Comments on Romans1:24-25

Timotheos,

Concerning this portion I do not have much to say by way of response, for you have rather well captured anything that I might say.

Romans 1:24-25

24 Therefore God gave them over to the cravings of their hearts unto impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. 25 They exchanged the truth of God with a lie, they worshiped and served the creation instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen!

You show well how Paul draws tight linkage between Adam's sin in the garden (1:18-23) with Israel's sin in the wilderness (1:24-25). Paul's allusion to Psalm 106:19-20 is definitely clear (They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass). You also note that Paul's "God gave them over. . ." also comes from Psalm 106:24, "Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage; he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them" (ESV).

Indeed, both Adam and Israel function as representatives of all humanity and at the same time foreshadow the Coming One who, in place of Adam is obedient, and in place of Israel is faithful.
You conclude well when you say,

There is a horrible irony in this giving over. As the man worshiped creation, and thus exchanged his glory for the creature, so God gives man over to the cravings of their hearts, so that their bodies are dishonored. Since worship of creation brings dishonor to God, so God gives humanity over to their cravings, so that their bodies would be dishonored among themselves.

As humans repudiate God, the Other, and turn to worship the creature, the Same, so God, who in his wrath has not lost his wry humor, turns humans over to lust after the Same, namely he has given them over to homosexuality, same-sex relations.