1

Danny W. Davis

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have

received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father! (Rom 8:12

ESV)

The doctrine of adoption is most simply defined as, “an act of God whereby he

makes us members of his family.”1 If this is true, then what does adoption mean to the

believer and his or her relationship to God? How does the awareness of being a member

of the family affect the believer’s earthly relationships? The doctrine of adoption has

many pragmatic implications for Christian living, some of which will be examined in the

body of this work.

The examination will first focus on Old Testament allusions to the doctrine of

adoption as seen in the narratives of Moses adoption, Israel’s relationship with God as

chosen son and the multitude of texts admonishing Israel to care for widows and orphans.

Moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament the doctrine of adoption will be

examined in selected writings to the Galatians. This section will focus primarily on two

ideas: mankind’s opportunity to be free from sin through new birth and how the new

birth is the medium by which adoption is granted. Lastly, the discussion will move

forward to the practical implications of this doctrine and its effects on daily Christian

life.

Allusions To Adoption In The Old Testament

There is no Biblical evidence of legal adoption in the Jewish law; adoption was

principally viewed as an informal familial concept among Israelites. Though not

specifically prescribed by law the Israelites most likely were not strangers to the custom

1
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan),
736.
 2

of adoption. According to Elwell2 we can find several Biblical examples suggesting the

practice of adoption found among Israel’s pagan contemporaries such as Persia and

Egypt, which might have had influence within the Jewish culture thus the image of

adoption was probably not unfamiliar to the Jewish mind. Nevertheless, the Old

Testament does offer some allusions to adoption; three of these allusions will be

examined.

The Adoption Of Moses By Pharaoh’s Daughter

When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he

became her son. She named him Moses, Because, she said, I drew him out

of the water. (Ex 2:10 emphasis added)

Scripturally, Moses’ adoptive mother named him but having been born of

Jochobed the daughter of Levi, who was an Israelite, Moses was legally a Hebrew.

Moses’ Egyptian name followed the tradition of the naming of Pharaohs, for example,

Thutmoses.3 The Egyptian word for “Moses” means “child” but bears resemblance to the

Hebrew word meaning, “draw out”4 but also carries the connotation that a god had been

born.5

Most certainly Amram and Jochebed would have been obedient in fulfilling the

Abrahamic covenant with their child ensuring his legal position in Israel. Officially

Moses is situated into Hebrew family by birth and by circumcision he enters into

everlasting covenant with Jehovah (Gen 17:7-14). Moses would not have been a

2
Elwell, W.A., “Bakers Evangelical Dictionary Of Biblical Theology – Dictionaries”
Crosswalk.com, n.p. [cited 13 Aug. 2008]. Online:
http://www.biblestudytools.net/Dictionaries/BakerEvangelicalDictionary/bed.cgi?number=T17
3
Lawrence, P., “The IVP Atlas of Bible History,” (Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter Varsity Press,
2006) 32.
4
Ibid, Lawrence, 32
5
Longman, T., Garland, D., “The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Revised Edition. Vol. 1,”
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2008) 358.
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positional outsider to the house of Israel; nevertheless, he was a stranger to them because

he had been divinely protected by the adoption of Pharaoh’s daughter and would have

had little affectionate interaction with Hebrew slaves.

Attention should be given to a key phrase in Exodus 2:10, “and he [Moses]

became her [Pharaoh’s daughter] son.” Although unnamed in the Canonical books,

Pharoah’s daughter is referred in non-Canonical books as Tharmuth (Jubilees 47:5). She

was probably a lesser princess born to Pharoah from one of his many concubines.6 The

line of the reigning King Ahmose7 was coming to an end and8 the miraculous arrival of a

child might have been viewed as a welcomed occasion.9 Given the sacredness ascribed by

Egyptians to the Nile River;10 this floating ark containing a child might have been seen as

an act of the Egyptian gods to provide an heir for King Ahmose.11

Moses’ adoption into the Egyptian royal family would have resulted in him being

granted all privileges of being the son of Pharaoh (Ex 2:10; Acts 7:21-22), which could

have put him in direct line to become King. Moses was then an heir to the throne of

Egypt. Moses, as son of Pharoah, “grew up in safety and was instructed in all wisdom of

