing good, produces good and if we let goodness be our guide what wonderful lives can be lived!