THE TYPES OF THE SPIRIT AND HIS WORK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Person of the Holy Spirit and His Deity in Part 1 of the Holy Spirit has been discussed. On this web page there will a consideration of the various types of the Holy Spirit and His work in the Old Testament.
THE TYPES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
In discussing the types of the Holy Spirit, there must be a a general discussion of types before the specific types are examined.
1. General considerations. First of all, there will be a discussion
of the meaning of types and then will present some cautions.
This section somewhat duplicates what was presented in connection with
types of God the Father, types of the Son, and other types.
a. The definition. In considering the definition
, it needs to be presented negatively and positively.
1) What a type is not. A type is
not a metaphor; for example, "I am the door." It is not a simile; for
example: "All we like sheep have gone astray." It is not an allegory
such as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
2) What a type is. A type is a real
person, a real event, or a real thing which pictures something else and finds
its fulfillment in the antitype. This is in contrast to a symbol
which may not have any reality other than what it symbolizes. Often the terms
are used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Types are
not to be used to establish a doctrine; they only illustrate and enrich
the doctrine by picturing it.
b. The care. Care must be taken in using
types. As already stated, they do not establish a doctrine.
Some people would limit types only to expressed ones. That types
are subject to misuse and often have been is doubtlessly true. But
such limits would prevent the use of many clear examples of types.
On the other hand, trying to find types under every rock, so to speak,
must be avoid .
2. Specific considerations. In this section, specific types
will be examined. This writer does not expect agreement with him on
every type here presented.
a. The dove. This type is probably one of
the first to come to mind when one thinks of symbols of the
Holy Spirit (This type has been used as a picture on these web pages.).
The specific verses are all in the New Testament and confined to the
four gospels. Matthew 3:16 states: "And Jesus, when He was baptized,
went up straightway out of the water; and lo the heavens were opened
unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting
upon Him." Mark 1:10 and Luke 3:22 use similar language. John
1:32 reads, "And John bare record saying, 'I saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him.'" The term "like" is used
here which makes it basically a simile; however, the typology here is clearly
evident since the dove is picturing the Holy Spirit. It may well be
that the releasing of the dove by Noah was a type of the Holy
Spirit.
b. Oil. Many are the examples of oil
in the Old Testament that would serve as types of the Spirit.
Leviticus 2:1-16 describes the meal offering
which has oil mingled with the fine flour and also had oil poured on it.
This typifies the Lord Jesus Christ in that He during His life here on earth
was empowered and sustained by the Holy Spirit; the pouring of oil
on the meal would typify the Holy Spirit coming upon Christ at His baptism.
Leviticus 14:10-32 tells of the
cleansing of the leper required oil to be placed on the tip of his
ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the right big toe. It was
also poured on the blood of the sacrifice. It is the Holy Spirit
that is active in the cleansing that comes with regeneration (cf. Titus 3:5)
.
Oil was used in the lampstand in the holy
place. It was the oil that produced the light in the lampstand.
Similarly, the Holy Spirit illumines believers and produces the light
of the gospel in their hearts and minds; also, through us, the light
of the gospel shines to others. Psalm 45:7 speaks of the "Oil
of gladness" which represents the joy of the Spirit that should
shine in each life.
New Testament references are few and most
of them carry an Old Testament flavor. Matthew 25:3-8 probably is the
most well remembered story concerning oil. The story is about ten virgins,
five of them were wise and five, foolish. The five wise
ones had adequate oil supply; the foolish did not. The symbolism
here is clear; the five wise virgins had the Holy Spirit; the five foolish
did not. What the virgins represent is not a concerned here.
