about by grace.  He Who could lay aside His glory and for our sakes become

poor, is said to have 'tabernacled' among us, or become for the time a 'tent

dweller' too.

The reference in Job to his making, and to the revelation that God, Who

knew what sorrows awaited His servant, was by no means indifferent, turns our

thoughts back to the creation of Adam who so soon opened the door for sin and

death to enter into the world.  Was God indifferent to the fate that awaited

the work of His hands?  We shall find some help if we turn to Romans 8 and

consider what the apostle has written there.  He looked at the sufferings of

this present time and said they were not worthy to be compared with the glory

that should be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18).  That of itself is a comfort.

Even though we should be stone blind to any ray of light upon the problem of

present suffering, 'glory' awaits us, and the prospect brings relief.  Paul,

however, proceeds:

'For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the

manifestation of the sons of God' (Rom. 8:19).

The sufferings of creation, therefore, have bounds, but we go on with the

'For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by

reason of Him Who hath subjected the same in hope.

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of

corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God' (Rom.

The Emphatic Diaglott version reads here:

'For the creation was made subject to frailty, (not voluntarily, but by

Him Who placed it under;) in hope that even the creation itself will be

emancipated from the slavery of corruption, into the freedom of the

glory of the children of God' (8:20,21).

Adam, when he faced the charge of transgressing the commandment of the

Lord, had no basis for hope.  He had sinned, and he expected death as a

penalty.  The Lord, however, spoke of 'a Seed'.  Surely here was hope.

Even though sorrow accompanied both the distinctive experiences of the man

and the woman, bearing children and sweating for bread were something other

than the expected penalty.  What, moreover, did the cherubim signify that

were caused to 'tabernacle' at the door of the Garden? 'man, lion, ox, eagle'

-- did they not symbolize man's lost dominion, and God's pledge of ultimate

restoration?  Why this early reference to tabernacle and tent?  There is hope

amidst the groan of creation, and the sufferings that come in the wake of

sin.  That hope is founded upon the finished Work of the promised Seed, and

that hope should be an anchor now in the time of trouble and distress.  God

created man in His own image.  He was grieved, intensely grieved at his fall.

He bore the burden from Adam to the birth of the Saviour at Bethlehem, Who in

turn bore that burden until, by the Sacrifice of Himself, He took it right

away.  Is hope associated with the redeemed only?  Is He not called 'the God

of patience', 'the God of hope' and 'the God of peace' in this epistle (Rom.

15:5,13; 16:20)?