The Beauty of Adoption
It never occurred to me that a lot of why Moses was so insecure about God’s calling was because Moses was adopted. Moses was saved as a child by Pharoah’s daughter, who raised him as her own. Because he was raised in Pharoah’s courts, he likely spoke the Egyptian language much better than the Hebrew language that the Israelites spoke. He also likely had identity issues since he looked like an Israelite but was raised with the Egyptians. Later in his life when God told Moses to return to Egypt to lead the Israelites, one of Moses’ chief concerns was that he couldn’t speak well (the Hebrew language). Moses’ insecurities made him ask God to send someone else, but God would not let Moses forfeit his mighty calling. God already knew Moses’ struggles and was sending his brother Aaron (who could speak Hebrew fluently) to him to speak on his behalf.
Numbers 12:3 states that Moses was one of the most humble people on earth. Part of his humility likely stemmed from his past. Not only had Moses been adopted, but he had also married a foreign wife (Zipporah) and had children who were halfties (not full Hebrew). Out of all the people God could have chosen to deliver the Israelites, God chose a man who was adopted and had married a foreign spouse. That should say a lot about how we view our own selves, especially for those with tough upbringings or those who don’t feel they fit in perfectly. God doesn’t see the stigmas just as adopted parents don’t look at their children with prejudice or bias or stigma.
Even Jesus Himself was adopted by his father Joseph. Jesus was called, “the carpenter’s son” by those in his hometown. Jesus knew what it was like to be raised by someone who He knew wasn’t blood related to Him. Esther was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. Ruth was adopted by her mother-in-law Naomi after her husband passed away.
Just before Jesus was betrayed and crucified He prayed a long prayer that is recorded in John 17. In His prayer Jesus prayed for the adoption of mankind (John 17:20-23). Jesus didn’t care about race, social status, stigma, or anything else in the physical. Jesus simply wanted us in His family and He went to the Cross with that as His main prayer. And God answered His prayer (Romans 8:14-17)!
Adoption is beautiful. In the Old Testament God saved the greatest leader of Israel through adoption. In the New Testament God saves all mankind through adoption. God loves to lift up the humble. God loves to put the lonely into families. God loves to honor those who are despised in this world. God loves to break every stigma. Adoption tells us we are loved irregardless of anything. Adoption tells us we are chosen and that we are special. The world will try and say we have to do things to earn such love and affirmation, but the truth is we are adopted not for what we can do but for who we are… chosen, and loved. A paternal son might be able to say he is loved because he looks like his parents or because he is related to them by blood, but an adopted son can only say he is loved because he was chosen. That means the love that he receives is truly pure.
Consider adopting in your lifetime. Adoption is the greatest example of showing how God chose us and loves us. May we love others just as He chose and loved us as His own!
