Explain what is meant in the Bible by the phrase God is good
Christians see the goodness of God as one of his main attributes. God is thought to have a character, much like humans and Christians describe God in many different ways, for example as a father, a just judge or a warrior etc… However the most important epithet to be applied to God, especially in the Old Testament is his omnibenevolence. This essay will focus mainly upon Exodus 20 but also upon other parts of the Bible where God’s goodness is demonstrated. The answer to this question will be split into 3 separate parts: Firstly, God’s goodness in the respect that he demonstrated his love in creating humanity; Secondly his readiness to forgive, but also punish man justly throughout time and lastly the fact that God’s laws (such as the 10 commandments) were designed for man’s benefit. Of course we must first distinguish between the two types of good. First there is moral good, where a person or thing is good because it does moral acts – it leads a moral life. ... For example Johnny Wilkinson is a good rugby player but this does not necessarily make him a good person morally. The goodness of God is first shown in his actions as a creator. In Genesis 1-3 God created order out of chaos by ten commands. ... In the Seven Day Creation story God’s goodness holds the forces of evil at bay. Each act of creation is seen to be good. “And he saw that it was good” (Genesis 1: 10). The culmination of God’s creation was the Earth and mankind. ... So not only is God morally good and requires humans to be good, but God’s creation is also good. This makes God a good creator. ... This is commemorated by observing the Sabbath (seventh day) as a day of rest, since God rested on the seventh day after six days of creating. In the ancient times and Jews today this is seen as an example of God’s goodness because it means rest from hard work once a week. ... ” (Exodus 20:8) This is good as it is an example of God being morally good in instructing humans to do what is best for them. It shows that God would like man to love God and obey God in return for all he has done for them. God is goodness personified and as mankind was created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27 “God created man in his own image.”) This tells humans that they are required to be good, as good as God. God’s goodness also includes the will to punish so that goodness is combined with justice. The most memorable demonstration of God’s willingness to punish is in the case of Noah’s Ark.