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.
We’re going to continue talking about prophets and others who were empowered by or who the Holy Spirit came upon or fell upon in the Old Testament. I think we will be able to complete this study in two to three weeks but we’ll see. We are going to have to talk about how the Holy Spirit interacts with those of us under the new covenant when after Jesus ascended back to God the Father and the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell believers. We’ll do that in the next couple of weeks I hope.
Zechariah
2 Chronicles 24:20-22 (NLT)20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the LORD’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the LORD, and now he has abandoned you!”21 Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and King Joash ordered that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the LORD’s Temple.22 That was how King Joash repaid Jehoiada for his loyalty—by killing his son. Zechariah’s last words as he died were, “May the LORD see what they are doing and avenge my death!”
Zechariah was a prophet and he told king Joash what was going to happen because of the his and the nation’s disobedience. Some background is necessary and interesting here since after giving the king this message Joash ordered Zechariah killed.
The background story is this there was a king of Judah named Ahaziah. He did the same kinds of things that the kings of Israel did worshiping idols, he did evil in the Lord’s sight and he was killed, after reigning only one year. You can read about him in 2 Chronicles chapter 22 and 2 Kings chapter 8. . His mother Athaliah, when she found out that he had been killed started killing the rest of the royal family killed. Ahaziah’s sister however took his infant son, Joash, and hid him. Jehoiada (yeh-ho-yaw-daw'), who was the high priest and his wife along with Ahaziah’s sister hid him in the temple for six years. In the seventh year Jehoiada the priest led a revolt and Athaliah was killed and Joash was crowned the king of Judah. He became king at seven and he reigned for 40 years. He did he right thing for many years until his counselor Jehoiada died. His new advisors caused him to turn away from worshiping God. That’s when the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah the son of his long time adviser, Jehoiada, the one who was instrumental in saving his life and leading the revolt to make him king. After hearing what Zechariah said he had him killed because of his speaking speaking what the Lord had to him to tell Joash. So he repaid the kindness shown to him but Jehoiada by killing his son.
Jesus talked about Zechariah
Luke 11:50-51 (NLT)50 “As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world—51 from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation.
Abel was the first martyr of OT history. Zechariah, was the last, according to the order of books in the Hebrew Bible, which, unlike the English Bible, ends with Chronicles. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
The Holy Spirit in Prophecies Concerning Israel’s Future
Isaiah
Isaiah 59:20-21 (NLT)20 “The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins,” says the LORD.21 “And this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the LORD, have spoken!
While the prophecy is addressed to Israel by Isaiah who is being talked about here?
Redeemer here is gôʾēl, "kinsman-redeemer," (The Messiah) which involves a blood relationship (into which God could not enter except through the incarnation of Christ).The true people of God will ever be a witnessing people, faithfully proclaiming the truth of the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Remember the story of Ruth and Boaz. You will need to study the law of land ownership in Israel completely understand this but the short explanation is that when the Israelites entered and displaced the inhabitants of Canaan each family was given land. That land was to always remain the in hands of that family. If for some reason the family had to sell the land the nearest of kin could redeem, or buy it back and there was a formula of what the sale price could be. Naomi and her husband left Israel during a famine, he died, and when Naomi and Ruth came back she no longer owned the land but, Boaz was able to redeem Naomi’s land and in doing so, married Ruth, because he was relative. He wasn’t the nearest relative who had the first right of refusal in redeeming the land but when that relative declined then Boaz redeemed it.
Ezekiel
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NLT)1 The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones.2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out.3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign LORD,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD!5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons.8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel.13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD.14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’”
In verse 9 The breath of life is breathed from the four winds of heaven, a symbol of the universal life-giving Spirit of God. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Explanation of the Vision.
These bones are the whole house of Israel (both Israel and Judah,), whose survivors say, Our hope is lost. 12. The figure is altered from those slain on the battlefield to those dead in the grave. I will... raise you from your graves... and bring you back, out of the dark places of captivity, home into the land of Israel (rsv). And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live. The Spirit of the Lord gives life. He is the regenerating Spirit. The prophet is not here speaking of the bodily resurrection. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Ezekiel 39:25-29 (NLT)25 “So now, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation!26 They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them.27 When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see.28 Then my people will know that I am the LORD their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind.29 And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”
God speaking through Ezekiel is telling the people that when He brings them back from captivity He will pour out his Spirit on them.
Joel
Joel 2:28-32 (NLT)28 “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.30 And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth— blood and fire and columns of smoke.31 The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives.32 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said. These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.
Remember Peter says that what started on the day of Pentecost when those in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit was fulfillment of this prophecy from Joel.
In this coming manifestation of the Spirit, no distinction will be made on grounds of sex, age, or position; but a distinction will be made in the different methods by which the revelation is received and the prophetic gift exercised. That is, their sons, daughters, old persons, and youths will receive the Spirit of the Lord with all his various gifts. They will become "organs of Divine revelation" to all nations!
In the Messianic Age no distinction will be made between the bond and the free. It doesn’t matter what you social or economic status is.
Haggai
Haggai 2:3-9 (NLT)3 ‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!4 But now the LORD says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’6 “For this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land.7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”
When Cyrus the Persian destroyed the Babylonian power, he favored and promoted the Jews' return to the land of promise to rebuild the sanctuary in Jerusalem. The foundation of the new Temple was laid and the work was begun with high hopes. Soon hostile neighbors employed their devices to stop the work. The work was brought to a halt, but outward opposition to tine task was only part of the problem. A state of indifference had seized upon the fifty thousand exiles who had returned with resolve to rebuild the house of God. When Darius Hystaspes came to the Persian throne, the Temple had been untouched for some sixteen years. Haggai (and later Zechariah) was sent by God to awaken the people and bestir them from their lethargy to undertake the work of restoration. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
God was telling the people, through Haggai, to get on with rebuilding the temple and to not be afraid because His Spirit was with them.
God had not forsaken them, though he had been highly displeased with their indifference to his love and his commands. They had nothing to fear. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Zechariah
Zechariah 4:6-9 (NLT)6 Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’”8 Then another message came to me from the LORD: 9 “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.
The revelation from God to Zerubbabel was that all his work for God depended not on human strength, power, or prowess, but upon God's Spirit for fruition. By this passage it is known that oil in Scripture is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Next week
Next week we will look at indications in the Old Testament that the Holy Spirit will empower the Messiah and the Holy Spirit's ministry and the salvation of the Gentiles.
No comments:
Post a Comment