Romans 8:19-22 “Pattern”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁹For the eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God, ²⁰for the creation was subjected to futility (not willing[ly] but because of the one subjecting) upon hope ²¹that the creation itself will also be liberated from the bondage of decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God, ²²for we know that the entire creation is groaning together and in agony together until the present.

A certain writer called this one of the most controversial passages in the Bible. As I read various commentaries, I found that in fact to be the case. For centuries, these poor verses have been stretched out on the theological rack and tortured mercilessly. I personally like what one man said, “If the plain sense makes good sense, why make any other sense?” One of the problems with words in any language is that, in a way, you can make them mean anything you want -- with enough ingenuity and imagination. The question, however, will remain, but what did the speaker mean? We have all had numerous times where someone took what we said wrongly. In fact, as I sit here at the later end of life, I would say it is exasperating how difficult it is to simply speak and have people understand what I’m saying.

While I bemoan that struggle in my own relationships, one can only imagine what it’s like for God! He inspired Paul to write these words expressly desiring to communicate truth to His people. How exasperating it must be to Him when people can’t accept the plain sense of what He said and instead resort to what I call hermeneutical gymnastics in order to make it say what they want it to. Once again, in my personal opinion, I think the NIV actually did a good job translating this passage. Reading it in NIV, one wonders what all the “controversy” is about. Seems plain enough: “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”

Given what I would call the plain sense, I want to record several observations. First, it begins with “For the creation waits in eager expectation…” then concludes with “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Obviously, creation is being personified. The theologians can argue endlessly how creation could be “waiting in eager expectation,” but again, to me, the plain sense is not that somehow animals and rocks are actually “waiting,” but rather that this waiting is simply a personification.

It is interesting though to note that specifically what creation is waiting for is “for the children of God to be revealed.” Wouldn’t you have thought it would say “for the Lord Jesus to be revealed”? I think if we would meditate on those words for a while, we would be amazed how the Lord Himself would honor us like this. It is His Coming that matters! Yet, it is as if, just as the universe would move to honor Him, He steps aside and gestures instead to you and me! If you and I could even catch a glimpse of this honor, we should realize that is what Jesus thinks of us today. Though there may be a “waiting,” yet when it’s time, Jesus can finally show us off like He’s always wanted to.  I would suggest us parents know exactly that feeling. It is great to be honored, but words fail when we can instead step aside and see our children be the ones who are honored. No matter how much we might “deserve” honors, it gives us far greater joy to see that honor go to our children! Guess we’re back to Abba! Father!

It is also absolutely fascinating to me to see this picture of the entire creation “groaning as in the pains of childbirth … waiting for the children of God to be revealed.” For years I have pondered why Eve’s judgment was pain in childbirth. What strikes me here is that she, as “the Mother of All Living,” was made to be the very fractal of all the universe’s existence! What I mean is that every time a woman becomes pregnant and carries a baby to delivery, she is, in a sense, living out the pattern of the entire creation. She suffers for nine months until that pain climaxes in childbirth itself and she is rewarded with the “revealing” of this child she’s delivered! That fractal she experiences this passage would tell us is the pattern not only for the whole universe, but is it not also the pattern for our own individual lives, both in total and in every trial we face?

In a sense, each of us is right now “in the womb.” From the time we were “born again,” the Lord has been molding us. “He who began a good work in you will continue it…” What we see as suffering is actually the Lord’s redeeming work of growing us into the people He created us to be. Our “suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character, hope” (Rom. 5:3,4). Just like all of creation, our very existence is “groaning as in the pains of childbirth,” waiting for that day when suddenly we will appear as the Lord’s completed work, glorified as His beloved children! Every woman’s pregnancy and delivery displays that same pattern. This is probably just one more place where our sin darkened eyes literally can’t see our hand before our face. The Lord places the picture right before us, yet we blunder on, blind to all He is doing.

I almost hate to say this, but, if we’ll have the eyes to see, we probably need to acknowledge He calls it “as in the pains of childbirth.” Childbirth. He didn’t say we’d scrape our knees. Childbirth. Probably the most physically painful experience in human existence. That’s what we’re going through. I suspect we all have this underlying impression that, because we’re Christians, we shouldn’t have to suffer much. Oh, yes, of course, we have to suffer, but … not that bad. Right? No. Childbirth. Back to reality, I guess – we shouldn’t be surprised to find life not just hard but seriously, unbearingly brutal. Childbirth. Just before I despond, I’ll remind myself this whole passage is about hope, the whole book is about grace, and, as the Lord Himself says, “My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in [your] weakness”!

These very verses before us speak of pain, yet they would encourage us that even pain is only part of the Lord’s grand purpose to truly make us glorious. That doesn’t change the fact that pain hurts, but as all mothers know, there is nothing so wonderful in all the universe as one’s very own child

The Lord knows that. It’s what the whole universe is all about!