YOU ARE MINE – Adoption in the Bible, in Christ, and in Mission • | Ancient Near Eastern Adoption

In a teaching from Founded in Truth Fellowship, Matthew Vander Els explores the profound concept of adoption as it is presented throughout the Bible, drawing connections between ancient Near Eastern cultures and the New Testament understanding of God’s relationship with humanity through Jesus Christ. The central theme revolves around the idea of being chosen, welcomed into a family, and having one’s status and identity fundamentally changed through adoption.

Adoption in the New Testament

The teaching begins in the New Testament, where the Greek word “hierothesia” is used five times by the Apostle Paul to describe God’s saving grace and love in bringing individuals into His family. Ephesians 1:3-5 is highlighted as a key example, stating that God “predestined us for adoption” even before the creation of the world, emphasizing the eternal nature of His desire to build a family. Paul’s use of this imagery in Ephesians, Romans, and Galatians underscores the finality and security of God’s promises, which are all “yes in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20). This “yes” encompasses all of God’s promises of redemption, peace, hope, restoration, new creation, blessing, strength, refuge, and the end of exile, all finding their fulfillment in Christ.

Adoption in the First-Century Roman World

To better understand Paul’s use of adoption as a metaphor, the teaching delves into the practice of adoption in the first-century Roman world, during the time of Jesus and the apostles. Adoption was a common practice with a broader scope than it typically has today. While it included bringing newborn children into a home, it more commonly involved wealthier individuals adopting older men or women to secure their inheritance and lineage. Women were also sometimes adopted as caretakers. For instance, Julius Caesar, the powerful dictator of the Roman Empire, adopted his grandnephew Octavian (Augustus) to be his son and heir, ensuring the continuation of his legacy.

Therefore, when Paul speaks of adoption, he is not merely talking about God’s love, but using strong legal language that signifies a complete change in status. Believers move from their old “household” into God’s household, and their former status is completely superseded. Paul uses the example of slaves being adopted as sons, a radical transformation in social standing, in Galatians 4:4-7: “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… So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” This imagery would have been particularly encouraging to Judeans, many of whom were under Roman rule and felt like they had a lower status. Through Christ, they become heirs alongside Him, even though Jesus Himself is never referred to as adopted but as the Son of God. Paul’s theology uses this legal framework of adoption to retell the story of Israel in light of Jesus’ identity and God’s actions.

Adoption in the Old Testament and the Ancient Near East

Turning to the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, the concept of adoption is present, although there was no specific Hebrew word for “adoption” during that time. The modern Hebrew word for adoption developed much later, based on a word meaning strength and embracing. However, the idea was conveyed through specific phrases, words, and idioms, often reflecting the cultural context of the ancient Near East. The ancient Near East, encompassing the Fertile Crescent with nations like Egypt, the Hittites, Assyria, and Babylon, was a thriving region that influenced various aspects of civilization, including legal systems. Given that the Bible is an ancient document written within this cultural sphere, it is logical that its language and concepts would sometimes align with those of its neighbors.

Biblical Examples of Adoption Themes

While the Old Testament lacks a direct Hebrew word for adoption, the teaching highlights several passages that illustrate the concept through different means. In Hosea 11:1, God refers to Israel as “my son,” using language akin to legal adoption to describe His relationship with the nation. Similarly, in Exodus 4:22, God tells Moses to say to Pharaoh, “Israel is my son, my firstborn,” declaring Israel’s special status. Even when expressing frustration with Israel’s rebellion, as in Isaiah 1:2 (“Children I have reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me“), the father-son dynamic underscores a prior relationship of care and responsibility.

The Significance and Application of Adoption

The teaching emphasizes that ancient adoption was a significant “three-stage rite of passage.” First, the child leaves their previous status and enters a liminal “in-between” space, often symbolically represented by being outside the city or in the “dog’s mouth,” stripped of their former identity. Second, the child is picked up from this space by the adoptive parent(s). Third, this act marks the moment the child gains a new, secure status and identity within the new household, becoming a natural-born member with all the rights and privileges thereof. The old identity is completely gone, and a new one is established.

Application for Everyday Life

• Embrace Your Identity in Christ: Recognize that through Christ, you have been adopted into God’s family. Your past status no longer defines you; you are now a beloved child of God.
• Live in the Security of God’s Promises: Understand that God’s promises to you are as secure and final as an ancient legal adoption. You are fully and irrevocably His.
• Extend Welcome and Belonging to Others: Reflect God’s heart for adoption by creating communities where everyone feels welcomed, accepted, and like they belong, mirroring the inclusive nature of God’s adoptive love.
• Value the Change of Status: Appreciate the radical transformation that adoption brings. You are not merely improved; your identity and standing have been fundamentally changed for the better.
• Recognize God’s Initiative: Understand that adoption into God’s family is not something we earned but a result of His predestined love and gracious pursuit of us.
• Walk as Heirs: Live with the awareness that as adopted children of God, you are also heirs with Christ, entitled to the riches of His inheritance.
• Pray for and Support Adoption and Foster Care: Recognize the biblical theme of adoption and consider ways to support or participate in ministries that care for orphans and children in need.
• See Inclusivity as Part of God’s Plan: Embrace the understanding that God’s plan has always included those who were once considered outsiders, bringing them into His family with equal status.

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References

• Ephesians 1:3-5
• 2 Corinthians 1:20
• Galatians 4:4-7

Resources Mentioned

• Code of Hammurabi
• The Bible