6
Bruce, F.F., ed., “Zondervan Bible Commentary,” (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2008) 69.
7
King of ancient Egypt who reined c. 1552-c. 1526 B.C.E. Most scholars agree Moses was born
c. 1526 B.C.E., which would correspond to Ahmose’s final year as king of Egypt. Ahmose was
succeeded by Ahmenotep I who reigned for 20 years (c. 1526-c. 1520 B.C.E.)
8
Finegan, J., “Handbook of Biblical Chronology,” (Peabody, Mass.: Princeton University Press,
1998) 228.
9
Ibid, Finegan, 225
10
Bunson, M., “Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Revised,” (New York, NY: Facts On File, Inc.,
2002) 227. Bunson records the Egyptians as considering the Nile River to be the “Father of Life” and
also the “Mother of all Men.” He also puts forth the idea that, to the Egyptians, the Nile was the physical
manifestation of the god Hapi, one of the four divine sons of Horus. The Egyptians, according to Bunson,
called the Nile by the name Hep-Ur, Great Hapi or “sweet water.” The Nile was viewed as a source of
divine blessing as it deposited much needed silt giving the Egyptians agricultural advantage.
11
Netzly, P., “Ancient Egypt,” (Farmington Hills, Mich.: Greenhaven Press, 2003) 253.
According to Netzley, Egyptian religion held four major mythological views of Creation. One such myth,
The Elephantine, asserted the Egyptian god Khnum created all humanity on a potter’s wheel using clay
from the Nile River, thus, seeing Moses come forth from the Nile might have been seen as an act of
Khnum creating an heir for Egypt.
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the Egyptians.”12 Luke provides us with biblical insight into the early life of Moses, “And

Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words

and deeds” (Acts 7:22). As the son he would have been protected and given all authority

and advantage that belongs to the son of a sovereign.

The Biblical narrative also records Moses’ choice to reject his Egyptian privilege,

“to be mistreated with the people of God,”(Acts 7:22) and in doing so, Moses became an

instrument of great power in the hands of Almighty God. None of which would have

been possible if not for an act of civil disobedience by Jochobed and Miriam.

The infant Moses is saved by the defiant action of his mother and sister, and he is
subversively taken in by Pharaoh’s own daughter to be raised in the Egyptian court
(Exodus 2:1-10). The actions of these women precede and foreshadow the saving
activity of God on behalf of the Hebrews in bondage and preserve the life of God’s
agent Moses.13
Consider for a moment the magnitude of salvation that came to Moses through adoption

that he might become the deliverer of Israel. The actions of his mother and the reaction

of Pharaoh’s daughter preserved his life and ultimately the life of a nation.

Israel As Son

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the

covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. (Rom 9:4)

Israel was a son by choice and not by natural birth (Deut 14:1-2). Adam was the

first created son of God but Israel was brought into relationship with God not by the

creative process but by the adoptive. God’s choice to adopt Israel as sons did not come

from political motives nor did it arise because Israel could offer God something He did

not already possess (Deut 7:7). God’s choice of Israel was sovereignly motivated by love

and His integrity to keep, the oath that he swore to your fathers (Deut 7:8).

12
Ibid, Finegan, 228
13

Birch, B., Brueggeman, W., Frethem, T., & Petersen, D. “A Theological Introduction To The
Old Testament,” (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1999) 109.
 5

Adoption was one of many privileges offered freely by God to the Hebrews. Paul

records they were also given the glory, the covenant, the law, the worship and the

promises (Rom 9:4). The adoption of Israel was an act of love by God directed at a

people, therefore, giving them an identity and a heritage they did not previously possess.

Jehovah would become the Father of Israel and Israel would walk in sonship.

The Father would love them, chastise them, protect them and provide for them as

all good fathers do. As adopted children of God, Israel was then trusted to share in God’s

glory. They were confident in their relationship with God through His covenants. Their

lives were guided by a morality passed down from their Father setting them apart from

other nations. Their adopted status made them inheritors of the promises of God. All the

benefits of being a son of God were conferred upon Israel because of their adoption by

God.

God Commands Care For Widows and Orphans

He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the

sojourner, giving him food and clothing (Deut 10:18).

