Precisely, at what moment, did YHVH become ‘God the Father’ - a title of God found 16 times in the New
Testament - but conspicuously absent from the Old Testament?
Ancient Israel did not see YHVH as a ‘Father figure.’ And Muhammad, who came from the lineage of Israel’s cousin, Ishmael, was adamantly opposed to the Christian idea that God sired a Son.
Since most Christians believe in the doctrine of the ‘incarnation of Christ,’ that a second person in God or with God divested Himself of His deity, and became a child in the womb of Mary - they don’t really believe that YHVH actually ‘fathered’ a Son.
So is the title ‘God the Father’ just an honorary title, or does it mean what it says: that YHVH became a ‘Father’ by He, Himself, miraculously begetting or siring a child in the womb of the virgin Mary?
The Greek word ‘Gennao’ is a verb that means ‘to father,’ ‘to beget,’ or ‘to generate’ a child. The Hebrew equivalent is the verb, ‘Yalad’, which means to ‘bear,’ ‘bring forth,’ or ‘beget.’ In the New Testament we read that Isaac was the “only begotten son” of Abraham (HEBREWS 11:17) - and that Jesus was the “only begotten son” of God (JOHN 1:14,18; 3:16). Yet most Christians do not believe that YHVH actually ‘fathered’ Jesus, but rather that Jesus voluntarily emptied Himself of ‘His Deity’ and was enfleshed within the womb of Mary. Such an ‘incarnation’ would not require YHVH’S involvement at all, making Jesus His own ‘father.’
As ‘Father’s Day’ approaches in America, it is essential to know when ‘fatherhood’ originated and how.
Were Adam & Eve ‘fathered’ by YHVH - or simply created? We don’t have to guess, your Bible tells us: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being… then the rib which YHVH God had taken from man, He made into a woman.” (GENESIS 2:7;22) Neither Adam, nor Eve were the result of a female egg and a male sperm coming together through a sexual union, or in a lab. Instead, the first man and woman were ‘formed’ and ‘made’ directly by God.
The first example of ‘fatherhood’ is found in the 4th chapter of Genesis: “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain…” (GENESIS 4:1) Adam became the first ‘father figure’ by knowing (through sexual intimacy) his wife Eve, causing her to conceive and eventually give birth to the first Human baby. A patriarchal society ensued, with children taking on their father’s name, and genealogies of family lines taken from a father’s lineage.
Although YHVH did not ‘father’ anyone in Old Testament times, the title ‘Father’ is applied to Him metaphorically in several texts: “Do you (Israel) thus deal with the Lord (YHVH), O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you? (DEUT.32:6); “For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.” (JEREMIAH 31:9) In the same way Americans refer to George Washington as “the father of our nation,’ YHVH was the ‘Father of Israel.’
But all this changes in the New Testament: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” (MATTHEW 1:18) Contrary to popular belief, the Holy Spirit is not another person with God, or ‘in’ God, or the Holy Spirit would be the ‘Father’ of Jesus. Jesus said: “GOD IS SPIRIT…” (JOHN 4:24) And the apostle Paul concurred: “Now the Lord is the Spirit…” (II CORINTHIANS 3:17) Therefore, from this moment on, YHVH is referred to throughout the New Testament as ‘GOD THE FATHER’: “For He (Jesus) received from God the Father, honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (II PETER 1:17)
Not one Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament conveys the idea that in the future, ‘the word’’ would empty Himself of His deity and become a child in the womb of a virgin. On the contrary, in every case, the coming Messiah was prophesied to come from the line of Abraham (GENESIS 12:3), and Judah (GENESIS 49:10,11) and be born of a virgin (ISAIAH 7:14). Nowhere in the Old Testament is ‘the word’ described as a person. Rather it is simply presented as the expression of God Himself: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (ISAIAH 55:11)
One of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah points to a certain ‘day’ in the future ‘when’ YHVH would become a Father: “I will declare the decree: The Lord (YHVH) has said to Me (the coming Christ), ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’ Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance…” (PSALM 2:7,8) The apostle Paul refers to this text in the book of Hebrews: “For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You?’ And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?’ But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.” (HEBREWS 1:5,6) Is God a ‘Father’ because, He fathered a Son? Is Jesus truly God’s firstborn Son? The whole New Testament repeatedly answers an emphatic YES!
So what ‘day’ was Messiah ‘begotten’? Your Bible doesn’t tell us explicitly, but it does say that shepherds were in the fields (LUKE 2:8), which would not have happened in the Winter. Many scholars believe Jesus was born in the Fall season, based on the cycle of Zechariah’s temple service (LUKE 1:8,9) during which Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist was conceived.
There are 2 texts in the New Testament which connect the statement: “You are My Son, today I have begotten you,’ to the resurrection of Christ: “Concerning His Son, He came into being from the seed of David according to the flesh. He was appointed Ben-Elohim (Son of God) in power according to the Ruach (Spirit) of holiness, BY THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD” (ROMANS 1:3,4 DRAKE); “And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that HE HAS RAISED UP JESUS. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’ (ACTS 13:32,33) These texts state clearly, that the ‘Day’ Jesus became the eternal ‘Son of God’ - was the day of His resurrection from the dead.
Paul wrote to Timothy that God “alone has immortality.” (I TIMOTHY 6:16) Jesus confirms this little known truth, saying, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself…” (JOHN 5:26) The ‘Son of God’ was ‘granted’ life in Himself (immortality) at His resurrection: “And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (I CORINTHIANS 15:45)
We, as brothers & sisters of Christ (HEBREWS 2:11), are also considered God’s children: “…the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” (ROMANS 8:21-23). The difference between us and Christ is that we were made in the image & likeness of God (GENESIS 1:27), but Jesus was “the express image of God” (HEBREWS 1:3). Jesus was also ‘the only begotten Son of God’ (JOHN 3:16), while we are the adopted children of God.
God’s plan from the beginning, was ‘fatherhood’: “But did He not make them (Man & woman) one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? HE SEEKS GODLY OFFSPRING.” (MALACHI 2:15) That’s why the apostle Paul prayed: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (EPHESIANS 3:14-19)