WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.780 All right, friends, let's go ahead and begin. 00:00:03.180 --> 00:00:10.720 So, we're getting a little bit of a late start because of the rain, but it's great to see you all this morning. 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:15.320 Welcome to our class on the Holy Spirit. 00:00:15.700 --> 00:00:18.240 Let me pray for us, and then we will dive in. 00:00:19.740 --> 00:00:23.679 Father in heaven, we come to you with boldness through your Son, our Lord Jesus, 00:00:24.240 --> 00:00:29.600 and in the presence and power of your Holy Spirit because of all that he has accomplished for us. 00:00:30.179 --> 00:00:33.140 Thank you for this morning when we can open up your word 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:39.380 and learn more about who you have revealed yourself to be as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:00:39.380 --> 00:00:43.600 Help us to know you better through our time together this morning. 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:45.280 Help us to love you more. 00:00:46.179 --> 00:00:49.920 Help us to know real repentance and faith in deeper ways and obedience to you 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:53.700 and joy in you and all the fruit of your Spirit, we pray. 00:00:54.160 --> 00:00:55.280 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:57.439 All right, friends. 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:00.100 Well, if you don't know where you are, you're in a class on the Holy Spirit. 00:01:00.260 --> 00:01:00.520 Welcome. 00:01:01.880 --> 00:01:05.659 So, what are we going to do in this class on the Holy Spirit? 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:06.620 I put a lot of... 00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:08.180 This is what we're going to cover today. 00:01:08.180 --> 00:01:11.800 Okay, so if you just want to take a picture of this, then you can go get a cup of coffee. 00:01:11.960 --> 00:01:12.420 You'll be done. 00:01:12.660 --> 00:01:13.220 That's all good. 00:01:13.500 --> 00:01:15.700 Oh, look, you can get a cup of coffee in the back. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:16.660 You don't even need to leave for it. 00:01:17.580 --> 00:01:20.340 So, let me just lay out a couple things as we get started. 00:01:20.820 --> 00:01:25.120 So, as we're learning about the Holy Spirit, you may run across this word. 00:01:25.360 --> 00:01:26.140 This is a fun word. 00:01:26.920 --> 00:01:32.600 Pneumatology, which is just a fun word that means the study of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:32.679 Spirit. 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:40.140 So, this word here, pneuma, is a Greek word that means spirit. 00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:47.719 And this little word here is from the root logos, which means kind of, at its most basic level, it means the word. 00:01:48.179 --> 00:01:52.439 But it also means kind of disciplined, reasoned discourse about. 00:01:52.659 --> 00:01:53.939 So, that's where we get study, right? 00:01:54.099 --> 00:01:56.539 So, pneumatology is the study of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:56.639 --> 00:01:59.619 Sometimes we'll talk about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:59.620 --> 00:02:00.579 What is a doctrine? 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:07.400 A doctrine is what Scripture teaches and what the church affirms on the basis of the Bible about something. 00:02:07.520 --> 00:02:13.159 So, when we talk about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, we're just talking about all that the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:18.879 Now, why study the Holy Spirit? 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:21.759 Why should we spend time studying the Holy Spirit? 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:25.939 Well, why do we study any topic in theology? 00:02:26.379 --> 00:02:29.200 Why do we go to Scripture and try to understand what it says? 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:36.979 Well, I think the reason why we study theology is to know and love God more and more, right? 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:42.000 And what we're going to find out in this class is that the Holy Spirit is God. 00:02:42.259 --> 00:02:49.319 So, very directly, we are learning how to know and love God more and more as we study the Holy Spirit. 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:58.000 And do you remember that moment in Acts 19 where, I think it's Apollos at that point in the story, 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:01.739 Apollos runs across some disciples of John the Baptist. 00:03:02.979 --> 00:03:04.939 And do you remember how the interaction goes? 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:06.419 Maybe it's Paul at this point, too. 00:03:07.579 --> 00:03:10.240 Paul says, hey, have you been baptized? 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:11.659 And they're like, yeah. 00:03:12.180 --> 00:03:14.120 They're like, baptized how? 00:03:14.419 --> 00:03:16.120 Well, we were baptized with John's baptism. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:19.020 They're like, well, have you been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? 00:03:19.219 --> 00:03:22.980 They're like, we didn't even know there was a Holy Spirit, right? 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:28.840 So, and it's this wonderful moment where the gospel comes and it completes their kind of, 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:33.960 their incomplete knowledge based on the Old Testament preaching of John the Baptist, right? 00:03:34.259 --> 00:03:35.340 Of who God is. 00:03:35.340 --> 00:03:39.060 It's this wonderful moment that if we don't know the Holy Spirit, 00:03:39.460 --> 00:03:42.400 we don't really know the fullness of who God is. 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:47.500 So, hopefully by the end of this class, over the course of the next, you know, nine, ten weeks, 00:03:47.760 --> 00:03:50.860 none of us will be able to say, we didn't even know there was a Holy Spirit. 00:03:52.259 --> 00:03:55.520 Okay, that's kind of why we want to study any topic in theology, right? 00:03:55.560 --> 00:03:56.900 To know and love God more and more. 00:03:56.900 --> 00:04:01.520 Are there specific reasons we would want to focus in on God the Holy Spirit, 00:04:01.580 --> 00:04:02.719 on the person of the Holy Spirit? 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:11.000 Well, I think there are a couple reasons why it's worthwhile to spend devoted time to the Holy Spirit specifically. 00:04:12.079 --> 00:04:14.639 One, I think is, I think of two reasons. 00:04:14.759 --> 00:04:18.300 One is, I would call it distance, and the other I would call it division, right? 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:24.560 When we think about the Father, God the Father, or God the Son, right? 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:27.780 Isn't there kind of a, even just those terms, right? 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:34.579 Isn't there kind of a personal, almost warmth to relating to God as our Heavenly Father, 00:04:34.660 --> 00:04:39.259 who's powerful and loving, and the Son who has come and laid down His life for us. 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:41.540 But then we come to the Holy Spirit. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:47.939 And spirit language doesn't convey that same kind of personal closeness and warmth 00:04:47.939 --> 00:04:49.939 as Father and Son language does, does it? 00:04:49.939 --> 00:04:57.560 Sometimes we can think of the Holy Spirit as sort of enigmatic, or sort of distant, or even impersonal, right? 00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:00.680 So I think we want to study the Holy Spirit specifically, 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:05.000 because the New Testament presents our relationship to God the Holy Spirit 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:12.300 with the same kind of warmth, passion, clarity, and depth of experience as our relationship with Father and Son. 00:05:12.300 --> 00:05:18.839 So it's going to help us grow in our experiential relationship to God the Holy Spirit as we study Him. 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:22.479 Second, why study the Holy Spirit specifically? 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:24.199 Division. 00:05:24.419 --> 00:05:28.079 There's a lot of confusion sometimes about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. 00:05:28.619 --> 00:05:35.199 Some matters related to the Holy Spirit's ministry can even sometimes be controversial, right? 00:05:35.739 --> 00:05:40.059 What is the Holy Spirit's role in our conversion, right? 00:05:40.339 --> 00:05:41.679 Christians can differ on that. 00:05:42.219 --> 00:05:45.919 What is the Holy Spirit's role in spiritual gifts today, right? 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:49.759 These things can sometimes be controversial and cause some division. 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:56.500 Now, thankfully, I think in our day, there's probably, I mean, it's hard to speak in generalities, 00:05:56.620 --> 00:06:00.040 I think there's probably less division, actually, over the work of the Holy Spirit today 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:05.400 than maybe there was 20, 30 years ago in the sort of height of the sort of third wave of the charismatic movement 00:06:05.400 --> 00:06:06.840 or the second wave of the charismatic movement. 00:06:06.939 --> 00:06:08.939 But there's still some confusion, at least. 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:16.199 And I think studying the Holy Spirit will hopefully help us to grow in our warmth of experience with God 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:21.000 and also in our unity as we follow God together. 