woman. He chooses twelve men to be his apostles. The apostles tell the churches that all the overseers -- the pastor/elders who teach and have authority ( 1 Timothy 2:12 ) -- should be men; and that in the home, the head who bears special responsibility to lead, protect, and provide should be the husband ( Ephesians 5:22 -- 33 )." John Piper is not claiming here that God is male -- that would be to confer sexual identity that is not appropriate for our Triune God. But Piper is underlining the number of times God uses male metaphors to describe himself, suggesting that God uses male metaphors pervasively. Although he does not claim that these male metaphors are used exclusively, he chooses not to mention that God also uses quite a lot of feminine metaphors. Even a quick google search will get you the following: God as mother bear: Hosea 13:8 "Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open" God as midwife: Psalm 22:9 "Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you . . ." Jesus as mother hen: Matthew 23:37  "how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" God as mother: Deuteronomy 32:18: "You deserted the Rock, who bore you. You forgot the God who gave you birth." God as mother: Isaiah 66:13: "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you."