“A child born to another woman calls me momma; the depth of that tragedy and the magnitude of that privilege are not lost on me.” - Jody Landers
One of
the very first examples that we see in the Bible of adoption is the story of
Moses’ adoption by Pharaoh’s daughter after his mother gave him up for his own
protection. “An Israelite mother named Jochebed thought of a way to save her
newborn son. She put her baby in a basket and hid the basket in the tall grass
by the Nile River. The baby’s sister Miriam watched over him to keep him safe.”
Exodus 2: 1-4. This example teaches us that adoption is often an act of
sacrificial love on the part of the biological mother who realizes that for a
variety of reasons (sometimes because she is very young, very poor, or
emotionally traumatized from an experience such as rape) her child is better
off being adopted and raised by someone else.
Another example of adoption that we
see in the Bible is that of Hannh giving her son Samuel up to be taken in and
raised by Eli. In this case Samuel was a much prayed for child “the priest Eli saw Hannah praying intensely but silently
and, thinking she was drunk, rebuked her. Once Hannah explained that she was
praying, the priest blessed her and asked God to grant her request. She
returned home and was able to conceive. Hannah bore a son and named him
‘Samuel,’ which means ‘I have asked for him from the LORD’” 1
Samuel 1:20. God had a
great plan for Samuel’s life that included him being raised by Eli so, “Once
Samuel was weaned (traditionally between the ages of 2 and 5), Hannah and
Samuel traveled to Shiloh, taking a sacrifice with them. After the sacrifice
was offered, Hannah presents the young Samuel to Eli and says, ‘I prayed for
this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him
to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord’ ” 1
Samuel 1:27–28.
This is an example of how adoption can be ordained by God and
used by God to bring to fruition his purposes in a child’s life and in the life
of a family.
Adoption is
also the taking on by the adoptive parent(s) of the great responsibility of not
only raising a child but also guiding and shepherding that child throughout
their life, a good example of this is found in the story of Mordecai and
Esther. “Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was
Mordecai . . . and he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his Uncle’s
daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and
beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his
own daughter. Esther 2: 5-7. Mordecai raised Esther as his own and
continued to advise and look out for her, even once she was grown and married
to a King, “Esther had not shown her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had
charged her that she should not show it. And Mordecai walked every day before
the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did and what should become
of her.” Esther 2: 10-11. Mordecai exemplified the duty of adoptive parents,
stepping into the shoes of Esther’s biological parents once they had passed
away to guide and protect their child. He also made every decision based on the best interest of
Esther and did all that he could to look after, care for, and protect Esther
throughout his life.
When Joseph took on the role of Jesus’ earthly father he
demonstrated that adoption is often both an act of faith and a calling from
God. “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 a child from the Holy Spirit. And
her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame,
resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do
not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from
the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He
will save His people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the
Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a
son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When
Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.’ Matthew 1: 18-25. Joseph answered God’s call to be
Jesus’ earthly father and raised and protected Jesus as his own “Now when they
had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and
said, ‘Rise, take the child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there
until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy Him.’
” Matthew 2:13. Joseph’s actions show that when God calls a parent to adopt a
child they take on the responsibility to care for and protect that child no
matter what, just as Joseph did here, leaving the life he knew behind and going
all the way to Egypt to keep Jesus safe when His life was in danger.
The
ultimate example of Biblical adoption is God’s adoption of all believers. “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 to be adopted as His sons through Jesus
Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…” Ephesians
1: 4-5. This shows us that adoption is about what is best for the child,
not what the child “deserves” or what the child can do for and give to the
parent. It is an act of undeserved love and mercy. Just as God adopting us as
His children and making us a part of His chosen people was an act of undeserved
love and mercy on His part, not based on what we deserve or anything that we
could ever do for Him.
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