James 5:14 speaks of the anointing
of the sick person by the elders of the church. Dr. Harold
B. Sightler clearly stated, "The Holy Spirit is a Healer, and the oil is
a type and symbol of the blessed Holy Spirit who is God's agent. We
anoint the sick man with oil and as a recognition on our part that the Holy
Spirit is indeed the Healer." (Hebrews and James, Greenville, SC:
Tabernacle Baptist Church, 214)
Dr. Chafer made this interesting observation:
"As oil was used for healing, for comfort, for illumination, and for
anointing unto specific purposes, so the Holy Spirit heals, comforts,
illuminates, and consecrates." (Chafer, Systematic Theology, VI:47).
Oil is used for other purposes, also, such as to indicate holiness;
the Holy Spirit is the Giver of holiness in our lives
c. Water. Most people don't often think
of water as being a type of the Holy Spirit. It will be
seen, however, shortly that it is.
1) General statements. Water
has been used to set forth judgment. The Genesis flood was a judgment
against the whole world (It was anything but a local flood.). God used
the Red Sea as a judgment on Pharoah's army. In Matthew 7:25 judgment
of one's soul is pictured as a flood overthrowing the house built on
sand. Secondly, water is used as a symbol of the Word of God,
the Bible. John 3:5 sets forth this idea (This writer fully realize
that some teach this to mean something else; he believes it refers to the
water of the Word.). Titus 3:5 sets forth a similar notion.
1 John 5:6, 8 seems to this writer to refer to the Word.
2) Pictures the Holy Spirit.
John 4:14 (including the context) is in the story of the
woman in Samaria at the well. Here the living water that Jesus speaks of
is the Holy Spirit. In John 7:37-39, the Lord speaks to the
spiritually thirsty to come to Him and drink. Then He states that
if one believes on Him, "out of his belly [his innermost being]
shall flow rivers of living water." John by inspiration comments, "But
this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should
receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not
yet glorified." Clearly, therefore, this passage speaks of water as
a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Even water baptism can be symbolic
of the Holy Spirit (Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13 with Ephesians 4:5). The
complete one time bath of the high priest (Cf. Exodus 29:4 and Leviticus
8:6) is typical of the one time washing of regeneration of the
New Testament believer spoken of in Titus 3:5. That verse involves
the Holy Spirit. Then, there is the cleansing provided by the sacrifice
and ashes of the red heifer set forth in Numbers 19:2ff. which is typical
of the cleansing believers have in Christ; but note that the cleansing
takes place over running water which would typify the Holy Spirit.
d. Fire. Again, in considering this type
there is the fact that it is used of symbolically of many things.
1) General considerations. One
person has well said, "Fire is used in Scripture in many typical senses just
as other figures frequently have more than one application." (Walvoord, Op.
cit., 20) The classic work on symbols and types is F. E. Marsh,
Emblems of the Holy Spirit. He gives six uses of
the word fire which do not refer to the Holy Spirit. In Exodus
3:2, fire symbolizes God's presence. In Hebrews 12:29, one reads, "Our
God is a consuming fire." Time will not be take to list others.
2) Specific use of fire.
Fire is used as a picture of the Holy Spirit. Acts
2:3 states, "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them." The next verse indicates that they
were filled with the Holy Spirit. It does not explain here or elsewhere
what these cloven tongues like as fire were. Dr. Walvoord well states,
what this writer thinks, was their purpose: "Judging by previous usage
[in the Scriptures, that is], the appearance of fire carried with it
the thought of the Lord's presence, approval, protection, and cleansing
and sanctifying for the ministry before them." (Ibid., 21)
e. Wind. Here again, some general remarks
are made about this subject followed by the specifics.
1) General considerations. Wind
is an appropriate symbol of the Holy Spirit. Both are powerful;
both are invisible; both are immaterial (wind is the moment of air, but it
is the result of immaterial forces). The word for "wind" and
"Spirit" are the same in both Hebrew and Greek; the context, of
course, tells what is meant. Wind is many times mentioned in
the Bible as a natural phenomenon from its first occurrence in Genesis 8:1
to the last in Revelation 7:1. Some of these may well be a type of
the Spirit.
