Did God have a wife?

The belief in many gods was deeply ingrained in the psychology of the people of the Fertile Crescent. At the start, YHWH did not insist on being the only God who exists, but rather to be the only God whom the Israelites could worship. He was the leader and protector, and the comforter of his chosen, supposedly loyal, people. In fact, the Bible clearly says He hated Baal, and the infant sacrifice that his people practiced, and totally disapproved of the temple prostitution used by the goddess worshippers. So, to associate YHWH with a divine consort would have been distasteful, to say the least.

YHWH and his Asherah?
That's why the Samaritans had a bad reputation for being unorthodox. They always had to do things their own way. They kept their standing stones & sacred groves on the hilltops long after the Jews banned those. And the offerings left there were in remembrance of El Shaddai, the God of the Mountains, and Asherah, the fertility goddess, old names for beloved gods. Yes, YHWH assumed "El Shaddai" as his own name, thus the association.

But then, some time later, Asherah's job to promote fertility and the family became absorbed into the One God's roles, as a feminine characteristic of a whole divine personality and power. In the Bible, this female aspect of God is imagined by analogy to a mother bird sheltering her chicks under her wings. And this safety, protecting her people, becomes the job of God's presence, the Shekinah, the feeling of holy imanence during worship. Thus, Shekinah is also another name for the Holy Spirit, whose coming and going is such a mystery, like a bird on the wind.

It can seem a bit strange saying that God's own presence is another person of a triune God, but think about how distant a creator God must be, so far off that He uses the entire planet for a footstool. So, you see how He needs to give us another aspect of Himself to get up close and personal, like the wind upon your face. And this female persona always was thought of as a loving mother, hovering nearby to offer support and wise advice. Advice, too, is another job of the Holy Spirit, who speaks to the prophets, and has been called Wisdom.

But by now, this feminine Shekinah is becoming more of a paragon of how women are meant to behave. She seems willing to stay in the background, though always present, and her voice is essential, speaking peace and wisdom, advising us on what is right. When you combine this with the ideal of the woman of valor, from Proverbs 31, who works hard to support her husband, you see how important a women's role is, even in ancient Judaea. Society would collapse without her. She leads by example and influence.

But the ancient Asherah is meant to be forgotten. Asherah was divorced because she consorted with Baal, and devalued the grace of marriage. That's why adultery and abortion are still forbidden, and are the only immediate grounds for divorce. Yet even so, the prophet Amos spoke of how he, and by reflection God, always loved his wife, despite her gad-about ways, and longed for the day she would return to be his loving partner. He would quickly forgive anything to have her back, contrite and behaving properly again. If only she would look into her conscience to see how she was shaming herself.

The evolution of a deity doesn't really have to make sense. It is no longer the goddess who is YHWH's beloved, but the people of Israel, whom He rescued from bondage and gave the Law, to set them free. He wants his people to love Him, and to care about keeping a clear conscience in moral righteousness. We shouldn't wander off, "whoring" after other gods or foreign ways and ideas.

By the way, Jesus rarely talks about the Holy Spirit, until he promises to send the Helper and Comforter. He said that She is never supposed to speak for Herself, but only about Jesus and the Father. She is the source of holy wisdom, teaching quietly in the background. Earlier passing mentions of the Spirit of the Lord are just referring to the influence and teachings of the Father prompting Jesus to speak. All of this mysterious doctrine of the Trinity is just Christian theologians trying to figure out how to maintain unity in the church, and hold on to their own authority to teach. Weeding out separatists, claiming to be inspired to make up their own doctrines, can get to be a messy business.

You can believe it if you want, as it most certainly helps to imagine God as a great mystery, away up in Heaven. He sends his Son to teach us how to please Him, to be an example of righteousness, and to be the bridge to help us get there. And the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts to guide us and help us to reform our own character. She helps us to understand, interpret and apply the Law and the ideals of morality (truth, freedom, love and wisdom) in our daily lives, now so far removed from antiquity.

And if it helps to put a personal face on the divine, Catholics have agreed that Mother Mary also ascended into Heaven, and is now the Queen of Heaven, just like the old title given to YHWH's Asherah. Full circle, except this time she is not a goddess. She was a simple, acceptably stainless human woman, suitable to be a paragon for other women to emulate.