An Adoption Bible Study

God loves children

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all - he is the greatest."

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.

God has great compassion for orphans and fatherless children

Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do, and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.

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.

God also has compassion on the childless

He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.

"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child, burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the Lord.

We are not born into the family of God, but adopted!

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 - to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Famous Adoptees of the Bible

Additional Note

I am not presenting the stories of Moses, Esther, or Samuel as typical examples of adoption to be compared with adoptions today. I feel that there are particular details in each story which may resonate with many adoptive families, though. Moses' mother felt "abandoning" her child was the only option available to her because of coersive government policy. In certain countries, some women today have felt the same pressures. Like Jocabed, these women frequently will watch to be sure their child is found and cared for. As adoptive parents, we certainly hope our children do not turn their backs on us when they become adults, but we can do everything in our power to raise them for the service God has planned for them. Esther was adopted by a relative after both of her parents died. Then, as now, adoption by blood relatives is usually considered the best solution when it is an option. Samuel was not truly adopted by the priest Eli, and was visited by his mother once a year, so his story is least like a modern adoption. Foster parents or families involved in open adoptions might relate to his situation, however.

It seems that adoption by strangers was rare in ancient Jewish society. This is not too surprising given the importance of the extended family in a largely rural, agrarian society that was not burdened by overpopulation. gives us a glimpse of children in need of intervention by strangers, however, in another segment of society.