2) Specific verses. John
3:8 states, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is
every one that is born of the Spirit." Wind here illustrates
the work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth.
Acts 2:1, 2 tells
us: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were
all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heave
as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where there were sitting."
In verse four it is said that they were filled by the Holy Spirit. The
connection between the wind and the Holy Spirit is certainly clear.
2 Peter 1:21,
in connection with inspiration, states that the writers were "moved by the
Holy Spirit." The word moved literally means "driven" as
a ship by the wind; thus, we have a good illustration of this symbol
though the word wind is not actually used.
f. Servant. The Holy Spirit serves in a
servant capacity in the life of believers. This is no way belittling
or demeaning the Holy Spirit. His actions, however, are often servant-like.
The classical illustration of this servanthood of the Spirit
is Abraham's servant. The parallel between that servant and the Holy
Spirit are too obvious to doubt that the servant is a type of
the Holy Spirit. As the servant seeks a bride for Isaac, the
beloved son of Abraham, so the Holy Spirit seeks a bride for
the Lord Jesus Christ, God's beloved Son. Space does not allow mention
of other details of this story that are typical of the
Holy Spirit which would be a message in itself.
g. The seal. The seal in view here is not,
of course, the animal. Documents in the New Testament times were
sealed by some wax in which a ring or other device of the one making
the document was pressed.
Three passages speaks of the seal
in regards to the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, "Who [God]
has sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
Notice that it is God Who seals us. The word earnest is
discussed below. Ephesians 1:13 states, "In Whom [Christ]
ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation; in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with the Holy Spirit of promise." Finally, Ephesians 4:30 exhorts us,
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption."
Whether or not those who oppose
eternal security want to admit it, these verses show that
the seal teaches the security of the believer. The seal gives
the believer safety. The seal shows ownership of the believer
by God, the One Who seals (Cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22). The seal signifies
the completed transaction that God made concerning our salvation. The seal
is the mark of recognition that the believer belongs to God.
Finally, the seal shows that an obligation is required of the
believer.
h. The earnest. Three times this term is
used of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. It is not defined
except by the very meaning of the Greek word. Thayer stated that
it is "money which in purchases is given as a pledge that the full amount
will subsequently be paid." (John Henry Thayer, A Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament, 75) Thus, it is the down payment
on all that God has promised to us. 2 Corinthians 1:22 was quoted earlier.
2 Corinthians 5:5 speaks of God, "Who also hath
given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." Ephesians 1:14 says
in part, "Which is the earnest of our inheritance . . . ." The
word which refers to the Holy Spirit in verse 13. All
that we have in and through our Lord Jesus Christ is by the agency of the
Holy Spirit. In fact, He is the earnest, the down payment, of all
the riches of glory by Christ Jesus.
i. Clothed with power. The concept of
"clothed with power" is used at least seven times in the New
Testament; it does not occur in the Old. The main verse is Luke 24:49,
"And behold, I send forth the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry
ye in the city [Jerusalem], unto ye be clothed with power from
on High." Notice the Trinity is set forth here. Clearly, Jesus was
speaking of the upcoming Pentecostal experience. This figure
suggests first that it is outside of the person so endued. It
further suggests that it covers human weakness. The Holy Spirit does
both of these: He comes upon us from outside ourselves, and He covers
our weaknesses making us strong and bold when we would of ourselves
be weak and timid. Finally, notice that this is put on, not by
us, but by the Heavenly Father.
There may be other types of the Holy Spirit; but we have endeavored to present the main ones. Each of these only illustrate the work and person of the Holy Spirit; they do not teach the truth per se of the Holy Spirit.
Several works of the Holy Spirit appear in the Old Testament. These include His work in creation, His work in revelation, His work in inspiration, and His work in ministering to Old Testament people.
1. Work in creation. In considering the Holy Spirit's work in
creation, there is again need to give some general remarks before looking
at specific passages.
a. General considerations. A person needs
to recognize that one is treading, even as has been stated, on holy ground.
