After humans are scattered at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), the Bible introduces us to Abram, later named Abraham (Genesis 11:26; 17:5). He is the main character in the journey of faith that leads to Jesus Christ and to us. Here again God takes the initiative. God is not controlled by human culture. In His sovereignty, He can speak to any person of any gender. God can call Abram’s mother or Abram’s wife, Sarai, later named Sarah. God chooses to call and to bless Abram by name (Genesis 12:1-3).
Let’s pause here to review what the inspired history reveals so far. After Adam and Eve, God has special dealings with various people, including these:
- Cain, whom God warns and later punishes (Genesis 3).
- Enoch, who walks with God (Genesis 5).
- Noah, who believes and obeys God concerning the flood (Genesis 6).
- Abraham, with whom God makes His special covenant (Genesis 12).
- Pharaoh and Abimelech, whom God strikes because of Sarah (Genesis 12, 20).
- Melchizedek, priest of God Most High (Genesis 14).
- Hagar, whose prayer God answers through an angel (Genesis 16).
- Sarah, whose laughter God exposes (Genesis 18). Later God causes her to have the child Isaac (Genesis 21).
- Lot and his daughters, whom God saves through angels (Genesis 19).
- Abraham’s servant, whose prayer for Isaac is answered (Genesis 24).
- Isaac, through whom Abraham’s covenant continues (Genesis 25).
- Jacob, similarly blessed (Genesis 28).
- Jacob’s wives, whose wombs God blesses (Genesis 29).
- Laban, whom God warns against hurting Jacob (Genesis 31).
- Er, first-born of Judah, whom God kills for his evil (Genesis 38).
- Joseph, whom God uses in Egypt to rescue Israel from famine (Genesis 39).
- Pharaoh, to whom God sends dreams and an interpreter (Genesis 41).
- Job should be included in this early period. He is tested by suffering.
Do you see a trend emerging? God can speak to females or to males, just as He wishes. His choice is His own, and not influenced by mere mortals. In the Patriarchal Age—as the name suggests—God chooses to deal primarily with the men, especially when He speaks in a direct way. They invariably are in leadership roles, even if they listen to their wives (Genesis 16, 18) or are tricked by them (Genesis 27). At times, male leadership leads to abuse, as when Abraham orders his wife to lie (Genesis 12, 20), and when Judah practices immorality but condemns Tamar for doing the same (Genesis 38). We may also note that when God chooses to appear, He takes the form of a man. The same can be said of angels (Genesis 18, 19).