Exposition:
From the above passage, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that creation has been subjected to futility, not by its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it. The implication of Paul’s statement is that creation has lost its mystery and awe because humanity has subjected them to futility.
He continues in verse 22 that creation has been groaning as in the pains in childbirth due to the depredations that humanity has subjected it to. The Apostle had seen so much abuse in the ecosystem at the time because Rome was controlling the world. They exploited forest and mineral resources to build Rome.
Aside from exploiting natural resources, they exploited human beings who were used as slaves on their farms. The use of firewood to refine silver released a lot of pollutants including Methane gas into the atmosphere, polluted the air.
In our time, the human species has subjected creation to so much abuse due to the discovery of modern technology. And if the Apostle Paul should be writing at this point in time, ‘groaning’ would be an underestimated word. Let us stop abusing other creation of God so they can stop groaning because the existence of humanity depends largely on the existence of the other creation too.