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit's work must of necessity
be related to the sovereign purpose of God, as must all of doctrine.
1) Two dangers. There are
two dangers that must be considered in approaching the work of the
Holy Spirit. "First, we are every prone to interpret Scripture through
experience, instead of interpreting experience through Scripture."
(Walvoord, The Holy Spirit, 29) "A second danger, in the opposite
extreme, is to limit the doctrine of the Holy Spirit to facts accepted
by all." (Ibid.)
2) Four major aspects.
There are four major aspects of the work of the
Holy Spirit that is directly related to salvation. There is the
obedience of the Holy Spirit which involves the procession of the
Holy Spirit (previously discussed); second, the part the Holy Spirit has
in creation and providence which will be soon discussed; third, there is
the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the Second Person, the Lord Jesus
Christ--this will be discussed later on a third web page; and lastly, there
is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the saints.
3) Two extremes. There
are two extremes of interpretation that need to be avoided. One
is any attempt to establish the teaching of creation by one Person
of the Trinity to the exclusion of the other two. The second
one is any attempt to neglect the diversity of the operation
of God in creation.
Creation is generally
attributed to God without special emphasis on any One of the Trinity;
this should be noted. This does not mean that there is no differentiation.
b. Specific Scriptures. There are six specific
Scriptures regarding the Holy Spirit in relation to creation. There
may be others, but these are the major ones.
1) Genesis 1:2. "And the
earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the
deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters." The word moved in this verse signifies "a
gentle motion like a dove hovering over its nest"; thus, it means "to brood
over." Interestingly, this verse occurs right at the beginning of
the Bible, just after the general statement of verse one where
the word God is a plural word and whose verb is in the singular.
2) Job 26:13. "By His Spirit
He hath garnished the heavens; His hand hath formed the crooked serpent."
The reference here to "the crooked serpent" is not Satan (although
the constellation may be a picture of the serpent of Genesis
3), but rather the well-known constellation which is called "Serpens."
Notice that the Holy Spirit garnishes or decorates the heavens; it
is He who was responsible in the economy of the Godhead to set the
stars in place in groups known as constellations. Incidentally, it
is useless to argue against constellations on the grounds that from another
place in space they would cease to be. The Bible is from an earth
viewpoint; thus, the use of constellations is legitimate.
3) Job 33:4. "The Spirit
of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given
me life." Here the word breath is the same Hebrew word as "Spirit."
This verse clearly shows that, though Elihu was speaking of himself,
the Holy Spirit was directly involved in creating the first man and
giving him life. The phrase "the breath of the Almighty hath
given me life" immediately makes one think of Genesis 2:7 which you
can read for yourself.
4) Psalm 33:6. "By the word
of the Lord were the Heavens made; and all the host of them by the
breath of His mouth." Again the word breath is the same
word as the word Spirit in Genesis 1:2, so that the latter part of
the verse could be rendered "Spirit of His mouth." It has already
been dealt with the fact that the wind or breath is a picture of the
Holy Spirit. Thus, it is clear that the Holy Spirit was active in the
making of the hosts of heaven as well as the heavens
themselves.
5) Psalm 104:30. "Thou
sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created; and Thou renewest the face of
the ground." The word created is the same Hebrew word
that is used in Genesis 1:1 and at least two or three more in that chapter.
So, though the context of our passage here does not indicate
the creation in the beginning, the word "created" clearly does. Thus, the
Holy Spirit is set forth as involved in the work of
creation.
6) Isaiah 40:12-14. "Who
hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven
with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure,
and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath
directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counsellor hast taught
Him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught
Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and shewed to
Him the way of understanding?" The Holy Spirit is mentioned in
this passage and revealed as Creator by way of implication. As
one writer well stated, "The Holy Spirit is described as the untaught,
uncounselled, and omnipotent God, Who without need of instruction or assistance
measured the waters, the dust of the earth, and the mountains.
