What the Bible Teaches Us about Adoption

What the Bible Teaches Us about 

Adoption

Sarah Frazer

On a chilly March day, my husband and I held up our right hands and swore: to care for our adopted daughter the rest of her life. Two years later we did the same for our son. There are many ways to make a family. And maybe because adoption has always been God’s Plan A, I love it even more.

Where is adoption first mentioned in the Bible?

The first time adoption is mentioned directly in the Bible is in Exodus 2. Israel’s great leader who brought them out of captivity and into the Promised Land was adopted. Before Moses was even born, a wicked Pharaoh decreed that all Jewish boys who were born should be thrown into the Nile River.

Have you ever stopped think about such an evil act? We like to focus on the fact that Moses was saved, but how many babies died? How many innocent lives were taken before they were able to even have a chance at life?

Moses was born into a world where being a baby was a dangerous thing. It’s beautiful that God’s solution to this killing of babies was adoption. Moses was put into the river, and could have died. But instead, our sovereign, loving God orchestrated it so he would be saved.

Moses was rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter. She asked her handmaiden to go and retrieve the infant. Moses was then brought to live in the palace. (Exodus 2:5-10; Acts 7:21)

What is the biblical definition of adoption?

According to Bible Study Tools, adoption is the “Act of leaving one's natural family and entering into the privileges and responsibilities of another.” In the New Testament many of the apostles used this term to describe our salvation.

In the Old Testament, the word “adoption” does not appear. The legal aspects of adoption were not outlined in the Jewish law, but it was most certainly practiced; as we saw in the life of Moses and also in the story of Esther (Esther 2:7).

Adoption in the Bible contains both a legal aspect and a spiritual aspect. Legally it is simply having a new family. Spiritually it is a beautiful picture of our salvation.

Our adoption is used to describe how we are born into God’s family - both Jews and Gentiles are adopted sons. (Galatians 4:5)

Who was adopted in the Bible?

As mentioned before, the story of Moses is the first time where adoption is mentioned in the Bible; but in the Old Testament we see other examples of adoption. Esther was adopted by her uncle (Esther 2:7), Mordecai.

Another example of adoption in the Old Testament was the children of Israel. Many times God refers to Himself as their “Father” (Isaiah 1:2; Hosea 11:1). God chose Israel among all of the nations to be a father to them.

In the New Testament we find an amazing example of adoption. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was adopted by Joseph. Mary’s husband, Joseph, was not Jesus’ true Father. The Holy Spirit was Jesus’ Father (Matthew 1:18). But Joseph took Jesus in as his own.

What an example of adoption we have! I am comforted by this for my own children. I have two adopted children and sometimes I worry that when they grow up no one will “understand” their feelings about being adopted. But you know Who will understand? Jesus!

I can’t wait to share Jesus’ adoption story with my children and let Him comfort their hearts.

What does the Bible say about adoption and orphans?

Because adoption was God’s plan from the beginning, He has had a lot to say about adoption. Let’s just take a look at a few verses. We will see adoption and orphans are God’s heart.

What is the biblical definition of adoption?

According to Bible Study Tools, adoption is the “Act of leaving one's natural family and entering into the privileges and responsibilities of another.” In the New Testament many of the apostles used this term to describe our salvation.

In the Old Testament, the word “adoption” does not appear. The legal aspects of adoption were not outlined in the Jewish law, but it was most certainly practiced; as we saw in the life of Moses and also in the story of Esther (Esther 2:7).

Adoption in the Bible contains both a legal aspect and a spiritual aspect. Legally it is simply having a new family. Spiritually it is a beautiful picture of our salvation.

Our adoption is used to describe how we are born into God’s family - both Jews and Gentiles are adopted sons. (Galatians 4:5)

Who was adopted in the Bible?

As mentioned before, the story of Moses is the first time where adoption is mentioned in the Bible; but in the Old Testament we see other examples of adoption. Esther was adopted by her uncle (Esther 2:7), Mordecai.

Another example of adoption in the Old Testament was the children of Israel. Many times God refers to Himself as their “Father” (Isaiah 1:2; Hosea 11:1). God chose Israel among all of the nations to be a father to them.

In the New Testament we find an amazing example of adoption. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was adopted by Joseph. Mary’s husband, Joseph, was not Jesus’ true Father. The Holy Spirit was Jesus’ Father (Matthew 1:18). But Joseph took Jesus in as his own.

What an example of adoption we have! I am comforted by this for my own children. I have two adopted children and sometimes I worry that when they grow up no one will “understand” their feelings about being adopted. But you know Who will understand? Jesus!

I can’t wait to share Jesus’ adoption story with my children and let Him comfort their hearts.

What does the Bible say about adoption and orphans?

Because adoption was God’s plan from the beginning, He has had a lot to say about adoption. Let’s just take a look at a few verses. We will see adoption and orphans are God’s heart.

