Adoption in the Bible: Moses

Some people believe open adoption originated in California during the early 1980s, but the concept has been around a long, long time. In the book of Exodus in the Bible, we learn that Moses’ birth mother, Jochebed, makes an adoption plan for her infant son when the king of Egypt institutes his version of ethnic cleansing.

In Exodus 1, Pharaoh decides the Israelites are “too numerous.” He fears that if war breaks out, the Israelites will join his enemies (a shrewd assumption, particularly since this ruthless king oppressed the Israelites with forced labor). Pharaoh orders his people:

“Every boy that is born, drown him in the Nile” (Exodus 1:22 The Message).

About the time Pharaoh issues this edict, a Hebrew baby named Moses is born to Jochebed and her husband, Amram. They hide their son from the Egyptians for three months. Then, fearing for Moses’ life, Jochebed places her baby in a watertight basket and floats it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. She stations her young daughter Miriam as a lookout.

Pharaoh’s grown daughter discovers the babe, takes pity on him, and decides to adopt him as her own. When Miriam approaches, Pharaoh’s daughter agrees to hire Jochebed to nurse the infant.

The culminating moment in Moses’ adoption comes in Exodus 2:10, after Moses is weaned. His birth mother delivers him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he officially becomes the son of the Egyptian princess.

Jochebed exhibited incredible strength of character in weaving her intricate adoption plan for Moses. She essentially chose his adoptive family by floating the basket near the spot she knew Pharaoh’s daughter would come to bathe. Perhaps Jochebed had heard rumors of the princess’s kind-heartedness. Jochebed hoped against hope the Princess’s servants would coo over the baby and implore Pharaoh’s daughter to rescue him.

Jochebed had no idea what God had in store for her little one, yet she trusted His gentle prompting and she released her baby into His hands. Even though she knew she was giving Moses a chance at life, Jochebed must have felt intense anguish as she tenderly placed her son in the basket and kissed him goodbye.

This article was excerpted from The Adoption Decision by Laura Christianson, copyright 2007 Harvest House Publishers.

In the next two posts: The most famous open adoption in history.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.