God Saw It Was . . . : God’s Seeing in Genesis 1 and 6

God’s “seeing” is not taking in new information that he did not previously have; rather, it is an anthropomorphic literary convention that Moses uses to introduce God’s evaluation of his creative activity.

Genesis 1

On day one of creation week, God saw (rā'â) that the light was good (Genesis 1:4). The light was good because it accomplished its purpose of shattering the darkness that was over the deep (Genesis 1:2). The separation of light from darkness was the beginning of preparation for life on earth. The phrase “God saw that it was good” is only absent on day two. This may be because the author (Moses) probably saw the creation of the expanse (Genesis 1:8) as preliminary to the appearance of dry land on day three (Genesis 1:10) and waited to use the phrase at the appropriate time.2 On day three, the phrase “God saw that it was good” is used twice. God first saw the earth and seas were good (Genesis 1:10), and then he saw that the vegetation, plants, and fruit were good (Genesis 1:12). The dry land was “good” both because God, who is good, created it and because it fulfilled its God-designed purpose in bringing forth vegetation, plants, and fruit. The once-formless earth (Genesis 1:2) was nearly ready for its purpose of habitation (cf. Isaiah 45:18).

On day four, God saw the heavenly lights (sun, moon, and stars) were good because they separate the night from the day; serve as signs for seasons, days, and years; and provide light on the earth (Genesis 1:14–15). On day five, God saw the creation of the sea creatures and winged birds was good (Genesis 1:21). On the sixth day, there were two declarations of good. God saw the creation of land creatures was good (Genesis 1:25). Then after he created mankind in his image, God saw (rā'â) everything that he had made, and he declared it to be “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

The word good (ṭôb) is used for something that is beautiful (Genesis 6:2), pleasant (Genesis 2:9a), valuable (Genesis 2:12), moral (Genesis 2:9b, 17; 3:5, 22), and beneficial in fulfilling a purpose. At the end of the sixth day, God declared his creation to be “very good” because it was complete (cf. Genesis 2:1–3), as all that God created was fully formed and fully functioning just as he intended. Furthermore, creation was morally very good as it lacked sinfulness (cf. Genesis 3). There was no vast amount of time or evolution required for creation to reach its completed state (cf. Exodus 20:11).

In Genesis 1, there is only good and no evil, corruption, or wickedness.

God is the only one who is good (Psalm 100:5; cf. Mark 10:18), and his goodness is seen in his works. In Genesis 1, there is only good and no evil, corruption, or wickedness.3

Genesis 3

In Genesis 3, the serpent (Satan, Revelation 12:9) holds out the hope that, by eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the man and woman will become “like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5; cf. 2:9, 17). The serpent implied that God was keeping knowledge from the man and woman (Genesis 3:5). The narrative then tells us something interesting: “The woman saw [rā'â] that the tree was good for food” (Genesis 3:6). Before, it was God who saw what was good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31), but now, instead of God, it was the woman who saw what was good. While the tree was part of God’s very good creation, the woman usurped God’s role in determining what it was “good” for.4 The woman sought the “good” apart from God’s provision, and the man followed her example in disbelieving the Word of God (Genesis 3:6; cf. 2:16–17). This disobedience to God’s Word brought about a curse upon the serpent (Genesis 3:14–15) and judgment upon the woman (Genesis 3:16)5 and the man (Genesis 3:17–19).6

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command, God saw that mankind became like him, in that he now has a knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:22). In wanting to be “like God,” man can no longer be “with God” as God sent man out of the garden in Eden (Genesis 3:23–24). In a fallen world, man’s offspring now commit evil acts (Genesis 4:8; 1 John 3:12).

Genesis 6

At the time between the fall and the flood, God no longer “sees” the “good,” but rather he “saw [rā'â] that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The wording of Genesis 6:5 contrasts with Genesis 1:31 where God saw (rā'â) all he made was very good. The verbal parallels between Genesis 1:31 and Genesis 6:5 show that the narratives contrast the state of mankind before and after the fall.7

God’s original, very good creation has been transformed by the evil inclinations of man, which are only evil continually. This evil is the result of mankind’s desire to become like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5, 22). The reason for the flood is directly tied to the account of the fall in Genesis 3.

God’s “seeing” the earth in Genesis 1 and Genesis 6 shows us that the very good world God created became corrupt and filled with wickedness because of the woman’s “seeing” in Genesis 3.

In a similar fashion, Genesis 6:5 also helps us understand the extent of the flood as it looks forward to Genesis 6:12: “And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” Again, this echoes Genesis 1:31 where “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” In both Genesis 1:31 and 6:12, God saw the whole earth, not just a localized piece of land. This is also confirmed in Genesis 6:11: “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled [mālāʾ] with violence.” In Genesis 1:28, God commands man to “fill [mālāʾ] the earth and subdue it.” Fallen mankind had filled the earth up, but it was also filled with violence (lawlessness). There was no violence in God’s very good earth, but violence filled the earth before the flood.

God’s “seeing” the earth in Genesis 1 and Genesis 6 shows us that the very good world God created became corrupt and filled with wickedness because of the woman’s “seeing” in Genesis 3.8 Although some Christians argue that creation was not greatly changed by the fall in Genesis 3, what God “sees” in his creation before and after the fall shows us otherwise.