Adopted in Christ

[Sung Psalm: 2]

In Exodus 4:22, God says to Pharoah: “Israel is my son, my firstborn.”

What does that mean? When we looked at the doctrine of creation, we saw that God created Adam to be his son – Adam was created in the image of God. To be in the image of God is to reflect God – and Adam was created in the likeness of God, and was called to live as a son of God.

But Adam fell. And ever since humanity has not resembled God very well!

How can the image and likeness of God be restored? How can we once more call God “Father”?

God had adopted Abraham and promised him an inheritance. God told Abraham to leave his father’s house – in other words, abandon all hope of an inheritance from your father in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Abraham was called to an inheritance that he would never possess! After all, God told Abraham that his descendents would be held captive 400 years. But Abraham believed God (as we saw last time) – nd it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

Now, in Exodus 3-4, we hear that the time that God promised to Abraham had come – when he would bring his children out of Egypt and into the inheritance that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And so God sent Moses to Pharaoh to say, “Israel is my son – my firstborn – and I say to you, ‘Let my son go that he may serve me.’” Israel is my heir. And God warns – you are messing with my son and heir. If you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your son, your firstborn....