00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:26.040 I mean, the other thing to consider, too, as we think about reasons for studying the Holy Spirit 00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:30.939 is that the Holy Spirit is all over the New Testament, right? 00:06:31.339 --> 00:06:34.659 Consider John chapters 14 through 16, right? 00:06:34.660 --> 00:06:41.280 What did Jesus teach his disciples before his death, resurrection, and ascension, right? 00:06:41.320 --> 00:06:42.480 Remember John 14 through 16? 00:06:43.100 --> 00:06:46.439 It's that time when Jesus is teaching his disciples in the upper room. 00:06:46.520 --> 00:06:52.040 Sometimes we call it his farewell discourse before he goes to the cross, completes his work, rises again, ascends. 00:06:52.379 --> 00:06:57.420 What is sort of the main theme or one of the key themes of what he's teaching in John 14 through 16? 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:00.200 It's the Holy Spirit, right? 00:07:00.300 --> 00:07:03.460 Clearly, Jesus thought this was really important, right? 00:07:03.459 --> 00:07:08.479 And then when Jesus ascends to the right hand of the Father, like we saw last week in Acts, right? 00:07:08.779 --> 00:07:15.799 When Jesus ascends to the Father, is enthroned as king, fully God and fully human at the Father's right hand, 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:21.199 when he ascends so that he might be present to all creation with his ruling and reigning power, 00:07:21.379 --> 00:07:24.259 what's the first thing that the ascended Jesus does? 00:07:25.719 --> 00:07:27.539 He pours out the Holy Spirit! 00:07:27.979 --> 00:07:30.519 Yeah, he pours out the Holy Spirit, right? 00:07:30.519 --> 00:07:37.439 So New Testament Christianity is not just knowing the truth about Jesus, right? 00:07:37.479 --> 00:07:39.039 It's not just knowing the truth, right? 00:07:39.620 --> 00:07:46.039 But experiencing and living that truth in and through the ongoing agency and ministry of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:46.939 --> 00:07:47.180 Okay. 00:07:48.060 --> 00:07:50.519 So this is why we want to study the Holy Spirit. 00:07:51.299 --> 00:07:54.719 How do we go about studying the Holy Spirit? 00:07:54.720 --> 00:08:04.580 Well, classically, we've kind of divided or organized the study of the Holy Spirit into two parts. 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:10.000 The person of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit, right? 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:11.960 So verse is simple, right? 00:08:12.620 --> 00:08:17.680 When we think about the person of the Holy Spirit, we're looking to Scripture to understand who the Holy Spirit is, right? 00:08:17.760 --> 00:08:18.520 Who is he? 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:23.879 And when we talk about the work of the Holy Spirit, we're asking the question, what does he do? 00:08:24.259 --> 00:08:27.539 This is similar to when we study the person of Christ, right? 00:08:27.539 --> 00:08:30.399 Or the work of Christ or what we call Christology, right? 00:08:30.419 --> 00:08:33.059 Which would be the study of Christ. 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:34.899 We think about the person of Christ. 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:35.779 Who is he? 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:37.559 And then we think about the work of Christ. 00:08:37.620 --> 00:08:38.379 What did he do? 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:39.579 Same thing with the Holy Spirit. 00:08:39.580 --> 00:08:47.420 So this is what's going to kind of organize our class together is we're going to spend a few weeks looking at the person of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:47.740 --> 00:08:50.680 And then we're going to spend the rest of our class actually looking at the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:52.460 --> 00:09:00.800 So over the next three weeks, what I'd like to do is, quite simply, is I want to look at the person of the Holy Spirit today in the Old Testament, 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:06.759 next week in the New Testament, and then the third week, hopefully, 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:09.939 we'll look a little bit of, this is historical theology. 00:09:10.059 --> 00:09:14.700 How did the church kind of unpack and unfold and articulate its doctrine of the Holy Spirit, 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:17.799 of the person of the Holy Spirit, in the early years of the church? 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:21.039 So that's where we're going. 00:09:21.259 --> 00:09:24.919 We're going to look at the person of the Holy Spirit over the next three weeks, 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:26.819 and we're going to start with the Old Testament today. 00:09:27.439 --> 00:09:32.980 Now, I'm going to begin, as we think about the person of the Holy Spirit, 00:09:33.220 --> 00:09:36.279 I'm going to jump right to the end, so you know where we're going. 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:38.059 You can see our destination, right? 00:09:38.519 --> 00:09:45.539 And what is our destination when we think about articulating what the Bible teaches about the person of the Holy Spirit? 00:09:45.899 --> 00:09:53.399 Well, in 381 A.D., many years ago, in 381 A.D., 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:58.319 at a church council, at a gathering of church leaders in a city called Constantinople, 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:04.540 the church, after hashing this out with people who had different views and disagreements, 00:10:05.100 --> 00:10:07.120 some very far afield from what Scripture taught, 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:13.440 the church gathered and summarized and stated the biblical teaching about the person of the Holy Spirit 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.800 at that council in 381 in Constantinople. 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:19.959 And what they did was they articulated in good, tight sentences, 00:10:19.959 --> 00:10:27.539 and then they added those words to the creed that was written about 60 years earlier in Nicaea 00:10:27.539 --> 00:10:29.759 that was all about who Jesus was, right? 00:10:30.339 --> 00:10:35.019 And when we put the 381 statements and the 325 statements together, 00:10:35.019 --> 00:10:38.939 together, we have what we call today the Nicene Creed. 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:45.159 The Nicene Creed, which more accurately, the version that we all know and recite sometimes in our churches, 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:49.259 is called the Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed, right? 00:10:49.319 --> 00:10:51.899 Because it was completed at Constantinople in 381. 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:54.720 Anyway, we're going to get more into that in a couple of weeks, 00:10:54.720 --> 00:11:00.759 but this is what the church affirmed and stated and proclaimed with joy 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:04.800 about who the Holy Spirit is on the basis of Scripture. 00:11:05.160 --> 00:11:06.720 The part of the creed says this, 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:11.920 We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life giver, 00:11:12.680 --> 00:11:14.259 who proceeds from the Father, 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:19.759 who is to be worshiped and glorified together with the Father and the Son, 00:11:20.420 --> 00:11:22.000 and who spoke by the prophets. 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:25.419 Now, if you know your church history, you know that a couple hundred years later, 00:11:25.500 --> 00:11:26.879 there was a little clause added to that, 00:11:27.179 --> 00:11:29.340 who proceeds from the Father and the Son. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:30.320 We'll get to that. 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:37.039 But do you see what our forebearers in the church were affirming about the Holy Spirit 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:37.519 when they said, 00:11:37.659 --> 00:11:40.299 We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:42.039 who proceeds from the Father and the Son, 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:44.980 who is to be worshiped and glorified together with the Father and Son. 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:46.820 Well, they were affirming three things, 00:11:47.179 --> 00:11:49.539 and these are the three things that are going to kind of guide 00:11:49.539 --> 00:11:52.860 our journey through Scripture to look at the person of the Holy Spirit. 00:11:52.959 --> 00:12:00.360 They affirm that the Holy Spirit is a distinct, divine person of the Triune God. 00:12:00.819 --> 00:12:03.559 A distinct, divine person. 00:12:03.740 --> 00:12:05.699 Now, when we get to the New Testament next week, 00:12:05.860 --> 00:12:09.319 those things are really going to bubble up in a lot of clarity. 00:12:10.299 --> 00:12:10.419 Right? 00:12:10.500 --> 00:12:16.079 But today, we're going to look at the initial kind of launch of this in the Old Testament. 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:16.840 Okay? 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:20.520 Now, as we think about coming to the Old Testament, 00:12:21.139 --> 00:12:27.139 we should keep in mind that it should be no surprise to us, 00:12:27.160 --> 00:12:30.460 as we study the Old Testament, asking about the person of the Holy Spirit, 00:12:30.800 --> 00:12:34.920 it should be no surprise to us that the picture of the Holy Spirit 00:12:34.920 --> 00:12:39.780 that we get in the Old Testament awaits the New Testament for its full expression. 00:12:40.040 --> 00:12:40.240 Right? 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:42.220 What do we believe about Scripture? 00:12:42.340 --> 00:12:44.759 God reveals Himself progressively throughout Scripture. 00:12:44.759 --> 00:12:45.319 Right? 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:49.120 Just as the full deity of God the Son is only fully revealed in the New Testament, 00:12:49.319 --> 00:12:50.939 so too with the Holy Spirit. 