New Articles
The New Covenant.
PMA. Ross Clark. 23rd May 2016
Today there are extremes of easy grace and also of Law observance being taught. Yeshua explained the correct character of the new era that God was now starting by His Messiah’s death and resurrection. Love and kindness is at the center. Believing Gentiles are now also to be included into the Spiritual life of Israel by the changes in the New Covenant.
LOVE THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
MT 22:35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?“
MT 22:37 Yeshua replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
(This is what the famous Hillel taught too).
This word Love used here, what does this mean?
MT 22:37,39 Love. The Greek verb is not phileo, which expresses friendly affection, but agapao, the commitment of devotion that is directed by the will and can be commanded as a duty. We choose to love. It is a commitment.
LOVE FULFILLS THE MORAL LAW
RO 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore genuine love is the fulfillment of the law.
This is the clear teaching of the New Testament scriptures.
Note: These items listed are moral laws, and not just the 10 commands and they do not include the ceremonial laws.
KEEP ON LOVING
RO 13:8 continuing debt. To love is the one debt that is never paid off. No matter how much one has loved, he is under obligation to keep on loving one another.
This Includes not only fellow Christians but all people, as the second half of the verse makes clear (“your fellowman/neighbor").
The “The law” here means the heart of the Mosaic law, which lays down both moral and social responsibilities.
LOVE FOR NEIGHBOR COVERS ALL
MT 13:9 Further explains the last statement of v. 8, namely, that love of neighbor encompasses all our social responsibilities.
Your neighbor. - Yeshua taught that our neighbor is anyone in need (see Lk 10:25-37 the parable of the Good Samaritan), which is probably the idea Paul has in mind here.
LK 10:25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Yeshua. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?”
STORY OF GOOD SAMARITAN
27 He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 28 "You have answered correctly," Yeshua replied. "Do this and you will live.” – All based on love.
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Yeshua, "And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Yeshua said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. .. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and ..he took pity on him…. gave him money etc ...
36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him.” Yeshua told him, "Go and do likewise.“ - This is agape love.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
GAL 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no Law. We are not Law breakers as the unrighteous are.
Those who lead truly Spirit led righteous lives will no longer be sinners but saints.
24 Those who belong to Messiah Yeshua have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
NOT UNRESTRAINED OR SELFISHNESS
Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit, not by the mere moral discipline of trying to live by Law.
And Paul makes it clear that justification by faith does not result in throwing off moral restraint. The indwelling Holy Spirit produces Christian virtues in the believer's life. And we are to purify ourselves with His help.
RO 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under (Mosaic) Law but under grace? By no means!
LEGALISM
Legalism is common to all religions. It is manmade effort to follow rules. It can often lead to a self righteous religious pride. It is in opposition to a Holy Spirit led life.
The letter. The "tablets of stone" on which the letter of the Law was originally written (see Ex 24:12; 31:18; 32:15-16).
The Spirit. The writing of the law "with the Spirit of the living God . . . on tablets of human hearts," which was the promise of the New Covenant as foretold by the prophets (see Jer 31:31-34; 32:39-40; Eze 11:19; 36:26).
THE LETTER VS THE SPIRIT
The point of the promised future Holy Spirit spoken in Jeremiah and Ezekiel is not fully understood by most believers.
(Note: God’s plan for the Gentiles was not so clear at that time. But the promise for God to bless the nations was known)
COL 1:26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory.
2CO 3:3 You show that you are a “letter” from Messiah, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone (OT) but on tablets of human hearts (NT)...
6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the (Law) letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
THE CHARACTER OF THE NEW COVENANT
“The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”. This does not mean that the external, literal sense of Scripture is deadly or unprofitable while the inner, spiritual (mystical) sense is alive.
"The letter" is synonymous with the law as an external standard before which all people, because they are lawbreakers, stand guilty and condemned to death. Therefore, it is described as the "ministry that brought death" and the "ministry that condemns”.
