The Church of Divine Guidance (CDG) Sunday morning adult bible study group is doing a study of The Holy Spirit. The study will look at who the Holy Spirit is, His role in the Trinity, His interaction with man, His role in and after man's salvation. This is an intense study of the Holy Spirit in scripture. We are using the bible as our primary reference resource. These posts are my notes for each session. Please study with us. You can participate by asking your questions or making comments below. We welcome your thoughts, questions, comments, and prayers
Last week we started the part of our study where we are going to look at the Holy Spirit as revealed in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit is revealed in:
Creation - In the very first verses of the Bible the Holy Spirit is seen as involved in the creation of the universe.
Genesis 1:1-2 (NLT)1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Revelation - One of the names of the Holy Spirit we talked about was Author of Scripture. That applies to all scripture Old as well as New Testament.
The writer of Hebrews said that the Psalmist got revelation from the Holy Spirit to write what he wrote in Psalms 95.
Hebrews 3:7(NLT)That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice,8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.
Psalm 95:6-9 (NLT)6 Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,7 for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today!8 The LORD says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness.9 For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did.
Filling - In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit filled individuals for various kinds of service and in the Old Testament some cases of filling are explicitly seen as temporary. A good example of the temporary nature of the filling of the Spirit in the Old Testament occurred in the life of Israel’s first king, Saul.
Saul
1 Samuel 10:9-10 (NLT)9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day.10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.
In some cases this filling is explicitly seen as temporary as with Saul He was disobedient and didn’t follow God’s command to completely destroy all the Amalekites and everything they owned. He spared the life of the king and kept the good stuff.
1 Samuel 15:7-9 (NLT)7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt.8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else.9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
Samson
Samson's strength was related to having the Spirit of God. When Samson had the Spirit, he was strong
Judges 14:19 (NKJV) Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father's house.
When Samson turned to immorality and broke the Nazarite Vow, the Spirit left him. He was not to have anything to do with grapes or wine, or cut his hair.
Judges 16:20 (NKJV) And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
The Holy Spirit even left the temple in Jerusalem.
When Israel turned away from God and the people were carried away into Babylonian captivity, Ezekiel saw a vision depicting God's Spirit leaving the temple.
Ezekiel 10:18 (NKJV) Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.
But remember don’t confuse temporary filling with the indwelling of the believer at salvation. This is a permanent act of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Remember salvation is permanent and so is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascension and God sending the Holy Spirit.
John 14:15-17 (NLT)15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
Acts 1:4-5 (NLT)4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before.5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
We also started looking at the occurrences and work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.
The Holy Spirit as the Source of Life
We already looked at Genesis 1:2
His Striving with Man
Genesis 6:3 (NKJV) And the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."
The Holy Spirit as a Teacher and Guide
Nehemiah 9:20 (NLT) You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.
The Holy Spirit as the Manifestation of God's Presence
Psalm 139:7-12 (NLT)7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.
Psalm 51:11 (NLT) Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
Today we are going to begin with The Holy Spirit’s Special Relationship with Israel
The Scriptures are quite clear that among all the nations in the world, God chose Israel as the one He would work with. This was the nation that God delivered out of slavery in Egypt, the nation to whom God gave the land of Canaan, and the nation through whom would come Jesus, the Messiah.Was there something special about these people unlike others?
No!!!
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (NLT)6 For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.7 “The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!8 Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Now go back to:
Exodus 19:5-6 (NLT)5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.6 And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”
That covenant God made with Israel was based on the law that He gave Moses but it didn’t cancel the covenant that he to Abraham the patriarch of Israel. It was from Abraham that Israel came.
Genesis 15:18-21 (NLT)18 So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River—19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
That covenant, with Abraham, was made before the one that God made with the nation of Israel which was based on the law.
Galatians 3:17 (NLT)17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise.
That covenant with Abraham was based on what?
Abraham’s faith. He believed God.
Galatians 3:6-7 (NLT)6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
Galatians 3:29 (NLT)29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.
So now we are included in that relationship that the Holy Spirit had/has with Israel because we, the children of God/the church are Abraham’s hiers by faith.
So why did God choose Israel?
Because He made a covenant with Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation and occupy the land of Canaan.
Genesis 12:7 (NLT) Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Genesis 17:7-8 (NLT)7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
God blessed Abraham and his descendants because of Abraham’s faith.
