Divine Adoption in the Old Testament: Israel and the King as God’s Son
Divine adoption in the Old Testament reveals how God relates to His people in covenant love. The Bible portrays Israel as God’s adopted son, chosen at the Exodus and destined for restoration. The king of Israel, especially in the line of David, is also described in terms of adoption, given a special role within the covenant relationship. These themes of divine adoption form the foundation for understanding the Gospel, where Christ fulfills both roles as the true Israel and the Son of David, bringing believers into God’s family.
1. God and His Adopted Son, Israel
Israel’s identity as God’s son is central to the covenant. Exodus 4:22 declares, "Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son." This language shows that Israel’s sonship is not biological but covenantal—rooted in divine adoption.
Key features of Israel’s adoption include:
Exodus and Covenant: God delivers Israel and claims them as His own (Exodus 6:7, "I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God").
Parental Care: Deuteronomy 8:5 reminds them, "Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you."
Basis for Obedience: Deuteronomy 14:1 commands, "You are the sons of the LORD your God."
The prophets highlight both God’s fatherly compassion and Israel’s rebellion. Hosea 11:1 recalls, "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." Yet the same chapter laments, "The more they were called, the more they went away" (Hosea 11:2). Isaiah 1:2 captures God’s grief: "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me."
Still, God’s fatherly heart remains. Hosea 11:8 asks, "How can I give you up, O Ephraim?" Jeremiah 31:9 promises, "I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn." Israel’s adoption assures both discipline and restoration, shaping the hope of future salvation.
2. God and His Adopted Son, the King of Israel
Divine adoption also applies to Israel’s king. In 2 Samuel 7:14 God promises David, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son." This covenant with David is foundational for understanding Israel’s monarchy and messianic hope.
Several passages reinforce this adoption language:
1 Chronicles 28:6 records God saying of Solomon, "I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father."
Psalm 2:7 declares, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage."
Psalm 89:26–27 portrays the king crying out, "You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation."
This royal adoption was not about divinity but about covenantal status. The Davidic king became God’s "son" by legal and theological adoption, enjoying the privileges of inheritance, blessing, and divine protection. Through this adoption, God guaranteed an eternal dynasty: "Your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:16).
3. Adoption, Covenant, and Restoration
In time, the themes of covenant and adoption merged. Hosea 1:9–10 speaks of God reversing His rejection: "In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God.’" Here adoption and covenant converge—Israel is reclaimed as both God’s people and His children.
This pattern can be summarized:
Adoption at Exodus — Israel becomes God’s son.
Infidelity in the Land — Sin threatens their status.
Discipline in Exile — God acts as a father correcting His children.
Promise of Restoration — Future hope of faithful sonship is guaranteed.
The prophetic vision looks forward to a day when Israel will fully live as God’s children. Jeremiah 3:19 anticipates this moment: "You shall call me, ‘My Father,’ and will not turn from following me." This points beyond Israel’s history to the fulfillment in Christ.
4. Fulfillment in Christ and the Gospel
The New Testament shows that Jesus fulfills both strands of Old Testament adoption:
True Israel: Matthew 2:15 applies Hosea 11:1 to Christ—"Out of Egypt I called my son." Where Israel failed, Christ succeeds as the obedient Son.
Son of David: The angel tells Mary in Luke 1:32, "The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David." Jesus fulfills the promise of a Davidic king adopted by God.
Paul applies this to believers. In Galatians 4:4–5 he writes, "God sent forth his Son… to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." What was true of Israel and the Davidic king in shadow is now fulfilled in Christ and extended to the church. Believers are brought into God’s family, sharing the privileges of adoption—discipline, inheritance, and eternal life.
This is not merely theological background but part of the Gospel itself. The church is God’s adopted family, already living in covenant sonship, and awaiting the fullness of adoption at the resurrection (Romans 8:23). The story of Adam and Eve introduced the problem of sin and separation, but the story of adoption shows how God restores humanity into His household through Christ.
Conclusion
Divine adoption in the Old Testament provides a crucial framework for understanding God’s relationship with His people. Israel was adopted as God’s son at the Exodus, disciplined yet never abandoned. The king of Israel was adopted into a special covenant role, guaranteeing an eternal dynasty. Both strands converge in Christ, the true Son, who fulfills Israel’s calling and David’s promises. Through Him, the church receives adoption into God’s family, a reality that will be consummated in the age to come.
Bible Verses about Divine Adoption
Exodus 4:22 – "Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son."
Deuteronomy 14:1 – "You are the sons of the LORD your God."
Hosea 11:1 – "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son."
Isaiah 1:2 – "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me."
Jeremiah 31:9 – "I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn."
2 Samuel 7:14 – "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son."
Psalm 2:7 – "You are my Son; today I have begotten you."
Psalm 89:26–27 – "He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’"
Hosea 1:10 – "In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God.’"
Galatians 4:5 – "God sent forth his Son… so that we might receive adoption as sons."
