Romans by the Book (Lesson 59)

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This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4

Romans by the Book                                                                        Lesson 59

Welcome to HBS.  Thank you for taking the time to study your Bible along with us.

For the benefit of our new visitors and as a refresher for those who have been with us since the onset, I thought I would begin today’s lesson by quickly going over some of our apostle Paul’s teaching points.

In chapters 1-4, Paul described how every person is a sinner before God from the morally depraved pagan to those trying to climb the religious ladder to heaven; and of their need for righteousness and justification.  He wrote how God provided for these through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for both the Jew and the Gentile. 

In chapter 5, Paul speaks to those who have been justified by faith (plus nothing else) and now have peace with God.  Chapter 5 (verses 1-11) is a description of the benefits of justification by faith.  Chapter 5 (verses 12-21) is an explanation of the foundation of justification and sanctification. 

In chapter 6, Paul offers a compelling explanation of the need for a change in the Believers’ lifestyle due to the fact that we are dead to sin, and alive to Christ Jesus.  Therefore, in light of this truth, we are to “put to death” those sinful activities we’re enslaved to and walk “in newness of life.” 

In Chapter 7, Paul reveals the conflict of the two natures which makes it impossible for us to live the righteous life we want to live; our flesh is hopelessly lost.  But God has provided the remedy for this condition:  just as Jesus Christ is the only answer to salvation similarly Jesus Christ is the only answer for sanctification. 

Please be aware I have parked all of the previous lessons beginning at Romans, chapter 1 in the archives on this site and they are available for your viewing.

Now, if you’re ready I’m prepared to teach, so please open your Bible to Romans, chapter 8. We’ll drop in at verse 19. 

Romans 8

19: For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the (what) revealing of the sons (and daughters) of God.

Verse 19 contradicts man’s philosophy and his scientific approach (through pure imagination) as to why things are.  Evolution for example is no longer a theory but a fact , actually it’s both according to the scientific community, and this belief is being taught in schools and colleges across this great land while creationism along with the Creator is ridiculed and banned (2 Peter 3:3-4). 

But God, through Scripture, has revealed how things came to be, and when, and what they will ultimately be.  However, the majority of humanity has chosen to be ignorant of these things through their exercise of free will. 

In verse 19, God is telling us all creation is eagerly waiting and by this He means the creatures in the air, in the sea, those moving on the ground, and even the inanimate objects (Luke 19:39-40).  What is all creation, even the angels of heaven, eagerly waiting in anticipation of - the revealing of the sons (and daughters) of God.  The day of our great and glorious “manifestation” is coming.

The Greek word for “revealing” is:  apokalupsis (pronounced:  ap-ok-al’oop-sis) and means – a laying bear, a disclosure of truth – instruction concerning things before unknown used of events by which things or states or persons till then withdrawn from view are made visible to all manifestation, appearance.

Picture a well-known artist who after many years has completed his sculpture and scheduled an unveiling.  Of course his artwork remains covered and away from public scrutiny until the event.  Meanwhile, the art world and the public wait in eager anticipation to examine the artist’s work.  Likewise, the children of God are veiled at this time.  We’re wrapped in our sinful flesh, and we look just like everyone else.  But true Believers are the children of God.  We have already received “the spirit of adoption.”  However, our adoption has not yet been fulfilled.  The day is coming and all creation is waiting with eager anticipation “our revealing” (manifestation) on the Day of Redemption.

Romans 8

20: For the creation was subjected to futility (or vanity), not willingly, but because of Him (the LORD God) who subjected it, in hope.

The word creation in verse 20 refers to this earth.  Scripture confirms this in Colossians 1:23. Paul speaks of the gospel being preached, “…in all creation under heaven.”  
         

Paul tells us in verse 20 the LORD God placed a curse on the earth, and not on the man Adam.  In so doing, He subjected the entire planet earth to “futility” i.e. uselessness (Genesis 3:17-19).  We find a similar word and instruction in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 1

2: “Vanity of vanities,” says the preacher, “Vanity of vanities!  All is vanity.”

