From Abandonment to Adoption

Exodus 1:8-22

Exodus 2:1-15

Hebrews 11:22-29

Ok, let’s be honest. Moses begins life as a basket case, literally. At the age of 3 months, he  is placed in a basket of reeds and sent up the creek without a paddle. Well actually, it was the Nile river, and his mother who had kept him hidden, finally felt she had no safe choice but to let him drift away.

This is the world Moses was born into and his mother, Jochebed was left with a cruel and difficult choice: protect the life of her newborn son, or protect the rest of her family, including Miriam and Aaron. But God was with Moses, even in this terrible choice.

Let’s look at two stages of Moses’ early life.

1. ABANDONMENT

Moses enters life in a terrible era and at 3 months old, his own mother is compelled to abandon him. Psychology teaches us that we can experience a sense of abandonment even from the womb. Imagine being placed in the situation Moses was in?

In our current world, a sense of abandonment has been greatly heightened. Our society experiences absence due to work pressures, family breakdowns, and increased mental health issues. So how do we learn to cope with our own feelings of being let down by our family of origin?

This is where the spiritual dimension kicks in, as we discover that God has a plan unfolding in all our distresses and that even what the enemy intends for evil can be used for good. For Moses, he went from abandonment to adoption.

2. ADOPTION

Moses finds himself being nursed by his natural mother and yet also being adopted into the world of royalty. It’s a remarkable shift of circumstance for this baby and would prove to be pivotal in helping shape his character and leadership in the future. God's promises are unfolding in our changing circumstances.

In the New Testament, Paul goes to great lengths to convey the thought that all of us are adopted in Jesus Christ. We all experience the utter grace and love of being adopted no matter what our background has been.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:14-17 NLT.

We are so often fixated on what we don’t have that we neglect the incredible potential in what we do have. The challenge, of course, is what we do with that potential. Will we live as self-serving, and self-made individuals? Or will we serve something greater than ourselves?

CONCLUSION

“Who do you think you are?” This was the question the Hebrew man threw at Moses and then he knew his crime was not hidden. It’s a big question, and relevant to us today. What about you? Who do you think you are? Do you know what potential has been placed in you?

Answering this question will determine so much of life’s outcomes. It will set you on a path, and ultimately draw something great out of you, if you allow it.