His intimate connection with the plan and management of the universe
is apparent." (Walvoord, Op.cit, 38)
c. The use of the word Elohim. The
word Elohim is generally translated "God." This is a plural
word. Yet, when it is used for the true God, it is always used
with the singular verb. Walvoord rightly points out, "Not a single good reason
has ever been advanced for not regarding this plural as genuine. The
arguments against it have been Unitarian, Jewish, or from liberal
theology." (Ibid.) The plurality of this word is
the creation passages with the singular verb shows clearly that the
Holy Spirit was active in creation. That this word is used in Genesis
1:1 and the Holy Spirit specifically in Genesis 1:2 was previously pointed
out.
d. The immanence of the Holy Spirit. The
term "immanence" simply means indwelling or presence. As already
seen from Genesis 1:2, the Holy Spirit was very much present in the
creation. This word also implies that the Godhead, and the Holy Spirit
in particular, is actively engaged in His creation now. It is clearly
evident from the Scriptures, however, that God is transcendent as well.
Transcendence has to do with the fact that God is greater than and
beyond His creation. This is important in that God is not part of His
creation. It is likewise important to show forth that He is in control
of creation. This puts the lie to the environmentalists contention
that man is destroying our environment. This immanence of the Spirit
shows that He is active in creation. This fact goes beyond the
primary work of creation. His immanence demonstrates His
continuing preservation--as already suggested--of our universe. This
idea is suggested by Psalm 104:29, 30. In other words, God did not
just wind up creation like a clock (contrary to the Deists) and left it to
itself; rather He actively preserves it and holds it together.
2. Work in revelation. The doctrine of
revelation has to do with God making
Himself known to mankind.
a. The extent of revelation in the Old
Testament. This work of the Spirit as to revelation in the
Old Testament is important because there was, for part of the
period, no written word of God. It extends to everything revealed
by God before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation
here is considered to be that which was given directly apart from written
records. What will be considered next will be referring to God, but
this includes, of course, the Holy Spirit.
b. The Old Testament prophet. Generally
speaking, the Old Testament prophet was as much a forthteller as a
foreteller. They were the instrument through whom God revealed truth;
and they were not confined to those who were either considered as prophets
or who were called prophets. There are basically seven periods of
the prophets.
1) Before Abraham. There
were two primary pre-Abrahamic prophets: Enoch and Noah.
Certainly, God revealed truth to Adam and Eve. Cain was
spoken to directly by God concerning the need of a blood sacrifice
for the remission of sin. There are no others of whom we have
direct record. Enoch gave detailed and advanced truth concerning the
Lord's return as recorded in Jude 14. Noah mainly prophesied of the
coming flood.
2) Prophet Abraham. Abraham
was called a prophet. God clearly spoke to him as seen in Genesis 20:7
and other passages. There was no command to speak those messages to
others, although he apparently did to his sons. God also spoke to His
son, Isaac, as well as his grandson, Jacob; clearly God spoke to and through
Joseph.
3) Prophet Moses.
Extensive revelation was given by God to Moses. This
included the freeing of Israel from Egypt, the Law, and the
conducting of Israel through the wilderness. It included the
beginning of the written revelation, the Scriptures. He had the
distinctive office of prophet in both its elements of foretelling
and forthtelling. Furthermore, God spoke to him, not in visions, but
"mouth to mouth."
4) The period of the
judges. The period of the judges was that when men
did what was right in their own eyes; much like today, is it not? Though
prophets were rarely mentioned during this period, Deborah is stated to have
been a prophetess in Judges 4:4. An unnamed prophet prepared Gideon
for his task as shown in Judges 6:8. Gideon was spoken to directly
by the Lord recorded in Judges 6:12ff. Several passages given
evidence that revelation was given without indicating the method. Finally,
the last judge, who was Samuel, became the first of the named prophets.