On the other hand, the Spirit who gives life is the "Spirit of the living God" who, in fulfillment of the promise of the New Covenant, writes that same law inwardly "on tablets of human hearts" (v. 3). He thus provides the believer with love for God's (moral) law, which previously he had hated, and with power to keep it, which previously he had not possessed.
THE LAW/ TORAH OF MESSIAH
Now we are under the Law or Torah of the Messiah. This is genuine serving love (agape) and unselfishness. We are following the Messiah now.
JN15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
GAL 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. ..2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Messiah. - His teaching.
WHAT LAWS NOW?
We are now in a new dispensation under the Messiah. In The New Covenant the Spiritual believer is led to Moral Commandments. Love, respect, kindness, do not steal, sexual purity. Good principles and freedom not legalism.
As explained in Hebrews the Temple system is gone and priesthood is changed.
The Temple related laws are all gone.
All the laws related to separation of Jews and Gentiles are done away with. We are now one in the Messiah. Yeshua has broken down the middle dividing wall between the Gentiles and the Hebrews (like existed in the Temple). The door is open for the Gentiles to come to God.
EPH 2:14 For He himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. (This is especially here talking about laws on separation of Jews and Gentiles).
So ceremonial and ritual cleanliness laws are gone. Washing rules etc.
The food laws are gone! Yeshua said, “What goes into a man does not morally defile”. By this He declared all food clean.
ROM14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Messiah in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
ROM 14:20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
So kosher laws not essential. But respect for others is!
CEREMONIAL AND FEAST LAWS
The ceremonial laws and food and drink are not mandatory. It’s up to you.
COL 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Messiah.
Note: the Feasts and the Sabbath can still be a blessing when done in faith. They’re prophetic of God’s plan & are blest, God given “Shadows” of things done & things to come and are useful for the Church.
THE NEW DISPENSATION.
So, a New Dispensation has come with Yeshua’s death and resurrection.
Now He is our center and our teacher. He is not just a good example!
MT23:10 Nor are you to be called `teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Messiah. (As Moses was before).
Now our relationship with God is based upon faith in Yeshua and what he has done for us on the cross by dying for our sins. This is what the prophets all looked forward to.
Our response to God’s mercy is to live as righteous servants led by the Holy Spirit.
God has placed us (like a grafted olive branch) into believing Israel, no longer strangers but blessed! This is all because of the Messiah.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. He is active throughout all of Biblical History. He is mentioned from Genesis chapter 1 through Revelation 22. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no creation, consequently there would be no physical life and no human race.
There are places throughout scripture where He is more prominent than in others, the book of Acts would be good example of this but nevertheless He is always a vital part of God’s activity whether it be in creation, the leading of the Jewish patriarchs, the leading of Israel or the establishment of the church and its ongoing ministries. In short, He is a vital Person who works with and in conjunction with the Father and the Son in all of their activities in whom we ought to be extremely interested. The Hebrew word for Spirit is “ruwach” which means wind or breath.
The Spirit in Creation
We encounter the Holy Spirit right at the beginning of the Bible in the creation account recorded in Genesis 1.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 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.
Here we see the Spirit cooperating with the Father and the Son in creating the universe. (We know from John 1:3, Col. 1:6 and other verses that the Son was active in creation). All three Persons of the Godhead are active in creation, the psalmist says :
Psa 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
The word for breath here in the KJV is the Hebrew word ruwach meaning Spirit. In order to say the word ruwach properly it is necessary to breath out as you say it. This makes it an onomatopoeic word in that the word “ruwach” sounds like what it is, the sound of breathing out.