00:12:51.179 --> 00:12:51.360 Right? 00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:55.899 So, we're going to see the initial lines take shape here in the Old Testament, 00:12:55.899 --> 00:12:59.600 but it's going to wait for the New Testament to come out in all of its fullness. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:04.600 Now, because the fullness of who God the Holy Spirit is 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:06.559 comes to sort of clarity in the New Testament, 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:10.019 that doesn't mean that the Old Testament is useless. 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:10.700 Right? 00:13:10.700 --> 00:13:11.660 You know? 00:13:12.780 --> 00:13:18.320 Instead, the Old Testament provides the kind of important groundwork 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:23.580 for the unfolding of that more complete revelation of the person of the Spirit in the New. 00:13:24.540 --> 00:13:24.900 Okay? 00:13:24.899 --> 00:13:27.959 So, with all that being said, 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:32.179 what does the Old Testament teach about the person of the Holy Spirit? 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:37.980 Well, I wonder if you'd turn with me to Genesis 1. 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:38.399 Okay. 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:40.059 Finally, Nick's going to stop talking. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:40.799 We're going to look at the Bible. 00:13:41.959 --> 00:13:42.759 Genesis 1. 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:50.259 Would someone please read verses 1 and 2? 00:13:58.259 --> 00:13:59.259 Sebastian, do you have it? 00:14:00.139 --> 00:14:00.799 Go ahead. 00:14:02.059 --> 00:14:03.840 Read verses 1 and 2 of Genesis 1. 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:04.840 Great. 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:17.740 Thank you. 00:14:17.800 --> 00:14:21.440 And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:24.060 We're two verses into the Bible, 00:14:24.780 --> 00:14:30.500 and there is reference to something called the Spirit of God. 00:14:30.800 --> 00:14:31.040 Right? 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:35.759 Now, Spirit is a wonderful word in the Old Testament. 00:14:36.179 --> 00:14:38.459 Here's the Old Testament word that we translate Spirit. 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:39.559 Ruach. 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:40.480 Right? 00:14:41.219 --> 00:14:41.620 Ruach. 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:47.079 This kind of CH at the end there has that kind of like guttural sound in the back of your throat 00:14:47.079 --> 00:14:50.099 that's really fun to make if you're like a German speaker or you speak Arabic. 00:14:50.199 --> 00:14:51.139 Anyone here speak Arabic? 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:52.779 Anyone here speak Hebrew? 00:14:53.439 --> 00:14:53.839 Ruach. 00:14:54.019 --> 00:14:54.240 Right? 00:14:54.779 --> 00:14:55.799 It's not ruach. 00:14:55.980 --> 00:14:57.019 That's not how you pronounce that. 00:14:57.319 --> 00:14:57.899 So, there you go. 00:14:57.980 --> 00:14:58.379 Pro tip. 00:14:58.379 --> 00:15:01.639 If you do any, you know, teaching in the future. 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:02.279 Ruach. 00:15:02.500 --> 00:15:05.539 So, that's the word for spirit in the Old Testament. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.059 And it comes up a lot, actually. 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:10.179 This word comes up nearly 400 times in the Old Testament. 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:13.159 And it can refer to a lot of things. 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:19.740 The Spirit of God language comes up about 100 times in the Old Testament. 00:15:19.740 --> 00:15:26.019 But what does this word mean when we look at all these instances of ruach in the Old Testament? 00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:27.019 What does it mean? 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:35.200 Well, interestingly, what the word ruach means is something like wind or breath. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:40.020 But sometimes when we think of wind and breath, we can think of sort of like a gentle breeze. 00:15:40.160 --> 00:15:40.340 Right? 00:15:41.420 --> 00:15:47.140 My daughter in band, they played a song in sixth grade called Gentle Winds. 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:48.580 And it was horns. 00:15:48.640 --> 00:15:49.580 Do you know this song, Sebastian? 00:15:49.720 --> 00:15:50.520 It's Gentle Winds. 00:15:50.660 --> 00:15:52.080 Oh, it was something else. 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:53.200 Lots of horns. 00:15:53.320 --> 00:15:55.020 You know, sixth grade horns are so delightful. 00:15:57.160 --> 00:15:58.080 Gentle winds. 00:15:58.180 --> 00:15:58.300 Right? 00:15:58.299 --> 00:15:59.839 We think of that or breath. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:00.179 Right? 00:16:01.419 --> 00:16:02.719 It can feel like soft. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:09.819 However, that is not what this Old Testament word means in most of its occurrences. 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:14.419 Ruach in the Old Testament is air in motion. 00:16:15.099 --> 00:16:15.919 It's energy. 00:16:16.479 --> 00:16:17.240 It's activity. 00:16:17.819 --> 00:16:18.539 It's wind. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:19.740 It's storm. 00:16:20.139 --> 00:16:22.199 It's the life breath of a human. 00:16:22.539 --> 00:16:24.199 It's the life breath of animals. 00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:24.699 Right? 00:16:25.819 --> 00:16:28.059 And this is immediately so helpful for us. 00:16:28.299 --> 00:16:35.059 Because often when we, as sort of like, you know, late modern Westerners, when we use 00:16:35.059 --> 00:16:38.359 spirit language, right, what do we often mean by that? 00:16:39.059 --> 00:16:41.679 What comes to mind when you think of the language of spirit? 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:42.339 Right? 00:16:42.819 --> 00:16:43.139 Go ahead. 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:43.599 Fire away. 00:16:44.539 --> 00:16:45.019 Ghosts. 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:45.099 Ghosts. 00:16:45.099 --> 00:16:45.299 Right? 00:16:45.699 --> 00:16:47.000 And what do we think of ghosts? 00:16:52.059 --> 00:16:53.120 It's a person. 00:16:53.259 --> 00:16:53.740 That's right. 00:16:53.819 --> 00:16:54.019 Yes. 00:16:54.019 --> 00:16:54.740 He's a person. 00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:55.679 Not a ghost. 00:16:55.819 --> 00:16:55.919 Right? 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:59.459 But aren't ghosts in our thinking or spirit in our thinking? 00:16:59.559 --> 00:17:02.759 Isn't it kind of like ephemeral or sort of fleeting? 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:03.979 It's immaterial. 00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:05.519 You can't get your hands on it. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:06.519 It's there one minute. 00:17:06.619 --> 00:17:07.420 It's gone the next. 00:17:07.500 --> 00:17:08.639 You're not sure about it. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:08.920 Right? 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:09.899 You know? 00:17:10.460 --> 00:17:13.779 This is what we think of when we think of spirit in our language. 00:17:14.259 --> 00:17:19.099 And yet that is not the biblical conception of this word ruach of spirit. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:19.639 Right? 00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:24.060 It doesn't mean something that's ephemeral or fleeting or immaterial. 00:17:24.280 --> 00:17:26.900 Actually, the Hebrew Bible does have a word for that. 00:17:27.540 --> 00:17:31.820 And we encountered it a hundred times in our series in Ecclesiastes a year ago. 00:17:32.080 --> 00:17:33.200 That word is hevel. 00:17:33.660 --> 00:17:33.800 Right? 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:37.580 Hevel means like smoke that kind of like flitters away. 00:17:38.020 --> 00:17:38.220 Right? 00:17:38.220 --> 00:17:42.799 But ruach means something powerful. 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:53.019 So when we talk about God's spirit, we're not talking about God as sort of immaterial or fleeting or there sometimes and not others. 00:17:53.259 --> 00:17:59.360 The emphasis is on God's power and God's presence and God's energy. 00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:00.380 Right? 00:18:00.380 --> 00:18:04.020 Listen to this verse from Micah 3.8. 00:18:05.080 --> 00:18:06.160 Micah 3.8 says, 00:18:06.800 --> 00:18:12.380 But as for me, I am filled with power with the spirit of the Lord. 00:18:12.900 --> 00:18:13.220 Right? 00:18:13.460 --> 00:18:14.160 There it is. 00:18:14.280 --> 00:18:15.960 It's God's powerful presence. 00:18:16.520 --> 00:18:16.680 Right? 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:21.860 Or Isaiah 59.19 says this, 00:18:21.859 --> 00:18:27.939 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the sun. 00:18:27.939 --> 00:18:35.199 For he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind, literally the spirit of the Lord drives. 00:18:35.659 --> 00:18:35.879 Right? 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:41.779 Or listen to this contrast in Isaiah 31.3. 00:18:42.679 --> 00:18:43.539 This contrast. 00:18:43.719 --> 00:18:46.759 The Egyptians are man and not God. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:50.859 Their horses are flesh and not spirit. 00:18:50.859 --> 00:18:51.139 Spirit. 00:18:51.659 --> 00:18:51.939 Right? 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:53.599 Interesting. 00:18:54.019 --> 00:18:56.359 We would sort of think like, oh, it's just spirit. 