God loves order and beauty (Genesis 1)
When we read the creation account in Genesis 1, we are struck by a few things that are often repeated. One is the sense of order here. Yes, I know we can wonder about some of the details on certain days. How can there be light prior to the sun, for example? Did the plants grow super quickly to be ready for the animals to eat, or did this happen over a long period of time? There is much we are not told. I find it frustrating too; there is much here I’d like to know more about.
But there is a clear structure and order to how God created the world. There were distinct creative acts done on different days, and in a general order that makes sense. The birds and animals and plants were all made “according to their kinds”, another phrase that turns up over and over again. Think about that. God designed and made every kind of bird, insect, and animal. He did it all in an orderly and practical way. He made the plants to yield seed and so continue on, season after season. He gave the gift of fertility to animals, plants and humans; this is not something people needed to do rituals for as other religions did, but a gift God had already given. God set up the sun and the moon so there would be seasons and days and years in v14, an orderly progression. God provided the plants for food for the animals and people, ensuring that his precious creation was provided for.
God is a God of order. We see that all through the Bible. From the orderly explanation of the law to the consistency of how God acts with different people at different times. We see it reflected in how we are instructed to meet at church and how we are to order our marriages and work relationships. I think that’s really comforting. The world, to us, seems like a most chaotic and out of control place. The news is full of wars and disasters. Our own lives are full of conflicts and disappointments. We see and feel the darkness and emptiness of life so often. And the future seems so uncertain from our perspective, and we worry it will be far more negative than the present. Yet, in all this, we trust a God of order. A God who made all of this and is still in control of all of this. A God who does things for a reason, who is faithful and reliable. A God who doesn’t see the world as chaotic and out of control, but knows it is heading to the exact ending He designed for it.
There is more than order here, though; there is also beauty. Even a short walk in a park will reveal that to the most pessimistic of people. The way that birds have such a range of colours, that there is beauty in mountains and in grass blowing in the wind. That the sun is so massive, yet just the right distance and strength for life here on earth. That people can study animals all their lives and still find something new. And that’s before we even consider how the human body is put together!
Busy city people don’t tend to stop and think about this. We are so focussed on our phones and devices and we are inside so often that we don’t think about the beauty of the world that much. Yet God is better than we could ever imagine. The world he has made for us, the world ruled by King Jesus, is full of beautiful things. We can taste incredible food, experience a cool breeze, and see a sunset with so many colours over the ocean. It is right to enjoy and appreciate the world God made. And we should. We should take the time to thank God for it, and to enjoy the weather and the plants and the animals that are part of it. David wondered about this in Psalm 8; Jesus spoke of how God clothed the flowers of the field in Matthew 6. Look outside when you can. This beautiful, ordered world was made by our good God!