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What The Bible Says

What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God?

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What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God? By definition or in meaningful words, adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person’s biological or parents or legal parents. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” The Bible encourages and commands parents to take responsibility for providing for their relatives and households. Sadly, we are in a world where stories of mothers, fathers, and parents as a whole maltreating and/or killing their children for one reason to another are alarming. In fact, child abandonment is not something that is strange in this world. We regularly hear stories of some women/mothers giving birth and abandoning their children. Some of these children end up dying while others are rescued.

Pertaining to all these, giving up children for adoption can be a loving alternative for those parents who may, for several reasons, be unable to care for their own children. Many couples who have not been able to have children of their own see adoption as a blessing. Adoption is, for some couples, a godly calling to multiply their impact as parents by expanding their family with children who are not biologically their own. Notice that adoption is spoken of favorably throughout Scripture. God’s adoption of mankind through Christ is the heart of the Gospel.
Galatians 4:4-8 says, “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. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, …“

What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God?

What Does Scripture Say About Adoption?

The most meaningful, strongest, and deepest foundation of adoption is located not in the act of humans adopting humans, but in God adopting humans. God’s act of adopting humans through Christ is at the heart of the Gospel. In fact, Galatians 4:4-8 is as central a Gospel statement as there is: “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. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.“

In addition to using the concept of adoption to explain how He saved us or how we became part of His family, the Lord God makes use of the language of New Birth in Jesus Christ. John 1:9-13 says, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Amazingly, the Lord God chose to speak of us as adopted as well as children by a new birth through Christ.

Where is Adoption first mentioned in the Bible?

The first time we clearly read about adoption in the Bible is in Exodus 2. Fascinatingly, Israel’s great leader, Moses who brought them out of captivity and into the Promised Land was adopted. Before his birth, a wicked and evil Pharaoh decreed that all Jewish male children who were born should be thrown into the Nile River. Think about the number of children that were killed. Many innocent lives were taken before they were able to even have a chance at life. Behold, Moses was born into a world where being a male baby was a dangerous thing. God’s solution to this killing in the case of Moses was adoption. Moses was hidden on the riverbed and risked dying. It’s amazing how our sovereign and loving God orchestrated it so he would be saved. Moses was rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter and lived in the palace (Exodus 2:5-10; Acts 7:21).

Adoption in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible

In the New Testament, several Apostles of Christ make use of the term “adoption” to describe our salvation or right to belong to God’s Family and as such be called children of God in Christ. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” 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 likely practiced; as observed in the life of Moses and also in the story of Esther (Esther 2:7). Notice that adoption in the Bible incorporates both a legal aspect and a spiritual aspect. Legally, it’s simply having a new family. Spiritually, it’s a beautiful picture of our Salvation.

Adoption Stories in the Bible (Who was Adopted in the Bible?)

As previously mentioned, the story of Moses is the very first time where adoption is clearly portrayed in the Bible. Nonetheless, in the Old Testament, we see other examples of adoption. Esther who became queen was adopted by her uncle (Esther 2:7), Mordecai. Another example is that of the children of Israel. On several occasions, the Lord God refers to Himself as their “Father” (Isaiah 1:2; Hosea 11:1). And today, He is a Father to all those who come to Him through Christ. In the New Testament, we find an amazing example of Adoption. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was adopted by Joseph. Notice that Mary’s husband, Joseph, was not Jesus’ true Father but the Holy Spirit was (Matthew 1:18). Knowing this, Joseph still took Jesus in as his own. What an example of adoption we have here!

What does the Bible say about Adoption and Orphans?