Did you know you really are an orphan? Did you know your Heavenly Father has yet to come and bring you to your real home?

Hope is coming. The assured expectation is just a breath away. No matter how long you stare at the door, no matter how long you hold your bags ready to leave, you hold hope close to your heart. You are that orphan. You are waiting for your Abba Father to return.

Romans 8 speaks about groaning. We all are familiar with the Holy Spirit saying prayers for us, with groaning too deep for words. But did you know your own heart is groaning? You are groaning, sighing (Romans 8:23) for the return of Christ. Romans 8:23 says, “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.” For this hope we were saved.

You are adopted. No longer an orphan, but living in the orphanage, you have a hope...an assured expectation. But you also must wait for your Abba Father. While you hope, hang on to the rest of Romans 8 as the promises from God Himself.

· You are called. (Romans 8:28-29)

· Your future is secure. (Romans 8:30)

God’s heart for adoption is all over scripture. Let’s remember that adoption’s heart is all about love. God is writing all of our stories and adoption is the red thread which binds us all together.

God Created the Earth

God Created the Earth

By Dr. John Barnett

The more I read the Bible the more convinced I am that God is God. The more I read God's Word the more assured I am of God's power and awesome plan. In fact the Bible is the self revelation of the God of the universe who has opened the door and invites us in to meet and worship Him.

Today I would like to look at the last three words of the first verse of Genesis 1:1  "and the earth" Three words that stagger the mind. God masterfully planned and produced an amazing reflection of His Creative Glory.

Have you looked around to see God's signature all over this planet. From the depths of the oceans to the heights of our atmosphere, this planet teems with life. In the deepest seas there are volcanic vents spewing superheated water heavy with poisonous metals and acids; incredibly there is an amazing flourishing of countless exotic and unique creatures. In every biome and ecosystem life overflows this planet.

·         Trees in the rainforests overflow with endless varieties of plants, insects, and animals.

·         Artic waters and south sea reefs have a complete cycle of life where one species lives in dependence upon another up and down the food chains.

Sands and soils around the earth are literally crawling with countless life forms all showing design exactly for the environment in which they live

May I just point out a few amazing examples of God's Creative signature?

We can see our creator in the comparison of our AIR CONDITIONING to THE Beehive's: In order to preserve life in the brood area, the temperature of the beehive is kept at a constant 94degrees F through its ingenious construction and the activity of the bee "air conditioning engineers." This temperature is maintained even though outside it varies as much as 60 degrees. Who taught the bee air conditioning?

We can see our creator in the comparison of our MECHANICAL PUMPS to THE HUMAN HEART: What machine can compare with the human heart that pumps 100,000 times every day and has a work expectancy of over 70 years without shutdown for maintenance or repair? Who designed the heart?

We can see our creator in the comparison of our SONAR to that of THE BAT: Using the same methods submarines use to detect underwater objects, the bat has such a sensitive sonar system that it can avoid obstacles and catch flying insects on the darkest nights. Where did the bat learn sonar?

We can see our creator in the comparison of our COMPUTERS to OUR Brains: Your brain is most impressive and extremely complex. It contains many times more nerve lines than all the telephone lines of the world put together. The electrical signals from 200,000 living thermometer cells, a half-million pressure-sensing cells, and 3 or 4 million pain-sensing cells are all routed to the brain, plus the signals from the eyes, ears, nose, and taste buds.  An amazing example of miniaturization, the brain sorts, stores and acts upon these myfiad impulses. Who built this fantastic "computer"?

I’m Listening!

I’m Listening!
Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl (Proverbs 25:11, NCV).

Friend to Friend

I watched in awe as Mrs. McShan worked her magic on the group of third grade students seated before her. Mrs. McShan was the supervising teacher for my student teaching block in college. And she was a rock star in the classroom!

As I watched her teach, I mentally began to list all of the stellar techniques and valuable lessons I had already learned from this master teacher. She never raised her voice. If the classroom got a little noisy, she stopped what she was saying, smiled and stood like a queen overseeing her domain. It was only a matter of seconds until the room grew quiet. That technique was one of my favorites – but one tactic stood out from all the rest. It was so simple – and so powerful.

Mrs. McShan knew how to listen. I mean really listen to each child that came up to her with a question. After teaching each lesson and assigning work based on that lesson, Mrs. McShan allowed the children to come up to her one-at-a-time with any questions they might have about the assignment. And that is when it happened – every. Single. time.

When a child approached Mrs. McShan with a question, she always turned to him or her, gently placed her hand under their chin and tilted their face up until she could lovingly gaze into their eyes. At that moment, I’m sure each child felt as if they were the most important person in their teacher’s world – and they were! She listened to every word they had to say and then quietly answered their question.

