*Why* did God create the world and humanity?

[BX16]

Hello.

I am not a christian, nor do I adhere to any religion but I still believe in a God. I have a question for you people who know the bible better than I do.

Why did God create the earth and humanity? Does the bible say (or hint) anything about his motives at all?

Thanks in advance

 

[muaxiong]

"You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created." - Revelations 4:11 KJ2K

 

[Emmy]

Dear BX16. I only know, in the beginning, after God had made order out of Chaos, He said:" Let us make Man in our image." God is a Creator, He is LOVE, and He regarded the big Universe, and He imagined it filled with His Own, perfect and loving Children. That seems a valid and godly reason to me. Greetings from Emmy, sister ion Christ.

 

[jennyren]

God was alone, there was no one else like Him (able to create ). He wanted someone more like Himself to have fellowship with. So he made us in His image.

 

[ebia]

Hello.

I am not a christian, nor do I adhere to any religion but I still believe in a God. I have a question for you people who know the bible better than I do.

Why did God create the earth and humanity? Does the bible say (or hint) anything about his motives at all?

Thanks in advance

because he is an extravigant creator. Creativity is part of his nature.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Hello.

I am not a christian, nor do I adhere to any religion but I still believe in a God. I have a question for you people who know the bible better than I do.

Why did God create the earth and humanity? Does the bible say (or hint) anything about his motives at all?

Thanks in advance

I'm afraid your question cannot be easily answered. I advise that folks spend a year or so reading the bible, privately. This helps to refine and define questions.

owg

 

[phoenixgw]

If you want to know the whats and whys of a story, you usually read the last few chapters of the book (if you're lazy or don't like to read).

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

 

[The Nihilist]

because if there's no one else around, there's no one to yell at

 

[jamiel]

God created humankind because He likes stories.

For the reasons above (except for yelling), for His glory (1 Cor. 11:7), fellowship (1 Cor. 1:9, 2 Cor. 13:14, 1 John 1:3), pleasure. He is the Creator God, so He overflows in abundant generosity and creativity (Gen. 1:1).

Think of how man was made: how he/she stands upright, hands free, face up and forward, etc. All of this accomodates fellowship (with God and each other). It suited Jesus even to become a man.

He created the earth

because you've got to put the people somewhere! For His glory too.



God Bless.

 

[unkern]

God had the holy spirit with him when he created all things. In Exodus God says "I bore you out on eagles wings and brought you to myself" He made us to love on us, for himself.

 

[ikonographics]

God, the Holy Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit is a communion of perfect love. Love can only exist when it is shared among persons. Because God's love is boundless, He created other persons (the angels and later man) in order that they may share in the love of the Holy Trinity and live in perfect communion with Him. The world was created as man's dwelling place. Man was created last as the crown and summary of all creation, being made of both spiritual and material elements.

 

[childofGod31]

I believe God wanted companionship.

REV 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

DEU 30:9 The LORD will again delight in you

PRO 8:30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

ISA 62:5 ... as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.


JOH 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

​

 

[Catherineanne]

Hello.

I am not a christian, nor do I adhere to any religion but I still believe in a God. I have a question for you people who know the bible better than I do.

Why did God create the earth and humanity? Does the bible say (or hint) anything about his motives at all?

Thanks in advance

I do not think we are given God's motive for creation in any detail. The answer given, that it pleased him to do it, is perhaps the closest we can get.

We are each one made in the image of God. I suspect you will get closest to understanding the answer if you find an artist among your friends, and ask them why they create the art that they do. In part the answer will be, because that is who they are.

God made the world because that is who he is. I am not sure we can get any closer than that, without losing something of the essence of deity. God is always going to remain beyond our understanding.

 

[Catherineanne]

I believe God wanted companionship.

This kind of suggestion is often postulated, as if we/creation complete God somehow.

There can be no theory of why God created the world which suggests that God wanted, needed or had to complete something in himself, and achieves that through creation.

God was, is and always will be complete in himself for all eternity.

Similarly, if we have children to complete something in ourselves that is an abuse of parenthood. We must be complete before starting a family in order to be good enough parents.

God delights in creation, but he would have been no less God, and no less satisfied, without it. It is we who would have lost something, not him.

 

[12voltman]

God was alone, there was no one else like Him (able to create ). He wanted someone more like Himself to have fellowship with. So he made us in His image.

God was lonesome? Do you really believe that?

 

[12voltman]

I believe God wanted companionship.

REV 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

DEU 30:9 The LORD will again delight in you

PRO 8:30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

ISA 62:5 ... as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.


JOH 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

​

None of these verses have anything to do with creation or God's motives for creating the Universe.

 

[Catherineanne]

None of these verses have anything to do with creation or God's motives for creating the Universe.

Perhaps you might like to consider the words of the mystic St Julian of Norwich instead.

"Thou wouldst know the Lord's meaning in this thing?

Know it well. Love was his meaning."

Works for me.

 

[12voltman]

Perhaps you might like to consider the words of the mystic St Julian of Norwich instead.

No, thanks. I'm fine standing on God's word.

 

[Staccato]

A very interesting question. We were discussing this in a study group not too long ago actually, and although I cannot give the in-depth answers that others with greater knowledge on the subject might be able to, I believe that almighty God created humans in order to propogate His love and also in order to further His own greater glory (but not in an egotistical way, such that we would usually consider it to be). After all, an infinitely loving God desires to share His love amongst others.

Some may say that God desired something when he created humans, whether that something is worship or another quantity. However whilst God may deserve our worship, and want only what is best for us (namely to follow Him), he doesn't desire per se, or at least not as we may consider desire (ie. for it to be selfish).

Yeah, this answer might be a tad on the rambling side and is based more off our discussion than solid scripture in this case, so I do apologise, and hope that my reply has, at the very least, not added to your confusion. All the best with your continued study on the subject