So the Spirit of God is directly active in the creation account and in cooperation with the Father and the Son. In Gen 1:2 we read that the Spirit “moved” upon the face of the waters. This “moving” can be described as fluttering or shaking in this context. Morris describes this shaking as vibrating as follows, “In modern scientific terminology, the best translation would be “vibrated.” If the universe is to be energized, there must be a Prime Mover.” (1976, 52) He goes on to say,
As the out flowing energy from God’s omnipresent Spirit began to flow outward and to permeate the cosmos, gravitational forces were activated and water and earth particles came together to form a great sphere moving through space. Other such particles would soon come together also to form sun, moon and the stars throughout the universe. There was now a “compass” on the face of the deep, and the formless earth had assumed the beautiful form of a perfect sphere. It was now ready for light and heat and other forms of enlivening energy.
Later in scripture we will read of the Spirit “moving” on the prophets as they recorded the Word of God (2 Pet. 1:20-21). It is amazing that the Holy Spirit with His incomprehensible colossal power and majesty can also gently prompt His prophets to utter the Word of God. (“Speak softy but carry a big stick”! Theodore Roosevelt).
The Spirit in Israel
Although the Holy Spirit is not mentioned directly with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob we can be sure that He was working in their lives as they began the process of building the nation of Israel. We know from Genesis 41:38 that Pharaoh recognized that the Spirit of God was in Joseph.
Gen 41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
When it came to the building of the Tabernacle in Israel, God told Moses that He had chosen Bezalel and Oholihab and He filled them with the Spirit of God. This was for the practical work necessary for the construction of the Tabernacle and for all the equipment and furnishing including the clothing for the priests to use in their ministry.
Exo 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.
It seems probable that supernatural help was required to make all the items for the Tabernacle. Horton says
“This filling of the Spirit would be the source of “skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts” In other words, the Spirit would supply them with supernatural help in connection with the practical tasks of preparing materials for the tabernacle that would be both useful and beautiful. “Skill” in the Old Testament usually includes practical wisdom that makes it possible to reach one’s goals. “Ability,” also translated “understanding,” usually includes “know-how” that sees what needs to be done and how best to do it. All this came from the Spirit. Bezalel and Oholiab were not to depend on their natural abilities and skills alone. They would still need to work hard, but at the same time they would depend on the Spirit and receive help from Him (2005, 26).
These comments are important for us today. We still need to be working in partnership with the Holy Spirit to do all that our Lord has called us to do, not in our own strength but in Him as He gives us the ability.
Zec 4:6 Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Moses was a man of the Spirit and God took the Spirit that was on him and put it on seventy elders to help Moses in leading Israel. (Num. 11:17). Joshua was also a man filled with the Spirit of God and wisdom, (Deut 34:9) he was able to lead the Israelites to great victories in the Promised Land. The book of Judges tells us several times that the Spirit came on various people in order to lead Israel. They include Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. Later in scripture we read that when the Spirit came on Saul he would be changed into another man (1Sam 10:6) where upon he began to prophecy along with the other prophets of Israel.
So there is the sense in the First Testament that whenever God would use a person for great leadership roles, the Spirit of God would come upon them. Also, the Spirit desired to lead them in the way of righteousness. David was very conscious of losing the presence of the Spirit after his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. Psalm 51 shows his anguish over this possibility.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
The Spirit and the Prophets
Even though the Holy Spirit is not often mentioned in the prophetic books of the First Testament we can be sure that He was indeed very active in their various ministries as we read in 2 Peter :
2 Pet 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
2 Pet 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Stamps explains, “The O.T. prophets were men and women of God who towered spiritually over their contemporaries. No category of people in all literature presents a more dramatic picture than do the O.T. prophets. Priests, judges, kings, wise counselors, and psalmists each had a distinctive place in Israel’s history, but none of these ever rose to the stature of the prophets or continued to exert as much influence on the subsequent history of redemption” (1992, 1002).
If we include Moses as a First Testament prophet, as we should, then two thirds of the First Testament was written by these mighty men of God empowered by the Spirit of God according to 2 Peter 1:20-21 stated above.
Clearly, the Spirit gave the prophets of Israel the very Word of God as they ministered to the nation. God used the prophets to urge and correct the nation to remain faithful to the covenant. The prophet was not just a religious person, he was one of whom the Spirit and the Word had influenced him to such an extent that they often lived a very distinctive lifestyle. They were often very unpopular with the priests of the day because of their unbending call to repentance and opposition to idolatry, immorality and corruption.
