Explain how the Bible presents God as good
Explain how the Bible presents God as good
Throughout the Bible, God’s goodness is shown in many ways. It is shown through many chapters of the Bible.
Firstly, God is presented as good through the giving of moral guidance. The Decalogue of the Ten Commandments show that God is not interested in purely being worshipped by people, but how people should treat each other also. He gives clear rules, such as ‘Thou shalt not steal,’ which teaches others to accept what they have and not to take others’ property. ‘Thou shalt not kill’ also shows God’s desire for people to treat each other well and to not take each other’s lives. Despite setting these boundaries, God also gave his people the gift of free-will, therefore it is up to them whether or not to follow these rules, however the prophet Jeremiah hopes for a time when people will know ‘in their hearts’ what is right and wrong and will not require written rules. This implies that God gave people a conscience in order to indirectly give them moral advice and help them to discern right from wrong.
Secondly, the goodness of God is seen through the story of the creation of Earth. In the Genesis story, it states that everything God creates is ‘very good’, including plants, animals, etc. ‘He covers the sky with clouds, he supplies the Earth with rain’ also reveals that God provides and cares for his living creations, giving them seasons and a time for harvest, and it also shows that he designed the Earth in a way that benefits his people.
Thirdly, God’s goodness is evident in his forgiving and compassionate nature. In the story of Hannah, God improves her life in a way that best suited her; ‘Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘because I asked the Lord for him’’. This shows God’s ability to perform miracles for people on whom he takes pity. When Hannah was married to a man who had another wife (who was able to bear him a child, while Hannah was infertile), there was friction between
Throughout the Bible, God’s goodness is shown in many ways. It is shown through many chapters of the Bible.
Firstly, God is presented as good through the giving of moral guidance. The Decalogue of the Ten Commandments show that God is not interested in purely being worshipped by people, but how people should treat each other also. He gives clear rules, such as ‘Thou shalt not steal,’ which teaches others to accept what they have and not to take others’ property. ‘Thou shalt not kill’ also shows God’s desire for people to treat each other well and to not take each other’s lives. Despite setting these boundaries, God also gave his people the gift of free-will, therefore it is up to them whether or not to follow these rules, however the prophet Jeremiah hopes for a time when people will know ‘in their hearts’ what is right and wrong and will not require written rules. This implies that God gave people a conscience in order to indirectly give them moral advice and help them to discern right from wrong.
Secondly, the goodness of God is seen through the story of the creation of Earth. In the Genesis story, it states that everything God creates is ‘very good’, including plants, animals, etc. ‘He covers the sky with clouds, he supplies the Earth with rain’ also reveals that God provides and cares for his living creations, giving them seasons and a time for harvest, and it also shows that he designed the Earth in a way that benefits his people.
Thirdly, God’s goodness is evident in his forgiving and compassionate nature. In the story of Hannah, God improves her life in a way that best suited her; ‘Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘because I asked the Lord for him’’. This shows God’s ability to perform miracles for people on whom he takes pity. When Hannah was married to a man who had another wife (who was able to bear him a child, while Hannah was infertile), there was friction between