God as Father/Mother of the Human Race
We of course know God as our heavenly Father because the Bible addresses Him as such. He is the Parent of the human race.
In a human family, it is important for a child to have the influence of both parents, the father and the mother. When one parent is lacking, the remaining parent has to take up the role of the missing parent.
In polytheistic religions, there are male and female gods (gods and goddesses) to take care of this. But there is only one true God, and no goddesses. What we do have is that our God plays both the role of Father and Mother. But He is not like a single human parent, who can only approximate the role of the missing spouse; He has all the attributes of the perfect Father, and the perfect Mother: He is the perfect Parent.
What we want to do here is explore the scriptures that reveal the “motherly” side of God.
El Shaddai
Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
God revealed a name for Himself to Abram. God naming Himself was always an occasion to reveal certain attributes of His nature. It is in the original Hebrew that the significance of this name translated as “almighty God” is found. It is El Shaddai.
El – lit. strong one or sufficient one, signifying great might or ability. It is where the “almighty” comes from. It is a singular form of the term “god”.
You might be familiar with another name for God, which is Elohim. Elohim is the plural form of “El”, signifying that God is a plurality (of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
Shaddai – comes from the word, shad, meaning breast.
Putting them together, the literal meaning of El Shaddai is God, the breasted One.
Why would God describe Himself like that? What does it mean?
First of all, recognize who it was that God revealed this name to – Abram. What was the one thing that Abram and his wife Sarai wanted more than anything else in the whole world? A child!
El invokes the idea of being almighty or all-sufficient, and shad invokes the concept of a nourisher, a nurturer. Another rendering of El Shaddai is the God who is More than Enough.
God’s Motherly Characteristics
Let’s look at some of the traits and characteristics associated with mothers, and see in the Bible where God exhibits these characteristics.
The Giver of Life, or One who Brings to Birth
Giving birth is something that is exclusively the role of the mother.
God gave birth to the universe and to the human race.
Genesis 1:1-2 AMPC 1 IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.
After God created the universe, it says that the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. The root of the Hebrew word is to brood – like a mother hen brooding over her eggs.
There is a sense where God “engineered” the universe – in Isaiah 40:12 it talks about how God measured the waters from a drop in His hand, and calculated the measure of the earth from a spec of dust. But He also incubated it – it was a plan forming and growing on the inside of Him, until the time He brought it to forth.
The plan of redemption was birthed; it was a long time in incubation, and even came forth with travail/labor.
Isaiah 53:11 KJV He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
The Holy Spirit is the source of the New Birth – people born of the Spirit.
John 3:5-6 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The Source of Nourishment; providing for all needs
This is the meaning behind “El Shaddai”.
1 Peter 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
2 Peter 1:2-4 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
God provides for our physical needs as well as our spiritual needs. Peter says He gives us all things pertaining to life, as well as godliness.
When a child is sick or gets hurt, who usually takes care of him/her? Mom.
Jehovah-rapha : the Lord our Healer.
As for material needs, in a “traditional” family it’s usually the father that goes out and earns a living to support his family, but it’s the mother that takes that money and uses it to provide for the daily needs of the family – meals, clothes for the kids, etc.
Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Teaching / Training of Children
Especially in Biblical times, the mothers were the ones who trained the kids, at least in the early years. The fathers didn’t get too involved until they were older, when he could begin training them up in the family business.
Psychological studies have shown that a child’s personality is largely formed by the time they are 5 years old. It’s why you could judge whether any of the kings of Israel would be good or bad based on what their mothers were like.
Mothers are more active in the spiritual training of their kids.
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Comforter
When a child is hurt or scared, who do they run to most to get comfort? Mom.
The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter.
John 14:16-17 KJV 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Acts 9:31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Protector
The most dangerous of all the animals is a mother guarding her young.
Psalms 91:4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Jesus laments over Jerusalem, longing to gather the people in His arms.
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
The mother gives her life for the children; her life revolves around caring for them. She sacrifices her own wants and needs.
1 Peter 5:6-7 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Psalms 40:5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.
Conclusion
In doing this study, I noticed that many of the “motherly” attributes of God we find are attributed to the actions of the Holy Spirit.
- He brooded over the waters of creation
- He causes the new birth
- He is the Comforter
- He is the Teacher
Now I am not trying to imply in any way, shape or form that the Holy Spirit is a “she”, but He does seem to display the “feminine side” of God’s personality.
Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers!
