The Fullness of His Goodness

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him (Genesis 2:18.)

God created a lack of good that we might know the fullness of His goodness. Here Adam was as good as any man has ever been, save our Savior. After much benediction in chapter one, here in chapter two is a malediction, “It is not good that the man should be alone”. It is an orchestrated condition in the order of God, “the good” experiencing the “not good” to bring about the perfect good.

God, in this verse, reveals His concern for Adam’s need and His intention to supply His need: “I will make him a help meet for him.” Yet with an infallible objective to supply, God does not supply in the most immediate way. God contemplates our needs constantly. He has in mind at all times what He desires to do for us. This is the relationship with God we were created to enjoy. Like a man contemplates what he wants to do for a woman, God has us on His mind. And He gives it to us so that we will know Him, so we will love Him, so we will see His glory. Such requires His arrangement, His plan, His time, and His way, His will, and His work that we may come to know the fullness of His goodness.

He situates Adam in a position to view his own need and his Lord's supply of his need. Adam must first look for provision where it cannot be found, to come to know where all he needs can always be found. And there among the animals, his needs were not provided for. Provision comes not from that which is below but from above. In our day of great disdain for order; moreover God’s order, we do well to note that the river never flows up from the valley but down from the mountain.

Man alone is not good, yet it was good that God made him alone for therein God made opportunity to glorify Himself. And herein the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” is answered in the only instance where a common man can truly be said to be good. Simply put, His people are not yet as good as they can be and they need experience the fullness of God’s goodness that they may become better and better.

And that is God, working the “not good” all together for “the good,” that we may experience His goodness. He has for us a holistic intent. Jeremiah writes, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”