The Old Testament references to the Holy Spirit go far beyond the two verses I examined in my first post of my personal study of the Holy Spirit. Those two verses where simply limited to the exact phrase “Holy Spirit”. The more common phrase used in Old Testament is “Spirit of God” and that phrase is found in another 14 verses (from Genesis to Daniel).

In fact, the second verse of the entire Bible references the Spirit of God:

“The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2, NLT)

The Hebrew phrase used here (and in the other 13 references) is “Ruwach Elohim”. The word “Elohim” is an interesting Hebrew word for God because it is plural, but references God. Right from the beginning God focused on both His singular and plural nature (one God in plurality). That will make your brain hurt, but that’s how God describes Himself.

I’m not going to go through each and every reference to “Ruwach Elohim” in the Old Testament, but there is one common element that stands out in many of the passages (beyond the plurality reference). In many of the passages there is a reference to a person being “filled with” the Spirit of God or that the Spirit of God “came upon” them. For example:

“I have filled [Bezalel] with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.” (Exodus 31:3, NLT)

and

“Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, ‘This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!’” (2 Chronicles 24:20, NLT)

In each instance, the Spirit of God came upon someone for a specific reason—to help them fulfill a specific task, for prophesy, or even to drive them a little crazy (in the case of King Saul in 1 Samuel 11:6). God’s Spirit gave power and the ability to do something special for Him and/or His people. There was purpose in the filling of the Spirit; and there was power. This was God’s provision to His chosen persons. God’s Spirit resulted in action…empowerment to complete an assigned task or role.

So far we’ve seen two primary “functions” of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament:

1. Relationship with God
2. Empowerment for Service

These still apply today. The Holy Spirit ushers us into God’s presence and empowers us to serve in God’s Kingdom. We’ll see this and more as we move into the New Testament…

I just picked up the book Forgotten God by Francis Chan. I absolutely loved Crazy Love so I thought this book would make for a good devotional read for Anita and me. We haven’t started it yet, but here’s a quick synopsis…

A follow up to the profound message of Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives. In the name of the Father, the Son, and … the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two? Chan contends that we’ve ignored the Spirit for far too long, and we are reaping the disastrous results. Thorough scriptural support and compelling narrative form Chan’s invitation to stop and remember the One we’ve forgotten, the Spirit of the living God.

During a breakfast meeting last week I had a quick discussion about the Trinity…and specifically about the neglect of the Holy Spirit in many Christian circles. So I’m excited to read the book. BUT…I’m not going to start it just yet. Why? Simple…I want to do a little study of my own and see what I can uncover myself before getting into Chan’s analysis (I fully expect his version to be much better than mine, but I still want to do a little discover on my own).

So I’m starting simple, and slow. I decided to take a look at what the Old Testament has to say about the Holy Spirit. We don’t typically think about the Holy Spirit in the OT, but He’s  there. A quick word search of “Holy Spirit” turns up three verses in the New Living Translation(NLT):

• Psalm 51:11: “Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.”
• Isaiah 63:10-11: “But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he became their enemy and fought against them. Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people?”

The Hebrew phrase used here is “qodesh ruwach” which is literally translated “Holy Spirit” or “spirit of holiness”. It carries with it the idea that God’s Spirit is sacred and set apart. It’s a direct reference to God’s Spirit…to the Holy Spirit. The Psalm passage makes it clear that we have relationship with the Holy Spirit and that it’s this Spirit that can change and transform us. The Isaiah passage talks about grieving the Holy Spirit and that God sent the Holy Spirit to be with the Israelites. Both passages make it clear that the Holy Spirit referenced is not just an abstract concept or one way to think about God…but that the Holy Spirit is real and tangible.

The Holy Spirit is right there in black and white…but this isn’t the only place we see God’s Spirit referenced in the Old Testament. In fact, we’re just getting started. Next, we’ll take a look at the more common phrase used in the Old Testament: “The Spirit of God”. And that’s when things start to get really good…but you’ll have to wait for more…

This past Sunday I sat in on a LifeGroup (which is always a great time…awesome to see God working in these groups!). They are walking through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It’s a great book and our LifeGroup went through it a few months ago. I had loaned my book to the leader and he returned that night. So I flipped through it and one of my highlights caught my attention again.

