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What is the Sexuality of G-d According to The Bible?

— In the previous article, we established that G-d is androgynous in gender. If G-d is androgynous, then what is the sexuality of G-d?

by Rebecca Wallace Keene

What is the Sexuality of G-d in the Torah?

Bisexual

While some people may think of discussing G-d’s sexuality as blasphemy, the authors of  The Bible did not believe so. The Bible has a lot to say on the topic.

In the Torah, we see G-d as married to all of Israel, both male and female. Indeed, the Song of Songs has G-d speak of taking their lover, Israel, into their bed

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
4 Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.”

In this example, G-d is bisexual as Israel contains both men and women.

Pansexual

However, to definitively answer the question of what is the sexuality of G-d, we need to look at other examples of G-d’s sexuality in The Bible. G-d describes themself as having birthed Israel from their womb.

“Listen to Me, O House of Jacob,
All that are left of the House of Israel,
Who have been carried since birth,
Supported since leaving the womb:
Till you grow old, I will still be the same;
When you turn gray, it is I who will carry;
I was the Maker, and I will be the Bearer;”

That implies G-d was at some point pregnant. So, who is the father? G-d often refers to themself as Israel’s father as well. Deuteronomy 1:31 says, “31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” If G-d was pregnant, birthed a child, and was both mother and father, this is an example of asexual reproduction in The Bible. In this example, we see that G-d’s sexuality is fluid. G-d can and does play both the male and female roles in sexual relations.  G-d is not bound to sexual relations with only one gender, as G-d is androgynous in gender. In this sense, we might say that G-d is pansexual, able to have sexual relations with all genders.

Heteropoly

Further proof of G-d’s sexuality is that in addition to his metaphorical marriage to Israel, archaeology suggests that G-d had a goddess as a wife. William G. Dever, in his book Did God Have A Wife? Archaeology And Folk Religion In Ancient Israel, explains that we have found inscriptions of people worshipping “Yahweh and his Asherah” in ancient Israel. Of course, The Torah we have today prohibits the worship of anyone, but G-d. However, scholars believe this is because Asherah was purposely written out by a patriarchal society. Whatever the reason, if G-d did or does have a wife and also proclaims to be married to Israel, G-d is a polygamist. That shouldn’t be shocking as most men in The Torah had multiple wives. Further, this does show G-d in a traditional heterosexual relationship with one other being, which is in contrast to the examples we have examined thus far.

What is the Sexuality of G-d in The New Testament?

Lesbian

Finally, The New Testament tells a story of the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary and impregnating her.  As we established in Do Spirits Have Genders According to The Bible? The Holy Spirit is feminine. The word Ruach is feminine in Hebrew and The Spirit functions as a messenger between G-d and a prophet. She is seen to have creative and sanctifying power. These powers are considered feminine. So, that means that when The Spirit comes upon Mary the union is that of two females. In this example, G-d’s sexuality would then be Lesbian.

Clearly, G-d has a wide range of sexuality in The Bible. Therefore, in today’s language, we would say that G-d is pansexual and poly. G-d doesn’t choose who they love based on their gender. Rather, G-d loves all their creation.   Do not judge those who love freely without boundaries, for they are acting in the nature of our G-d, who is love.

This is the last article in a series of four. Please, click here and read the previous three articles, if you have not already done so. Please, also read my book for more information about sexuality in The Bible.

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Do Spirits Have Sexuality According to The Bible?

— In my last article, I showed that according to The Bible, spirits have genders. However, gender and sexuality are different things. Do spirits have sexuality?

by Rebecca Wallace Keene

Do Spirits Have Sexuality In The New Testament?

The Bible seems to suggest that yes Spirits do have sexuality.  Of course, the most obvious example comes from the New Testament when The Spirit of The Lord “comes upon” Mary and impregnates her. This is a clear description of a spirit having sexual relations which results in a birth.  Luke 1:35: “‘The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

This is a very interesting passage because, as we established in the last article, The Holy  Spirit is feminine. This means The Spirit, female, came upon Mary, also female, and this union resulted in a child. As Sojourner once said, “Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From G-d and a woman. Man had nothing to do with him!” Yes. Lesbian sexuality is in The Bible, and, if you believe The New Testament, it created Jesus.

Do Spirits Have Sexuality In The Torah?