"A prophet sometimes had a unique appearance. Elijah was known for wearing “a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist” (2 Kings 1:8). Elijah’s mantle that he left for Elisha was also seen as a symbol of the prophetic office (2 Kings 2:13–14). God told Ezekiel to shave his head and beard (Ezekiel 5:1). Other prophets were set apart in other ways: Jeremiah, for example, was told he could not marry (Jeremiah 16:2); Hosea was told to marry a prostitute (Hosea 1:2). All prophets were recognized as those through whom God spoke (even if their message was not welcome). A prophet often led a hard life. Isaiah was sent to a people “ever hearing, but never understanding” (Isaiah 6:9), and (according to tradition) he was eventually murdered for his efforts. Ezekiel ministered to “a rebellious people” (Ezekiel 12:2). The queen of Israel sought to take Elijah’s life (1 Kings 19:2). Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, where he “sank down into the mud” (Jeremiah 38:6)." (www.gotquestions.org)
The Spirit spoke through the prophet in terms of revealing the Will of God. The prophetic writings are full of God’s intentions regarding the coming of The Son of God and the Kingdom of God. Joel also predicted the dramatic and powerful increase of the Spirit’s work in the life of the believers from the Day of Shavuot onwards (Joel 2:28,29). They also gave predictions on the future of various nations in history and on future world events. Obadiah is a classic example, the entire book is a prophecy on the future of the Edomites and Jonah is concerned with the Ninevites. Daniel is regarded as crucial reading with respect to Revelation and eschatology in general. All these things were done through the Spirit of God.
Isaiah, more that all the other First Testament prophets gives us the clearest example of Messianic predictions. He is sometimes called the “evangelical prophet” because his prophecies in chapters 52 and 53 concerning the Messiah are the most vivid in all of the First Testament.
The Holy Spirit and MessiahAs the Second Testament opens we see a dramatic increase in spiritual activity in the scriptures with the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Even His conception in the womb was by the power of the Holy Spirit. At His baptism by John the Immerser, the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove (Mat 3:16). John remarked that Yeshua would baptize people with the Holy Spirit and fire. He was led, full of the Spirit into the desert where He resisted the devil (Luke 4:1). Afterwards, Yeshua returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, (Luke 4:16). He went to Nazareth and on the Sabbath He read from the scroll of Isaiah as follows :
Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.
So we see that it was the Spirit that enabled Yeshua to carry out all of His ministry and Isaiah spoke of the sevenfold spirit that would rest on Messiah Yeshua :
Isa 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
Indeed, because of His humanness throughout His life on earth He needed to be full of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the work of His ministry. Stamps comments on this, “ It was only as a Spirit anointed man that Jesus could live, serve and proclaim the gospel (Acts 10:38). In this He is a perfect example for the Christian ; each believer should receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.” (1992. 1550)
The Holy Spirit at Shavuot
After the completeness of Yeshua’s life and earthly ministry and His ascension back to the Father, His promise of the baptism in the Spirit came to pass on the next day of Shavuot. This marks a wonderful and dramatic upsurge of the Spirit’s work and influence in the life of the believer. Generally speaking, in the First Testament we read of the Spirit coming on Jewish people for specific events or circumstances and only for limited periods of time. But after the astonishing baptism of the apostles in Jerusalem which fulfilled the prophecy of Joel 2:28-29, we see the Spirit of God coming to reside within the believer in such a way as to empower him for a life of service and as a deposit for greater things to come.
2 Cor 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
With the baptism of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his family (Acts 10) we see Joel’s prophecy for the baptism on “all people” come to pass (Joel 2:28,29). This is wonderful news for gentiles, and a major step towards the “One New Man” of Ephesians 2:15.
