Board Thread:Bible Games/@comment-31246436-20161025190507/@comment-1777104-20161125204939

God is Spirit, rather than "a Spirit" the same way that He is light. It is part of the nature of Yahweh. However, that same thing can be said for the appellation "Father" (or "Abba"). It is the nature of God as Creator to bring into being ("beget") and that is the function of a father. Jesus is not using "metaphor" when He calls Yahweh "Father."

It is not a cultural accommodation to refer to God as male. However, it is clear that both male and female are created in God's image. God has set up roles for human government, starting with the family. As a rule, the male is supposed to have the leadership role. The pattern goes all the way back to Genesis 3.