However, The New Testament is not the only place that shows spirits, or even G-d, as a sexual being. The Torah also has many verses that allude to Spirits having sexuality.

In Genesis 6:4, angels see the daughters of men and lust after them. Eventually, they mate with the women resulting in offspring. Clearly, they are sexual beings. The verse tells us: “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” The Nephilim, as described by the non-canonical Book of Enoch, were giants, who resulted from the union of humans and angels.

In The Song of Songs, we see G-d speaking about Israel as his wife, whom he wishes to take to bed.  This entire book reads like a love letter. Clearly, then G-d has sexual desire and sexuality. This passage, like the story of Mary and The Holy Spirit,  is also an overtly descriptive sexual scene. It says:

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
4 Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.”

While these are the most vivid examples of spirits being sexual in the Torah, they are far from the only examples.  So, the answer to our question is yes. Spirits do have sexuality and desire. What sexuality then do we assign to G-d?

For more information about sexuality in The Bible please read my book.

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!

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What is the Gender of G-d According to the Bible?

— In our previous post, we established that spirits do have genders. Thus, if we believe G-d to be a spiritual being, she/he must have a gender. The question then becomes, what is the gender of G-d?

by Rebecca Wallace Keene

 

The Bible tends to use the pronoun he for G-d. For this reason, throughout history, G-d has been seen as only a man. However, this ignores the fact The Holy Spirit is feminine in Hebrew, as we established in our post “Do Spirits Have Genders?”. It also ignores the many references in the Bible to G-d as a mother.

Aspects of G-d

Therefore, in order to determine G-d’s gender we need to explore the aspects and actions of G-d. We also need to examine the Biblical text for references to G-d’s gender.

What is the Gender of G-d if G-d is Creator

Perhaps G-d’s most important aspect is Creator. Genesis tells us G-d created the world. She/He also created humans in their own image. Which gender creates life in their own image? Only females. Only females have the ability to create new life on this planet. While reproduction does require both males and females, without the female’s ability to sustain that life within herself no new souls would be born into our world. Therefore, creation is a feminine aspect.

Warrior

However, G-d has masculine features too. She/he plays the role of a warrior. When the Pharoh refuses to let The Israelites go G-d sends 10 plagues the last of which is the death of every firstborn Egyptian child.  G-d also goes before the Israelites into war. Typically, we think of warfare as a masculine quality. Therefore, we can not say that G-d is only feminine.

Comforter

Yet, another feminine aspect of G-d is that of a comforter. Both Psalms and Isaiah assure us that G-d is our comforter. Isaiah 51:12 tells us: “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,”.   Psalm 23:4 states, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Mothers and females are usually thought of as the comforters. Thus, we see that G-d has another feminine aspect.

Disciplinarian

Still, G-d also functions as a strict disciplinarian. Proverbs 3:11-12 teaches us:

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline

or be weary of his reproof,

12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,

as a father the son in whom he delights.

As Deuteronomy 8:5 reminds us discipline is often thought to come from a masculine aspect, such as a father.  “5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.” Thus, if G-d is both a comforter and a disciplinarian, G-d has aspects of both the feminine mother and the masculine father. This androgynous gender of G-d  continues to be seen as we look at G-d through the study of Kabbalah.

What Gender is G-d in Kabbalah?

The study of Kabbalah teaches us the following aspects of G-d: Crown, Understanding, Wisdom, Justice/Judgement,  Love/Mercy, Splendor/Majesty, Victory, Beauty/Compassion, Foundation, and Kingdom. These aspects make up The Kabbalah Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is balanced with a feminine trait on one side and its masculine counterpart on the other. For example, love/mercy are across from Justice/judgment. Love and mercy are considered feminine while justice/judgment are considered masculine.

Therefore, G-d clearly has aspects that are male and aspects that are feminine. It is important to note that the only aspect of G-d on the tree which is connected to all the others is Beauty/Compassion which is at the center or heart of the tree. Beauty and compassion are feminine aspects of G-d and they are the center or heart of all the other aspects. They are where all the aspects of God connect. Shekhinah in Kabbalah studies is a purely feminine aspect of G-d and is seen as a mother or sister. It represents nurturing and compassion. This is the lowest aspect of the Kabbalah tree of life and is therefore responsible for linking the lower physical world to the higher realm.  Shekhinah is the Jewish Divine Feminine and is mentioned in the Zohar, Midrash, and Talmud, as stated by Shekhinah: The Divine Feminine.

