The Source

"YHVH said to Abram: 'I am El Shaddai. Walk before me and be perfect'" Gen. 17:1.

A female! Could he believe his ears? This invisible deity Who had called Abram to forsake family and familiar wasn't a warrior like the god's of his culture, but was a woman? What other surprises did this God have up her sleeve?

If this reference to God as feminine rankles your religious sensibilities - blame Him. God's the one who identified Himself as the Many-breasted One.

Ancient cultures had their versions of fertility goddesses usually depicted as a woman with many breasts... kinda creepy actually. These deities were considered the source of good crops, prolific flocks and most importantly, offspring.

An image of a nurturing deity responsible for life's provision wasn't unusual for Abram. However, living in a strong patriarchal society and having an invisible God (which was a stretch in and of itself) Who was female must have been very unsettling. God just loves upsetting our ideas of how things should be.

According to Ex. 6:2-3, El Shaddai was the only name God chose to reveal Himself by until Moses was given the name YHWH which suggested God's absolute self-sufficiency. Why the switch?

Starting with Abram, God began the birthing process of the nation of Israel. At the Exodus the child, so to speak, was delivered and now in need of a father, hence the name change. This never implied a pantheistic form of theology, rather it was an unfolding of a deeper understanding of the complex nature of God.

For any in the birthing process (spiritual and otherwise) God understands the rigors of pregnancy. He can relate to the initial elation of knowing there's a child on the way and how that can fade when the unborn child's growth makes life very difficult and uncomfortable.

He knows the feeling of uncertainty concerning the unknown delivery date. Will the birth be quick and relative pain free or long, arduous or even dangerous? Mother's of the world say "Amen!"

One need only go back a few chapter to the beginning in Genesis to see God's identification with the female sex. Man was created "in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" Gen. 1:27. Adam initially possessed this dual nature like God's until it was separated out of him with Eve's creation.

To be clear, God is neither male nor female - He is Spirit and the source of both sexes. Therefore, He is capable of being either Father or Mother depending on the need and circumstances. He understands both men and women so all have someone who really gets them.

How about you? How does God's feminine nature sit with you? Does it bring you comfort or make you want to squirm? It's in the Bible. So, how will this truth impact how you relate to God? If you're in the process of bringing something to birth take heart that God really knows what you're going through.