Opening Prayer
The Psalms of Ascent
Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions' sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our
God,
I will seek your good.
Romans 8:18-24 (ESV)
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
8:19
For the eager-expectation of the creation eagerly-awaits the
revelation of the sons of God. (mine)
Indeed, the fervent expectation of the creation eagerly awaits
the revelation of the sons of God. - Middendorf[1]
1.
The subject of the sentence is –
“eager-expectation.”
a.
The word is a compound meaning crudely – to
expect from the head, to expect with one’s thoughts.
b.
It “suggests the picture of a person craning his
or her neck to see what is coming.”
c.
It is not just an expectation – there is strong
desire connected to it.
2.
That “eager-expectation” belongs to the
creation.
a.
Exactly what is meant by “the creation” is
debated.
b.
Keep it simple – it is all created things taken
as a whole
i. Animate
and inanimate
ii. Consider
Psalm 19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims
his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals
knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end
of the world.
c.
This is personification.
d.
We are creatures – that connects us to the
creation. (More on this later.)
3.
The eager-expectation of the creation eagerly-awaits…
a.
The whole creation is waiting for something.
b.
The whole world wants something to happen.
4.
The eager-expectation of the creation
eagerly-awaits the revelation of the sons of God.
a.
Revelation is a noun.
b.
How does one become one of the “sons of God”?
c.
Romans 8:14 - For all who are led by the
Spirit of God are sons of God.
5. The eager-expectation of the creation relates to people being led by the Spirit of God. Why? (see v. 20-21)
8:20-21
For the creation was subjected to futility, not
willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the
creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the
freedom of the glory of the children of God. (ESV)
For the creation was made subject/submissive to futility,
not voluntarily, but because of the one who subjected it, on (the) hope that also
the very creation will be set free from slavery to decay into the freedom of
the glory of the sons of God. (mine)
1.
Creation is subject to futility.
a.
Futility – folly, vanity, transitory-ness
b.
This word is used to translate the word HeBeL in
Ecclesiastes.
i. Ecclesiastes
1:2 – “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is
vanity!”
ii. Vapor,
breath.
c.
Creation – including our own – was intended to
be eternal.
i. The
arc of the Bible’s timeline goes:
1.
Creation
2.
Fall
3.
God’s Response
4.
New Creation where there will be, “no more
death.” (see Rev. 21:4)
ii. This
is one of the problems that I have with macro-evolution.
1.
Entirely predicated on death.
2.
I have no doubt that evolution (and death) are
the rule of this present time.
d.
This is what Jesus experienced when He entered
creation in the Incarnation.
i. Eternal
subjected to futility of time and death.
2.
Not willingly/voluntarily, but because of the
one who subjected it …
a.
Who subjected creation to folly?
i. Man?
Ps. 8 – all things subject to humanity.
ii. God?
3.
On [the] hope that also the very creation will
be freed from slavery to decay …
a.
Decay was not part of God’s plan from the
beginning.
b.
Creation was subjected to slavery to decay.
i. When?
ii. The
Fall into Sin
iii. This
is the Order/Rule of Death.
1.
In this world all things die.
2.
Death is worshiped and revered.
a.
Santa Muerta – Mexico
b.
Consider our entertainment and preoccupation with
violence.
4.
Into the freedom of the glory of the sons of
God.
a.
What is the glory of the sons of God?
i. Cross
and redemption!
ii. Christ’s
defeat of sin.
iii. The
righteousness that comes by faith.
iv. Resurrection
from the dead.
b.
What is the freedom of the sons of God?
i. We
are baptized into Christ’s death and therefore we are … !
ii. And
if we are … then sin is no longer our …!
5.
Creation was subjected to death because of
humanity’s sin so that our salvation from death will flow back into the world
bringing life!
a.
This will be fully realized in the New Creation.
b.
Brings us into a reconsideration of our
relationship with our fellow creatures! (This is what I hope to focus on a
little more next week.)
Verse of the Week
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1
[1]
Michael P. Middendorf, professor of theology at Christ College, Concordia
University Irvine. He is the author of the 2 volume Concordia Commentary on
Romans.
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