What is the Gender of G-d in Torah Verses?

Mother

In the Torah we see G-d spoken of in terms of a mother. Isaiah 46:3-4 has G-d declare that she/he has carried Isreal in their womb, born them, and will carry them.

“Listen to Me, O House of Jacob,
All that are left of the House of Israel,
Who have been carried since birth,
Supported since leaving the womb:

Till you grow old, I will still be the same;
When you turn gray, it is I who will carry;
I was the Maker, and I will be the Bearer;

“And I will carry and rescue [you].

Clearly, this is an image of G-d as a female, for we know that only a female has the ability to carry and give birth to children.

Father

However, we also see G-d as a father. Deuteronomy 1:31 has Moses tell the people, “31 and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Thus, G-d is both mother and father according to the Torah.

What is the Gender of G-d if G-d is Wisdom

Yet, G-d also appears as lady wisdom. As we saw in The Kabbalah Tree Of Life, Wisodm is an aspect of G-d. As Feminine Images of God pointed out, G-d is portrayed as the feminine lady Wisdom in Proverbs. Proverbs 8:1 clearly states that Wisdom is a” her.” “Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?” Lady Wisdom tells us in Proverbs 8:30 that she was present at the time of creation. This should be of no surprise as we know that creation is a feminine aspect of G-d.

So, G-d is Androgynous. G-d has aspects of both the male and the female. She/he is both mother and father.  G-d is the original they/them. Be very careful when you judge Gender Fluid or Trangender people, for they are truly made in the image of our creator. Do not tell women that they are inferior or not able to teach. For G-d in the feminine creator aspect of Lady Wisdom created the world. Women are the embodiment of wisdom.

If G-d’s gender is androgynous, what is the sexuality of G-d? Stay tuned for the last article in this series to find out. You can click here, and enter your email address to be notified of all future articles.  To learn more about gender and sexuality in The Bible please read my book.

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Do Spirits Have Genders According to The Bible?

— Do spirits have genders? This question is important for our understanding of G-d. While it may seem a hard question to answer, The Torah has a lot to say on the subject.

by Rebecca Wallace Keene

Do Spirits Have Genders in Grammar

First, we know that grammatically the word for spirit is feminine in Hebrew.  The Hebrew word Ruach means spirit or breath and it is grammatically feminine.  This alone doesn’t automatically mean that a spirit is female as the grammatical gender of a word in Hebrew doesn’t necessarily refer to physical gender.  Yet, the term Ruach in Hebrew thought is the messenger between G-d and the prophet. Therefore she is seen as having creative and sanctifying feminine power, as The Holy Spirit: The Feminine Aspect Of the Godhead stated. This suggests that Ruach is feminine in more than just grammar. That would mean, Spirits do have genders.

Do Spirits Have Genders In Torah Verses

Genesis

For further proof, we must look to specific verses in the Torah.  If we believe that each of us was created with a spirit or with the breath of G-d, then the creation stories in the book of Genesis have a lot to say about the gender of spirits. Genesis tells us that G-d created us in her/his image, male and female she/he created us. This would suggest that spirits do have gender and can be either gender. Still, some may argue that the gender referred to in Genesis applies only to our physical form and not to our spirit.

Angels

Therefore, we must look to other examples. Angels in the Torah are always referred to as men. This clearly means that angels do have genders.  In fact, this is how homosexuality has come to be associated with the story of Sodom in modern culture. The angels in the story, who the men wanted to rape, were male.  Genesis and the noncanonical book of Enoch record a story of angels lusting after and mating with human women. If angels have lustful feelings and sexuality it seems likely there must be female angels. Otherwise, why would angels be created with sexual desire for females? So, this again leads us to the conclusion that spirits have genders and can be either gender.

What Does It Mean If Spirits Have Genders

So, do spirits have genders? It seems clear that The Torah supports the idea that spirits do have genders. This is significant when we try to understand G-d and the heavenly host. Clearly, if they are spiritual beings, they must have genders.  What genders should we apply to them? For too long G-d has been referred to as only male. Is this a fair and accurate description, especially since the Hebrew word for spirit is feminine?

These are topics I plan to discuss in upcoming blogs and my upcoming book The Gender and Sexuality of G-d. So, please come back and read the next few blogs.  You can subscribe and be updated about all future posts by clicking here and entering your email address.

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!