Why did God create the world / earth?

It is strange, but I suppose it is because we are so largely under the influence of the fleshly mind, that we so persistently keep ourselves in sight, and this well nigh to the exclusion of God. Ourselves, our own blessing, and our own glorification, are often in our minds. The objects to which all the ways of God lead up, and the glory of God, though religiously admitted, is very dimly before our minds. And as we are to such a large extent our own object, we are liable to think we must be God’s object also. In this way we in measure deify ourselves. What Adam grasped at in the beginning (equality with God), seems ingrained in the flesh, and refuses to be expelled. But from this, a merciful and gracious God would deliver us, and give us to see that His own glory and satisfaction must be the end which He has in view in everything that He does. The eternal blessing of the creature who submits with all his heart to the decrees of God is certain, and the everlasting confusion of the rebellious is just as sure. God must be His own Object in everything He does, and this anyone can understand, for when He began His works, (and whatever men may say to the contrary there was a beginning), there was nothing to influence His mind; He wrought from Himself and for His own glory, and “of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things” (Rom. 11:36), and “Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). Until we see this we are not upon our proper basis; our minds vacillate and our movements are eccentric; man has undue importance in our eyes, and in our attempts to serve his we are in danger of turning to human methods, and forget for the moment what is due to God. But the blessed God has placed Himself before us in Christ that we may be attracted to Him, and find in Him an Object that completely fills our vision and captivates our heart, so that there may be no room for an idol in whatever guise it may approach us. And it is to this end He has declared Himself in Christ.

God alone is sufficient for Himself. He requires nothing external to Himself to make His happiness supreme. The creation, which is the work of His hands, has added nothing to His happiness. He brought it into existence for His own pleasure. But that fact does not prove that He could not have done without it. He created it to please Himself, and when created, He had pleasure in it, for His thought was expressed in it; and that thought could not be otherwise than pleasing to Him. But it could not increase His happiness, for all that He saw in it was, so far as it went, the reflex of Himself, and by it nothing was added to the infinite wealth of felicity which lay in Himself.

To take His place in the centre of a universe that would be radiant with the knowledge of Himself, His creature finding his perfect satisfaction and delight in the knowledge of his Creator fully revealed, and the Creator having His delight in the blessing of His creature, was the purpose of the mind divine; and it was by means of man, through man, in man, and for man’s glory, that this eternal purpose was to be brought to pass.

What more reasonable to suppose than that the Creator of the universe had a definite end in view in connection with that creation before He began such a tremendous work? And what greater object could He have in view than the filling of that creation with the knowledge of Himself? And in this knowledge of God lies the supreme happiness of the creature (Jer. 9:23-24).

The material creation was formed—the heavens and the earth—in view of the accomplishment of God's purpose. The creation thus serves as a platform for the display of the ways of God, His power, His wisdom, His love; yea, the manifestation of Himself in Christ: and soon the vast system which will be formed to satisfy His heart will be displayed; therefore creation is ascribed to Him as God, the Son, and the Word!

What a wonderful light does that throw upon creation itself and upon its destiny! Christ is not only the One under whom it is; He is not only the One who will bring it all into blessing, but He, the One who has become the Man Christ Jesus, is the One for whom it all exists. Christ, then, and that grace which is manifested in Him, — that manifestation itself, which is in itself grace, — is that which is the great purpose of God in creation. He must manifest Himself; He must make His creatures know Him. He could not possibly leave them without the full display of all His heart. He wants to be near them. He wants to have them near Himself. Christ is the fulness of God's heart thus told out, and as He is before all, as He is the One who holds all things together now, this purpose cannot fail of accomplishment.

The instant we come to contemplate the peculiar nature of the present dispensation we find ourselves face to face with eternal counsel. It may be a strange thing to say, but it is nevertheless true, that the fall, and consequently utterly lost condition of man, furnished an opportunity for the fulfilment of all that God had purposed to accomplish when He brought this creation into existence. It would be very difficult to convince anyone that acknowledges the infinite wisdom and might of the Creator, that there was no object in view in bringing into existence the heavens and the earth, and filling them with creatures set in intelligent relationship with Himself, or that when His work has been finished the universe will be other than that which He purposed it should be. Neither of these notions could be entertained by any sensible person that gave it a moment’s consideration.

What then has been the object of the Creator in bringing into being such a universe of nebula, stars, planets, moons and comets? The answer cannot be other than exceedingly simple: “For Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). In bringing such a heaven and earth into existence we may be sure He had an object worthy of His wise and gracious mind. Rational beings do not work without some object in view. None but the insane do meaningless actions. Reason itself would tell us that when God began His works of old He had counsels and purposes to fulfil which would be for the eternal delight of His heart, and for the glory of His greatness, might and wisdom.

But seeing that on account of the entrance of sin into the world man in his natural state is alienated from the life of God, the question as to what is to be the end of all the miseries of the fallen creature, and of all the unwearied activities of God with the poor foolish wanderer that would infinitely prefer to be let alone, must continually arise until a perfectly satisfactory answer has been given, what is the object in it all?

With the light of the revelation God has been pleased to give us the question should not be difficult to answer. But before we come to that revelation might we not wisely ask ourselves why the creature exists? Surely it is not that he should go out fresh from the hand of his Creator, forget all about Him, and live to please himself. Surely it is rather that man should serve his Maker, and bask in the sunshine of whatever light may have been given to him by the One to whom he owes his existence. Right through the whole revelation God has given to us runs this glorious truth, that the end that God has in view is that He may be known by His creature.

It is important to see that the great object of the gospel is that God might be known in the hearts of men, and that men might live before Him in the divine nature. Indeed, this was His eternal thought, for from before the foundation of the world His purpose was to have us “Holy and without blame before Him in love.” No doubt it was for the joy and delight of His own heart, for if His purpose was formed before the world was, it is clear it must have originated with Himself; and if it originated with Himself it must have been for His own pleasure, I might say for the need of His own heart, for no need existed anywhere else. I do not mean need in the sense of want causing unhappiness, but in the sense of a desire to create intelligent beings, and bring them into the blessedness, as far as the creature could be brought, in which He dwelt Himself, the blessedness of eternal love. The way which He has taken to bring all this about, allowing the misshapen footprint of His foe to mar His perfect handiwork, and rebellion against His authority to stalk naked through the earth, while His patience and long-suffering have come to light, we may contemplate with adoring hearts, now that we see the end He has in view, conscious that that end will be attained, for the might is His, and the victory is sure, His dealings with man, with whom apparently He plays a losing game, may furnish the antagonistic and infidel mind of man with data for reasoning, and for judging his Creator, but the faithful heart follows the divine pathway through the world in the spirit of worship, knowing that it leads to glory everlasting.