The Gifts of the Spirit
As the church began to grow and expand in all of the work of the ministry, the Holy Spirit began to empower people for service in the Body of Yeshua. Paul’s letters to the churches in Rome, Corinth and at Ephesus give us invaluable insight into how these gifts are described and some of the ways they are intended to be used.
These gifts and ministries are given by the Holy Spirit as He wills. A person may operate in more than one of these areas. Some may have a particular ministry in one area but also may operate in others as well. Some people may be described as having the “office” of a particular gift but may also minister in others at times. These gifts are in no particular order that we may place more importance on one over another but Paul does encourage people to “follow the way of love and eagerly desire the spiritual gifts especially the gift of prophecy.” (1 Cor 14:1)
Conclusion
We have seen the vital importance of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit in Creation, in Israel and her prophets, and in His cooperation with Messiah and in the ministries of the Body of Believers in Yeshua. As we draw close to the end of this age we are witnessing massive spiritual upheaval and spiritual deception around the world on an unprecedented scale. Today, it is vital that all believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, are being led by the Spirit and growing in the fruit of the Spirit, (Gal 5:22-23) so that we are not deceived and are able to minister in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as He wills. Without His anointing for service we are acting in the natural realm only and we will see little or no Fruit in our work for the Lord. Now is a good time to ask our Lord to fill us afresh of the Spirit of God so we can overcome the plans of the enemy and live a victorious life of service to our Lord.
Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1John 4:4)
Bibliography :
Morris. Henry, M. (1976) The Genesis Record. Grand Rapids Mich. Baker Book House
Horton, Stanley M. 2005. What the Bible says About the Holy Spirit. Springfield: Gospel Publishing House.
"What was a prophet in the Old Testament?" Got Questions Ministries, n.d. Web. [12/10/2015].
Stamps, Donald C The King James Version Full Life Study Bible : Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Zondervan Bible Publishers. 1992.
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. He is active throughout all of Biblical History. He is mentioned from Genesis chapter 1 through Revelation 22. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no creation, consequently there would be no physical life and no human race.
There are places throughout scripture where He is more prominent than in others, the book of Acts would be good example of this but nevertheless He is always a vital part of God’s activity whether it be in creation, the leading of the Jewish patriarchs, the leading of Israel or the establishment of the church and its ongoing ministries. In short, He is a vital Person who works with and in conjunction with the Father and the Son in all of their activities in whom we ought to be extremely interested. The Hebrew word for Spirit is “ruwach” which means wind or breath.
The Spirit in Creation
We encounter the Holy Spirit right at the beginning of the Bible in the creation account recorded in Genesis 1.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 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.
Here we see the Spirit cooperating with the Father and the Son in creating the universe. (We know from John 1:3, Col. 1:6 and other verses that the Son was active in creation). All three Persons of the Godhead are active in creation, the psalmist says :
Psa 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
The word for breath here in the KJV is the Hebrew word ruwach meaning Spirit. In order to say the word ruwach properly it is necessary to breath out as you say it. This makes it an onomatopoeic word in that the word “ruwach” sounds like what it is, the sound of breathing out.
So the Spirit of God is directly active in the creation account and in cooperation with the Father and the Son. In Gen 1:2 we read that the Spirit “moved” upon the face of the waters. This “moving” can be described as fluttering or shaking in this context. Morris describes this shaking as vibrating as follows, “In modern scientific terminology, the best translation would be “vibrated.” If the universe is to be energized, there must be a Prime Mover.” (1976, 52) He goes on to say,
As the out flowing energy from God’s omnipresent Spirit began to flow outward and to permeate the cosmos, gravitational forces were activated and water and earth particles came together to form a great sphere moving through space. Other such particles would soon come together also to form sun, moon and the stars throughout the universe. There was now a “compass” on the face of the deep, and the formless earth had assumed the beautiful form of a perfect sphere. It was now ready for light and heat and other forms of enlivening energy.