This promise was repeated to Abraham’s son, Isaac;
Genesis 26:23-24 (NLT)23 From there Isaac moved to Beersheba,24 where the LORD appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.”
And his grandson Jacob;
Genesis 28:1-4 (NLT)1 So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women.2 Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters.3 May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations!4 May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.”
Genesis 28:13 (NLT) At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, “I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.
What was God’s purpose in choosing Israel?
Now I want you to remember what I said earlier about the church in relationship to Israel.
God’s purpose in choosing Israel was for them to be a model nation to other nations and that through them “all the families of the earth” would be blessed. It is the same today with the church.
Genesis 12:3 (NLT) I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
He wanted Israel to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”
Exodus 19:6 (NLT) And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”
Exodus 19:5 (NLT) Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.
When they disobeyed God, they would be punished.
Deuteronomy 28 has a litany of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience of the nation of Israel.
While God chose to work with the Israel the other nations were not completely excluded.
God instructed the ancient Israelites that they were to respect peoples of other nations who came to live with them.
An example are the rules for the Passover;
Exodus 12:48-49 (NLT)48 “If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the LORD’s Passover, let all their males be circumcised. Only then may they celebrate the Passover with you like any native-born Israelite. But no uncircumcised male may ever eat the Passover meal.49 This instruction applies to everyone, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner living among you.”
A great example of God’s acceptance of non-Israelites Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite but because of the love for her mother-in-law Naomi, an Israelite she became a follower of God. She followed Naomi back the Israel after her husband died and then she married an Israelite man named Boaz who was the great, grandfather of David, thus Ruth a Moabite woman became part of the family lineage God selected for Jesus. You can find that lineage in Matthew 1:1-19.
How does Peter describe the people of God who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
He describes us as chosen royal priests, a holy nation and like the nation of Israel we are to be models to show the goodness of God to the world. That’s why He called us. Other nations would see that when the Israelites obeyed God, they were blessed
The Holy Spirit Filled and Empowered Men in the Old Testament
A. Craftsmen, Artists, Designers, Builders:
We mentioned the name of Bezalel last week.Bezalel (and others, involved with tabernacle furnishings):
Exodus 31:1-6 (NKJV)1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:2 "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze,5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.6 And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all who are gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you:
Two men were named by the Lord to supervise the carrying out of the directions for the Tabernacle. They were men who had been endowed by God with the wisdom and talent necessary for this very thing—Bezaleel of Judah and Aholiab of Dan. Their own skills they were to pass on by instructing the others. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Exodus 35:30-36:1 (NKJV)30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship,32 to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze,33 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.34 And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.35 He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver--those who do every work and those who design artistic works. 36: 1 "And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the LORD has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the LORD has commanded."
David as a designer:
1 Chronicles 28:11-12 (NKJV)11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat;
12 and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things;
The plans for the Temple were divinely inspired, just as had been those of Moses' Tabernacle before it (Ex 25:9, 40; 27:8). For the very items of furniture and their arrangement were typical of the way in which salvation would ultimately be accomplished by Christ (Heb. 8; 9, especially 8:5). - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Hebrews 8:5 (NKJV) who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
B. Administrators and Leaders ( Including Kings) :
Joseph:
Genesis 41:38 (NKJV) 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?"Moses and the 70 Elders who help him:
Numbers 11:17, 25-29 (NKJV)
17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. 25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again. 26 But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." 28 So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, "Moses my lord, forbid them!" 29 Then Moses said to him, "Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD'S people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"
Joshua:
Numbers 27:18 (NKJV) And the LORD said to Moses: "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;Deuteronomy 34:9 (NKJV) Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Saul:
1 Samuel 10:6-7, 10 (NKJV) 6 Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you. 10 When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
David:
1 Samuel 16:13 (NKJV) 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
2 Samuel 23:1-2 (NKJV) 1 Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet Psalmist of Israel: 2 "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.
What is the example of the Holy Spirit filling and empowering mankind today?
Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,Acts 4:31 (NKJV) And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Acts 9:17 (NKJV) And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
Romans 8:9 (NKJV) But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
Then the spiritual gifts of the Spirit:
Romans 12:6-8 (NKJV) 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NKJV) 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
1 Peter 4:10-11 (NKJV) 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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