3: What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun (or on the earth).

These are the words of Solomon, the son of David, King of Jerusalem.

Now the word “vanity” as used in this context does not mean self-admiration (ego). 

It means useless.  The same meaning is applied to the word “futility” in Romans 8:20.

The man must eat to survive so he rises and works the land from sunup until sundown knowing that tomorrow is going to be identical to today, as was the day before, exclusive of illness, injury, or death; in that the chores must be done in their proper sequence.  After the father dies, these things are passed on to his son.  Generations come; generations go.   
What advantage does man have in all his work…? 

Now let’s update that picture.  I’m not sure of the expression they’re using today but I referred to it as “The Rat Race.”  It’s all about acquiring the money.  This term describes a frustrating, hard-to-break financial lifestyle.  It involves subjecting one’s self to a time-consuming job, saddling one’s self with a mortgage or rent, multiple monthly bills, children, and all that implies, and other liabilities, such as putting food on the table, which forces the individual(s) to continue to work at the same job (most likely) with the delusion that working at this job will somehow better my situation and my family’s. 

Many people believe there’s an off ramp from “The Rat Race.”  These folks attempt to alleviate the stress of financial hardship by working harder, working longer, or for higher wages, but those who subject themselves voluntarily to The Rat Race just wind up digging for themselves the same financial hole, and around and around we go. 

King Solomon asks, “What advantage does man have in all his work?”  

The answer is much, which we’ll discover in just a bit. 

In your Bible and mine Genesis 3:17 reads, “Cursed is the ground because of you…” or “on account of” you which is attempting to show that the ground’s curse was the direct result of the man’s sin.  Several Bible scholars believe this three-word phrase is poorly translated and should be rendered “for man’s sake” instead.  Here’s why.

God who knows the beginning, the middle, and the end of history had the end picture in mind even as He uttered this curse.  The ground would be cursed, for man’s benefit or his good.  The curse, in the end, would benefit all mankind, although initially it would bring about hardship, suffering, toil, and loss.

This isn’t the way the LORD God wanted it.    If you know the Genesis account, then you know the man was put in the Garden of Eden to “cultivate and keep it” (Genesis 2:15); he was given “dominion” over all the earth and the animal life; this was a blessing and not a hardship.  Since the garden watered itself (there was no rain), and the man didn’t have to deal with the negatives such as:  heat, pests, weeds, wild animals, etc, I imagine the labor was pleasurable, rewarding, and probably not too demanding.  You see the earth worked with the man in perfect harmony to produce his food; and the man needed food to survive.  Food production was one of the primary purposes of the garden (Genesis 2:9).

After the curse was pronounced, the earth from which the man and the woman acquired their food became most uncooperative.  Instead of the earth and the man working in harmony together, now the situation became man versus nature.  Adam would have to use his intellect and all his strength to discipline the earth.

The earth was capable of supporting Adam, Eve, and their offspring but only after Adam forced it to yield its bounty through hard labor in:  plowing, planting, fertilizing, watering, weeding, cultivating, and harvesting.  I would be remiss if I forgot to mention the insects, and animals such as deer and wolves which infiltrated and destroyed his crops, herds, and possessions.  Wild animals were even capable of stealing a life on occasion. 

In addition to all this, Adam would have to deal with the forces of nature:  earthquakes, erosion, landslides, volcanoes, wildfires, unproductiveness and various storms. 

The weather could either be his friend or his enemy.  Too much rain or too little rain affected his crops in the ground.  Thunderstorms brought hail and tornadoes. 

Entire villages, not just crops, could be wiped out by nature and disease.

If you’ve spent any time at all working outdoors in the Florida heat and humidity, then you can appreciate the fact that the sun can be merciless.  Coming from the north, I’m aware that the sun can withhold its heat for months on end.  Adam probably dealt with both these issues.  It was either feast or famine, but it was always hard labor and sacrifice, day after day, due to the curse.

