Shekinah - The female side of God

[Guest]

God the Father was the one that created a female. Saying that God doesn't have a feminine side or a feminine spirit is uh......what?

 

[Deborah13]

the jews allow for that. I understand that but the word shenikah isn't really the Name of god. the Name is always male in the jewish thought.

Jason, could it be that because shenikah (HS) is feminine in grammar, that that is why in Jewish the mother is considered the more spiritual?

 

[Deborah13]

But now that's all off-topic. And I'm bad at parenting advise, I have no kids.

It sounded good to me. Kids feel the same we do when our feelings are hurt or we are put down all the time. But do to age they are still forming their opinions of themselves so it can be much more damaging.

 

[jasoncran]

the jews allow for that. I understand that but the word shenikah isn't really the Name of god. the Name is always male in the jewish thought.

Jason, could it be that because shenikah (HS) is feminine in grammar, that that is why in Jewish the mother is considered the more spiritual?

no, just a thought it could be because the idea of heaven is very nurturing. that is most feminine in nature.

 

[Sparkey]

No I didn't mean to "convince you..."

You agree that I didn't say 'either of those things', good. Giving now regard to what you pointed in your post, "God as "our mother in heaven" instead of father..." may I suggest that introducing an understanding of "... because he was created first..." and "doing all things in order for God is not ..." would round out what was said. There is no reason to toss out an analogy when it comes from God who is Holy.

 

[Free Christian]

God called Father, makes man in His image then after makes a helper the woman, angels all appearing as men and never appearing as a woman, our saviour Christ a man also. Telling us to call no man on earth Father because we have one Father in heaven (that's spiritual father not our real earthly parental fathers excluded). Text that clearly states woman are not to have the authority over the man etc...(could open a can of worms with that one) but what the Bible says it says. I don't see the passages that explain a nurturing side of God as being feminine, just examples of, to put it in my own crude way, character traits. Pretty clear to me.

 

[jasoncran]

women tend to nurture. ie a woman tends to be more instinctive in caring for the baby she gave birth too then a man., not that a man cant care or doesn't. I know from experience there is a baby in my avatar and that girl's mom and my wife know better when she does things then I do. they knew the cries of her for what.

 

[Guest]

God called Father, makes man in His image then after makes a helper the woman.

I don't see the passages that explain a nurturing side of God as being feminine, just examples of, to put it in my own crude way, character traits. Pretty clear to me.

It's the fact that God brought a woman into existence, makes a helper the woman. You didn't emphasize makes. Making the woman from scratch isn't nurturing? Now emphasize helper. You can't create something without having the idea of it first. The way a woman thinks, and the way a man thinks is different. Penis/Vagina. Hairy Chest/Boobs. Bottom line, since God created a woman, it is in fact a part of his thinking process. For example, I know women who have accepted Christ into their hearts. Wouldn't it be stereotypical if we say that God the Father doesn't know how to relate to a woman through the Holy Spirit?

 

[JLB]

God called Father, makes man in His image then after makes a helper the woman, angels all appearing as men and never appearing as a woman, our saviour Christ a man also. Telling us to call no man on earth Father because we have one Father in heaven (that's spiritual father not our real earthly parental fathers excluded). Text that clearly states woman are not to have the authority over the man etc...(could open a can of worms with that one) but what the Bible says it says. I don't see the passages that explain a nurturing side of God as being feminine, just examples of, to put it in my own crude way, character traits. Pretty clear to me.

27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

Is female created in the image of God?


JLB

 

[Free Christian]

For me its as simple as reading the first chapter of the gospel of John. Then reading what Christ, the Word, says in Mathew 6 v 9 and how and who He tells us to pray to. I try not to go beyond certain boundaries and speculate to try and fully understand with my finite mind an infinite God. The made pot trying to fully comprehend the Craftsman who made it. If Jesus refers to God the creator as Father then I will do the same. That's my boundary and I wont go beyond it. That's where my faith steps in and I simply accept what Christ teaches me. I don't need to know any more than that.

 

[JLB]

If Jesus refers to God the creator as Father then I will do the same.

I myself also call God Father, for He is the Creator.

However, The Son is God as well, and He is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16



"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.Ephesians 5:31-32


JLB

 

[jasoncran]

so if god has no clue to what a female and her nature is then how did he exactly create that nature.man I could go into some jewish words on the soul. a woman has a soul, the one that doesn't die. its called the yechida and also the ruach has that side to it too. which of these is from YHWH?

