Topical Bible: The Earth: Full of God's Goodness

◄ The Earth: Full of God's Goodness ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of the Earth being full of God's goodness is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, reflecting the belief that creation itself is a testament to the benevolence and providence of God. This idea is rooted in the understanding that the Earth, as part of God's creation, is inherently good and reflects His character and glory.

Creation and Goodness

The narrative of creation in Genesis sets the foundation for understanding the Earth as full of God's goodness. In Genesis 1:31 , it is written, "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." This declaration follows the detailed account of God creating the heavens and the earth, emphasizing that everything He made was not only functional but also imbued with goodness. The Earth, in its original state, was a perfect reflection of God's creative power and benevolent nature.

Provision and Sustenance

The Earth is depicted as a source of sustenance and provision, demonstrating God's ongoing care for His creation. Psalm 104:24 states, "How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures." This verse highlights the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, all of which are sustained by God's wisdom and goodness. The natural world, with its intricate ecosystems and bountiful resources, serves as a testament to God's provision for all living beings.

Revelation of God's Character

The Earth also serves as a revelation of God's character, displaying His attributes through the beauty and order of creation. Romans 1:20 affirms this by stating, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse." The natural world, in its complexity and majesty, points to the divine nature of its Creator, inviting humanity to recognize and worship Him.

Praise and Worship

The goodness of the Earth inspires praise and worship, as seen in various Psalms. Psalm 33:5 declares, "The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His loving devotion." This verse connects the moral attributes of God with the physical world, suggesting that the Earth itself is a reflection of His loving devotion. The beauty and order of creation lead believers to respond in worship, acknowledging God's goodness and sovereignty.

Stewardship and Responsibility

The recognition of the Earth as full of God's goodness also carries an implicit call to stewardship. Humanity is entrusted with the care and management of the Earth, as seen in Genesis 2:15 , where God places Adam in the Garden of Eden "to work it and take care of it." This responsibility underscores the importance of honoring God's creation by preserving its goodness and ensuring its flourishing for future generations.

Hope and Restoration

Finally, the theme of the Earth being full of God's goodness extends to the hope of restoration. The prophetic vision of a renewed creation, as described in Isaiah 65:17 , "For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind," points to the ultimate fulfillment of God's goodness. This eschatological promise assures believers that God's original intent for creation will be fully realized, with the Earth once again reflecting His perfect goodness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 33:5
He loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Stranger in the Earth
... is saturated and soaked with as much of God's goodness as it ... and thirsty land where
no water is.' 'The earth, O Lord ... is full of Thy mercy.' Am I to be empty of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/a stranger in the earth.htm

The Eternal Goodness
... a dumb animal will, unless his heart is full of love. ... Bible; by which we understand
our duty, and God's dealings, in ... Would it not become heaven on earth at once ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon v the eternal goodness.htm

Goodness Wrought and Goodness Laid Up
... sweetness of the hopes that are full of immortality ... all these delights and
manifestations of God's inmost love ... off from the tumultuous delights of earth as ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/goodness wrought and goodness laid.htm

A view of God's Glory
... air, which is dense with animalculae, is full of God's ... beings when immortalized would
be capable of seeing God. This much is certain"that on earth, no man ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 54 1908/a view of gods glory.htm

Of the First Covenant Made with Man
... besides the fulness and riches of God's goodness immediately conferred upon man,
he was enriched with all the store and goodness that the earth was full of. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xxi of the first.htm

Because of Its Bearing Upon the Gentiles.
... be filled until the Millennium, then and not till then, will God's Spirit be ... to the
Gentiles, for then it will be that "The earth shall be full of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/2 because of its bearing.htm

Sky, Earth, and Sea: a Parable of God
... of God's judgment, when we can see plainly that, after all, the earth is full of
His ... Our true wealth is to possess God's love, and to know in thought and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/sky earth and sea a.htm

The Unchangeable One
... he could find comfort in the thought of God's order, how ... Yes; let us be full of troubles,
doubts, sorrows; let ... say, 'I will not fear, though the earth be moved ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxxiii the unchangeable one.htm

God's Ways and Man's
... first, how unlike our ways and thoughts are to God, ere we can ... We lie beneath the
heavens like some foul bog full of black ooze, rotten earth and putrid ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/gods ways and mans.htm

Of the Love of Conformity Proceeding from Sacred Complacency.
... take an exceeding complacency in seeing how God exercises his ... men and angels in heaven
and on earth, and how ... of his justice being sharp and full of bitterness ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter i of the love.htm