Before the world was created or from the very beginning, adoption was in God’s plan. And as such, the Lord God has had a lot to say about adoption. Let’s take a look at a few Biblical verses in order to understand what God is saying about Orphans and Adoption:

1) God is a Father to the Fatherless and He Cares for Lonely Children (Psalm 68:5-6)

Psalm 68:5-6 says, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.“

2) God Defends the Fatherless (Deuteronomy 10:18)

Deuteronomy 10:18 says, “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.“

3) God Commands us to Care for Orphans (James 1:27)

James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.“

4) Welcoming and Caring for Children is Welcoming and Caring for Jesus Christ (Matthew 18:5)

Matthew 18:5 says, “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.“

5) Participating in Orphan Care is a Christian Duty (Isaiah 1:17)

Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.“

6) It’s a Christian duty to stand for the rights of the silent, weak, and vulnerable in society (Proverbs 31:8)

Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.“

7) Adoption is the heart of the Holy Gospel (Ephesians 1:5)

Ephesians 1:5 says, “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.“

8) The Lord God watches over Orphans (Psalm 146:9)

Psalm 146:9 says, “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.“

9) It’s our Christian duty to Love and Care for one another (Matthew 25:40)

Matthew 25:40 says, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’“
John 15:12 says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Mark 12:30-31 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

10) Through Jesus Christ we are made Children of God (Galatians 4:4-5)

Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Matthew 12:50 says, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Biblical Facts from Adoption Stories in the Bible

1) Moses in the Biblical Book of Exodus was Adopted (Exodus 2)

Although adoption may be hard, it may turn out to be the best choice for you and your child. Notice that this was the case with Moses and his parents. Moses was born at a time when Pharaoh had ordered the killing of every Hebrew son. Fearful for her son’s life, Jochebed hid him in a basket made of reeds and left him on the riverbed, knowing that the Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe there. As hoped, Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby when she came to wash at the river. She took the baby into her family to raise him as her own, giving him the name Moses. Later on, Moses grew up to be Israel’s leader and a faithful servant of God.

Moses is most commonly known for leading the Exodus of the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt and across the Red Sea after which he received the famous Ten (10) Commandments from God. From the tale or Biblical account of Moses, we clearly observe that even though Jochebed’s decision was not easy, she knew and clearly understood what the best choice was for her beloved son. Thanks to her brave decision, Moses grew up to serve the Lord God and his people as an important leader and prophet.

2) Esther’s Transformation from Orphan to Queen (Esther 2)

There are situations in which adoption can give your child his or her best chance as was the case with Esther. Sadly, it so happen that tragedy struck Esther at an early age. Following the death of both parents, she became an orphan. Luckily for Esther, her cousin, Mordecai, lovingly invited her into his family through adoption. This very act gave her a new chance at life. Later on, she got married to the king who was enchanted by her beauty.

However, following a disagreement with Mordecai, the king decided to not only kill Mordecai but also, the entire Jewish community. At this point, Esther who was the queen was forced to bravely plead with her husband, the king, to spare her people. She clearly knew that going before the king without invitation might mean losing her own life. But, after pleading for the safety of the Jewish people, the king gave her a listening ear and removed the death sentence. We see in this story how the Lord God was able to work through Esther and bring deliverance to the Jewish people. Notice that all of these would have likely not been possible if it were not for Mordecai. If it were not for the love of her adopted parents, Esther would not have been given a fair chance and could not have freed her people.

3) Joseph Accepted Jesus as his own (Matthew 1)

The godly and/or right adoptive parents would love and treat your child as their own as was the case with Jesus. They will teach your child the ways of God in line with Deuteronomy 11:18-19: “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” In Matthew 1:18, Jesus Christ was born from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. Notice that even though Jesus was not his son, Joseph, a godly man, adopted Jesus as if He was his own.

Joseph together with Mary raised Jesus Christ and became part of the story that changed the whole world. In Joseph’s obedience and faithfulness to the Lord God, he cared for, supported, protected, and loved baby Jesus just as a natural father would do for his own. When king Herod wanted to kill baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary protected Him by fleeing with Him to Egypt. This incredible example shows the extent to which a godly adoptive parent loves an adopted child as their own.

4) The Lord God Adopts us into His Spiritual Family (Ephesians 1:5)

Behold, the Bible is the greatest story of adoption! Ephesians 1:5 says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great delight.” Brethren, the Gospel is the story of adoption. As Christians, we are all adopted into God’s spiritual family as His children. Through Christ, we are welcomed with love into God’s family. The Bible clearly makes use of the term “adoption” to portray what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.

What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God?

Ephesians 1:5 – “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

James 1:27 – “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Matthew 18:5 – “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,“

Galatians 4:5-7 – “To redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 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.”

