The majority of feminine imagery is found in Isaiah, and as you can see by the...three verses below, there are not very many.
Isaiah 49:14-15 expresses how God is like a mother who always keeps her children in her thoughts: “But
Isaiah 66:12-13 describes the comforts that come from the God of all Comfort: “For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in
Isaiah 46:3-4 speaks of creation in the human terms of giving birth and the following stages of development in a mother/child relationship: “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, you who have been borne by Me from birth and have been carried from the womb; even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you.” Deuteronomy 32:18 also has the imagery of God bringing forth a creation as a woman does: “You neglected the Rock who begot you, and forgot the God who gave you birth.”
God’s attributes are the source and standard for ours. This is why it seems sad that the majority of biblical imagery is masculine. The few biblical descriptions of God in feminine terms are all poetic analogy, and without exception focus on one aspect of womanhood: mothering. This discovery for me was nothing short of devastating. After weeks of research the Bible, it seemed as though the lack of direction for women from the Church was not due to a lack of teaching, but an actual lack of Scripture. This had never crossed my mind as a possibility. I was sure that in the Bible, somewhere that I had missed in my previous study, there would be passages that talked not just about the feminine attributes of God, such as submission, wisdom, or beauty, but an actual feminine portrayal that would be a little more helpful.
What is here, is all that was found.
To Be Continued...
3 comments:
hey stephie, just caught up with kavannah. annnnnd I'm sorry about the disappointment. I really am. not that I need to say this. . . but don't give up! I think the best truths are yet to be revealed to you. you and Jesus will find a way to share them with those who need it most. you are a steward of the mysteries of God, and that's not always an easy position to bear. But I'm praying for you and I've got nothing but faith and hope for you. love you dearly, friend.
Couple thoughts...
Even though there are only a few verses that describe God in feminine terms...and even though they describe him as "mother", a category that many women don't fit in...
Maybe there's more, that's just not so explicit. I think of the Hebrew words used to describe Eve, the ones so terribly rendered as "helpmeet"...ezer neged, more accurately translated "lifegiver." I'm going on memory here, but I think the only other place those words are used is to describe God as lifegiver, one who gives life and sustains life and even rescues life. I think that he used those words to describe Eve are important. So too, is the fact that he describes himself as mother.
If you think of mother in a more general way, than just having babies...
And tie it back to the idea of lifegiver...
I think that it could be pretty solidly Biblical to say that the core of femininity is giving life and nourishing life...
Just some raw thoughts here. :-P
along with what heidi said, maybe we should re-definte "motherhood." Initially, in my heart, it brings up thoughts of shallow things like making sandwiches and cutting them into little triangles. And all would agree that motherhood is so much larger, but when asked to give examples of this my mind runs blank.
Motherhood is something that needs to be revisted and appreciated.
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