5) The period of the early
kings. Samuel is the beginning of this period. He made
possible two things: the rise of David and Solomon as kings, and the
rise of the schools of the prophets as shown by 1 Samuel 19:18-24.
That God spoke through these prophets is evident by any careful reading
of 1 and 2 Samuel. These prophetic utterances dealt primarily
with current problems rather than future events. Thus, theirs was
a forthtelling ministry rather than a foretelling ministry.
6) The pre-exilic and exile
prophets. It was during the time of pre-exilic as well as
those of the exile that the great prophets who foretold as much as
they forthtold. During this period most of the prophetic books
were written. These prophets do not need to be named here, but we also
mention that others were considered prophets who did not write out their
prophecies.
7) The post-exilic prophets.
The written works of the post-exilic prophets are those
which constitute the larger portion of the minor prophets. Besides
such as Haggai, Zechariah, etc., there were also the writings of Ezra
and Nehemiah. Malachi was the last of these prophets, and
he declared the coming Day of the Lord. He also set forth
the forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist.
c. The methods of revelation in the Old
Testament. There were at least four methods that God used in revealing
truth to men in Old Testament times.
1) The spoken word. The
spoken word as a means of God's revelation has already been mentioned
. This is the most prominent means of revelation. The nature
of this speaking by God is clear to this writer. God spoke in
an audible voice on numerous occasions. Two instances immediately come
to mind: Exodus 19:9 and 1 Samuel 3:1-14. In these instances,
as well as others, God spoke audibly in a human voice with actual words.
The use of words shows that revelation is verbal, not just mere
guidance of natural reasoning. God communicated His message in
clear unmistakable, accurate terms, by the use of WORDS.
Someone is sure to say that this was God speaking, but you are dealing
with the Holy Spirit's work of revelation. First, at the beginning
of this section on the work of the Holy Spirit that the
term God would be used, but all could and should be applied equally
to the Holy Spirit. Second, by comparing Isaiah 61:1-10 with Acts 28:25
one sees that the Holy Spirit is the Speaker in the Isaiah passage.
2) Dreams. This method [dreams]
of revelation was commonly accepted as a normal way for God to
speak." (Walvoord, Op. cit., 51) Many passages could be cited
as evidence of this fact. A few passages for your consideration
are Genesis 20:3-7; 31:10-13, 24; 40:5-16; and 42:9. This was the method
mostly commonly used by God with those who did not have the office of
prophet, though not exclusively (cf. Daniel 10:9).
3) Visions. Visions and
dreams are closely related. The term "seer" refers to prophets who
see visions. Also, though a vision can be part of a dream,
generally visions occur during times of full consciousness. The
vision may or may not be clear to its recipient as to its meaning; if it
involves contemporary problems, then the seer understood it. Again,
no statement as such relates visions to the Holy Spirit, but what was said
about the Holy Spirit and dreams can be repeated here.
4) Trances. The trance is
also closely related to dreams and visions. The trance often occurred
at the same time as visions. As such a trance did not impart revelation.
It was a supernaturally induced state of sleep (or near sleep)
in which the normal senses of the person had been suspended. Thus,
trances were often a prelude to visions, setting up the individual to receive
the revelation in a vision or by direct communication.
3. Work in inspiration. The Holy Spirit's work in inspiration
is that He is the agent of inspiration.
a. Revelation versus inspiration. The difference
between revelation and inspiration has been discussed before (See
Revelation). As was discussed there, revelation makes
known the truth to the person to whom the material is given; inspiration
guarantees the accuracy of the writing down of that revelation
in the form of Scriptures. Thus, revelation has to do with the
giving of truth; inspiration has to do with the recording
of that truth.
b. Extent of inspiration. The meaning of
inspiration was discussed on that web page.