00:18:56.639 --> 00:18:57.479 It's not real. 00:18:57.579 --> 00:18:58.359 It's not like, blah. 00:18:58.719 --> 00:19:00.059 But it's the opposite in the Bible. 00:19:00.139 --> 00:19:00.379 Right? 00:19:00.779 --> 00:19:01.959 They're mere flesh. 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:03.779 But God is spirit. 00:19:04.179 --> 00:19:04.379 Right? 00:19:04.459 --> 00:19:05.059 It's power. 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:06.119 It's energy. 00:19:06.539 --> 00:19:08.639 It's activity. 00:19:08.639 --> 00:19:09.199 Right? 00:19:10.659 --> 00:19:16.139 Now, given this understanding of the Old Testament kind of connotations of this word ruach, 00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:24.900 it's not surprising then that as the spirit of God starts to work, right, 00:19:25.700 --> 00:19:27.680 it's in keeping with that nature. 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:28.400 Right? 00:19:28.660 --> 00:19:29.420 It's power. 00:19:29.640 --> 00:19:30.220 It's energy. 00:19:30.360 --> 00:19:31.120 It's presence. 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:36.720 When the spirit of God comes on individuals, they're raised into action and able to do things 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:38.700 they wouldn't normally be able to do in the Old Testament. 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:40.340 Well, what do we see? 00:19:40.539 --> 00:19:43.640 As we're kind of thinking about the person of the spirit in the Old Testament, 00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:47.880 let's look at a little bit of what he does to sort of think about his person. 00:19:48.080 --> 00:19:48.220 Okay? 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:51.460 And that's, this is the sort of what I have here, the general work of the Holy Spirit in 00:19:51.460 --> 00:19:51.960 the Old Testament. 00:19:52.380 --> 00:19:55.740 Now, I know I said we're looking at the person and not the work this morning, but in the Old 00:19:55.740 --> 00:19:58.600 Testament, we're going to look at some of what the spirit does to capture kind of who 00:19:58.600 --> 00:19:59.000 he is. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:19:59.259 Okay? 00:20:00.460 --> 00:20:08.180 So, the first thing we see about this kind of personal power of God himself, this energy 00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:13.779 that's being exercised in creation, right, we see kind of at least like seven areas if 00:20:13.779 --> 00:20:15.559 we kind of looked at them all and grouped them together. 00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:23.160 First thing we see the spirit doing, the spirit of God doing, is creating and sustaining the 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:25.660 universe and all things, right? 00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:28.380 We just looked at Genesis 1 and 2. 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:33.060 What's true of the creation in Genesis 1 and 2, right? 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:37.400 God has created all things, but it's formless and void, right? 00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:44.840 Until the spirit comes and by God's word, the spirit of God, right, begins to shape and 00:20:44.840 --> 00:20:48.400 fashion and bring it into its fullness and existence, right? 00:20:49.660 --> 00:20:51.480 Or Psalm 33, 6. 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:57.460 By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth, there's that 00:20:57.460 --> 00:21:03.200 spirit language, by the breath of his mouth, all their host, okay? 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:12.900 Second thing, the Holy Spirit is at work controlling nature and history, not just bringing things 00:21:12.900 --> 00:21:18.000 into being and sustaining them, but also controlling how they go, right? 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:21.980 Listen to this from Psalm 104, 24 through 30. 00:21:22.779 --> 00:21:23.779 It's a little bit of a longer one. 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:24.339 I'll read it for us. 00:21:24.420 --> 00:21:25.920 Oh Lord, how manifold are your works! 00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:28.059 In wisdom have you made them all. 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:29.339 The earth is full of your creatures. 00:21:30.119 --> 00:21:33.859 Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things, 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:34.759 both small and great. 00:21:35.059 --> 00:21:38.180 There go the ships and Leviathan, which you formed to plan it. 00:21:38.359 --> 00:21:41.819 These all look to you to give them their food in due season. 00:21:42.599 --> 00:21:44.400 When you give it to them, they gather it up. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:47.059 When you open your hand, they're filled with good things. 00:21:47.059 --> 00:21:50.299 When you hide your face, they are dismayed. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:54.419 When you take away their breath, they die and return to dust. 00:21:55.019 --> 00:22:01.500 When you send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the ground. 00:22:02.879 --> 00:22:03.179 Right? 00:22:03.659 --> 00:22:04.339 There it is. 00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:05.419 Yes, Julia. 00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:21.779 Yeah, yeah. 00:22:21.880 --> 00:22:23.740 We're going to get into all those great things. 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:24.460 Yeah, that's right. 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:24.860 That's right. 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:25.200 Yes. 00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:26.160 Yes. 00:22:26.620 --> 00:22:27.019 Yeah. 00:22:27.120 --> 00:22:27.600 No, that's good. 00:22:27.960 --> 00:22:28.140 Yeah. 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:28.620 Yeah. 00:22:28.620 --> 00:22:32.380 So you can see here that, notice this contrast in this passage where it says, 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:36.840 when God hides his face, his like personal regard, his face, things wither. 00:22:37.040 --> 00:22:39.620 When he sends his spirit, they spring to life. 00:22:39.700 --> 00:22:39.920 Right? 00:22:40.340 --> 00:22:45.340 Interesting moment where we see that whatever the Old Testament means by the spirit of God, 00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:49.800 as we're seeing, it's not something that's detached from God's personal presence. 00:22:49.940 --> 00:22:50.180 Right? 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:53.019 Because it's there compared with God's own face. 00:22:53.420 --> 00:22:56.759 So this is God's personal activity in creation. 00:22:57.080 --> 00:22:57.240 Right? 00:22:58.620 --> 00:22:59.019 Okay. 00:22:59.220 --> 00:23:01.940 We see the spirit of God controlling nature and history. 00:23:01.940 --> 00:23:06.400 We also see the spirit of God revealing God's messages to his spokesmen. 00:23:06.560 --> 00:23:06.640 Right? 00:23:06.700 --> 00:23:08.720 We see this in the prophets, of course. 00:23:08.820 --> 00:23:11.279 The spirit of God comes and the word of God comes. 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:14.080 Listen to this from 2 Samuel. 00:23:14.460 --> 00:23:19.320 Here's one example of this from 2 Samuel 23, verses 1 through 2. 00:23:20.180 --> 00:23:22.560 2 Samuel 23, verses 1 through 2 says this. 00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:25.580 It says, now these are the last words of David. 00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:27.980 The oracle of David, the son of Jesse. 00:23:28.100 --> 00:23:30.019 The oracle of the man who was raised on high. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:33.060 The anointed, the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel. 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:34.560 And here's how it begins. 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:38.100 The spirit of the Lord speaks by me. 00:23:38.980 --> 00:23:40.360 His word is on my tongue. 00:23:40.820 --> 00:23:41.019 Right? 00:23:42.060 --> 00:23:46.500 But David had a very self-conscious sense that God's spirit was active in him 00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:48.799 and was prompting him to speak. 00:23:49.340 --> 00:23:49.500 Right? 00:23:50.180 --> 00:23:52.860 And you see this in many places in the Old Testament. 00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:56.340 It's the spirit that comes and brings these words of God 00:23:56.340 --> 00:23:59.500 through God's spokesmen to his people. 00:23:59.740 --> 00:23:59.840 Right? 00:24:00.560 --> 00:24:06.279 The spirit also teaches by these revelations the way to be faithful and fruitful. 00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:07.640 This is number four. 00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:08.200 Right? 00:24:09.019 --> 00:24:10.660 I'll go a little quicker through some of these. 00:24:11.100 --> 00:24:13.200 Psalm 143, 9 through 10. 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:15.620 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord. 00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:17.140 I have fled to you for refuge. 00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:19.840 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:23.660 Let your good spirit lead me on level ground. 00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:24.100 Right? 00:24:24.819 --> 00:24:30.620 The spirit is the one who's not just creating, sustaining, speaking, but also guiding us, 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:31.360 leading us. 00:24:31.539 --> 00:24:31.640 Right? 00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:34.960 Teaching us the way to be faithful and fruitful, even in the Old Testament. 00:24:35.580 --> 00:24:35.740 Right? 00:24:36.100 --> 00:24:41.259 And the spirit is the one, this is number five, who's eliciting these personal responses in 00:24:41.259 --> 00:24:46.480 God's people, eliciting personal responses to God of faith and repentance and obedience 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:49.000 and openness to God's instructions and prayer. 