Later in scripture we will read of the Spirit “moving” on the prophets as they recorded the Word of God (2 Pet. 1:20-21). It is amazing that the Holy Spirit with His incomprehensible colossal power and majesty can also gently prompt His prophets to utter the Word of God. (“Speak softy but carry a big stick”! Theodore Roosevelt).
The Spirit in Israel
Although the Holy Spirit is not mentioned directly with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob we can be sure that He was working in their lives as they began the process of building the nation of Israel. We know from Genesis 41:38 that Pharaoh recognized that the Spirit of God was in Joseph.
Gen 41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
When it came to the building of the Tabernacle in Israel, God told Moses that He had chosen Bezalel and Oholihab and He filled them with the Spirit of God. This was for the practical work necessary for the construction of the Tabernacle and for all the equipment and furnishing including the clothing for the priests to use in their ministry.
Exo 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.
It seems probable that supernatural help was required to make all the items for the Tabernacle. Horton says
“This filling of the Spirit would be the source of “skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts” In other words, the Spirit would supply them with supernatural help in connection with the practical tasks of preparing materials for the tabernacle that would be both useful and beautiful. “Skill” in the Old Testament usually includes practical wisdom that makes it possible to reach one’s goals. “Ability,” also translated “understanding,” usually includes “know-how” that sees what needs to be done and how best to do it. All this came from the Spirit. Bezalel and Oholiab were not to depend on their natural abilities and skills alone. They would still need to work hard, but at the same time they would depend on the Spirit and receive help from Him (2005, 26).
These comments are important for us today. We still need to be working in partnership with the Holy Spirit to do all that our Lord has called us to do, not in our own strength but in Him as He gives us the ability.
Zec 4:6 Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Moses was a man of the Spirit and God took the Spirit that was on him and put it on seventy elders to help Moses in leading Israel. (Num. 11:17). Joshua was also a man filled with the Spirit of God and wisdom, (Deut 34:9) he was able to lead the Israelites to great victories in the Promised Land. The book of Judges tells us several times that the Spirit came on various people in order to lead Israel. They include Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. Later in scripture we read that when the Spirit came on Saul he would be changed into another man (1Sam 10:6) where upon he began to prophecy along with the other prophets of Israel.
So there is the sense in the First Testament that whenever God would use a person for great leadership roles, the Spirit of God would come upon them. Also, the Spirit desired to lead them in the way of righteousness. David was very conscious of losing the presence of the Spirit after his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. Psalm 51 shows his anguish over this possibility.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
The Spirit and the Prophets
Even though the Holy Spirit is not often mentioned in the prophetic books of the First Testament we can be sure that He was indeed very active in their various ministries as we read in 2 Peter :
2 Pet 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
2 Pet 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Stamps explains, “The O.T. prophets were men and women of God who towered spiritually over their contemporaries. No category of people in all literature presents a more dramatic picture than do the O.T. prophets. Priests, judges, kings, wise counselors, and psalmists each had a distinctive place in Israel’s history, but none of these ever rose to the stature of the prophets or continued to exert as much influence on the subsequent history of redemption” (1992, 1002).
If we include Moses as a First Testament prophet, as we should, then two thirds of the First Testament was written by these mighty men of God empowered by the Spirit of God according to 2 Peter 1:20-21 stated above.
Clearly, the Spirit gave the prophets of Israel the very Word of God as they ministered to the nation. God used the prophets to urge and correct the nation to remain faithful to the covenant. The prophet was not just a religious person, he was one of whom the Spirit and the Word had influenced him to such an extent that they often lived a very distinctive lifestyle. They were often very unpopular with the priests of the day because of their unbending call to repentance and opposition to idolatry, immorality and corruption.
"A prophet sometimes had a unique appearance. Elijah was known for wearing “a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist” (2 Kings 1:8). Elijah’s mantle that he left for Elisha was also seen as a symbol of the prophetic office (2 Kings 2:13–14). God told Ezekiel to shave his head and beard (Ezekiel 5:1). Other prophets were set apart in other ways: Jeremiah, for example, was told he could not marry (Jeremiah 16:2); Hosea was told to marry a prostitute (Hosea 1:2). All prophets were recognized as those through whom God spoke (even if their message was not welcome). A prophet often led a hard life. Isaiah was sent to a people “ever hearing, but never understanding” (Isaiah 6:9), and (according to tradition) he was eventually murdered for his efforts. Ezekiel ministered to “a rebellious people” (Ezekiel 12:2). The queen of Israel sought to take Elijah’s life (1 Kings 19:2). Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, where he “sank down into the mud” (Jeremiah 38:6)." (www.gotquestions.org)
The Spirit spoke through the prophet in terms of revealing the Will of God. The prophetic writings are full of God’s intentions regarding the coming of The Son of God and the Kingdom of God. Joel also predicted the dramatic and powerful increase of the Spirit’s work in the life of the believers from the Day of Shavuot onwards (Joel 2:28,29). They also gave predictions on the future of various nations in history and on future world events. Obadiah is a classic example, the entire book is a prophecy on the future of the Edomites and Jonah is concerned with the Ninevites. Daniel is regarded as crucial reading with respect to Revelation and eschatology in general. All these things were done through the Spirit of God.
Isaiah, more that all the other First Testament prophets gives us the clearest example of Messianic predictions. He is sometimes called the “evangelical prophet” because his prophecies in chapters 52 and 53 concerning the Messiah are the most vivid in all of the First Testament.
The Holy Spirit and MessiahAs the Second Testament opens we see a dramatic increase in spiritual activity in the scriptures with the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Even His conception in the womb was by the power of the Holy Spirit. At His baptism by John the Immerser, the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove (Mat 3:16). John remarked that Yeshua would baptize people with the Holy Spirit and fire. He was led, full of the Spirit into the desert where He resisted the devil (Luke 4:1). Afterwards, Yeshua returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, (Luke 4:16). He went to Nazareth and on the Sabbath He read from the scroll of Isaiah as follows :
Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.
So we see that it was the Spirit that enabled Yeshua to carry out all of His ministry and Isaiah spoke of the sevenfold spirit that would rest on Messiah Yeshua :
Isa 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
Indeed, because of His humanness throughout His life on earth He needed to be full of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the work of His ministry. Stamps comments on this, “ It was only as a Spirit anointed man that Jesus could live, serve and proclaim the gospel (Acts 10:38). In this He is a perfect example for the Christian ; each believer should receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.” (1992. 1550)
The Holy Spirit at Shavuot
After the completeness of Yeshua’s life and earthly ministry and His ascension back to the Father, His promise of the baptism in the Spirit came to pass on the next day of Shavuot. This marks a wonderful and dramatic upsurge of the Spirit’s work and influence in the life of the believer. Generally speaking, in the First Testament we read of the Spirit coming on Jewish people for specific events or circumstances and only for limited periods of time. But after the astonishing baptism of the apostles in Jerusalem which fulfilled the prophecy of Joel 2:28-29, we see the Spirit of God coming to reside within the believer in such a way as to empower him for a life of service and as a deposit for greater things to come.
2 Cor 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
With the baptism of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his family (Acts 10) we see Joel’s prophecy for the baptism on “all people” come to pass (Joel 2:28,29). This is wonderful news for gentiles, and a major step towards the “One New Man” of Ephesians 2:15.
The Gifts of the Spirit
As the church began to grow and expand in all of the work of the ministry, the Holy Spirit began to empower people for service in the Body of Yeshua. Paul’s letters to the churches in Rome, Corinth and at Ephesus give us invaluable insight into how these gifts are described and some of the ways they are intended to be used.