1) The extent of inspiration
includes the unknown past. That past is knowable, but
it was unknown until God revealed it. The Holy Spirit was
present during creation, and therefore, could reveal it to us. Herein
lies the fallacy of much evolutionary thinking; no one was there to
reveal it; therefore, it is just so much speculation with the attempt to
deny the Creator.
2) The Law of Moses was given to
him directly by God. As he wrote down those laws, he did so accurately
by inspiration. The Holy Spirit was involved to the extent that God
was.
3) The devotional literature of the
Old Testament consisting primarily of the Psalms, Job, Proverbs, and
the Song of Solomon. Inspiration extends not only to the recording
of them, but also to the content.
4) Again, the same thing can be said of
the prophetic utterances. Inspiration covers the telling
forth to the problems of the day but also to the futuristic
aspects.
5) Finally, inspiration extends to the
historic portions guaranteeing their accuracy. It does not make everything
said by individuals as truth from God, anymore than the lies of Satan
are true. It does, however, guarantee the accuracy of what was
said.
4. Work in ministering to Old Testament people. In this final
section of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament,
a fourfold work to people is seen.
a. The ministry to all creation. The work
of the Holy Spirit in connection with creation itself has already
been discussed. (Cf. Genesis 1:2 and Job 26:13). In Genesis 5:3
we find the Spirit striving with mankind. First of all, this
shows that the Spirit was dealing with mankind right up to the time of the
flood. Although the passage does explicitly say so, it implies that
the Spirit may have been involved in causing the animals to come to
the ark. There is no evidence that Noah and his sons collected
the animals; rather the record shows they came without human assistance.
The Old Testament (and the Bible as a whole) seems to show that God
sustains the life of all creatures, and thus, the Holy Spirit would
be so involved.
b. The sovereign indwelling of the Holy
Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is primarily a
New Testament matter, wherein the Spirit indwelt every believer permanently.
Old Testament people were indwelt, however, by the Spirit for a specific
task.
In Genesis 41:38 one reads, "Can
we find such a one as this, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?"
This was spoken of Joseph by Pharaoh. Though some may argue
that Pharaoh was mistaken, it seems clear to this writer that is what is
meant by the question.
In Exodus 28:3 one finds, "And thou shalt
speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the Spirit
of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he
may minister unto Me in the priest's office." Clearly these men were indwelt
by the Holy Spirit for this particular task. It can not be argued that
this was only a natural ability; if there was any native talent, it
was greatly enhanced by the filling of the Spirit. The same can
be said of Bezaleel and Aholiab and other craftmen who built the
tabernacle, as recorded in Exodus 31:3 (Also see Exodus 35:30-35).
Numbers 11:17, 25 records the fact that
the Lord came down and spake to Moses taking of the Spirit that was
upon him and gave it unto the seventy elders. These two verses show
that both Moses and the seventy elders were indwelt for the tasks they were
to do.
Other passages include Numbers 27:18
concerning Joshua; Judges 3:10 in connection with Othniel; Judges 6:34 regarding
Gideon; and Judges 11:29 about Jephthah. Several passages speak
of Samson being filled with the Spirit such as Judges 13:25; 14:6,
19; and 15:14. In Judges 4:4ff., possibly Deborah was so filled.
Saul is shown to be filled in 1 Samuel 10:9, 10 while David is in 1
Samuel 16:13. Daniel is spoken of as being filled in Daniel 4:8;
5:11-14; and 6:3. Doubtlessly, there are many others.
The features of this indwelling
show that it was not necessarily related to the spirituality of the
person. Regeneration is never spoken of in connection with the
individual, though it must be noted all were Israelites. Certainly,
the individual's walk spiritually speaking was not always the best (Re:
Samson). This indwelling was not a universal privilege, but a
temporary bestowment of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament saint
knew that this gift could be withdrawn. Psalm 51:11 states, "Cast me
not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me." That
prayer, though appropriate for David, need never be prayed by Christians.
The permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer was
still future Walvoord concluded, "The presence of the indwelling Spirit
in the Old Testament must, therefore, be regarded as sovereign, a rare
rather than an usual gift, and often [and this writer would add
always] associated with some specific task for which enablement was
necessary." (Ibid., 73)
c. The restraining of sin by the Holy Spirit.
Although this work will be discussed with regard to the New Testament,
John 16:8-11 and 2 Thessalonians 2:7 clearly indicate that this restraining
work is the Holy Spirit's. Genesis 6:3 shows the striving of the
Spirit against man's sinful condition. It also shows, incidentally,
the grace of God in giving mankind 120 more years before judgment came.
Various works and nature show that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit.
By virtue of the fact that He is the Holy Spirit indicates
that He restrains sin. In the process of revealing the will of
God and warning of judgment, restraint is implied. He is also
called the Good Spirit which by the virtue of the meaning of that
term implies restraint. In Isaiah 63:10,11 the prophet by inspiration
shows that judgment came because the nation Israel had rebelled against the
Holy Spirit which was both rejection of His person and His restraining
work.
d. The illumination and enablement of the Holy
Spirit. This topic has already been considered in part in discussing
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The web page on
illumination covered this subject more fully.
There are numerous cases where the gift
of wisdom was supplied by the Holy Spirit. It was generally for
leadership and administration; it was objective and specific rather than
subjective and universal. Some of the people who received this
gift of wisdom included Joseph--Genesis 41:38-40; Joshua--Numbers 27:18;
Othniel--Judges 3:10; Gideon--Judges 6:34; Jephathah--Judges 11:29; Saul--1
Samuel 10:10; and David--1 Samuel 16:13. Others could doubtlessly be
cited.
The gift of special skills had to
do with the Holy Spirit giving special expertise in various crafts. Such
people were the tailors who made the priestly garments--Exodus 28:3 and the
workmen who built the tabernacle--Exodus 31:3; 35:30-35. As was indicated
previously, this enablement did not preclude natural ability (which,
incidentally, is God-given), but it was enhanced and energized for a task
of superhuman proportions.
The gift of unusual physical
strength seems to have been exclusively Samson's. The verses involved
are Judges 13;25; 14:6, 19; and 15:14. Because of persistent
sin, he lost that gift; it should be noted that the cutting of his
hair was not the cause of his loss of strength, but rather the departing
of the Spirit from him (Cf. Judges16:20). Then, it may be asked,
what had the cutting of his hair to do with it? It was the symbol
of his nazarite vow which he broke by his sin.
By far the most important work of the
Holy Spirit was the gift of revelation and inspiration. This matter
has already been discussed in some detail. The gift of
revelation was the oral giving of truth to a person and
was the work of the Holy Spirit in a prophet to speak forth what was
revealed to him. This work of enabling covered both the telling
forth the message for the need of the time and the foretelling of
future events and happenings. The gift of inspiration enabled
the person receiving revelation to write it down accurately so we could have
the Old Testament.
The last main gift of the Holy Spirit
was the gift of miracles. Moses, Elijah, and Elisha were the
three great miracle men in the Old Testament. This does not, of
course, preclude others, but these three were the most prominent.
There is no clear reference to show that the Holy Spirit was the One
working the miracles. As one writer well wrote, "The power which effects
miracles is usually said to be Jehovah, without distinction as to the
persons of the Godhead." (Walvoord, Op. cit., 76) Again,
various works of the Holy Spirit show Him to be the agent of
miracles: His work in creation and His work in providential
care, both of which show His work involved the physical realm. The
immanence of the Holy Spirit, discussed previously, is more prominent
than the other two Persons of the Godhead. It was men filled
with the Spirit that performed miracles. All in all, it should be clear
that the Holy Spirit is the direct Agent of the Godhead when dealing
with mankind.
The relation of the Holy Spirit
to the Lord Jesus Christ will be considered on the next web page.