00:24:49.900 --> 00:24:54.160 Classic example of this, Psalm 51, 10 through 12. 00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:58.640 Created me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 00:24:59.220 --> 00:25:03.339 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:08.859 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:09.640 So there's David. 00:25:09.640 --> 00:25:15.040 David is praying there for, he's not praying like, oh, I don't want to lose my salvation. 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:15.400 Right? 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:19.860 But he's praying for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in his life to continue to be active. 00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:23.160 And that doesn't just equip him for a leadership role. 00:25:23.280 --> 00:25:23.500 Right? 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:26.960 But it also restores to him joy. 00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:27.420 Right? 00:25:27.460 --> 00:25:31.520 The ministry of the Holy Spirit restores the joy of his salvation, upholds in him a willing 00:25:31.520 --> 00:25:32.880 spirit, leads him to repentance. 00:25:33.300 --> 00:25:33.540 Right? 00:25:35.540 --> 00:25:35.980 Okay. 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:38.080 Then six, we see the Holy Spirit. 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:40.359 This is a very common theme in the Old Testament. 00:25:40.879 --> 00:25:46.399 We see the Holy Spirit equipping God's people, or certain people within the people of God, 00:25:46.460 --> 00:25:46.960 for leadership. 00:25:47.159 --> 00:25:50.619 The Holy Spirit's equipping people for leadership, for governing. 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:54.220 We see this in Numbers 11. 00:25:54.500 --> 00:25:57.559 Now, if you were here over the summer for our Numbers series, you might remember this passage, 00:25:57.679 --> 00:25:57.879 right? 00:25:58.659 --> 00:25:58.980 Where? 00:26:00.059 --> 00:26:00.679 Well, I'll read it. 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:01.820 Verses 16 and 17. 00:26:01.820 --> 00:26:03.360 The Lord said to Moses, 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:08.220 Gather for me 70 men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people 00:26:08.220 --> 00:26:11.740 and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their 00:26:11.740 --> 00:26:12.380 stand there with you. 00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:14.700 And I will come down and talk with you there. 00:26:14.779 --> 00:26:18.980 And I will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them. 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:24.180 And they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself 00:26:24.180 --> 00:26:24.700 alone. 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:25.200 Right? 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:31.100 There, God the Spirit is being distributed on certain leaders within the people so that 00:26:31.100 --> 00:26:33.160 they can govern, so that they can lead well. 00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:33.620 Right? 00:26:35.299 --> 00:26:36.519 Again, we see that a lot. 00:26:36.700 --> 00:26:37.980 Think about the book of Judges. 00:26:38.180 --> 00:26:38.360 Right? 00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:43.900 The Spirit comes on a judge, and he leads, he governs, he conquers. 00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:44.160 Right? 00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:45.240 He saves the people. 00:26:45.960 --> 00:26:46.180 Right? 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:49.900 Or the Spirit coming on Saul, and then eventually leaving. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:50.080 Right? 00:26:50.100 --> 00:26:51.080 The Spirit coming on David. 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:51.480 Right? 00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:54.160 The Holy Spirit is active equipping people for leadership. 00:26:54.160 --> 00:27:00.940 And then last thing, the Holy Spirit equips people with skill and strength for creative 00:27:00.940 --> 00:27:01.980 work. 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:05.200 With skill and strength for creative work. 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:07.920 Listen to this passage from Exodus 31. 00:27:08.140 --> 00:27:09.120 Remember what's happening in Exodus? 00:27:09.300 --> 00:27:11.620 God's just liberated the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. 00:27:12.100 --> 00:27:15.660 They're out in the middle of the wilderness, and God says, I want you to start building these 00:27:15.660 --> 00:27:16.279 beautiful things. 00:27:16.360 --> 00:27:17.600 I want you to build this beautiful tent. 00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:23.240 I want you to build these beautiful tables and altars and lampstands and all this sort of 00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:23.440 stuff. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:24.620 I want you to build all these things. 00:27:25.080 --> 00:27:26.380 And can you imagine what the people were thinking at that moment? 00:27:26.500 --> 00:27:30.100 They're like, we've made bricks for generations and generations and generations. 00:27:30.180 --> 00:27:31.920 Now you're telling us to create all these beautiful things? 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:32.660 How do we do it? 00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:32.980 Right? 00:27:32.980 --> 00:27:35.660 Exodus 31. 00:27:35.660 --> 00:27:36.160 1 through 11. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:41.080 The Lord said to Moses, see, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, son of Hur, 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:42.300 of the tribe of Judah. 00:27:42.340 --> 00:27:46.519 And I filled him with the spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and 00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:51.540 all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, and in 00:27:51.540 --> 00:27:54.700 cutting stones for setting and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 00:27:54.700 --> 00:28:00.059 And behold, I've appointed with him a holy hab, the son of Ahissamach, of the tribe of Dan. 00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:05.460 And I've given to all able men ability that they may make all that I've commanded you. 00:28:05.840 --> 00:28:09.360 The tent of meeting, the ark of testimony, the mercy seat that's on it, all the furnishings 00:28:09.360 --> 00:28:12.900 of the tent, the table, the utensils, the pure lampstand with all of its utensils, the 00:28:12.900 --> 00:28:16.519 altar of incense, and the altar of burn offering with all its utensils, and the basin and the 00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:20.340 stand, and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the 00:28:20.339 --> 00:28:24.299 garments for his sons, for their servants his priest, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant 00:28:24.299 --> 00:28:25.439 incense for the holy place. 00:28:25.679 --> 00:28:27.939 According to all that I've commanded you, they shall do. 00:28:28.579 --> 00:28:34.179 So all that God commands them to do, that seems so outside of their grasp, God says, I'm 00:28:34.179 --> 00:28:35.240 going to give you the Holy Spirit. 00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:40.199 I'm going to send my spirit, and that is going to enable you and equip you and empower 00:28:40.199 --> 00:28:42.279 you to do what I've called you to do, right? 00:28:43.859 --> 00:28:48.779 Okay, so who is the Spirit of God in the Old Testament? 00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:56.160 As we've kind of done this whistle-stop tour, the Holy Spirit is the powerful presence of 00:28:56.160 --> 00:29:02.839 God bringing God's plans of creation and new creation to fruition, right? 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:08.319 The Spirit of God hovers over the formless creation, and through the Word of God brings 00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:09.279 it into order and beauty. 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:16.220 The Spirit of God acts in the midst of God's people to bring about new creation, empowering, 00:29:16.220 --> 00:29:18.640 ordering, ordering, governing, directing, equipping. 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:25.240 Okay, but at this point, as we've kind of looked through all these things that the Spirit 00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:30.180 of God does in the Old Testament, and we've looked at what spirit even means in the Old 00:29:30.180 --> 00:29:34.920 Testament, it's a fair question to ask when we look at the Old Testament, right? 00:29:35.319 --> 00:29:39.240 Whether these references to the Spirit of God, right? 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:46.180 Do they describe simply a kind of mode of God's presence in the world? 00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:49.819 Is it sort of a way of talking about God's activity in the world, right? 00:29:50.859 --> 00:29:56.519 Or are they actually talking about a distinct person within the being of God, what later 00:29:56.519 --> 00:30:00.980 we will call the third person of the Trinity, right? 00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:07.599 How crisp and how explicit is the revelation of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? 00:30:08.039 --> 00:30:13.920 Well, a theologian named Sinclair Ferguson wrote a book called The Holy Spirit, and he, 00:30:14.220 --> 00:30:18.400 looking at the Old Testament, asks these helpful questions, I think, right? 00:30:18.420 --> 00:30:20.640 When we think about what we see about the Spirit in the Old Testament. 00:30:21.099 --> 00:30:27.140 He asks, is the activity of God the Spirit, of the Spirit of God, divine activity? 