The Brown Bible

Posted By Jane Harvester on October 13, 2009

Friends have asked me about the nature of God, and why He is known to His children as “Father” instead of “Mother” or some other name.  Some people view this as slighting, sexist or oppressive to women, or they have never had a loving father figure in their lives so this is difficult for them to embrace.  Technically and truthfully speaking, God is a spirit, and as such, does not have the same characteristics that humans do.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

For us to be able to understand Him and His essence, He has to work with us in a way we would understand, and ascribing human attributes and characteristics to Himself helps us to not only understand His heart, but gives us something more tangible, easier to love and grow close to, and desirous to please than the idea of a big faceless gaseous cloud or something intangible.

Let’s look at a few of the definitions of the word “father”, from the dictionary.

• a male parent
• a father-in-law, stepfather, or adoptive father
• any male ancestor, especially the founder of a race, family, or line
• a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector and provider
• a title of respect for an elderly man

God functions in all of these capacities, and is certainly worthy of respect.  In Biblical times, the male parent was known as the leader, the head of household, and the authoritative one. Being referred to as a Father would show His authority and leadership.  The Old Testament prophet Isaiah spoke of missing God’s tenderness and compassion, because Israel’s hearts had walked away from Him – their doing, not His:

Isaiah 63:15 Look down from heaven and see from your lofty throne, holy and glorious.  Where are your zeal and your might?  Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us.
16 But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.

This had to have been referring to Him as their protector, provider, or founder of their line, as Abraham and Isaac were, not as spirit-within father, because that was not available to them yet.

God has many names, kind of like functions given.  Just as one person can be known as a wife, mother, softball coach, PTA parent, journalist, Cub Scout den mother, Ms. So-and-So, etc., God has given Himself names by which we know his functions and works.  Among these are I AM, Jehovah, Elohim, El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh, Adonai, and more.  Some examples of the functions and meanings of  His names are God Almighty, Lord, The Lord Who Heals, The Lord Who Sanctifies, and The Lord Will Provide.  If you are interested, there are many web resources that explore His names and their meanings more in-depth, but it is sufficient here to say He has endeavored to help us understand Him better as well as what He is capable of.  You may notice that while these titles convey authority and might, none of them particularly display warmth and endearment.  In my mind, while they let me know that God does care for me and will do great and powerful things on my behalf, the same could be said to a certain extent for an impersonal senator or king or other high-ranking figure. They do not inspire me to love; respect and awe, certainly, but not love… and for other people, due to ignorance or incorrect teaching, they are simply scary, a vision of a God who is stern, easily displeased and just looking for you to fail so He can punish you.  He is not like that.

None of these titles are “Father”. In the Old Testament, God was referred to by any of these names, but no one prayed to him as Christ did, “Abba“.  Abba is a Syriac or Chaldee word meaning an intimate form of Father, like our “Daddy”. When it is seen in the New Testament, it is usually followed by the Greek translation, “Father”, so people would know what Abba meant.  They did not have the right to call him Daddy yet, but Christ certainly could.

Abraham was pretty close with God, yet he was called His friend.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Even Moses never addressed God as Abba.

Exodus 33:11a And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

Contrast this with Jesus Christ, who He not only said was His son, but said “listen to him”!

Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Jesus Christ was the firstborn son of many children to follow.

Romans 8:29 For whom he [God] did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

This means several things: first, Christ was the firstborn, meaning the best the Old Testament believers had was not this sonship relationship.  Next, no matter what people would like to say about “everyone is one of God’s children”, that title is reserved for those who choose to be in His family.  Would you run up to the Queen of England and call her “mommy”?  Would you hug a president and call him “daddy”?  Not unless you had the right to do so.  That doesn’t mean you would not have the opportunity to communicate with them, or even be highly favored by them, you just wouldn’t be able to enjoy the familiarity that comes with being in their family.  God made it easy to become part of His family but it does remain that it is a choice, not automatic.  If it had been automatic, then everyone post-Christ would be considered part of His family as sons and daughters, but the New Testament is clear that there are believers and non-believers, else there would be no reason to evangelize the way Paul and Peter did, to accept holy spirit and become children.  The “predestination” referred to here is God’s foreknowledge of who would choose to be in or out, not that He is making them choose or that He capriciously liked Suzy better than Frankie so she gets in and he doesn’t, and Frankie undeservedly gets a raw deal.   Some people do not want to be in God’s family and He knows that – He would be happier if everyone did, but He gave everyone free will to either choose to be in or out.  However, this does not mean that He doesn’t love you if you are not part of His family:

John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him [Christ] should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Believers used to be unbelievers until they chose to be in His family.  But God still loved all of us enough to provide a means for anyone to choose, and His heart longs for us to come to Him because we want to, not because we have to.  He wants to provide for us and shower us with good things as a good father would – all He wants is for us believe in Him and to love Him back.

There are three instances in the Bible of God being called Abba.  The first is from Jesus Christ, His firstborn, when he petitioned his Father for help.  Unfortunately God had to let him endure the cross to make sonship available to all.

Mark 14:36 And he [Christ] said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

The next occurrence is the revealed doctrine that we now have holy spirit available to us, and that once we accept it, God is our Daddy, and Jesus Christ is our brother.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God [internally, which requires having the spirit of God], they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The final occurrence is in Galatians.  It is plainly said that the believer’s status is in His Family now.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

So why “Father”?  He wanted us to understand Him as a loving God, full of power and authority, and beyond that, One who has provided for us to either accept or reject Him and His family, but He is willing to adopt us who were unworthy into his bosom because He wanted people to come to Him by their own free will and not because they were being forced to.  A “daddy” is more intimate than a Lord or Almighty God or any other name that caused Old Testament nations to fear and tremble at His might; His heart is for us to simply love Him and thank Him for His kindness, provision, getting us out of scrapes and gifting us with good things, and telling Him about our day, as a tender Abba enjoys the time He spends with His children.

Related posts

• Introduction to Biblical Research (1)
• Belief and Logic (0)
• Two Natures? (Part One) (1)
• Where Are The Miracles? (5)
• Romans on Righteousness (Part One) (4)

Categories: 02) By Jane Harvester, 22) More Biblical Considerations
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