All Creation Waits!
I am glad you are here today! Our post is a good one!! There is an amazing time coming for every believer and all of creation. I pray the Lord will give you a new excitement and expectation concerning the removal of the curse that came into the world with sin. Eric
When we read the account of the creation of the world and mankind in Genesis 1, we see that ‘God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.’ (Verse 31). The Lord formed mankind from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7) in His own image and likeness ‘so that he would rule and reign’ over the fish in the sea, birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals and all the creatures that scurry along the ground. (Genesis 1:26).
In Genesis 2, we read that the Lord planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and put the man he had formed there. After the Lord placed Adam in the garden, ‘He commanded Adam that he was free to eat from any tree in the garden except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ He further instructed Adam that if he did eat from it, he would certainly die. (Genesis 2:16,17). Verse 19 lets us know that the Lord formed all the wild animals and birds from the ground also.
Reading what the garden, He put Adam in, was like in the Scriptures, reveals: God planted the garden, all kinds of trees grew out of the ground, the trees were pleasing to the eye and good for food. A river (that came up from the ground) watered the garden, and flowed from Eden and separated into four waterheads. There was ‘exceptionally pure gold,’ aromatic resin and onyx stone found in the land which one of those waterheads skirted. (Genesis 2:8-14).
Before man disobeyed the Lord’s command, to not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the earth was an undeveloped yet fruitful environment. The Lord placed Adam in the garden to tend and watch over it. (Genesis 1:29,30).
The Lord brought all of the animals, birds, and livestock (which He also formed out of the ground) to Adam to see what he would name them.
The Garden of Eden was an unimaginably beautiful and special place. Genesis 1:29 and 30 describes the garden as having ‘every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. Realize that the animals did not fear man until after the flood. (Genesis 9:2). Man was to ‘fill the earth and subdue (govern) it, and to be the caretaker of it all.
“God fashioned mankind in His image so that we could represent Him on the earth. We were make like Him so we could be in relationship with Him. From the beginning, God desired to bless us with His magnificent creation, and He enjoyed living in close fellowship with us.” (gotquestions.org). Let’s read Genesis 3:8a (NLT), “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden.”
Adam and Eve were created to fellowship with Him in perfect harmony. The Hebrew word for ‘Eden’ means pleasure or delight.
God had created a paradise for man and was actively a part of it!
Then, enters the ‘serpent,’ who in Revelation 12:9 is identified as satan. The serpent deceived Eve into taking the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had commanded they not eat. Adam, who was with her, ate also (Genesis 3:6). Sin, willful disobedience, entered the world.
God spoke the consequences of sin and disobedience in Genesis 3: 14-19, “So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." 16 To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
Satan was cursed (excluded from blessing and consigned to frustration, futility and eventual destruction) above all livestock and every beast of the field. (Topical Lexicon, Bible Hub)
Hostility, struggle and an on-going spiritual battle between good and evil began.
Women’s pain in childbirth was increased and …
Relational dynamics between men and women shifted.
I want us to take special notice of verse 17 and the phrase, ‘cursed is the ground because of you (Adam); through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.‘ The soil was cursed indirectly for Adam’s sake. A curse estranges the created order from its intended use of fruitfulness. (Bible Hub, Topical Lexicon). “There was a shift from the ease of life in Eden to a life of labor and struggle. (Bible Hub, Study Bible). Verse 18 continues with, ‘thorns and thistles it will yield for you.’ The Bible indicates ‘the thorn, like the serpent, is the natural enemy of humanity.’ (Blue Letter Bible). I think of Paul stating that, ‘to keep him from becoming conceited, he ‘was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.’ (2 Corinthians 12:7).
Then, man, livestock and all creation dies and returns to dust.
“Because of the ‘fall’ or sin, death became a reality. All creation was subject to it. All men, animals and plant life dies.” (gotquestions.org). With the fall of man, chaos began to reign in creation. All of creation was fundamentally changed because of man’s disobedience to God’s command and it brought about the entrance of sin and death to all the world.
Looking back at Genesis 3:15, where the Lord was cursing satan - we read these words, “The offspring of the woman, who will crush his head” is a reference to the coming of the Savior of the world! Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and at the end of the age, satan will be cast into the lake of fire. Hallelujah!
Still today, we steadily see the chaos of the earth taking place. However, we have the promise of complete or total redemption, not only for mankind, but for all creation. ‘Creation,’ ktisis, properly means : creation created out of nothing. The total redemption for humans and the earth, will take place when Christ returns.
In the meantime, Romans 8:19-22 (NLT) reveals, “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
It is exciting to know that all creation is aware of a future time when things will be restored to it’s former glory and it will be free from death and decay.
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible expounds on these verses. “The whole irrational creation is anxiously awaiting for the future glory of the sons of God. For, then, the curse will be removed from the very ground, and the lower animals relieved from oppression and cruelty. The very creation, on account of the sin of man, has been subjected to the curse, and has become vain or useless in regard to the original design of it.” However, on the day of our redemption, all of creation will also be restored to what God’s original intention for His creation has been!
The metaphor in the phrase ‘groaning together in the pain of childbirth’ highlights the intensity and the purpose of creation’s suffering. Childbirth is a process that involves significant pain but ultimately results in new life.” (Bible Hub, Study Bible).
My wife and I surely understand the truth related here. My wife was in labor for 22 hours for the birth of our first son. Eight of those hours were very difficult, as our son had rolled into a posterior position and the back of his head ran along her spinal cord with every contraction. However, as difficult and painful as it was, we have a tremendous blessing in not only our first born son, but also a second son whom God has blessed us with.
Look at verse 23 of Romans 8, “And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.” Even those of us who are walking with the Lord groan inwardly as we wait for that day of our total redemption.
1 John 3:2 (NLT) reads, “Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” Please understand, this entire process must begin with a relationship with Christ. This verse speaks of a time when our redemption is complete. Our flesh will be no longer; and we will be completely returned to what God intended for mankind to be, prior to the fall. Believers will fully walk in the Spirit unhindered by the flesh and the devil.
At the time of our final redemption, creation itself will be set free from enslavement to decay and will share our glory! (Textual notes NSFLB).
Every part of creation is summoned to honor it’s maker!
Psalm 148:1--13 reads. “Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever--he issued a decree that will never pass away. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and women, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.”
Isaiah 55:12 and 13 reads, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever."
I will close today by sharing that there is a promise of complete restoration! That for which all creation awaits will come to pass!
Revelation 22:1-3a, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse.”
Isaiah 11:6-9a, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra's den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper's nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
All of creation will be at peace, functioning as God first created it to be!
Hallelujah for everm!
Unless noted otherwise all Scriptures were taken from the New International Version
NLT New Living Translation
NSFLB New Spirit Filled Life Bible