Romans 9:8 – “This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.“

John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,“

Acts 7:21 – “And when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.”

Esther 2:7 – “He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.”

Group 1 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Galatians 3:26 – “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

Psalm 27:10 – “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.”

1 John 3:1 – “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.”

Romans 8:15 – “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!”“

John 14:18 – “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Romans 8:14-19 – “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ...”

Group 2 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Matthew 25:40 – “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’“

John 1:12-13 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.“

Deuteronomy 10:18 – “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.”

Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

John 1:13 – “Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.“

Psalm 68:5-6 – “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.“

1 John 3:2 – “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.”

Group 3 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Galatians 4:5 – “To redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.“

Hosea 14:3 – “Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”

1 Samuel 1:27 – “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.”

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Psalm 82:3 – “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.”

Isaiah 40:31 – “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Romans 8:23 – “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

Psalm 146:9 – “The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.”

Group 4 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Ephesians 2:19 – “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”

Revelation 1:1 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,”

Isaiah 49:15 – “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.“

Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

Hebrews 2:13 – And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

Galatians 4:4-5 – “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Proverbs 14:26 – “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.“

2 Samuel 7:14 – “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,“

Group 5 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Proverbs 31:8 – “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.“

Genesis 48:5 – “And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.”

Philippians 2:15 – “That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”

Exodus 4:22 – “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,“

Galatians 3:29 – “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Jeremiah 3:19 – “‘I said, How I would set you among my sons, and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful of all nations. And I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me.“

Ephesians 3:6 – “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.“

Group 6 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Hebrews 12:7 – “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?“

Revelation 21:7 – “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

Hebrews 12:6 – “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Isaiah 43:7 – “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Galatians 4:6 – “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”“

Psalm 68:5 – “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”

Romans 8:14-17 – “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Group 7 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Isaiah 43:6 – “I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth,“

Colossians 1:1-29 – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, …“

Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.“

Acts 15:17 – “That the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things“

1 Chronicles 22:10 – “He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.’“

Isaiah 8:18 – “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.“

Group 8 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Isaiah 63:8 – For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely.” And he became their Savior.

Jeremiah 31:20 – “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord.”

Numbers 6:27 – “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Genesis 48:14 – “And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn).”

Romans 8:29 – “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Genesis 48:16 – “The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

1 John 3:10 – “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

Group 9 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Exodus 2:5-10 – “Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. …“

Exodus 2:1-25 – “Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. …“

Group 10 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Matthew 12:50 – “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Romans 8:14 – “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.“

Matthew 1:18 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.“

Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Romans 9:26 – “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

Matthew 5:45 – “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Romans 8:21 – “That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

Group 11 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Psalm 127:3 – “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.“

Romans 8:1-39 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. …“

Romans 8:16 – “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,“

Proverbs 31:8-9 – “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.“

Hebrews 2:11 – “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,“

Genesis 15:2-4 – But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”

Group 12 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Hebrews 2:10 – “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.“

Ephesians 1:1-23 – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, …“

Exodus 2:1-10 – “Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. …“

Group 13 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Deuteronomy 32:1-52 – “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. …“”

Isaiah 66:13 – “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Ephesians 4:1-32 – “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ...”

Luke 11:27-28 – “As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”“

Group 14 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Job 24:9 – “(There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor.)“

Romans 9:1-33 – “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. …“

Isaiah 54:13 – “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.”

1 John 2:23-29 – “No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. ...”

Group 15 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Nehemiah 1:5 – And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

Numbers 10:28-32 – “This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out. And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the Lord has promised good to Israel.” But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. And if you do go with us, whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same will we do to you.”“

Deuteronomy 8:1-20 – “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. …“

Group 16 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Acts 17:28 – For “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Joel 3:16 – “The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.”

Romans 11:17 – “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,”

Galatians 4:17-31 – “They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? …“

Group 17 – What Does It Mean To Be Adopted By God

Jeremiah 29:10-31:9 – “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. ...”

John 8:35 – “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.“

Lamentations 2:20 – “Look, O Lord, and see! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat the fruit of their womb, the children of their tender care? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?“

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