00:30:27.620 --> 00:30:28.140 What do you think? 00:30:28.140 --> 00:30:33.759 See, yeah, that seems, yeah, it seems like whatever the Spirit of God is, it's God doing 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:34.240 it, right? 00:30:35.640 --> 00:30:41.800 Is the activity of the Spirit in the Old Testament personal activity, God's personal activity? 00:30:41.980 --> 00:30:42.440 What do you think? 00:30:43.460 --> 00:30:45.100 Yeah, it seems so, right? 00:30:45.580 --> 00:30:50.740 It doesn't seem like the Spirit isn't in some way personally God at work in these ways, 00:30:50.800 --> 00:30:51.040 right? 00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:55.240 Now, here's the third question. 00:30:55.240 --> 00:31:02.039 Is the activity of the Spirit, here's a fun word, hypostatically distinct? 00:31:02.120 --> 00:31:03.380 What do we mean by hypostasis? 00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:08.220 Hypostasis is a technical term, when we think about God the Trinity, for the distinctness of 00:31:08.220 --> 00:31:09.859 the divine persons, right? 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:12.400 The Father, the Son, and the Spirit. 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:19.680 In the Old Testament, is the person of the Spirit presented as a distinct person from Father 00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:23.460 and Son, fully God, and yet relationally distinct. 00:31:25.460 --> 00:31:30.960 Well, that's where there isn't a lot of clarity in the Old Testament, right? 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:37.420 The action of the Spirit in creation, in exodus, in kingdom governing through the leaders is 00:31:37.420 --> 00:31:46.380 certainly both personal and divine, but that sort of full expression of the distinct personhood 00:31:46.380 --> 00:31:50.140 of the Spirit hasn't quite come to full clarity. 00:31:50.140 --> 00:31:56.600 The closest the Old Testament comes to what we see fully in the New Testament is found in 00:31:56.600 --> 00:31:57.580 Isaiah 63. 00:31:57.960 --> 00:31:59.820 This might be a good passage to turn to, actually. 00:31:59.880 --> 00:32:00.960 Isaiah 63. 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:04.820 Isaiah 63, verses 7 through 14. 00:32:05.020 --> 00:32:07.940 It's a little bit of a longer passage, but I'd like to read it for us. 00:32:15.020 --> 00:32:16.380 Isaiah 63 says this, 00:32:16.380 --> 00:32:18.820 I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord. 00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:19.600 This is verse 7. 00:32:20.120 --> 00:32:23.980 I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that 00:32:23.980 --> 00:32:29.140 the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel, that he has granted 00:32:29.140 --> 00:32:32.780 them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:33.960 For he said, 00:32:34.600 --> 00:32:38.200 Surely there are my people, children, who will not deal falsely. 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:39.600 And he became their Savior. 00:32:40.360 --> 00:32:42.240 In all their affliction, he was afflicted. 00:32:42.460 --> 00:32:44.360 And the angel of his presence saved them. 00:32:44.359 --> 00:32:47.000 In his love and in his pity, he redeemed them. 00:32:47.079 --> 00:32:49.839 He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 00:32:49.879 --> 00:32:55.740 What a beautiful picture of God saving, redeeming, keeping work of his people in the Old Testament. 00:32:56.379 --> 00:32:57.479 And verse 10 says this, 00:32:57.479 --> 00:33:02.199 But they rebelled, and they grieved his Holy Spirit. 00:33:03.299 --> 00:33:06.799 Therefore he turned to be their enemy, and he himself fought against them. 00:33:07.619 --> 00:33:10.099 Then he remembered the days of old of Moses and his people. 00:33:10.099 --> 00:33:14.480 Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? 00:33:15.019 --> 00:33:21.599 Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, 00:33:21.779 --> 00:33:25.899 who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name, 00:33:26.039 --> 00:33:27.699 who led them through the depths? 00:33:28.339 --> 00:33:30.919 Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. 00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:36.360 Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. 00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:41.360 So you led your people to make for yourself a glorious name. 00:33:42.940 --> 00:33:47.060 Notice how the Holy Spirit is spoken of in this passage. 00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:53.099 I mean, it does start to become clear that the Holy Spirit feels very distinct from the Lord, right? 00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:55.339 He put his Holy Spirit there. 00:33:55.639 --> 00:33:56.879 They grieved the Holy Spirit. 00:33:56.960 --> 00:33:58.740 He put his Spirit in the midst of them, right? 00:33:59.539 --> 00:34:02.240 But the Spirit in this sense is certainly divine. 00:34:02.359 --> 00:34:04.419 It's the one who's leading them, right? 00:34:04.899 --> 00:34:06.659 Into pasture, saving them. 00:34:07.700 --> 00:34:09.860 And yet, very personal, right? 00:34:10.440 --> 00:34:13.860 The Holy Spirit is someone who can be grieved, according to verse 10. 00:34:13.860 --> 00:34:18.880 So, I think B.B. Warfield is helpful here. 00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:21.120 He was an American theologian in the 19th century, 00:34:21.260 --> 00:34:24.860 talking about the Trinity, really, in the Old Testament. 00:34:25.019 --> 00:34:26.740 But this applies, I think, to the Holy Spirit. 00:34:27.539 --> 00:34:28.059 He says this. 00:34:28.140 --> 00:34:28.340 He says, 00:34:28.700 --> 00:34:32.120 The Old Testament may be likened to a chamber, 00:34:33.019 --> 00:34:35.680 richly furnished, but dimly lighted. 00:34:35.800 --> 00:34:38.960 You kind of love when you read old things and they use the word like chamber, right? 00:34:39.260 --> 00:34:41.019 Meaning like your living room, right? 00:34:41.220 --> 00:34:42.400 Like where you sit. 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:46.440 The Old Testament is like a chamber, richly furnished, but dimly lighted. 00:34:47.079 --> 00:34:53.460 The introduction of light brings nothing into it, which was not there before. 00:34:54.039 --> 00:34:57.920 But it brings out into clearer view much of what was in it, 00:34:58.200 --> 00:35:01.059 but was only dimly or not at all perceived, right? 00:35:01.300 --> 00:35:03.320 You walk into your living room, everything's there, 00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:05.539 but you can't see it because there's no light on you. 00:35:05.619 --> 00:35:06.160 Turn on the light. 00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:09.139 Oh, what do we see? 00:35:09.340 --> 00:35:09.980 So much. 00:35:09.980 --> 00:35:11.519 Warfield goes on to say, 00:35:11.619 --> 00:35:15.519 The mystery of the Trinity is not revealed in the Old Testament, 00:35:16.340 --> 00:35:19.880 but the mystery of the Trinity underlies the Old Testament revelation, 00:35:20.260 --> 00:35:23.619 and here and there almost comes into view, right? 00:35:23.699 --> 00:35:24.900 Like that passage from Isaiah. 00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:28.320 Thus, the Old Testament revelation of God, 00:35:28.500 --> 00:35:31.119 it's not corrected by further revelation, 00:35:31.619 --> 00:35:32.500 which follows it, 00:35:32.500 --> 00:35:36.400 but is perfected, extended, and enlarged. 00:35:37.099 --> 00:35:39.219 So when we come into the Old Testament, 00:35:39.420 --> 00:35:41.780 all the richness of who God is is there, 00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:44.960 but the lights haven't yet fully been turned on 00:35:44.960 --> 00:35:47.420 so that we might see the fullness with clarity 00:35:47.420 --> 00:35:50.980 of all that God is, His Father, Son, and Spirit. 00:35:50.980 --> 00:35:53.840 And here's what we see. 00:35:55.199 --> 00:35:59.260 It's very interesting that in the Old Testament itself, 00:35:59.639 --> 00:36:05.280 there are indications that this would be so, right? 00:36:05.719 --> 00:36:08.280 There are indications that a time was coming 00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:10.699 when the fullest work of the Spirit, 00:36:10.800 --> 00:36:13.039 of God the Spirit, would come about. 00:36:13.779 --> 00:36:17.079 That the people in the Old Covenant were looking ahead to a day. 00:36:18.199 --> 00:36:21.039 So when we think about the general work of the Spirit, 00:36:21.079 --> 00:36:21.860 we see all these things, 00:36:22.119 --> 00:36:25.039 but as the Old Testament canon continues into the prophets, 00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:28.039 the work becomes more and more specific, right? 00:36:28.199 --> 00:36:29.940 It becomes more and more focused. 00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:31.759 And what does it become focused on? 00:36:31.759 --> 00:36:34.719 It becomes focused on the prophetic expectation 00:36:34.719 --> 00:36:36.719 that a Messiah will come, 00:36:37.219 --> 00:36:39.519 and what will be true of this King, 00:36:39.619 --> 00:36:40.579 this truly anointed one? 00:36:40.579 --> 00:36:43.340 He will have the Spirit in full measure. 00:36:44.259 --> 00:36:45.420 He will be the one, 00:36:45.719 --> 00:36:48.840 the man of the Spirit par excellence, right? 00:36:50.500 --> 00:36:53.059 Think about a passage like Isaiah 11. 00:36:54.400 --> 00:36:56.960 Isaiah 11 looks forward to this coming King and says, 00:36:56.960 --> 00:36:59.299 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, 00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:01.460 and a branch from his root shall bear fruit, 00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:04.000 and the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, 00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:05.920 the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, 00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:07.139 of counsel and might, 00:37:07.739 --> 00:37:09.179 of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 00:37:09.179 --> 00:37:11.219 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. 