Question 5

Question:

“What else did God create?

Answer (Kids in bold):

“God created all things by his powerful Word, and all his creation was very good; everything flourished under his loving rule.”

Memory Verse:

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. . .
– Genesis 1:31

Commentary:

This question gets its roots from the Westminster Shorter Question 9: “What is the work of creation?” Answer: “The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.”

God Created All Things

The New City, like the Westminster Shorter, does not allow for the existence of any created thing apart from the creative work of God. If anything exists, it exists because God created it. God created the cosmos. He created the earth. He created the sky. He created all creatures and all things. (Genesis 1; John 1:1-3).

By His Powerful Word

“Word” is another word for Jesus, who is God the Son (John 1:1-2). We are used to attributing creative acts to God the Father, but we should not forget: the Son is the person through whom all things were created by the Father (Colossians 1:15-17). God created all things through the person and work of the Son (Hebrews 1:2). The power of God is made manifest in the person of the Son. When we are looking at all things and thinking of our Creator God, we should remind ourselves that Jesus was the agent through whom God created all things (1 Corinthians 8:6).

All His Creation Was Very Good

God’s goodness is reflected in the goodness of the creation he made. God made the light, and it was good (Genesis 1:3). God separated the earth and the waters, and it was good (Genesis 1:10). God caused the earth to produce plants and trees and bear fruit, and it was good (Genesis 1:12). God effected the day/night cycle, so that there would be morning and evening, and it was good (Genesis 1:19). God created all living creatures, whether to live in the water, or to fly in the air, or to roam the earth, and all to be fruitful and multiply and fill their domains, and it was good (Genesis 1:21,24). God created man and woman, and as the pinnacle of creation, he declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Everything God creates is good.

Everything Flourished Under His Loving Rule

Things were good, not just because God made them, but because God ruled over them. God isn’t a miser; God is generous (1 Timothy 6:17-19). God gives life and growth to all things, and they are sustained by his power alone (Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 104). When the creator created all things, he created them to glorify him (Isaiah 43:1-7; Revelation 4:11), and so that all things would be the best they could be by doing so (Psalm 16:11). We reflect back upon the first question and answer of the New City Catechism: We belong to this God and to our Savior Jesus Christ, who created all things and under whose rule we flourish, and therefore we may be comforted.

Resources:

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, you are eternal, without beginning or end; you are infinitely powerful, wise, and good—and glory belongs to you forever. All your works declare your glory, and for your glory, you created all things. Your great power made the whole world and gives life to all things. We praise and glorify you, our Lord and Owner; for we, and all things, are yours. Amen.

Other Scripture References:

 Psalm 19:1-6, Romans 1:19-20, Hebrews 1:1-4, Hebrews 3:3-4; Colossians 1:15-17; Acts 17:24; Psalm 104:24; Exodus 20:9-11; Jeremiah 10:10-12; John 1:1; Revelation 4:11