The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament – Moses

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The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament – Moses

Psalm 106: 33  The people rebelled against what the Spirit of God was doing and Moses said things he should not have said.

Nehemiah 9: 20  The Spirit was given to instruct the people in the wilderness; You guided them, feed them, and took care of physical and health needs.

Isaiah 63: 10, 11, 14 (10 is about Isaiah’s time but still reflects the Exodus) The Spirit gave rest to the people but they rebelled against Him and grieved the Spirit; still they wanted to know where He was that had done miracles for them.

No definite moment; David had one, Jesus had the Dove come down, the 120 had tongues of fire rest on them, but we are not told the definite moment that Moses was given the Spirit!  It may have been at his calling in Exodus 3: 12, or at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 or 24, it may have been in Exodus 33, but the fact is Moses was given the Spirit, we are just not told when or where.  Numbers 11 is the story of God taking some of the Spirit and putting it on the seventy elders; so, we know Moses had the Spirit and that His Spirit was transferable. Does the “definite moment” matter, no!

It seems that the Spirit was doing “His work” in the Exodus just like He did in Genesis.  He was giving life and instruction to these ex-slaves. It is just that they were not wanting it and kept complaining.  Even the elders (Exodus 24:10) that saw God were quick to go with the golden calf and not with the God they had seen.

The Holy Spirit was definitely active in the Exodus and in Moses.  If you reflect on Moses’ personal growth in the Exodus story you can see a Spirit-led walk.  Since “no definite” moment is mentioned, I will guess that it is a tsȃlach anointing.

I will cover the four words used to describe when the Spirit “came upon” people in the Old Testament.

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

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The First We Knew of the Holy Spirit

Genesis 1:2 – The Holy Spirit was hovering over the waters. (He was waiting to start His work on Earth.)

                 6:3 – The Spirit will not contend with a man for more than 120 years. (Joseph Prince makes the point that this is because the seed of man – at that time- was contaminated by the spirits who were “marrying” women.)

Psalm 104: 30 – When the Spirit is sent He refreshes the earth and animals are born.

Job 33: 4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (NIV)

 34: 14 + 15 If He withdrew His breath all mankind would perish.

Having been a Christian a long time I have to admit that I was surprised when I started this study in the series Passover to Pentecost (see the tags at the top of the page).  I briefly touched on the topic of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.  It was interesting to see that there are at least seventy references to the Spirit and His work in the Old Testament.

The above verses reflect His work before His part in the birth of Jesus. They are very much the shadow of His work after the Day of Pentecost, which is giving life to the Church and bringing people to glorify Jesus.

Day of Pentecost

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Day of Pentecost       Day 50

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear.  Exodus 20: 18 (NIV)  This was the very first “Pentecost” at Mount Sinai.

The disciples were sitting (a resting/waiting position) in the Upper Room when it filled with a loud noise and fire started resting on their heads.  The Holy Spirit had come to man to do His work here on earth.  Contrast this to Exodus when a man is fighting in his own power to get to God; then when they saw Him they really did not want to go to Him.  One thing is certain, God knows how to make an entrance, and get man’s attention.

The roll call of nations shows just how spread out the Jews had become and tells us where the message was about to go to when the Feast of Weeks was over.  1 Corinthians 14: 22 + 23 could have been written that morning; some said they were out of their minds while others believed that God was doing something powerful.

Peter, when he stood (position to work), was outside of the Temple and not confined to the rules of religion or paradigms that wanted “God their way.”  The Spirit met the disciples in a place of prayer where they were waiting for Him.

Peter’s sermon was a masterpiece.  He talked about current events, explained the Gospel and God’s purpose what had happened just fifty days before, and then brought in David and how God spoke through him. The message about David brought all of the events together.  David supposedly was born and died on Pentecost so he would have been on the minds of everyone in Jerusalem.

Today, I have asked myself why the Spirit came on this Feast day.  I guess the typology of the crops will have to do for today.  At Passover, the barley was brought in (symbolizes the Jews), the wheat crop was brought in for Pentecost (the Gentiles), and in the seventh month the figs and other fruit were harvested (the final revival).

http://clipart.christiansunite.com/

Please visit this blog to see more about figs.  http://ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/zaccheus-climbed-up-into-a-sycamore-tree/  The fig pic is from – http://www.raysfiginfo.com/graphics/sycamore04.jpg

Passover to Pentecost – One New Man

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Passover to Pentecost – One New Man        Week 7 Day 7

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12: 27 (NIV)

His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two. Ephesians 2: 15 (NIV)

For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NIV)

From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord. Leviticus 23: 17 (NIV)

Tomorrow is Pentecost (fifty days since Passover) or Shavu’ot.  This feast as recorded in Leviticus 23; 15 – 22 would have meant traveling to Jerusalem, a sacred assembly, sacrifice, and a day of no work.  It would have been the end of the wheat harvest and a time of bounty with joyful celebration, a day of remembrance.  The “new grain offering” is the first part of the sacrifice that is talked about.  Actually the entire sacrifice for the Feast of Weeks seems like it is quite large; with some of the offerings being burnt and some going to the priest. The offering requirements are listed and explained, a little differently, in Numbers 28: 26 – 31 and Deuteronomy 16: 9 – 12.

The new grain offering is very interesting.  It is to be baked with yeast, which is not

to be burnt as a sacrifice to the Lord.  There are also TWO of the loaves of bread. This could be typology for two different things: the two tablets that the Law was written on, or as the above verses elude too, they represent Jews and Gentiles.  These loaves of bread would have been a wave offering and went to the priest (v 20).

For the Jew this is the day that they were given the Law at Mount Sinai, this story is in Exodus 19 and 20.  For the Christian this is the start of the Church with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challah

Passover to Pentecost – The Parakletos

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Passover to Pentecost – The Parakletos        Week 7 Day 6

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?  Luke 11: 13

 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Ezekiel 36:27

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1: 8

 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them. Nehemiah 9:20a

For the Holy Ghost shall teach you. Luke 12: 12

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?           1 Corinthians 3: 16

 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. John 16: 13a

 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8: 11

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. Acts 19: 6

 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? Acts 10: 45 – 47

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. Acts 4: 31  (All references are KJV.)