Holy Spirit Lesson 6 Companion Devotional

If I wanted to introduce you to my friend I would start with his name and tell you what he is like. Then I might tell you a bit about his background, trace his history, to help you get to know him better. Today I want to trace some of the history of the Holy Spirit to get to know Him better.

In Genesis 1 we see that at creation the Holy Spirit was already there. He was not created. His existence isn’t explained, He simply is. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He exits apart from creation. He always was and is and will be. He is God.

In the second verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:2, we learn that not only is He eternal, He had a role in creation, “The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” The Hebrew word for hover is rahap meaning to move, to shake, to flutter, to brood. The Spirit of God hovered over the waters like an eagle hovers over her young. Job 33:4 extends the concept that He was an active participant in creation, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath (Spirit) of the Almighty gives me life.” The Holy Spirit is not some vague force, He is all powerful, He is intelligent, He is creative in the most literal sense of the word.

When Jesus lived on the earth he was limited by time and space, He could only be in one place at a time. The Spirit of God is different. Psalm 139:7 describes His omnipresence, “Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence?” Jeremiah 23:23-24 adds, “Am I a God who is near declares the Lord, and not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so I do not see him? Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” The Holy Spirit is omnipresent, we can not escape Him.

The Holy Spirit was the One who moved the prophets to speak. He inspired each of the writers of the Old Testament books so that they were writing of their own volition while at the same time, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The very word inspired literally means God breathed (and don’t forget the word breath can be translated spirit!) The Spirit of God conveyed His message in different ways. Some of the prophets saw visions and were told to write what they saw. Others heard the audible voice of the Lord and were told to write this message. They received the revelation in different ways but they wrote the very words of God, “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” II Peter 1:21.

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was also actively involved in the lives of specific people for specific purposes. Interesting, the first person in the Bible we are told was filled with the Spirit was a man named Bezalel. Bezelel was not a king or a prophet, he was a craftsman who made articles for the tabernacle. “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge and in all kinds of craftsmanship to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.” Exodus 31:3-5. I think it is significant that the first person the Bible mentions was filled with the Spirit of God was an artist! God loves beauty.

Bezalel may have been naturally skillful at his craft but when the Spirit of God filled him, he was taken to a new level of creativity and workmanship that he could not have accomplished on his own. This work of the Spirit is called the anointing. He does this in a variety of ways.

In Deuteronomy 34:9. Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom when Moses laid his hands on him. Somehow there was an imparting of the Holy Spirit when Moses laid his hands on Joshua. In Judges 3:10 the Spirit of God came upon Othniel and he became a judge in Israel but we aren’t told how this happened. In Judges 6:34 the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he was charged from a person filled with fear to a mighty warrior. In Judges 15:14 the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and his strength greatly increased. We are not told exactly how the Holy Spirit anointed or equipped these men for their specific tasks.

In the case of Saul, Samuel anointed him with oil and prophesied over him, but it wasn’t until he met up with a group of prophets that the Spirit moved upon him and he was “changed into another man” and began to prophesy with them. Samuel anointed David with oil and immediately “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward, I Samuel 16:13. From these verses we learn that the Spirit of God came upon people in different ways, sometimes with no mention of another person, sometimes when someone laid their hands on a person, sometimes when they poured oil over them. We don’t see a set pattern or protocol for receiving the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit moved in different ways upon these men to equip them for their specific jobs and callings.

But in the Old Testament He didn’t come upon all believers. He wasn’t automatically given to everyone, He only filled special people for special jobs. We don’t see any women mentioned in these verses. We obviously cannot make an argument from silence — we cannot assume that no women were filled with the Holy Spirit just because this is not mentioned. (My guess is Deborah was.) However we simply are not told of any woman being filled with the Spirit in the Old Testament.

One more important thing we see in the Old Testament is that the Holy Spirit could fill a person and then He could leave. In Judges 16:20 the Holy Spirit departed from Samson and his strength decreased. In I Samuel 16:14 the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. In both cases these two men had disobeyed the Lord with this disastrous consequence. This was such a horrible possibility that David said in Psalm 51:11, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me.”

To sum up what we learn about the Holy Spirit from the Old Testament, He is eternal, He is God. He had an active role in creation. He is omnipresent, we cannot escape from His presence. He inspired the prophets and the writing of the Scripture. He filled specific men to equip them for specific jobs. He did this in a variety of ways. But He did not fill all believers and the filling was not necessarily permanent.

Then something changed; there was a huge shift in the workings of the Spirit of God. He began to be poured out freely upon all believers. The event that changed everything was that Jesus Christ ascended into heaven he was glorified. This pivotal moment in time is pointed to in John 7:38-39. “He who believes in Me as the Scripture said, from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit whom those who believed in Him were to receive for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Underline the words, “Jesus was not yet glorified.”

We don’t know the details but we know that ten days after the ascension of Jesus from the Mount of Olives, Jesus was glorified. We know that because just before His ascension, the last thing Jesus told His disciples was, “Stay in the city (Jerusalem) until you are clothed with power from on high.” For ten days after the ascension, the believers in Jesus waited in prayer and community in Jerusalem just as Jesus had commanded them. Suddenly at nine o’clock on the morning of Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out like a mighty wind upon the believers who were gathered in the upper room. Jesus was glorified.

I like to imagine that when Jesus ascended into heaven there was a huge ten day celebration of the culmination of His mission to earth. Mission accomplished. Well done. All heaven broke loose to welcome the victorious God-man with the celestial equivalent of fireworks accompanied by the full symphony of heaven. I imagine ten days of mirthful feasting and celebration. Then, with great pageantry, everyone decked out in their colorful regalia, Jesus was formally given His seat at the right hand of God. As He took His seat He entered into His full glory—the glory that He had longed to return to. Once seated, His first official duty was to say, “Spirit. Go. Now.” At that moment the Holy Spirit roared into Jerusalem like a freight train. He was poured out on each and every believer —filling them to the full, clothing them with power from on high, never to leave them, sealing their hearts.

This gift of the Spirit is now for all believers, men, women, boys and girls. He is not just for special people who have special jobs. He still anoints for tasks but this is only a part of what He does today. He takes the spiritual blinders off our eyes so that we can see Jesus and turn to Him for salvation. He brings the assurance of our salvation, He prays in and through us. He pours out the Father’s love into our hearts. He comforts and teaches us. He reminds us of what we should say. He brings correction and reproof. He is gentle. He brings His peace and joy and empowers us to follow Jesus. He is the One who brings life and satisfaction, cleansing and revelation. He guides and counsels us. He always points to Jesus. Best of all is His companionship, He will never leave us, but will go with us through all of life every step of the way.

Because we live on this side of the cross, or really this side of the glorification of Jesus, everything has changed. The gift of the Spirit is freely given. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for the free gift of the Holy Spirit. We thank you that He is not longer limited to special people for special jobs but is freely given to every person who believes in Jesus. May we experience the fulness of His Spirit.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen