Exodus 2:1-8
“Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.”
INSIGHT
-The word adoption in Hebrew is written as immutz which means to make strong, and in Greek; huiothesia which means absorption of a child into a new family. Adoption by definition is the act of leaving one’s natural family and entering into the privileges and responsibilities of another. The first time we interact with adoption in the Bible is when the Israelites faced oppression by Pharaoh who was executing the Hebrew male babies. This was after the death of Joseph the prime minister of Egypt and a new Pharaoh who didn’t know him, felt threatened that the Israelites grew in power. He commanded the midwives Shiphrah and Puah to execute these male children but since they feared the Lord; they protected them. Pharaoh then made a public decree for death of these male children, but Moses was salvaged in a basket; that can be likened to Noah’s ark. Moses was from a priestly ancestry and his name meant to draw out, for the Lord had a great purpose for him to save His people. Moses’s adoption was situational and occasioned by the violence and hardships that occurred in Egypt at the time. Children have been adopted over time as refugees that came from war-torn countries. Adoption is God’s idea to save the disadvantaged children in our societies so that they may receive proper care and possibly be taught the ways of the Lord.
PRAYER
Lord You are loving and kind, and by Your mercies we are not consumed, because Your compassion never fail. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness. Great is Your faithfulness dear Jesus, You are merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. May You forgive us from every iniquity and wash us with Your precious blood. We thank You dear Jesus for the gift of life and this far that You brought us. We thank You for enabling us to see this new day, may You guide and sustain us throughout this week. May Your grace and favor be our portion always. We pray for children all over the world, that You may provide safe and habitable homes for them. We pray for all the children in the nation of Ukraine and all the other war-torn countries that You may save them from the hands that cause destruction and death. They shall not die before their time but they shall live like Moses; to give glory and honor to Your name. We pray for all our children, they shall not die before their time but succeed in the purpose for which You have called them. May increase in them faith in You dear Jesus and prosper them in all their ways. May You fill them with the spirit of excellence and make they successful in every good purpose for Your glory. We pray for all the candidates undertaking their exams, that they may excel in all their papers. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen
Further reading: Jeremiah 29:11
Esther 2:7
“Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.”
INSIGHT
-The story of Esther is quite intriguing. Although she was an orphan under the care of Mordecai, the Lord raised her up to become the queen of Persia and Medes. This happened after queen Vashti rebelled against the orders of king Xerxes, to join him for his royal banquet and display her beauty to his guests (Esther 1:5-12). The Lord favored Hadassah among the other women, probably who came from diverse royal families and chose her from a lowly state to become queen. In Deuteronomy 10:18, the Lord says that He administers justice to the fatherless and widow, loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. The Lord also condemns those who take advantage of the widows and the fatherless and if they cry to Him, He will hear their cry and punish them (Exodus 22:22-24). The Lord also reminds us that pure and undefiled religion is to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27). We are called to empower the orphans and widows in the society; and do good to them, and those among us who have the grace can adopt orphans who will continually experience the love of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
God You are a Father to the fatherless and a Defender of the widows. You watch over them and sustain them through Your merciful love. How great are You our Lord God in all the heavens of the earth. Look kindly upon all the widows and fatherless and grant them favor in all their going out and coming in. May Your mercy and love comfort them as You administer justice upon them. Nothing is too hard for You Lord, may You hear their cry and level the mountains for them. May You dear Jesus provide safe homes for all the street families and answer their hearts desires. May You be their ever present help in times of trouble. Give us merciful Father hearts of compassion and generosity that we may reach orphans and widows, and help them as You enable us. May we be Your true ambassadors by serving You and others for the advancement of Your kingdom. All glory, honor and power belongs to You Jesus, now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Psalm 82:3, Isaiah 58:7
Romans 9:4
“the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.”
INSIGHT
-The adoption metaphor was not lost to Israel; however, God declares that He is the Father of the nation Israel, whom He loves as His child (Isaiah 1:2), and called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1). God spoke to Pharaoh through Moses declaring that, Israel is my firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). More specifically, God spoke through Jeremiah saying, “I am Israel’s Father and Ephraim is my firstborn son” (Jeremiah 31:9). Israel’s adoption as the sons of God, and the privileges they were entitled to hereby, are symbolic to types of believers being made partakers of the divine nature by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and of their title to the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, through the promise given to Abraham.