Every relationship begins with listening. Listening is hard work and something we are not prone to do. I tend to use listening time as time to prepare the eloquent things I am going to say when the person stops talking!

There is a reason God created us with two ears and one mouth. We need to listen twice as much as we speak. Listeningshould always take precedence over speaking.

Proverbs 18:13 (NIV) “To answer before listening – that is folly and shame.”

Listening is the first step to act out Scriptural truth Jesus modeled this principle in a powerful way. If anyone had all the answers, if anyone had the right to do all the talking, it was Jesus. 

But if you read the gospels, you’ll find His conversations were always saturated with questions. Remember when Jesus was just a boy, and was accidentally left behind by his parents when they went to Jerusalem for Passover? Where was He found? In the temple, with the teachers.

“After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers,

 listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46).   

Jesus knew how to ask questions! In the gospel of Mark, there are 67 conversations. In those 67 conversations Jesus asks 50 questions. Jesus asked questions and then He listened.

Why?

People listen to people who listen.  

Jesus had way of listening to people that reached into their heart and soul. In other words, Jesus knew how to prime the pump.

When we take the time to ask questions and then really listen to the answers people give, we are priming the pump of their hearts. What is inside will come pouring out! If we are willing to stop talking and really listen, we can bless others and bring them to Christ.

Psalm 10:17 “You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry.”

Listening doesn’t require that we fix anything or even that we arrive at a solution. Listening sends the message“I’m here for you. I want to understand your pain.I’m willing to share your pain.”

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about unless you are willing to listen.

Listening validates people.

We invite them into our lives and give them the most precious gift we possess – time. Loving your neighbor is not something you feel. It is something you do. It's the act of sacrificing your own needs and desires for the sake of someone else.

I go to God because I need Him to listen to me especially when I am in pain.

Psalm 17:6 “I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.” 

And I can bless others when I stop what I’m doing and listen to them.

Let’s Pray

Father, I praise You because I am made in Your image. Please help me live my life on the basis of that truth and not on the lies of the world. Thank You for a mother who loved me in such a beautiful way and modeled the very definition of humility. Help me to honor You like she did.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

I want to encourage you to keep a journal of your journey with God. Carry it with you in your purse, briefcase or diaper bag. Write out your prayers to Him, and then record the answers when they come. From time to time, look back over your journal entries and celebrate what God has done in your life. 

Always Stay Humble and Gentle(especially in your marriage)

Always Stay Humble and Gentle
By: Carrie Lowrance

“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves in the Spirit, binding yourselves together in peace.” - Ephesians 4:2-3

Have you ever had one of those weeks with your spouse? Work and family responsibilities are tugging at you from all sides, and your spouse can’t even remember to pick up a gallon of milk or the dry cleaning. They are late to pick up the kids from sports or dance class, and you’re stuck in traffic. You have to stay up late to finish a work project, and they are watching television loudly in the next room. You are so frustrated you don’t know what to do.

Maybe you’re the spouse that’s forgetting everything. You have so much on your mind that you forgot to pick up what your spouse asked you to. You heard them when they asked and acknowledged them, but when your boss asked to speak to you in his office at the end of the day, that gallon of milk was the last thing on your mind. 

Then tonight your work meeting lets out fifteen minutes later than planned, and now you will be late picking the kids up from their after school activities. You’re so glad to finally have the kids in bed so you can have some downtime and watch television. Then you hear a disgruntled sigh from the other room, realizing this is the night your wife or husband needs to stay up to finish an important project for work tomorrow.

By the end of the week, you are both worn out and ready for a fight. Still, is this how we are supposed to treat each other in a marriage? Are we supposed to get into a fight and battle it out until we decide who is or is not right? Of course not.

We are supposed to talk things out in a gentle, humble, and kind way. Screaming and yelling at each other, not only doesn’t solve anything, but it also shows that the enemy is wriggling his way into our union. Instead, sit down with each other and talk about your stresses during the week and how it affected you physically, emotionally, and mentally. Take some time to look at things from the other person’s perspective.

Everyone has faults. One of your spouse’s weaknesses may be that they genuinely have a hard time remembering things, and when they are stressed, it makes it even worse. Your fault may be that you don’t always pay attention to how your spouses week is going in general and you unintentionally put more stress on them. You knew each other’s faults and weaknesses when you got married, so this is nothing new. Both spouses need to practice patience with each other when they are struggling with their weaknesses.

Sometimes when there is discord in a marriage, it’s a sign of us being distant from God. It’s effortless to get caught up in the whirlwind of our lives and not take the time to spend time with God as a couple. When this happens, we need to slow down, ask for God’s forgiveness, and commit an appointed time every day to spend time together in His presence. This will look different for different couples.  You may pray together for fifteen minutes before going out the door in the morning. You may get up early together and have Bible reading and devotions before the kids get up and your morning kicks into high gear. Other times you may spend time in devotions and prayer before you go to bed.

