7Jan2009 Gen 1:10

^10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

This is the second instance of God’s shaping the earth as a dwelling place for human beings. The first was the shaping of the atmosphere above the waters and ground. This action involved gathering the ground and water into separate domains, each with boundaries. Boundaries are necessary if there is going to be inhabitants of the land. If flooding takes place all the time no life will remain on the land. It will get washed to sea. And when you think about it, the oceans do stay pretty much in their place. Occasionally they rise above their normal levels, but then they retreat. As God finishes this work he looks and is pleased with what He sees. I get the funny picture of a French painter with a beret, cape, brush and pallet in his hand working on a blank canvas. He makes a few strokes and then steps back to admire his work. I am not implying that God is French just that He admires His work. We will read several times in this first chapter that God looks at what He has just done and calls it “good.” We might rephrase that and say “it turned out exactly as I wanted it to” or “it’s perfect.” God didn’t say, “Oh, that will do” or “that’s good enough for now.” He didn’t settle for anything less than the best. His original design for this place we call earth was a perfect dwelling place for His crowning creation. Land and seas are just part of that design. They fit perfectly into the intricately designed world, every particular part needed for the sustainment of life. The proportion of land and sea had to be a certain way to fulfill His design. And as you look at the geological record, the proportion of land and sea has remained virtually unchanged despite the shifting continental plates. God declared it was good because it fit with His plan. And nothing happens in this chapter that is not part of His plan. He is the Perfect Creator working on His perfect creation.