PRAYER
You are worthy Lord God Almighty, and deserve to be honored and praised. We belong to You Jesus Christ, for we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Thank You for Your promises upon our lives and all our descendant’s. May Your promises come to life in our lives dear Jesus. We belong to You Jesus, thank You for loving us and choosing as kings and priests to You and we reign on earth by Your power and grace. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Your own special people, that we may proclaim Your praises. Thank You for calling us out of darkness into Your marvelous light, we worship You and give You praise. May You heal all those who are sick and comfort those who are bereaved. May You lead us with Your pillar of cloud and pillar of fire to give us light in all our ways. May You hear all our prayers and answer our hearts according to Your merciful love Holy Spirit. May Your salvation reach Your people in all the nations. We exult You and bless Your holy name, now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Psalm 2:7, Galatians 3:2
Ephesians 1:4-6
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
INSIGHT
-God reconciled us in the body of His flesh through death, to present us holy and blameless, and unreprovable in His sight (Colossians 1:22). He adopted us into His family through faith, and when we were far off, He brought us near by the blood of Jesus Christ. We can now call God, Abba Father for we have received the Spirit of adoption and the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:15-17). It is through His love that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and with us, and enables us to function in His grace and achieve our purposes for His glory.
PRAYER
Our dear loving Father we thank You for this day. We thank You for the gift of life and for Your good plans You have for us, families, nation and all nations of the world. We humbly ask You to give us good leaders who will harken to Your voice come the general elections. We ask for Your peace and safety in our nation, and condemn the spirit of death and blood shed in our nation. May Your peace reach all the war-torn countries. May Your peace that surpasses all understanding, dwell in our hearts and minds in You Christ Jesus. Thank You for loving us dear Jesus and for dying on the cross for our sins. May You forgive us all our trespasses and wash us with Your precious blood. You are holy Lord and worthy of all our praise. You are able to save dear Jesus, may Your salvation reach all nations of the world. We submit our burdens and cares unto You Jesus for You care for us. We thank You Jesus for Your goodness mercy and love upon our lives. May You guide us in all that we do and lead us throughout this day. Thank You for the plans You have for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. We praise You dear Jesus and bless Your holy name. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: Ephesians 2:13, Romans 8:29-30
Galatians 4:4-5
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
INSIGHT
-God provided our sonship through Christ to redeem us into adoption to sonship. Jesus was adopted into the family of Joseph having been conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit born through Mary. We have then been justified through faith having peace with God through Christ after gaining access by His grace (Romans 5:1-2).
SUMMARY
Adoption is a beautiful reflection of God’s love. While we are all created as God’s children, in His image and likeness, we can relate to being adopted as we return to the Father’s love. The scriptures tell us that true and undefiled religion is taking care of orphans during their time of trouble (James 1:27). Adoption is a selfless exercise which Mordecai understood, and adopted Esther her cousin who was orphaned (Esther 2:7). The other model of adoption can be seen when Moses a Hebrew boy was taken into Pharaoh’s family when he was under the threat of death (Exodus 2:10), and Genubath (1 Kings 11:20). Israel is referred to as the adopted child of God called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1), and is God’s first born (Exodus 4:22). Adoption came through Christ who redeemed us by His blood and when we were far off from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, He brought us near. Adoption is a Spirit from God that gives us the right to become children of God; and we can call Him Abba Father (Romans 8:15-16). We have been adopted in Christ through faith in Him into His holy family for the glory of His grace.
PRAYER
Abba Father we thank You for loving us with Your everlasting love. We magnify Your holy name for You are good and Your mercies endures forever. We exult Your name and lift up Your banner in praise. There is no other God but You. Only You deserve to be worshipped. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus; You are God to the glory of God the Father. May Your grace and mercy dear Jesus always be with us. May You remove any accusations against us and wash us with Your precious blood. Take preeminence in our lives dear Jesus and teach us to do Your will here on earth as it is in heaven. May You bless us and keep us Lord. May You make Your face shine upon us and be gracious to us. May You lift up Your countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen
Further reading: Matthew 1:18