The Deuteronomistic code is rife with exhortations to the Israelites to be careful

in their treatment of widows, orphans and resident aliens. Israel had been undeservingly

adopted by God and given a community by which they could fulfill their intended

purposes. The Israelites are promised blessing if they would help to satisfy the natural

hunger of the needy within their community (Deut 14:29). They are further admonished

to not, pervert justice, by ignoring the resident aliens or to take the clothes of the widow

as surety for loans (Deut 24:17). Israel could fulfill their obligations to the needy by

simply acting in righteousness toward the disadvantaged and by giving them opportunity
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to glean from harvested fields (Deut 24:20-21). Not only did God require the care of

widows and orphans but also provided a way for Israel to fulfill the command.

Caring for the less fortunate was a matter of extreme import to God and to the

community of Israel. The law was not restricted to mere moral codes to be obeyed; on

the contrary the law was the essential glue holding the community in concert. Israel’s

obedience to care for the less fortunate visibly demonstrated to the surrounding heathen

nations the love bestowed upon them by Jehovah. Conversely God’s adoption of Israel

and subsequent caring for them demonstrated to the whole Israelite community a tangible

Fatherly love. The commands to look after the underprivileged were not to be

downplayed within the societal structure as just a matter of legality. “Caring for the

needy,” says Birch, “is a theological matter for Israel; these commands come from God,

not from ‘city hall.’” 14

The Hebrew society depended upon a moral and legal construct given them by

God through the law. If the community were to prosper, both parties, God and Israel,

would be required to fulfill their respective roles. God would be a Father to the fatherless

(Ps 68:5) and Israel would be the loving community by which the fatherless would be

cared for. The assumption of Israel is that God will not forsake His role in this

relationship. If Israel, on the other hand, were to abandon its role of caring community

the widows, orphans and resident aliens would unduly suffer. If this segment of society

suffered because of a lack of concern by the Hebrew community what witness would that

be to those pagan communities who did not regard Jehovah as God?

Israel’s adopted position as the firstborn of Jehovah (Ex 4:22) came with the

responsibility of demonstrating true community built on reciprocal love. After all, they

14
Ibid, Birch, 161
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had been redeemed from Egyptian bondage and brought into relationship with God

because of love – not law. The law provided moral systems and subsystems for stability

and protection but only love could make these laws effective; a fact often overlooked by

the Hebrews.

A New Testament Look At The Doctrine of Adoption From Galatians Four

The Apostle Paul is the only New Testament writer to employ the word adoption

in his letters. Paul uses the term adoption three times in writing to the Romans (8:15, 23;

9:4), once to the Galatians (4:5) and once to the Church at Ephesus (1:5). Space does not

permit an examination of each of these passages thus only selected verses from Galatians

4 will be used in this discussion. Special attention will be given to two lines of thought.

First, mankind is given opportunity to be freed from the enslavement of sin through the

new birth and secondly the new birth is the vehicle by which adoption is granted into the

family of God.

Sons and Heirs (Gal 4:1-7)

Galatians 4 finds Paul painting the picture of the similarities between sons (heirs)

and slaves. The child even though he is an heir to his father’s property in reality has no

more freedom to use that property for himself than a slave (v. 1). The child (heir) must

submit himself to the leadership of a “guardian” and “manager” until a predetermined

time set by the father in which he should receive his inheritance (v. 2).15

The “we” of this passage refers, in the main, to the Jews but has implication to

the Gentiles as well. The Jew was servant to the Law of Moses while the Gentile served
15

Ibid, Phillips, 115. Phillips speaks of Paul likening this to the Roman system of the current day.
Until the son was fourteen years he would be placed under the care of tutor but possessed no freedom to
act of his own accord. At the age of twenty-five the son would be given full rights to his inheritance after
having been guided by a curator.
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the law of the flesh; both were in bondage to the law of sin or the base elements of the

world (v. 3). Paul draws on the natural illustrations of sons (heirs) and slaves to paint a

spiritual picture of our adopted position in Christ.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a

woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so

that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal 4:4-5 emphasis added)

Referring back to the illustration of the child under guardianship Paul tells us God

sent forth His Son, when the fullness of time had come. Special attention, however,

should be given to the twofold purpose Paul offers in this passage for the incarnation: to

redeem and to adopt.

God’s love for mankind would not end with redemption only. In Christ the

penalty for sin was legally satisfied providing our justification. God, in His mercy,

exceeded the letter of the law and made provision for repentant sinners to be redeemed

and adopted into His family, making them sons and heirs. Humanity, therefore, can move

from a distant legal relationship with the Creator to a familial bond with Jesus.