This is what Adam and Eve and their descendants dealt with after the LORD God drove them from the Garden of Eden.  Without a doubt it affected their food supply, but primarily it affected their survival.  Remember, the LORD God said they would die.

In other words, the ground wasn’t going to just give up the food as before; now Adam had to “strive” for it.  Consequently, God’s curse impacts everything mankind attempts to achieve.  If you’re earning a weekly paycheck, saving for your child’s college fund, or keeping the weeds out of your beautiful flowerbed then you’ve experienced the effects of this curse.  Who hasn’t pricked their finger on a rosebush or been stung by a bee?

 

One aspect of this curse that I believe most people overlook is from the very moment the LORD God pronounced the curse on the ground this planet began to die.  Why? 

Sin tainted God’s perfect world (2 Peter 3:10-14). 

Everyone has read about or experienced in some way the effects of our dying planet. 

Who hasn’t heard about the disappearing arctic ice caps, the polluted ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, seas, and oceans and the acid rain?  We’re buying bottled water and acting as if this is normal! 

Irresponsible farming practices have put America’s land and water at risk.  In some regions, Iowa for example, soil loss was found to be 12 times greater than the stated average, as storms stripped up to 64 tons of soil per acre of land.  The Dust Bowl or the Dirty Thirties weren’t so long ago that the people of my generation have forgotten the major ecological and agricultural affects to American farmlands.

Modern farming practices permit pesticides, fertilizers, and manure to run into our water resources, which renders the water undrinkable, our beaches unfit to swim in, and has created an area in the Gulf of Mexico so contaminated that aquatic life has to flee or die – this area is known as “the dead zone.” 

As I write this, one of the largest Red Tide blooms in history is slowly making its way towards the West coast of Florida and will soon impact the shoreline and beaches for miles.  Numerous fish kills have already been reported. 

Our planet’s death throe was subtle at first but over time the pace has quickened, but it all started when God cursed the ground, “for man’s sake.”

From Flavius Josephus’s “Antiquities of The Jews,” we find:  “…the ground should not henceforth yield its fruits of its own accord, but that when it should be harassed by their labour, it should bring forth some of its fruits, and refuse to bring forth some of its others.”

How can such a curse be “for man’s sake?”

Please turn to Romans, chapter 8. 

Romans 8

20: For the creation was subjected to futility (this word has been translated as:  vanity, emptiness, uselessness, things without purpose, and folly), not willingly, but because of Him (the LORD God) who subjected it, in hope.

The apostle says here that God pronounced the curse on the creation, "in hope."  

That is to say, He did not intend to leave the ground or His animal creation under the curse forever.  He did this only for a time and for a purpose.  Verse 21 tells us why.

Romans 8

21: that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

The ground and God’s animal creation was placed in the slavery of corruption when the man sinned but it is to be delivered from this state into the glorious freedom of the children of God, after we are glorified (adopted) on the Day of Redemption.

You’ve probably seen a lion chasing down its prey, or a pack of wolves circling a helpless animal while viewing the History Channel or some other program.  Animals live in fear.  Men live in fear.  The United Nations strives to achieve peace with men and nations all over the world while Scripture teaches that this is “vanity.”

This is the way things are now because of the curse.  But one day creation will be at peace as it was before man’s fall from grace.  Scripture gives us good idea as to how this will look (Isaiah 11:6-9).

So, “What advantage does man have in all his work?”  My reply was much!

 

When the LORD God said, “Cursed is the ground for man’s sake” He is saying the introduction of death into the world will be the means of their salvation.  It is for man’s benefit that death was introduced so that Jesus Christ could, in time, take death upon His own body thereby relieving the creation of this curse.  (Romans 5:12-21; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Galatians 3:13)

 

(To be continued)

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