Acts 7:1, 17-29And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:
17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. 19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
One of our grandsons is adopted. It’s a wonderful story in so many ways. He is a delightful child who is full of life and offers challenges to his parents much like his father and uncles did in their younger years. Andrew, however, may have taken some boyish stunts a bit further. He once rode his bike into a parked car because he was riding with his eyes closed! We love Andrew! We don’t really think of him as anything less than 100% part of our family.
Certain controversies surround adoptions these days. Foreign adoptions are not easily accomplished. Concerns about loss of cultural identity, or challenges of governmental regulations clog the process. Some children are left with rescue groups in places when they cannot afford even to feed their children. Adoption seems so loving yet tragic in those cases.
When Moses was adopted it was literally a matter of life or death. Pharaoh had decreed that all the Hebrew boys be left to die upon birth. After he was born his mother cared for him for three months, but could conceal him no longer. She left him in a reed basket in the Nile River. Found by Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses was adopted and raised in her home. This would set the stage for Moses’ education and major impact in the story of God’s redemption of his people in Egypt.
Two things come to mind for me out of this. One, we are all adopted into God’s family unless we are of Jewish ancestry. What a privilege we have along with all the true children of Abraham. It’s an adoption by the grace of God which we enjoy by faith. We enjoy fully the privileges of family membership.
Second, God uses whatever circumstance we find ourselves in to shape us for his purposes. Whether we have a large part to play in the story of God, or only a supposed extra in the drama, we’re all adopted into God’s family and have a place in the family business.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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