Great Doctrines of the Christian Faith
The Holy Spirit-part 1
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity through whom God acts, reveals His will, empowers individuals, and discloses His personal presence in the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament, He is refered to most often as The Spirit of God, as in the following verse:
Gen 1:2 (KJV)
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 "Spirit" in both the Old and New Testaments has the meaning of "breath", so the name "Spirit of God" could also be called "The Breath of God". It is interesting to note these 2 instances of God breathing into man...in the first instance, God creates man's body, and then "breathes" into his nostrils the breath of Life:
Gen 2:7 (KJV)
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.
In the second instance, Jesus Christ, breathes new Spiritual Life into His disciples, and equips them for service:
John 20:21-22 (KJV)
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you:
as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
{22} And when he had said this,
he breathed on them, and saith unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
The name "Spirit of God" is only one of the names given to the Holy Spirit. This name occurs 14 times in the OT and 12 times in the NT. The name "Holy Spirit" occurs for the first time in Psalm 51:11 where it says,
Psa 51:11 (KJV)
Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Incidentally, in v v 12, 13, and 14, there are actually 3 descriptions of the Holy Spirit, with the names, "a right spirit", "thy Holy Spirit", and "thy Free Spirit" being used.
The Name, Holy Spirit, occurs only 2 other times in the Old Testament, in Isaiah, who is recounting the deliverance of the Children of Israel from Egypt by he Mighty hand of God:
Isa 63:7-12 (KJV)
I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD,
and the praises of the LORD,
according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us,
and the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies,
and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
{8} For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie:
so he was their Saviour.
{9} In all their affliction he was afflicted,
and the angel of his presence saved them:
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
{10} But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit:
therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
{11} Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying,
Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock?
where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him?
{12} That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm,
dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
As we travel throughout the Bible, the revealing of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit is a "progressive" revelation, meaning that it is "here a little, and there a little". This is actually the way most major doctrines of the Bible are revealed, here a little, there a little, so that we can more easily understand them.
The Holy Spirit is first named simply, "The Spirit of God", as we saw in Genesis, sort of a generic name. And throughout the scriptures more and more is revealed, also by descriptions and activities and names, until in the last book of the Bible, He is revealed as "The Seven Spirits of God", or "the Sevenfold Spirit of God". Seven is the number of "perfection", and perhaps this is the declaration that we now have the full revelation of the Holy Spirit. And apparenlty so we don't miss the lesson, He is called by that name 4 separate times. Observe:
Rev 1:4 (KJV)
John to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace be unto you, and peace,
from him which is, and which was, and which is to come;
and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Rev 3:1a (KJV)
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write;
These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God,
and the seven stars;
Rev 4:5 (KJV)
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices:
and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne,
which are the seven Spirits of God.
Rev 5:6 (KJV)
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts,
and in the midst of the elders,
stood a Lamb as it had been slain,
having seven horns and seven eyes,
which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
So let's follow the occurances of the name "the Spirit of God" through the Bible as it occurs some 26 times from Genesis to 1 John (the last occurance) and see what God is revealing about His Spirit to us.
The Spirit of God Interacts with the Created World
Gen 1:2b-
"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
The Spirit of God can indwell people
Gen 41:38 (Speaking of Joseph)..
-And Pharaoh said unto his servants,
Can we find such a one as this is,
a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
The Spirit of God can give gifts of creative artistic and mechanical skills
Exo 31:3-5 (KJV)
And I have filled him with the spirit of God,
in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge,
and in all manner of workmanship,
{4} To devise cunning works,
to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
{5} And in cutting of stones, to set them,
and in carving of timber,
to work in all manner of workmanship.
Exo 35:31-35 (KJV)
And he hath filled him with the spirit of God,
in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge,
and in all manner of workmanship;
{32} And to devise curious works,
to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
{33} And in the cutting of stones, to set them,
and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
{34} And he hath put in his heart that he may teach,
both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
{35} Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart,
to work all manner of work,
of the engraver, and of the cunning workman,
and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet,
and in fine linen, and of the weaver,
even of them that do any work,
and of those that devise cunning work.
(To be continued on Part 2)
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