These gifts and ministries are given by the Holy Spirit as He wills. A person may operate in more than one of these areas. Some may have a particular ministry in one area but also may operate in others as well. Some people may be described as having the “office” of a particular gift but may also minister in others at times. These gifts are in no particular order that we may place more importance on one over another but Paul does encourage people to “follow the way of love and eagerly desire the spiritual gifts especially the gift of prophecy.” (1 Cor 14:1)
Conclusion
We have seen the vital importance of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit in Creation, in Israel and her prophets, and in His cooperation with Messiah and in the ministries of the Body of Believers in Yeshua. As we draw close to the end of this age we are witnessing massive spiritual upheaval and spiritual deception around the world on an unprecedented scale. Today, it is vital that all believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, are being led by the Spirit and growing in the fruit of the Spirit, (Gal 5:22-23) so that we are not deceived and are able to minister in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as He wills. Without His anointing for service we are acting in the natural realm only and we will see little or no Fruit in our work for the Lord. Now is a good time to ask our Lord to fill us afresh of the Spirit of God so we can overcome the plans of the enemy and live a victorious life of service to our Lord.
Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1John 4:4)
Bibliography :
Morris. Henry, M. (1976) The Genesis Record. Grand Rapids Mich. Baker Book House
Horton, Stanley M. 2005. What the Bible says About the Holy Spirit. Springfield: Gospel Publishing House.
"What was a prophet in the Old Testament?" Got Questions Ministries, n.d. Web. [12/10/2015].
Stamps, Donald C The King James Version Full Life Study Bible : Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Zondervan Bible Publishers. 1992.
Why All Christians Should Celebrate Pentecost
It has been said that there are 2 kinds of responses made by people. Some people say why? Some people say why not.
I would like you to reconsider your preconceived attitudes about this day. Lets look at its relevance to us as Christian believers.
- This day is the founding day of the Church of Jesus / Yeshua (his Hebrew name).
- The Holy Spirit came in a mighty way just as Jesus had predicted He would.
- Some people might say that this belongs to the Old Testament past, but why then would God choose this special day to inaugurate His Church? The bible says that the feast days are “The LORD’s feasts” – they belong to God Himself.
- We have to be very careful to extradite ourselves from anti-Jewish bias that was unfortunately prevalent in the early Roman Church and in the days of the early Church fathers.
- The truth is that God made this day as the day associated with the final great harvest of the Jewish year. In a prophetic way it symbolizes the great final harvest of the world. And so it was that the world harvest of souls actually starts on this day!
- Remember it was Jesus Himself who told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem and not go out into the world to evangelize until they were endued with the Holy Spirit anointing that happened on the appointed day of Pentecost.
I can personally say that I have been blessed having celebrated Pentecost or Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) for 12 years now. It is a time to rejoice at what God has done.
So my question again is, why not celebrate this event?
But you may say, this is not something that you are familiar with. Well it's time to move out of the familiar box, to something that is God given. Pentecost is not a man made tradition, as are so many things that have been adopted by the Church over the years. Instead it is biblical.
Now we remember and celebrate God coming down gloriously to start something new on the earth. Jesus promises in John 14:18 where Jesus says “I will not leave you as orphans, but I will come to you”. Later in John 14:26 Jesus promised “But the counselor, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things”. It happened! Halleluyah.
How can we celebrate this day?
In our assembly we use the theme of Pentecost as the topic for the closest day of worship.
The theme is seen in the scriptures in the Tanach (Old Testament). Leviticus 23 describes the 7 yearly feasts with feast of Weeks/Shavuot as the 4th feast. The New Testament scripture describing the fulfillment of this feast is Acts 1:4 where Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem and Acts 2:1 where the day of Pentecost outpouring starts the church age.
On this day we encourage the people to open their hearts afresh to God’s Holy Spirit, to be revived, to take this opportunity to be renewed.
Afterwards we have a special feast of food brought by the members for fellowship together. There is no legalism in this for us, just a blessing. But we are not judging anyone who doesn’t do it as Col 2:16 says, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration or a Sabbath day."
You should try it too. Make it your tradition, you won’t be disappointed. This is part of recovering the good things from the Jewish roots of our faith. You will be blessed!
Ross Clark