The Holy Spirit…in the OLD Testament

By Neil Earle

No subject is more uplifting, reassuring and strengthening than the subject of the Holy Spirit. It’s truly worth the price of admission. “Uphold me with your generous, princely, royal, magnanimous spirit (all words can apply)” was the repentant King David’s prayer in the crux moment of his life (Psalm 51:12). “May your good spirit guide me on level ground,” the psalmist begged in Psalm 143: 10 (NAB).

Many Christians associate this divine agent with the New Testament Church beginning on the Day of Pentecost in the 30s AD. However, the doctrine really begins in the Old Testament which is both interesting and inspiring to search through.

The Nicene Revisions

In 325 the Christian church issued the Nicene Cree which was a landmark in clarifying the divine relationship between the Father and the Son. In 325, however, the Holy Spirit was briefly mentioned as “We believe in the Holy Spirit.” Later, in 381, this lack was filled out most eloquently and elegantly by 150 church fathers working in Constantinople:

“And we believe in the Holy Spirit the Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father [and the Son – Western church], Who is worshipped and glorified together with the Father and the Son, Who spoke through the prophets.”

Simple, beautiful, worshipful and true to the Biblical witness.

Word and Spirit

Actually, the theme begins as quickly as Genesis 1:1-2, when the Spirit of God moved or “hovered” or “brooded” on the face of the waters, according to many new translations. Other creation texts confirm this intimate personal activity of God and His Spirit, such as Psalm 33:6: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”

There, say some theologians are the “two arms” of God the Father, to get really down to earth for a second – the Word and the Spirit. Word and Spirit joined to the Father God are known to Christians as the Holy Trinity. Genesis 1 shows that God speaks his word and the Spirit does the shaping.

This may be pushing things too far, caution other Bible students, but the subtle nuance of a threefold activity in creation is indicated by the fact that “breath” and “spirit” are the same word in the Hebrew, ruah, which, interestingly, is in the feminine gender.

There are certainly more enthralling suggestions like these scattered across the Old Testament, but let us study a little bit more systematically this most important teaching.

“All the Omnis”

As we covered already, Old Testament writers knew the Holy Spirit from Genesis 1:1-2 and repeatedly sang of it as the closely associated Agent and Partner in creation, as Psalm 104:30 reiterate, “When you send forth your Spirit they are created.” One intriguing fact here as we move on is that all the attributes theologians associate with God the father – “the omnis,” omniscience, omnipresence – are also attributed in abundance to the Holy Spirit.

  1. God’s All-Knowingness. This moves from Joseph and Daniel’s superior wisdom through the Spirit (Genesis 41:38, Daniel 5:11) to the craftsman’s skill (Exodus 35: 30-31). “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord or being his counselor has taught him?” Isaiah asked (Isaiah 40:12). All of Isaiah 40 is a testimony to the mental and intellectual superiority of the Great God.
  2. Being Everywhere Present. Psalm 139:7, “where shall I go from your Spirit?” The whole Psalm bears out God’ presence in creation through his Spirit.
  3. The Giver of Life. Job 33:4 says “The Spirit of God has made me,” with Psalm 104:30 and Ezekiel 37:4, “I will cause breath (ruah) to enter into you and you shall live.” Once again, we see the intimate working of God with His Spirit since Genesis 2 attribute’s Adam’s creation to the Lord God. Both one and the same, see.
  4. All-Powerfulness. Micah 3:8 says “Truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.” Of course there is also Zechariah 4:6 and the numerous displays of supernatural power in Judges (3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 14:6, 19; 15:14).
  5. The Spirit of Prophecy. Moses’ elders are so endued in Number 11:25 as is Elisha in 2 Kings 2:15. In fact Isaiah 61:1-2 has been nicknamed “the Nazareth Manifesto” because Jesus quoted its fulfillment in Luke 4:14-21 “in the power of the Spirit.”
  6. The Truth Itself. Note the marvelous wisdom passage in Isaiah 11:1-4. Here is a source of wisdom, comfort and supernatural intelligence God’s people are encouraged to tap into.
  7. It is also, most wonderfully, the “Holy” Spirit. Angels are spirit and they are holy but they are not the Holy Spirit, "Kadesh Ruah" in Hebrew transliteration King David cried out “Take not your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11).

In addition to all this, the Spirit is described as being able to be grieved in Isaiah 63:10, “resting” in Zechariah 6:8, and personally transformative in 1 Samuel 10:6. As wonderful as all this is, much much more is to come in the New Testament.

But that’s another sermon, for another time. Right now let’s be busy asking God for more of his spirit of power, for ourselves and others.