2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
One of the most loving acts that goes on between people is the act of adoption. As it occurs in the Scriptures, the same is true. What must be in place for it to be carried out is the willingness on the part of the adults involved is a commitment to take on a huge and long-lasting responsibility. When God does the adopting, then this commitment is for eternity. A child who grows up nurtured by human parents who adopted him knows that he was wanted, chosen to be a part of the family. When we are adopted by God, we will know that He had chosen us for uninterrupted joy and fellowship with Him in heaven for eternity.
To really understand what the concept of adoption means, I went back to the original Greek language using both Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and Spiros Zhodiates’ The Complete Word Study Dictionary, two wonderful resource books for the student who doesn’t speak Greek but wants to come away with a deeper understanding of what the human authors of the Bible meant in conveying God’s words. The Greek language is much more precise than English is, which is why this kind of exegesis is worth doing. In Greek, the word for adoption is “huiothesia” [pronounced: hwee-oth-es-ee-ah]. It means receiving into the relationship of a child, and it comes from two other Greek words, “huios” meaning “son” and “tithemi” meaning “to place.” Those whom God through Christ adopts as sons are made heirs of His covenanted salvation. This adoption involves the conformity of the child to the image, purposes, and interests of God and that spiritual family into which He is born. This salvation includes being made joint-heirs with Christ to God’s very Kingdom. What greater privilege can there be? What greater act of love can God commit?
Two examples of human adoption depicted in the Scriptures are that of the baby Moses by Pharaoh’s daughter in EX 2: 10 and that of Esther (Hebrew name: Hadassah) , the Jewish queen of the Persian King Ahasuaras (Xerxes), by Mordecai, her cousin, in Esther 2: 7. It isn’t clear if adoption was a widespread practice among the Israelites of OT times. As discussed in the NT, adoption expresses the relationship of either Israelites to God or individuals with a certain faith system to God. These are spiritual relations of sonship and not physical or creation relationships. It is interesting to note that in EX 4: 22, God refers to Israel as His “first-born son” in His instructions to Moses of what to tell Pharaoh in the face of the Egyptian king’s refusal to release the Hebrews from bondage. Because of this refusal, God prompts Moses to tell Pharaoh that He will kill the first born sons of Egyptians including the king’s own son. It should be mentioned that the ancient Jewish concept of adoption is not the same as our modern one. It refers to the acceptance of an individual into full adulthood in the faith. Today, this happens at the time that a boy has his Bar Mitzvah or a girl has her Bat Mitzvah at the age of 13.
Most of what God reveals about His adoption is revealed in the NT. Paul reveals God’s attitude on adoption in RO 8: 14-17. “Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, ‘Abba! My Abba!’ God’s Spirit joins Himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children. Since we are His children, we will possess the blessings He keeps for His people, and we also possess with Christ what God has kept for Him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we also share His glory.” This revelation is further elucidated in RO 8: 22-23, “For we know that up to the present time all creation groans with pain, like the travail of childbirth. But it is not just creation alone that groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us His sons and set our whole being free.” We are impatient just as any child is to receive the blessings that will come from our faith. And yet, a loving and omniscient Parent Who knows what is best for us has us go through the process of sanctification, so that we can be readied to really appreciate the rewards of eternal life with Him at the time He chooses.
RO 9: 4-5, which I hope you will read, speaks of God’s original covenant with the Jews. Then, this passage makes clear that the incarnate form of the Son is a Jew. In Jewish culture, the children are considered to be the faith of the mother. That is why it is significant that Christ’s earthly parentage is mentioned in Galatians 4. GA 4: 4-7 sheds more light on adoption in the Jewish sense of the word. “But when the right time finally came, God sent His own Son. He came as the son of a Jewish mother and lived under the Jewish Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God’s sons. To show that you are His sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit Who cries out, ‘Abba! My Abba!’ “ When I am reminded that Christ is the first among many brothers to be resurrected to this privileged position with the Father in heaven, it gives me great encouragement in my faith. I hope it does for you too, because of the eternal life that your loving Abba wants for you. Right about now, I hope you are feeling very loved!
EPH 1: 5 puts the cap on this whole message of love. “Because of His love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ, He would make us His sons-this was His pleasure and purpose.” We were created for God’s pleasure and purpose. Can you imagine how happy He will be on the day of our glorification when we are officially adopted? If you have ever adopted a child or even welcomed one into your family by natural means that you have wanted for a long time, do you remember how happy you were? That only begins to suggest how happy God will be when we finally inherit His Kingdom with Christ. If there was ever a good reason to keep your faith strong in the face of Satan’s activity, it is this one!
PRAYER: O Lord, You redeemed the Jews from Egyptian bondage and brought Christ up as a “shoot from the stump of Jesse” -the royal line of David from which He came [see IS 11: 1]. Your Son was sacrificed on the cross for the redemption of all who believe in Him from slavery to sin. By doing this, you made Him the first among many brothers to be glorified and to inherit Your Kingdom. We eagerly await our own adoption as your sons and daughters in Christ. You are to be praised and thanked for this unmerited grace given us. We dedicate our lives to showing You the obedience and gratitude You deserve in response to it. In Christ’s name, amen.
Feel loved, Dear Ones, because that is how your Father in heaven feels about you. Never feel that you are alone, because when you have faith in Christ, there is love all around you. I can testify to that first-hand, and so can Pete. We send you our love today and always.
Grace, Love, and Peace Be With You,
Lynn