Sons of God: Adoption and Birth

Sons of God: Adoption and Birth There are two ways to acquire a son: by adoption and by birth. A son by adoption is one who has been legally taken into a family. A son by birth is one who has the seed of the father of the family in him. In the Old Testament the “sons of God” refer to those whom God legally transacted to adopt. Those people who believed were made God’s adopted sons. Romans 9:4: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God , and the promises. Exodus 4:22: And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. In the Old Testament Israel represented the believers’ line, the sons of God. The Israelites who believed God were set aside as a distinctive people. Deuteronomy 14:1, 2: Ye are the children of the Lord your God. . . . For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. The believers of Israel were adopted, and thus made heirs to God’s inheritance. His children, Israel, He would also protect and nurture. Deuteronomy 32:8, 9: When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob* is the lot of his inheritance. Jeremiah 31:9: They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim* is my firstborn. First God adopted Israel; then He gave them all the benefits of a son: He considered them a special people, He was concerned for their welfare, and He made them heirs to His inheritance. After being given these provisions, God’s adopted sons could still live a life of their own choosing. Accordin