| by Dwight Fleming (California) |
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| “In the beginning . . . God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” Genesis 1:1, 27. Both a man and a woman picture the likeness and nature of God. We primarily only see the masculine side of God while the feminine side of God is not as obvious. There is God the Father and Jesus the Son of God. Both members of the Godhead are described as masculine and for good reason. But if the Godhead is both male and female, then where can we find the feminine characteristics of God in the Bible? We read in the Old Testament about the giving of the Law to Moses. It usually falls to the dad to “lay down the law” to his children to help them to learn discipline and obedience. Thus, discipline and obedience are usually considered masculine traits. Yet the sternness of de-manded obedience needs to be balanced with forgiveness, tenderness, encouragement, and mercy which are often expressed by the mom. The New Testament largely emphasizes mercy, forgiveness, and grace. These are qualities that women are more prone to display and thus are considered to be feminine in nature. It has been said that the Old Testament pictures a Father’s love (obedience or discipline) while the New Testament pictures a Mother’s love (mercy, forgiveness, grace). “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” John 1:17. When a child knows that he or she has done something wrong, they will often first go to the parent whom they know is more prone to show them mercy and may also intercede for them with the other parent. I have watched this happen at times with my sister’s kids. They know how to play one parent against another. Usually, my sister is the one to respond to their plea for mercy but not always. This is typical of most families with both parents present and who try to work together as a team. And this also reflects the spiritual or heavenly realm. Amom will often intercede for her children. This is also the role of the High Priest. “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin: Who can have compassion [a fem-inine quality] on the ignorant, and on them that are going astray for that he himself is subject to weakness” Hebrews 5:1-2 (KJV and NIV). So, a High Priest, similar to a mom, intercedes on the behalf of his people for their sins. The book of Hebrews deals with the importance of the role of a High Priest and the sacrifices that are offered for sin. Hebrews 4, verses 14 to 16 read: “Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.” “Touched with the feeling of our infirmities” sounds like a feminine quality to me that a High Priest needs to have to properly function as our intercessor. Think about this: If all Christ had to do was shed His blood to give us salvation, then why didn’t He just instantly turn into flesh as a full-grown man and have the devil stab Him with a spear and then bleed to death? This would have taken about half an hour, maybe an hour at most. Wouldn’t that have flipped the switch for us? So, instead of going to “hell,” all we have to do is “believe” on Christ and presto we are now on the glory road to heaven! (Pardon my touch of humor. No disrespect intended.) Instead, Jesus became a microscopic cell that united with an egg in Mary. Just like the rest of us. He was born after nine months of being carried in his mother’s womb just like the rest of us. He cried and needed changing just like any baby would. He crawled and learned to walk just like the rest of us. He played and learned to talk just like the rest of us also did. He may at times have smashed his finger or stubbed his toe while working with his human dad, who was an average Joe (Joseph). He lived as any other human being for over 33 years on this earth before his brutal death. Why so? So, he would know what it is like to live in this flesh just like the rest of us. This he had to do in order to qualify to be our High Priest. When we were little and something hurt us and made us cry, we would run to our moms for comforting. Somehow, mom would always find a way to make it better. This is what moms do. This is also what a High Priest does. A High Priest displays the feminine side of God. Jesus Christ is our High Priest who intercedes on our behalf to God the Father. In that sense, Jesus plays a feminine role. Yet, Jesus is also the Head of the church which is the body of Christ. In that sense, Jesus plays a masculine role in relation to the church which is His spiritual body. Thus, Jesus wears multiple hats which may be a little confusing for some. “For it pleased the Father that in him [Jesus] should all fullness dwell” Colossians 1:19. “For in him [Jesus] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” Colossians 2:9. What is the fullness of the Godhead? In the beginning, God created man in his image and after his likeness, both male and female. It takes a man and a woman to create a family. Two men can’t do it: neither two women. It takes two, but they must be male and female. There are two members of the Godhead: The Father and the Son. When a woman starts her menstrual cycle, she sheds blood. Which member of the Godhead shed blood? Does Jesus play both a masculine and a feminine role? As we have already seen, as the Head of the church, He plays a masculine role. And, at the same time, as our High Priest, He plays a feminine role by interceding on our behalf to the Father. Does the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Jesus pertain to His playing both masculine and feminine roles? If so, this would not make Jesus’ superior to the Father. Rather, Jesus completes or makes full the Godhead just as a woman completes a man. The Father has created all things through Jesus (Col. 1:16) just as a man can only create a family through a woman. Is this not the design and witness of God? “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is head of the church; and he is the savior of the body . . . This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” Ephesians 5:23, 32. “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished as he has declared to his servants the prophets” Revelation 10:7. “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep but we all shall be changed; in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trump” I Corinthians 15:51-52. What is this mystery? It has to do with the church which is pictured as a woman as the body and bride of Christ. Don’t all men say that a woman is a “mystery”? God does too! Has not the feminine side of God been kept a mystery? Just as in nature, the female is often camouflaged so that she is hidden from enemies while nesting. This is for her protection. Satan hates the church which is pictured as a woman. At Christ’s return, the church will be born into God’s family. We will be born of God. We will serve as kings and priests (see Revelation 5:10). Here again, with kings and priests, we see masculine and feminine roles. As we have seen, the Old Testament with the New Testament represent Law and Grace which are masculine and feminine characteristics of God. And they also serve as a type of Two Witnesses of God since God is male and female. It is believed by many that the Two Witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11 will be a type of Elijah and Moses. Sounds very possible. And that we should be looking for two men of God who will fulfill those prophecies. Yet consider this as well: Rather than the Two Witnesses being two men, could it be possible that they could be a man and a woman of God? Did not the fate of the Jewish people lie in the hands of Esther who put her life at risk by going before the king to intercede for her people? (A type of high priest.) Does not Queen Elizabeth II sit today on the throne of David which is the very throne that Christ will inherit upon His return to conquer all nations? Indeed! It was Queen Isabella of Spain who went against her advisors and decided to sponsor and support Columbus’ first voyage which led to the discovery of the New World. Never underestimate the power of a woman’s intuition! |
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