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our

hearts, crying, Abba! Father! So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and

if a son, then an heir through God. (Gal 4:6-7)

Because the incarnation went beyond the legal aspects of the law by providing for

adoption as sons, mankind has opportunity to receive the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit

infilling catalyzes a relational change, which is built on mutual love and not merely that

of slave and master. The Spirit filled believer, who receives redemption as a benefit of

the judicial price paid for adoption by Christ at Calvary, can now, as adopted sons, live
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in liberty and freedom found only in Christ. The overflow of joy arising from the heart of

the redeemed and adopted is cause for a celebratory shout of, “Abba! Father!”

Robertson speaks of the term, Abba Father, as being similar to that of an

“inarticulate cry” similar to the sound of a raven croaking.16 He also references Romans

8:26 where Paul speaks of our weakness and inability to know how to pray in certain

situations and how the Holy Spirit, intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

There is no doubt adoption is culminated at conversion and conversion is complete at the

reception of the Spirit. The reception of the Spirit is signified by an earnest utterance

coming forth from a heart overwhelmed by the love of our adopted Father: Jesus Christ.

The phrase, Abba, Father, is used only three times in the New Testament. Jesus

first uses it in addressing His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. The phrase is never

used in a formal or legal manner but always bears a familial connotation.17 The term also

refers to the ability of believers to speak of God as, Abba Father, as a, “reflection of his

promotion at salvation from the status of servant to that of full son.”18 Paul’s use of the

slave and son metaphor in Galatians 4:7 can be viewed as symbolic of the salvation

experience. Redeemed and adopted humanity, once enslaved to the base sinful nature,

now has been set free by new birth to become the privileged son of the Almighty. No

longer do the born again speak the language of slaves but are now enabled to speak the

intimate language of children looking into the eyes of a loving Father.19

Practical Implications Of The Doctrine of Adoption

16
Robertson, A., Robertson’s Word Picture Of The New Testament (Nashville, Tenn.: 1960)
Adoption.
17
Wigoder, G, P Shalom, B Viviano and S Gibson, eds. Illustrated Dictionary And Concordance
Of The Bible, (Jerusalem: Jerusalem Publishing Company,1986) 14.
18
Ibid, 14
19 Phillips, J., “Exploring Galatians: An Expository Commentary,” (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel
Publications, 2004) 119.
 10

There are many benefits of being adopted into the family of God through the

new birth. The repentant sinner is taken in; given liberty and privilege; a new name; and

through the Spirit infilling is adopted thus enabling the born again person to approach

God with confidence. These are only the first benefits received upon entrance into the

family of God. As the adopted son grows in his or her relationship with Christ every

aspect of life is radically changed by the nature of that relationship. The following offers

only a few of the changes that come to the believer.

A Relational Change To God

Upon conversion and simultaneous adoption into the family of God there is a

relational change with God. No longer is the redeemed person on the outside looking in

but now he or she has full access to all that belongs to God or as Paul states of believers,

no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God (Gal 4:7). Now the

Spirit filled believer lives in the privilege of sonship because of the adopted status and is

moved from an adversarial relationship to a relationship of love. The Apostle John

declares,

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of
God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know
him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared;
but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he
is (1 John 3:1-2)
This relational change has many benefits beyond merely a heavenly reward. One

key benefit is manifest in the disciple being given a new identity and heritage not

previously possessed. The Apostle Peter illustrates the beautiful heritage and identity

bestowed upon the born again believer, But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a

holy nation, a people for his own possession (1 Peter 2:9). However, before we were

lovingly adopted into God’s family, we were not a people, but now we belong to God

and are the recipients of His mercies (1 Peter 2:10).

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Just as Moses was adopted into Pharaoh’s family and received protection and

authority, God divinely protects the believer, as His son. This is beautifully illustrated in

Psalm 121:3-8,

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he
who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is
your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by
night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will
keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

This relationship also offers the believer divine authority by the name granted

him or her upon adoption. Luke records the testimony of the seventy-two disciples who

had been sent out, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name (Luke 10:17).

To which Jesus responds, Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and

scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you (Luke 10:19).

The New Testament believer can expect, as a son of the sovereign, to act in the authority

of the name received at our adoption.

