Did God Create the World Perfect? Or Just “Very Good,” as He Said?

As Christians, we know that God created the earth and everything in it perfect. There was no sin, and all creation magnified God and reflected His glory.  Of course, skeptics do not agree with us.  They even point out that God did not say He created the world perfect.  He only said that He created it “very good.”  

While it is true that God did not say “perfect,” the real purpose of the skeptics’ claim is to diminish or dismiss the God of all creation.  It’s an attempt to create doubt in the minds of God’s children.

So how do we defend God’s words, “very good?” How do we explain that God created all things perfect when God did not use the Hebrew word that means perfect?  To answer this, let’s consider that word in the original language.

Perfect or Not Perfect? That is the Question

The word “perfect” is an English word. The Hebrew word is “tamiym.”  Strong’s Dictionary tells us that the Hebrew word “tamiym” means without blemish, complete, full, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.  God did not use this word to describe creation.  Instead, He said,  “me’od towb,” which translates in English as “very good.”  

The first use of the word “tamiym” is about Noah.  

Gen 6:9  These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect [tamiym] in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

“Perfect” certainly befits Noah because “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen 6:8).  And immediately after that, God declared Noah to be a just (justified) man. Although all the people of Noah’s generation were living in grievous sin, God knew Noah’s heart and saw that  Noah desired to live according to God’s will and ways. That was demonstrated when Noah accepted God’s commission to build the ark.

A Perfect Creation?

While God used “me’od towb,” very good, not “tamiym,” perfect, when attributing perfection to His original creation, declaring perfection is entirely justified.  The pre-fall creation was completed by the only perfect One, the only One who could create in perfection, and did!  The pre-fall world was without blemish or spot. There was NO sin in the world. So, it’s certainly correct to say it was undefiled, upright, and whole, which the Hebrew word “tamiym” means.   Because the created world before the fall fits the definition of perfect, we are fully justified in attributing perfection to God’s creation before sin entered it. 

So Why “Good” on Some Days of Creation and Not “Very Good” as on the Sixth Day?

Why did God only say “good” about His creation of light, earth, seas, vegetation, the sun and moon, and living creatures?

I would suggest that God was trying to express that His main purpose and plan in creation was mankind.  His creation was not complete or perfect until He created man and woman.  And then it was very good!

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Again, while God does not use the word “perfect,” the understanding of creation being perfect is justified.  God’s work is proclaimed perfect in Deuteronomy 32:4 —  He is the Rock, His work is perfect…

Conclusion and Admonition

The skeptics’ claim that the pre-fall world was not “perfect,” only “very good,” is simply a way to cast doubt on God’s word and undervalue God.

We must diligently uphold and defend the Word of God and proclaim the truth of who God is. Never diminish the understanding of biblical teachings by limiting the scope of teaching to only one word, verse, or passage.  God’s truths are “spread” across the breadth of His Word—and for good reasons. So we can fully understand the depth and breadth of who He is and all He does, and so that no one can remove what God desires us to know and understand.

Consider this: If someone were to try to remove the chapter on Jesus’ birth or His death, or the chapter on baptism or salvation, they could not. Such core teachings are not found in simply one chapter or book. God planned it that way.  His teachings are spread across the entire Bible and, therefore, preserved.  

It is our duty and privilege to study the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, to fully understand God’s plan and purpose.  And when we know who God is and His power, purpose, and plan in creation, we can claim that God created the world in the beginning and that it was PERFECT!

2 Tim 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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