Topical Bible: Adoption of Moses

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The adoption of Moses is a significant event in biblical history, illustrating God's providence and the unfolding of His plan for the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. This event is primarily recorded in the Book of Exodus, specifically in Exodus 2:1-10.

Historical Context

The account of Moses' adoption takes place during a time of great oppression for the Israelites in Egypt. The Pharaoh, fearing the growing population of the Hebrews, had decreed that all newborn Hebrew boys were to be thrown into the Nile River (Exodus 1:22). It was in this perilous environment that Moses was born to a Levite family.

The Birth and Concealment of Moses

Moses' mother, Jochebed, saw that he was a fine child and hid him for three months to protect him from the Pharaoh's edict (Exodus 2:2). When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in a papyrus basket coated with tar and pitch and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile (Exodus 2:3).

Discovery by Pharaoh's Daughter

The providential discovery of Moses by Pharaoh's daughter is a pivotal moment. As she went down to the Nile to bathe, she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maidservant to fetch it. Upon opening the basket, she found the crying baby and felt compassion for him, recognizing him as one of the Hebrew children (Exodus 2:5-6).

Miriam's Intervention

Moses' sister, Miriam, who had been watching from a distance, approached Pharaoh's daughter and offered to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Pharaoh's daughter agreed, and Miriam brought Jochebed, Moses' mother, to nurse him. Pharaoh's daughter then instructed Jochebed to take the child and nurse him, offering to pay her wages (Exodus 2:7-9).

Adoption into the Egyptian Royal Family

When the child grew older, Jochebed brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water" (Exodus 2:10). This adoption into the Egyptian royal family provided Moses with a unique position and education, equipping him for his future role as the leader of the Israelites.

Theological Significance

The adoption of Moses is a testament to God's sovereignty and His ability to use unexpected means to fulfill His purposes. Despite the Pharaoh's attempts to suppress the Hebrew population, God orchestrated events to preserve the life of the one who would eventually lead His people to freedom. Moses' upbringing in the Egyptian court provided him with the skills and knowledge necessary for his future leadership.

Typology and Foreshadowing

In Christian theology, Moses is often seen as a type of Christ, a deliverer who prefigures the ultimate deliverance brought by Jesus. Just as Moses was drawn out of the water to save his people, Jesus was sent into the world to save humanity from sin. The adoption of Moses can also be viewed as a foreshadowing of the spiritual adoption believers receive through faith in Christ, becoming children of God and heirs to His promises (Romans 8:15-17).

The adoption of Moses is a profound example of divine intervention and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan, highlighting themes of deliverance, providence, and the preparation of a leader who would change the course of history for the people of Israel.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 2:5-10
And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
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Acts 7:21
And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
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Hebrews 11:24
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
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Library

Whether a Tie that is an Impediment to Marriage is Contracted ...
... forbids marriage between those persons who have to live together lest, as Rabbi
Moses observes (Doc ... Hence it is that legal adoption is an impediment to marriage ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether a tie that is.htm

Adoption
... What is this filiation or adoption? It is taking a stranger into the relation of
a son and heir; as Moses was the adopted son of King Pharaoh's daughter ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/4 adoption.htm

The Doctrines of Salvation A. Repentance. B. Faith. C. ...
... acceptance of Christ (John 1:12); our justification (Rom.5:1); our adoption
(Gal.3 ... It is a question of Moses or Christ, works or faith, law or promise, doing ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrines of salvation a.htm

Adoption --The Spirit and the Cry
... Faith brings us into the realization of our adoption in the next place by setting ...
it is that by believing in Christ Jesus we escape from Moses, the taskmaster ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 24 1878/adoptionthe spirit and the cry.htm

Here Next Followeth the History of Moses
... And as Josephus, Antiquitatum, saith: This daughter of Pharaoh, which was named
Termuthe, loved well Moses and reputed him as her son by adoption, and on a day ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here next followeth the history.htm

Perfect Righteousness was Conferred Neither by Circumcision nor by ...
... by Moses, suited for their instruction or for their punishment, as Moses himself
declared ... to men largely and without grudging, by means of adoption, to know God ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xvi perfect righteousness was conferred.htm

On the Comparison of the Law and the Gospel
... (Hebrews 3:5, 6.) "The law was given by Moses; Grace and ... promised through the imputation
of the righteousness of faith, and through gracious adoption in Christ ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 13 on the comparison.htm

Faustus Objects to the Incarnation of God on the Ground that the ...
... Adoption, we know, was familiar to the ancients; for even women adopted the ... Sarah
adopted Ishmael, and Leah her handmaid's son, and Pharaoh's daughter Moses. ...
/.../faustus objects to the incarnation.htm

On Christian Liberty
... forensic laws of Moses in their administration of justice. XIII. The privilege or
right of the sons of God, and the sending of the spirit of adoption into the ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 20 on christian liberty.htm

The Holy Ghost, Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, Made ...
... High." [3336] To those, no doubt, who have received the grace of the "adoption,
by which ... except Him who is God and Lord of all, who also said to Moses, "I am ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter vithe holy ghost throughout.htm