The next time you and your spouse hit a rough spot, take these steps to get back on track with God and each other.

•  Sit down and talk about the issues that you are dealing with. Remember to be humble, gentle, and kind to each other. If you need to wait until your  emotions simmer down, do so.
•  Each of you needs to admit your faults and where you dropped the ball. Be honest with each other and apologize.
•  Reaffirm your love for each other with words, a hug, or a kiss.
•  Ask for God’s forgiveness for drifting away from him.
•  Commit to each other and God when you will have your devotional and Bible study time together.                

What God Means by 'My Grace Is Sufficient for You'

• Hope Bolinger

Are we enough? In short, no. We cannot fully rely on ourselves; rather, we need to fully rely on God. Christians can often forget that the verse where this originates (2 Corinthians 12:9) comes from a place of weakness and frailty.

God’s grace fills the holes that other things we try to rely on cannot.

What is biblical grace?

Part of the reason Christians can misquote, “My grace is sufficient for you,” is we often don’t have a grasp of God’s grace.

Biblical grace means blessing or favor from God in terms of our sinful nature. God chooses to offer salvation to us, despite our rebellious nature and disobedience to him. It’s him withholding his wrath and offering a path to heaven if we follow him (John 3:16).

Grace saves us when we cannot (Ephesians 2:8-9). The verse, written by Paul, makes it clear that in our weakness God’s grace alone saves us.

Where else does the Bible talk about grace and sufficiency?

Some other verses in the Bible that point to grace and sufficiency are:

2 Corinthians 9:8 – God makes his grace abound to us so we will be equipped for every good work. God’s grace gives us the tools we need to preach the Gospel and speak about the hope we have in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:5 – Our adequacy comes from God.

John 15:1-7 – We cannot survive without the vine. A branch apart from a vine will bear no fruit. Because of our weakness, we can only boast in Christ because we know any good work comes from Him working through us.

These verses show us we need to rely on God. Only when we cling to the vine can we see God’s grace abound.

What is the context of 2 Corinthians 12 where we learn about sufficient grace?

Paul, here, is preaching to the Corinthian people. Like many believers today, the Corinthians had a problem with self-reliance and boasting. To go the extra mile and make a point, Paul is telling the Corinthians he has nothing to boast about except his weakness, because his weakness makes him realize how much he needs to rely on God.

He speaks about a thorn in his side that he’s asked God to remove, but God won’t take away the thing that makes him realize his weakness.

Some theologians have speculated as to the nature of this thorn. A few have suggested Paul had a lisp of some sort that made it difficult to preach, or possibly epilepsy. Others have pointed to the great persecution he experienced.

Either way, because Paul had a number of revelations and visions, that could cause some Christians to be jealous of these epiphanies, his thorn in his side brings him back to earth.

Paul tries to help the Corinthians to do the same, to realize that only God’s grace is sufficient for us, and we should boast in nothing else but God’s grace.

What is this verse trying to teach Christians today about grace?

Similar to the Corinthians, we can sometimes get a little puffed up. If we have a certain spiritual gift or a gift in a ministry, say we are strong prayer warriors for instance, we might run the risk of getting prideful about that gift.

We could forget from whom that gift came (James 1:17).

Often, we can receive a thorn in our side to remind us of our weakness and the need to rely on God’s grace.

Maybe you have a gift for music and sing on your church’s worship team, but the thorn in your side is you lose your voice or can’t sing for a few weeks.

This verse teaches us to rely on God’s grace. Although he may bring us amazing experiences, such as the visions Paul received, we can’t forget God during the good moments. We have to rely on him at all times.

We can sometimes misinterpret this verse to say God’s grace will pull us out of the hard time into greener pastures, but we run the risk of preaching false doctrine when we say that. God will not always remove the thorn in our side, but his grace will be all we need, thorn or no thorn.

Consider saying this prayer below if you feel as though you need to rely on God more or if you’re dealing with a thorn in your side, like Paul.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you now and acknowledge my weakness. You are the vine, I am a branch, and apart from you, I can do nothing. Please remind me to cling to you and to remember that your grace is all I need. In the good times and bad, I need you. Thank you for your overwhelming grace. Amen.

Fully rely on God's grace.

If you find yourself relying on yourself, remind yourself of Paul. Even though many Christians talk about his accomplishments and how he shaped the faith and the history of the church, he always points back at God. One of the most famous Christians of all time boasted in his weakness, because he knew he couldn’t take a step without God’s help.

In your own life, try to find areas where you may be relying on something else apart from God. Even when God gives us a spiritual gift, we can end up worshipping it instead of Him. Find those areas and ask God to help you remove those idols and turn to His grace alone.