Adoption

– The practice of human adoption is already shown in Exodus and in Esther. In other passages it says that God adopts and welcomes Israel as a son:

Ex 2,10 : The boy grew up, she took him to the pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her son and named him Moses.

Est 2,7 : He was the guardian of Edissa – that is, Ester –, his uncle’s daughter, fatherless and motherless.

Ex 4:22 : You shall say to him, Thus says the Lord: “Israel is my firstborn son”.

Is 49,15 : Can a woman forget the one who suckles?

Jr 31,9 : For I am to Israel like a father, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Hos 11 :1 : Israel was still a child, and I loved him already, and out of Egypt I called my son.

– In the NT, John uses this figure for those who have received the Word of God:

Jn 1,9-13 : [The Word] was the true light which, coming into the world, illuminates every man.

– Paul teaches that the baptized are adopted children of God and his heirs, and can call God Father:

Gal 4,1-7 : You are no longer a slave, but a son. And if you are a son, then also an heir through God.

Eph 1 :5 : In his love he predestined us to be adopted as his children by Jesus Christ.

Heb 9:15 : He atoned for the sins committed in the […] first testament, so that the elect might receive the eternal inheritance.

Rom 8:15 : Because you did not receive a spirit of slavery […], but you did receive the spirit of adoption.

– Peter speaks of our participation in the divine nature:

2Pt 1,4.10 : I was very glad to have found among your children some who walk […] according to the commandment.

– See ABA.