Of course, one of the most male-centric aspects of the scriptures is the fact that God often refers to himself as a male — as “father” in particular. But there are also a number of Old Testament passages where God refers to Himself as a mother.
(Isa 46:3 ESV) “Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb … .(Isa 49:15 ESV) Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.(Isa 66:12-13) 12 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
and bounced upon her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
The imagery of these passages showing God as female is minimized in some translations, such as the New International Version.
These passages have fallen into some disrepute due to their abuse by some theological liberals, such as the Sophia “Goddess” cult that worships God as the goddess of wisdom. But the fact that a few have pushed these passages too far does not change the fact that God honors women by comparing Himself to the female.
Indeed, Jesus declared in Matthew 23:3,
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
Thus, both God and Christ refer to themselves with female imagery. According to John T. Willis, professor of the Old Testament at Abilene Christian University,
To be sure, OT writers frequently compare God with a father …, but God is not a sexual being. “Father” is simply one of many human figures that may appropriately be used to denote certain attributes or characteristics of God. … There are ways in which God is like a father; there are also ways in which God is like a mother. The OT writers do not hesitate to call attention to these latter, but in doing so, they indicate their highest regard for woman.
God is not female. But neither is he male. When God uses a metaphor for himself, he picks one appropriate to his listeners in their time and place. But when appropriate, God does not hesitate to reveal his feminine side. He has to have one, you know: both male and female are made in God’s image.