00:37:11.299 --> 00:37:13.000 He shall not judge by what his eyes see, 00:37:13.059 --> 00:37:14.919 or decide disputes by what his ears hear. 00:37:14.940 --> 00:37:16.639 And then it goes on to describe his righteousness, 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:18.000 and his saving power. 00:37:18.259 --> 00:37:20.819 And all that comes because the Messiah will be the one 00:37:20.819 --> 00:37:23.500 who is full of the Spirit, right? 00:37:24.039 --> 00:37:25.859 Or think of Isaiah 61, 00:37:25.859 --> 00:37:27.559 61 verse 1, 00:37:28.319 --> 00:37:32.319 where this kind of coming Messianic servant says, 00:37:32.440 --> 00:37:34.480 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, 00:37:34.919 --> 00:37:36.440 because the Lord has anointed me 00:37:36.440 --> 00:37:37.519 to bring good news to the poor. 00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:39.039 He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 00:37:39.300 --> 00:37:40.820 to proclaim liberty to captives, 00:37:40.980 --> 00:37:43.960 the opening of the prison to those who are bound, right? 00:37:45.039 --> 00:37:46.500 Now remember, in the Old Testament, 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:49.340 the Spirit would come upon leaders 00:37:49.340 --> 00:37:51.460 and equip them, right? 00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:54.059 Equip them to do what they needed to do, 00:37:54.119 --> 00:37:57.860 empower them sometimes in quite magnificent ways, right? 00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:00.599 That was true of prophets, 00:38:00.759 --> 00:38:01.659 that was true of priests, 00:38:01.739 --> 00:38:02.820 that was true of kings. 00:38:02.820 --> 00:38:04.760 But in the Old Testament, 00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:06.220 there's an anticipation that 00:38:06.220 --> 00:38:09.460 the Spirit will come in full measure in the Messiah 00:38:09.460 --> 00:38:12.340 to do a saving work like none could ever do. 00:38:13.600 --> 00:38:14.400 So you see, 00:38:14.500 --> 00:38:16.600 from the perspective of the Old Testament itself, 00:38:17.600 --> 00:38:18.620 the work of the Spirit 00:38:18.620 --> 00:38:20.300 and the full presence of the Spirit 00:38:20.300 --> 00:38:22.980 won't come to fullness until the Messiah comes. 00:38:23.380 --> 00:38:24.780 So it's looking to a day 00:38:24.780 --> 00:38:26.980 when we'll know the Spirit in fullness 00:38:26.980 --> 00:38:29.320 because the Messiah has come full of him, right? 00:38:29.320 --> 00:38:31.720 That's the first thing we see. 00:38:32.080 --> 00:38:33.280 The second thing we see 00:38:33.280 --> 00:38:34.760 as the Old Testament rolls on 00:38:34.760 --> 00:38:36.580 is that the Messiah 00:38:36.580 --> 00:38:39.500 is going to pour out his Spirit 00:38:39.500 --> 00:38:41.420 on his people in new covenant fullness. 00:38:41.760 --> 00:38:43.720 Not only will the coming King 00:38:43.720 --> 00:38:44.880 be full of the Spirit, 00:38:45.160 --> 00:38:47.260 but all the people connected to that King 00:38:47.260 --> 00:38:49.220 will be full of his Spirit, right? 00:38:49.600 --> 00:38:51.880 That we'll know experientially the Spirit 00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:53.539 in a totally new way 00:38:53.539 --> 00:38:55.780 when the King comes 00:38:55.780 --> 00:38:57.600 and completes God's work of salvation 00:38:57.600 --> 00:38:59.100 and inaugurates the new covenant. 00:38:59.099 --> 00:39:00.559 Listen to Isaiah 32, 00:39:00.779 --> 00:39:02.239 verse 14 through 17. 00:39:04.319 --> 00:39:05.539 It begins like this. 00:39:06.219 --> 00:39:07.380 The palace is forsaken. 00:39:08.380 --> 00:39:09.839 The populous city deserted. 00:39:10.799 --> 00:39:12.360 The hill and the watchtower 00:39:12.360 --> 00:39:13.719 will become dens forever. 00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:15.900 A joy of wild donkeys. 00:39:16.519 --> 00:39:18.420 A pasture of flocks, right? 00:39:18.460 --> 00:39:20.059 A picture of God's people 00:39:20.059 --> 00:39:20.980 just worn down, 00:39:21.420 --> 00:39:22.779 worn out, empty. 00:39:24.440 --> 00:39:24.980 Until, 00:39:25.319 --> 00:39:28.159 until the Spirit is poured out from us. 00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:29.039 Sorry, 00:39:29.299 --> 00:39:31.399 until the Spirit is poured out upon us 00:39:31.399 --> 00:39:32.399 from on high. 00:39:33.440 --> 00:39:33.779 Then, 00:39:33.980 --> 00:39:36.000 the wilderness becomes a fruitful field. 00:39:36.679 --> 00:39:38.599 The fruitful field is deemed a forest. 00:39:39.319 --> 00:39:41.039 And justice will dwell in the wilderness. 00:39:41.199 --> 00:39:43.019 And righteous abide in the fruitful field. 00:39:43.299 --> 00:39:44.659 And the effect of righteousness 00:39:44.659 --> 00:39:45.619 will be peace. 00:39:45.859 --> 00:39:47.059 And the result of righteousness 00:39:47.059 --> 00:39:49.480 will be quietness and trust forever. 00:39:49.480 --> 00:39:52.099 You see what Isaiah is seeing there. 00:39:52.519 --> 00:39:53.539 The Messiah is going to come 00:39:53.539 --> 00:39:54.420 and accomplish His work 00:39:54.420 --> 00:39:55.579 and the Spirit 00:39:55.579 --> 00:39:57.340 that was coming and going 00:39:57.340 --> 00:39:58.500 and active and moving 00:39:58.500 --> 00:39:59.119 in the Old Testament 00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:00.420 will come in a richness 00:40:00.420 --> 00:40:01.099 and a fullness 00:40:01.099 --> 00:40:02.440 like we could never imagine. 00:40:02.820 --> 00:40:03.860 And it will bring 00:40:03.860 --> 00:40:05.179 true flourishing 00:40:05.179 --> 00:40:05.960 to God's people. 00:40:06.619 --> 00:40:07.240 And eventually, 00:40:07.420 --> 00:40:07.679 through them, 00:40:07.760 --> 00:40:09.039 to all of God's creation. 00:40:09.039 --> 00:40:11.759 Isaiah 59, 00:40:11.900 --> 00:40:12.940 20 through 21 says, 00:40:13.039 --> 00:40:14.380 And a Redeemer will come to Zion 00:40:14.380 --> 00:40:16.159 to those in Jacob 00:40:16.159 --> 00:40:17.300 who turn from transgression 00:40:17.300 --> 00:40:18.139 declares the Lord. 00:40:18.699 --> 00:40:19.559 And as for me, 00:40:19.639 --> 00:40:20.800 this is my covenant with them 00:40:20.800 --> 00:40:21.400 says the Lord. 00:40:21.940 --> 00:40:23.639 My Spirit that is upon you 00:40:23.639 --> 00:40:25.159 and my words that I've put in your mouth 00:40:25.159 --> 00:40:26.599 shall not depart out of your mouth 00:40:26.599 --> 00:40:28.119 or out of the mouth of your offspring 00:40:28.119 --> 00:40:29.039 or out of the mouth 00:40:29.039 --> 00:40:30.139 of your children's offspring 00:40:30.139 --> 00:40:30.800 says the Lord 00:40:30.800 --> 00:40:32.099 from this time forth 00:40:32.099 --> 00:40:32.860 and forevermore. 00:40:33.559 --> 00:40:35.320 So when the Redeemer comes, 00:40:36.039 --> 00:40:37.460 the Spirit's going to be 00:40:37.460 --> 00:40:38.440 on all of us 00:40:38.440 --> 00:40:40.079 and never leave. 00:40:41.320 --> 00:40:42.119 And that leads us 00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:43.480 to a text like Joel 2, 00:40:43.699 --> 00:40:44.940 which is a very important text. 00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:45.720 And we're going to see that 00:40:45.720 --> 00:40:47.179 in the book of Acts, right? 00:40:47.260 --> 00:40:47.980 Joel 2 says, 00:40:48.440 --> 00:40:49.260 The days are coming 00:40:49.260 --> 00:40:50.039 when the Spirit 00:40:50.039 --> 00:40:50.699 will be poured out 00:40:50.699 --> 00:40:51.619 and everyone 00:40:51.619 --> 00:40:53.780 will be full of His ministry 00:40:53.780 --> 00:40:55.360 and everyone will speak 00:40:55.360 --> 00:40:56.199 those words 00:40:56.199 --> 00:40:58.059 of upbuilding, 00:40:58.340 --> 00:40:58.900 encouragement, 00:40:59.139 --> 00:40:59.559 edification 00:40:59.559 --> 00:41:01.539 that we call prophecy, right? 00:41:03.280 --> 00:41:04.480 So in this sense, 00:41:05.099 --> 00:41:06.539 the event of Pentecost 00:41:06.539 --> 00:41:08.259 was the fulfillment 00:41:08.259 --> 00:41:09.840 of all this Old Testament 00:41:09.840 --> 00:41:10.340 expectation 00:41:10.340 --> 00:41:11.099 that the Messiah 00:41:11.099 --> 00:41:11.880 will pour out His Spirit 00:41:11.880 --> 00:41:12.420 on His people 00:41:12.420 --> 00:41:13.400 in new covenant fullness. 00:41:14.079 --> 00:41:15.000 And what does that mean? 00:41:15.039 --> 00:41:15.679 That means 00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:17.579 if we really want to understand 00:41:17.579 --> 00:41:19.099 the person of the Holy Spirit, 00:41:19.219 --> 00:41:20.179 we have to go 00:41:20.179 --> 00:41:20.880 to the New Testament 00:41:20.880 --> 00:41:22.699 and learn more about Him there, 00:41:22.759 --> 00:41:23.579 which is what we're going to do 00:41:23.579 --> 00:41:24.440 next week. 00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:26.440 Okay. 00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:27.900 That is 00:41:27.900 --> 00:41:29.679 the person of the Holy Spirit 00:41:29.679 --> 00:41:30.159 in the Old Testament. 00:41:30.300 --> 00:41:31.800 We've got like five minutes 00:41:31.800 --> 00:41:32.900 for questions 00:41:32.900 --> 00:41:33.860 or thoughts 00:41:33.860 --> 00:41:35.420 or whatever else 00:41:35.420 --> 00:41:36.019 you want to talk about. 00:41:36.440 --> 00:41:36.900 Any questions? 00:41:36.980 --> 00:41:37.320 Yeah, Julia. 00:41:37.320 --> 00:41:37.620 Yeah. 00:41:37.620 --> 00:41:37.780 Yeah. 00:41:37.780 --> 00:41:38.120 Yeah. 00:41:38.120 --> 00:41:38.599 Yes. 00:41:42.599 --> 00:41:43.079 Yes. 00:41:45.519 --> 00:41:45.920 Yes. 00:41:45.920 --> 00:41:45.960 Yes. 00:41:50.960 --> 00:41:51.380 Mm-hmm. 00:41:51.380 --> 00:41:56.500 Right. 00:41:57.059 --> 00:41:57.260 Yeah. 00:41:57.260 --> 00:41:57.559 Yeah. 00:41:57.559 --> 00:41:57.760 Yeah. 00:41:59.760 --> 00:42:00.480 Yeah. 00:42:00.700 --> 00:42:01.300 That's right. 00:42:01.420 --> 00:42:01.599 Yeah. 00:42:01.599 --> 00:42:07.819 Yeah. 