 

[Atonement]

For me its as simple as reading the first chapter of the gospel of John. Then reading what Christ, the Word, says in Mathew 6 v 9 and how and who He tells us to pray to. I try not to go beyond certain boundaries and speculate to try and fully understand with my finite mind an infinite God. The made pot trying to fully comprehend the Craftsman who made it. If Jesus refers to God the creator as Father then I will do the same. That's my boundary and I wont go beyond it. That's where my faith steps in and I simply accept what Christ teaches me. I don't need to know any more than that.

Greetings to you in the love of Jesus

I like this response. I like to read how and when someones stands on their faith, it's inspiring.

P.S.
I'm sending you a PM (Private Message), please read.

 

[JLB]

God called Father, makes man in His image

No sir.

That is not what scripture says.

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...

The Godhead, Elohim, created both male and female in Their Image.

For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 1 John 5:7

These three created both male and female in Their Image and likeness.

Not just The Father.


JLB

 

[Claudya]

all appearing as men and never appearing as a woman

"Appearing as men doesn't necessarily mean they *are* male. They might be neutral, but assume male form when dealing with humans of biblical times because they knew those men were victims of their society's chauvinistic culture and wouldn't have taken a female being seriously.

Well this is speculation, and I certainly won't get the same praise from Atonement you got ;) because I question the biblical gender bias.
But I just can't imagine that God would create such an imbalance in humankind, declaring half of them spiritually "lesser" than the other half *although* having given both the same spiritual and intellectual gifts (or actually when looking at how there's more church going women than men, maybe females even have a stronger spirituality?), with slight differences only in physical composition. That's just not very logical and it goes against intuition.

 

[Kaliani]

The made pot trying to fully comprehend the Craftsman who made it.

I always thought He enjoys it when we express our sincere curiosity and interest in Himself. My speculating is not done in hostility to Him, but in love, reverence and, most especially, trust.

I trust Him not to strike me down as an insolent upstart, but rather to condescend to assist my meagre understanding where it fails.

 

[Atonement]

Well this is speculation, and I certainly won't get the same praise from Atonement you got because I question the biblical gender bias.

I wouldn't say that I praised him, but rather was inspired by the faith shown in his response.

I read all of this thread, and nothing compels me to question the gender of God. I see attributes that may confuse gender. I see Scriptures being stretched to form an idea of a gender role of God. But it's all in a form of speculation, and of one's personal belief on this topic. Not much more I could gather from this thread being not a participante of this subject, just a by standard, a reader if you will. It's worthy to note how I emphasize participante (the feminine form of participant).. It's a play of words, pretty much like this thread.

 

[Carolyn]

Most languages have male and female nouns. We do it to an extent. We often refer to a ship or boat in the femenine. It really doesn't have much to do with sex, as I see it. I used to call an old car Betsy. No reason.

 

[Atonement]

I still call my car Betsy lol

 

[Sparkey]

Although I am NOT trying to derail this topic it seems beneficial to me to introduce yet another concept into our discussion. Our views of who God is may be distorted. There are things other than the hot-topic of Gender to be considered.

There is a difference to be found in Western (Occidental: Of or relating to the countries of the Occident or their peoples or cultures; western) and Eastern or "Oriental" culture. For this purpose though the traditional thought of Japan and China as the definition for "Oriental" seriously needs to be expanded to include all Eastern culture. India and the Islands and especially the Middle-East, for instance. While studying these things it may be of help to research "low context" and "high context" cultures. One will see that the US is predominately 'low context'.

A quick view into high and low context cultures may be see here on the Pacific University website: Context of Cultures: High and Low. The reason that I state these things, these differences, and state them in this particular thread, is simply because our concepts of "Fatherhood" may need to be adjusted to understand what was known by our Lord as He spoke.

One of the best sources that I've found for this sort of thing comes in the form of a book. "Manners And Customs of Bible Lands", written by Fred H. Wight and fortunately for us this book is now in Public Domain and may be found at the Baptist Bible Believer's Website. This writing is an excursion into the beauty and richness held in high regard by many including the one known here as Sparrow. This book is nothing less than a rich and deep vein of golden insight into the Word of God.