A Relational Change To Others Inside and Outside The Body

Adoption should change the way in which believers relate to other believers in

the Body of Christ. Paul stresses this point in his first letter to the young preacher

Timothy. He urges him to not rebuke an elder but treat him with the respect of a father.

He further admonishes the younger men to treat women like mothers and sisters (1 Tim

5:1-2). Inclusion in the family of God means the disciple views his marriage, family and

community relationships differently than he did prior to conversion. No longer is the

adopted son to act on his own behalf and benefit but now his is representative of the

whole of redeemed. Oneness Pentecostals have a tradition of calling one another by the

title, “brother” or “sister.” This tradition is, most likely, born from the knowledge of

spiritual connection with all who have responded to the gospel and been adopted.
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The testimony of God and of conversion rises and falls in the behavior toward

those spiritual orphans outside the Body. To neglect the spiritual widow or the spiritual

orphan is to demean and destabilize the community of the redeemed. Forsaking the

physical widow or physical orphan provides a tainted image of a loving God who desires

relationship with human creation.

Could it be the reason God does not specifically lay out a legal plan for adoption

within the community of Israel is simply, love? God chose and adopted Israel because of

love! Should it not be the case then that Israel would care for the orphan and widow out

of an assumed sense of love and not law? The heathen required statutes and codes to

please their gods but Israel was to operate out of a heart of love that had been

demonstrated to them by the Almighty.

The law served to structure the operation of a successful community but love

served to create a community of worshipers demonstrating their love for God through

corporeal relief to those lacking familial connection and material substance. Is this not a

picture of how the New Testament community should interact with the world at large as

we seek to proclaim the whole gospel to the whole world?

If the Church abandons either the lost, the needy or its brothers and sisters, it

spoils the beautiful picture of adoption painted for us in the Holy writ because it presents,

through its inactivity, a God who abandons those created as imagio de. Religion that is

pure and undefiled before the Father, after all, is positively demonstrated in our activity

toward the Body and sinners; and negatively substantiated by our inactivity toward

widows, orphans, the Body and the lost (Jas 1:27).

The awareness in the believer of his or her adopted status should be cause to

desire that others experience the same joy of salvation. This is fleshed out in many ways,
 13

such as, personal evangelism but also extends to other areas of life. The adopted acts to

positively impact the material needs of those outside the body by discerning needs and

attempting to meet those needs to the best of his or her ability. Meeting the physical

needs of those outside the body often leads to opportunities to meet the spiritual need of

salvation.

A Change In Attitude Toward Correction

The benefits of being a son are not confined to material or eternal possessions

alone but also affect the way in which the born again person views Godly correction. All

good earthly fathers understand the value of lovingly correcting their children. The desire

of any good earthly dad is that his children would be able to function within society and

be a witness of the gospel. This goal is impossible for those who neglect to lovingly

discipline their children. In much the same way the goal of God is that His children

would be salt and light (Matt 5:13-15) to the world. Accomplishing this goal often

requires a firm but tender hand, thus, having graduated from slavery to sonship, God’s

children should now expect and accept correction by Him. The writer of Hebrews

admonishes the Church to consider Jesus who endured the hostility of sinners in order to

be an obedient Son. Adopted sons should not take lightly the discipline of God. God’s

role of Father is confirmed in His loving correction or, as the writer states, For the Lord

disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives (Heb 12:3-11).

A Lifestyle Change

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as

Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and

sacrifice to God. (Eph 5:1-2)

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Just as natural children imitate their fathers the adopted of God seek to model

their lives after the pattern of Jesus Christ. The first aspect of Christ’s life found in Paul’s

letter to the Ephesians to be imitated by all believers is that of love.

The Johannine writings are replete with the declaration to love one another.

Christ commands His sons to love their neighbor (Matt 19:19, 22:39; Mark 12:33; Luke

10:27) just as Israel was commanded to do so in the law (Lev 19:18). Unredeemed

humanity is powerless to love their neighbor but upon receiving the abounding love of

Christ by adoption the believer is set free to truly love as Christ loved. This leads to the

second characteristic of Christ believers are to imitate: sacrifice.

Ephesians 5:2 urges the Church to be people of sacrifice. Just as Jesus laid down

His life for sinners, the redeemed of the Lord are admonished to, lay down our lives for

the brothers (1 John 3:16). Christian love is demonstrated by acts of sacrifice just as

laying down His life showed Jesus’ great love toward sinners. To model sacrifice is to

model love; both work hand in hand to form a dynamic partnership bearing witness to

the world that God’s sacrificial love dwells in the Body. Sacrificial love is often seen in

how the Church spends its resources.