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:07.819 00:42:07.820 --> 00:42:12.860 what you say yeah that's right yeah everything is the spirit that's right 00:42:12.860 --> 00:42:24.380 yeah yeah yeah the whole time by god's word god right right it's true in the spirit absolutely 00:42:24.380 --> 00:42:31.019 yeah absolutely that's why we know you know david whatever he did is a spirit right 00:42:31.019 --> 00:42:35.900 everything yeah yeah this is it's so true what we're going to see as things unfold is that 00:42:35.900 --> 00:42:45.740 all of god's works all of god's works are works of the father son and spirit that the father plans 00:42:45.740 --> 00:42:51.980 the son accomplishes the spirit applies and brings to fruition so we can't get away from the work of 00:42:51.980 --> 00:42:59.099 the spirit which is such a wonderful truth if the spirit is god's empowering presence and he's at work 00:42:59.099 --> 00:43:04.539 in us and through us what a wonderful what a one what wonderful news yeah yeah 00:43:04.539 --> 00:43:12.860 and and you have it on your side so he's no everything right good any any other questions 00:43:12.860 --> 00:43:16.380 before we wrap up yeah beth i'm glad julie brought that up because my question was um 00:43:18.300 --> 00:43:23.579 prior to pentecost yeah how do you think about god's people experiencing the personal 00:43:24.219 --> 00:43:30.300 yeah presence of the holy spirit as we see in that song yeah that's right that's a really great 00:43:30.300 --> 00:43:40.700 question uh different or set apart in some way yeah right right right yeah if you think about the 00:43:40.700 --> 00:43:45.500 holy spirit's work in the old testament kind of in two categories right one there is sort of what we 00:43:45.500 --> 00:43:49.740 might call the official work of the holy spirit where he's sort of anointing prophets priests and 00:43:49.740 --> 00:43:56.060 kings who fulfill a very distinct leadership role within the old testament people of god a lot of that work 00:43:56.059 --> 00:44:02.699 is fulfilled in jesus right that he becomes the anointed one par excellence he is the prophet he 00:44:02.699 --> 00:44:09.659 is the priest he is the king right so that work of the holy spirit in sort of equipping leaders which 00:44:09.659 --> 00:44:15.340 felt sort of like powerful and yet temporary right that was sort of all of a shadow of what will be true 00:44:15.340 --> 00:44:23.500 of jesus the true anointed one the messiah right um however what you also see in the old testament is 00:44:23.500 --> 00:44:30.059 that one people are believing in god's promises right so sinners are being made alive by god's 00:44:30.059 --> 00:44:35.900 grace to believe god's promises and be saved just like abraham just like all the old testament saints 00:44:35.900 --> 00:44:41.739 and what we know is is that that is a work of the holy spirit so saints in the old testament were born 00:44:41.739 --> 00:44:46.300 again they were regenerated right how else could they believe if they hadn't been brought from death to 00:44:46.300 --> 00:44:53.340 the life by the holy spirit i think what we see in the new covenant though is that one our depth 00:44:53.340 --> 00:45:00.860 of assurance of boldness and access to god are this sort of fullness of his gifts empowering all the 00:45:00.860 --> 00:45:08.860 people of god for ministry are at a very significant degree higher in the new covenant age which is what 00:45:08.860 --> 00:45:14.940 we live in right so there is continuity right the spirit was regenerating people and helping them to 00:45:14.940 --> 00:45:20.620 understand his will allowing them to have a relationship with god and steadfast love in the old testament 00:45:20.619 --> 00:45:27.500 but in the new testament you see that all that just higher goes higher and deeper right because now 00:45:28.139 --> 00:45:33.339 all that they were anticipating has been fulfilled and it gets poured out right interesting that language 00:45:33.339 --> 00:45:38.699 of pouring right that's what happens at pentecost and that's what's true of every christian since then 00:45:38.699 --> 00:45:44.699 that we've been baptized in the spirit every believer right so i think there's a there's a there's a 00:45:44.699 --> 00:45:49.579 there's a depth and a fullness and a richness of our experience of god by the holy spirit that is 00:45:50.619 --> 00:45:57.899 not i mean it's you it's certainly quantitatively distinct in the new testament yeah any anyone else 00:45:57.899 --> 00:46:00.939 anyone else hold on one second julia let's see if anyone else has has a question yeah jeff 00:46:00.940 --> 00:46:07.980 maybe maybe i'm a little bit different in the old testament you see uh language for god god is 00:46:07.980 --> 00:46:13.420 spirit we must worship him in the spirit and truth yes you see the language of elohim 00:46:13.420 --> 00:46:19.740 god most high yeah and referring to god but you don't see god most high referred to as rock 00:46:19.739 --> 00:46:27.819 uh uh uh uh so how what's the distinction in terminology since god is one he's spirit yeah 00:46:27.819 --> 00:46:35.739 how do you why the difference in terminology in the old testament yeah yeah is elb you so much 00:46:35.739 --> 00:46:41.659 yeah yep with regard to the holy spirit or something i mean spirit doesn't you remember the 00:46:41.659 --> 00:46:48.460 spirit oh yeah yeah is your question when the the old testament never says the spirit 00:46:50.699 --> 00:47:00.219 is god something like that i don't know i just wonder why yeah yeah yeah sure right so elohim is a 00:47:00.219 --> 00:47:06.859 very general term for god in the old testament in fact it was elohim right is actually a term that's 00:47:06.860 --> 00:47:13.579 that's um i mean yeah technically elohim is a plural in hebrew it means gods right it could be 00:47:13.579 --> 00:47:18.780 used for any divine being in the context of the old testament they're always referring to the one true 00:47:18.780 --> 00:47:25.099 god right elohim that's why we translate it as god god right what you see then as the old testament 00:47:25.099 --> 00:47:32.380 continues is that elohim and you know this stuff right like god reveals his personal name right which is 00:47:32.380 --> 00:47:35.019 you know this 00:47:38.619 --> 00:47:45.980 yud he vav he right which which we pronounce adonai right because of the of the vowel points that the 00:47:45.980 --> 00:47:52.140 masoretic scholars and and the jews but right but this is this is lord right so lord becomes the 00:47:52.140 --> 00:47:59.740 covenantal personal name of god right so and what you see is is that this elohim this lord is active in 00:47:59.739 --> 00:48:04.139 creation right and you see a lot of ways that's described the arm of the lord the wisdom of god 00:48:04.139 --> 00:48:08.619 the spirit of god these sorts of things right so there's lots of different ways in which that one 00:48:08.619 --> 00:48:14.299 god is active in creation right and spirit of god in many times becomes one of those ways we see god's 00:48:14.299 --> 00:48:21.259 powerful active presence in creation right so it's using different language to try and show some of the 00:48:21.260 --> 00:48:29.020 distinct nature of god that's not all that's right yeah maybe maybe that's part of what they're trying 00:48:29.020 --> 00:48:34.540 to express what's inexpressibly difficult well we're going to get to that next week with the trinity right 00:48:34.540 --> 00:48:40.140 yeah but it is when you're reading the old testament i think what we shouldn't do is every time we see 00:48:40.140 --> 00:48:46.140 spirit of god think oh the new the old testament authors intended to communicate the third person of 00:48:46.139 --> 00:48:52.059 the trinity sometimes they're just speaking about the powerful active gushing presence of god right 00:48:52.059 --> 00:48:56.859 it's not until we get to the new testament that we it's much like the angel of the lord stuff right 00:48:56.859 --> 00:49:01.579 angel of the lord man is it god is it not god is it an agent of god man we don't know right um 00:49:01.579 --> 00:49:06.299 you know or even the messiah language about the messiah right the messiah is clearly a human and yet 00:49:06.299 --> 00:49:09.659 the lord said to my lord sit at my right hand until i make your enemies a footstool for your feet 00:49:09.659 --> 00:49:15.259 and you think what is true of this messiah something similar is happening with the particular language around 00:49:15.260 --> 00:49:21.180 spirit of god right the reality is is that if we didn't have the new testament i don't think we'd 00:49:21.180 --> 00:49:25.180 look back at the old testament and say oh the spirit of god's the third person of the trinity 00:49:25.180 --> 00:49:28.300 just like if we didn't have the new testament we wouldn't look back the old testament and think 00:49:28.860 --> 00:49:33.500 a fully divine son is going to come and fulfill the fulfill the old covenant promises and inaugurate the 00:49:33.500 --> 00:49:38.540 new so we sort of need that last chapter to really look back and understand does that kind of answer 00:49:38.540 --> 00:49:39.980 your question yeah 00:49:39.980 --> 00:49:45.900 yeah 00:49:45.900 --> 00:49:45.900 00:49:45.900 --> 00:49:57.420 it is it's it's to pick up different aspects and different characteristics and different sort of 00:49:57.420 --> 00:50:02.380 pictures of of god's activity in the world right because when we think of like the wisdom of god 00:50:02.380 --> 00:50:07.420 right the way and sometimes wisdom is personified in the old testament the wisdom of god set all the 00:50:07.420 --> 00:50:12.220 boundaries and firms right that has a different kind of connotation than the spirit of god rushed 00:50:12.220 --> 00:50:20.059 upon off neil and he you know or you know came upon the judge and he picked up a jawbone and slayed 300 00:50:20.059 --> 00:50:20.460 people right 00:50:24.460 --> 00:50:31.420 and he didn't know it yeah right right right yeah yeah okay guys we we uh thank you so much we need to 00:50:31.420 --> 00:50:35.740 break because church is starting in two minutes come back next week we'll look more at the distinct 00:50:35.739 --> 00:50:40.539 divine person of the holy spirit uh and then as the class continues we're going to look at all that 00:50:40.539 --> 00:50:51.659 the holy spirit does in this wonderful new covenant age that we live in in light of jesus