A recent move in the Church at large is to become involved in philanthropic

endeavors. A church located in California has committed 50% of its resources

($150,000) every month to charities that minister to hungry children in the United States

and Africa. They have also, by approval of the church body, given away one-half of the

building fund in order to construct and maintain homeless shelters in the immediate area.

Instead of building a large building the church has chosen instead to build a community

park that includes an amphitheater where church services will be conducted. Other acts

of sacrificial love are more personal in nature. Recently at a United Pentecostal Church
 15

in Kentucky a member was in need of kidney but no family member was available to

help. Another member of the congregation stepped up and willingly gave his kidney.

Although most could not give a kidney or commit large amounts of resources to

the homeless, the believer often demonstrates sacrificial love in smaller ways. The

willingness to recognize needs and act in ways to positively assist demonstrates a change

from a selfish, self-centered lifestyle to that of being focused on the needs of others.

A Change In Compassion

New Testament admonitions like those of James (Jas 1:27) admonish the church

not to turn a blind eye to the needs of orphans and widows. The church, like Israel, is

built upon those who have been adopted into the family of God and now seek to

demonstrate His love by living in real community with one another. Christ followers are

not natural born sons but adopted. As such they have been justified by faith, have access

to God’s grace by faith and have experienced His love in their hearts (Rom 5:1-5).

Should not the church then act in love toward those who are widowed and orphaned?

Acts of compassion by the church are not limited to merely the physical but also

to the spiritual. The New Testament church acts as the relevant community by which

those adopted by God find a sense of spiritual family and care. This family does not act

in isolation but aggressively seeks after those living outside the community while caring

for those within the community. This often provides an avenue by which others may

experience the adoption of God as sons.

Being adopted into the family brings the responsibility of looking both in and out:

in to demonstrate love to our spiritual siblings and out to those who do not know Christ.

As members of Christ’s community there is an expectation to act with compassion as to

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protect the testimony of God and for the overall benefit of the group of people into which

we have been adopted.

Conclusion

Though not specifically codified in the Hebrew law, allusions to the doctrine of

adoption appear to be woven into the fabric of Hebrew and Christian life. The concept

takes root in the narrative of Moses’ life as he was lovingly adopted into Pharaohs

family. The beautiful portrait of God’s love is displayed in sending Moses back to free a

people chosen to be the firstborn son. Israel, acting in the position of an adopted son, is

admonished to care for the widow, the orphan and the resident alien by bringing them

into community through love, just as God had brought them into relationship with

Himself. When the completeness of time had come, Jesus Christ enters the scene of

humanity and through his birth, death and resurrection offers the only path of

reconciliation to the entirety of humankind by satisfying the price needed to pay for sin

and securing adoption to all who would be obedient to the Gospel.

The believer, having awakened to his or her newfound status as son upon

reception of the Spirit, should live in the light of his or her new family status. Those once

rejected, maligned, ignored or disenfranchised find peace, acceptance and position within

the Body because of God’s merciful adoption. As the first cry of a newborn child assures

the parents of life, the new believer expresses, by the Spirit of adoption, Abba, Father,

signifying his or her entrance into the family of God.

The awareness of this sonship must cause the believer to act in a manner befitting

a child of the Most High, thus, a transformation occurs in the way in which God is

approached. He is no longer a far off Father but near, loving and tender. Changes in
 17

lifestyle, community relationships, and more take place as the believer accepts his or her

new status as son and seeks to do the will of his or her Father.

Bibliography

Birch, B, W Brueggemann, and T Frethem. “A Theological Introduction To The Old

Testament.” Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1999.

Bruce, F.F., ed., “Zondervan Bible Commentary.” Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan,
2008.

Bunson, M., “Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Revised.” New York, NY: Facts On File,
Inc., 2002.

Finegan, J., “Handbook of Biblical Chronology.” Peabody, Mass.: Princeton University

Press, 1998.

Elwell, W.A., “Bakers Evangelical Dictionary Of Biblical Theology – Dictionaries”

Crosswalk.com, No Pages. Cited 13 Aug. 2008. Online:
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