It was one small sentence, but it has stuck with me all week…

What are you doing right now that requires faith?

What a great question. What am I doing in my life right now that requires faith? The question has haunted me all week. God is using this simple question to challenge me spiritually. Am I only doing things that are fully under my control? Am I even willing to attempt something this week that requires me to depend completely on Him?

It’s a challenging question…it stretches my faith (pun intended). And it’s not the first time God has spoken on this topic. Jesus admonished His disciples to have just a little faith…

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them.
“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed,
you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move.
Nothing would be impossible.”
Matthew 17:20, NLT

Just a little bit of faith makes a huge difference…because that’s when God does His thing. Just a little faith and nothing is impossible…because nothing is impossible for God. A little faith is enough…because we’ve got a huge God.

Imagine what could happen with a little more faith.

So…what are you doing right now that requires faith?

I love watching the Olympics…especially the Winter Olympics.

I live vicariously through these athletes that have sacrificed so much and worked so hard for that one moment. I love the patriotism of it all…rooting for your country and against the French. 

These guys (and gals) are so good that the difference between winning and losing is often measured in fractions of a second. That was the case yesterday with Bode Miller. He took the Bronze (in case you weren’t paying attention). What blows my mind is how far away he was from the Gold…0.09 seconds!

Think about that for a second. 9/100ths of a second difference over the span of a course that’s longer than a mile. NBC reported yesterday that that represented about 11 feet difference at the finish line…over the course of a mile! I think if you and I raced from one end of a room to another there would be a larger distance than 0.09 seconds. Incredible!

And it got me thinking about what it takes for the top athletes to get to the place where they are that close at the end. Dedication. Determination, Sacrifice. Discipline. Effort. Training.

And what if we put that much effort into our own spiritual race? Paul says we’re in a race…a race that actually matters…

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?
So run to win!
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away,
but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
1 Corinthians 9:24-26, NLT

Are you running your race to win? Are you striving for the “eternal prize”? Are you running “with purpose”? Or are you just shadowboxing?

I’m racing toward the finish line…how close behind you will I be? 0.09 seconds?

I don’t sing.

OK, maybe when I’m alone in the car and some rockin’ tune comes on. And on Sunday mornings. But that’s pretty much it. It’s just not my “gift”.

But yesterday God took me to these two passages…

Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has done wonderful deeds.
Psalm 98:1, NLT

Sing a new song to the Lord!
Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!
Isaiah 42:10, NLT

What caught my attention in both of these verses is not that we’re commanded to sing to the Lord…but that we’re commanded to sing a new song. Not a song that we already know. A new song.

Hmm…

As I read it I started to wonder, “What’s the significance of the song being new?” I assumed there was something there or God wouldn’t have said it that way…twice (it actually occurs three more times in Psalms). Why a new song? What’s wrong with one that I already know (and that list is small…I can’t remember lyrics to save my own life).

So I started to pray and ask God to shed some light on this little nuance. If He caught my attention with it, then it must mean something (at least to me). And He came though (duh!). Here’s what I journaled…

I can’t just look to the past—what God has done in my life and other’s. I need to focus on what He’s doing right now. God’s story in my life now. I need to sing that new song—the ever evolving story God continues to tell in my life. I need to tell it. I need to sing this “new song”. It doesn’t belong to anyone else. It’s new. It’s the song God is writing in my life and I need to sing it!

For me, this “new song” is the story God is writing for me. He’s writing the song of my life and it’s always brand new. That may not be theologically accurate…but it speaks to my soul. It’s what I needed yesterday and today.

Now, I just need to start singing…

I have been doing a lot of study think week on the topic of Spiritual Gifts. I’m writing a curriculum series for our LifeGroups based on the 8 Characteristics of a Growing Disciple. “Serving in Giftedness” is the fourth on the list, but I’m tackling it first because we have a LifeGroup going through this topic now (so I’m “piggybacking” on their series).

The more I study and read on the topic (more blogging to come on that) the more I realize how wrong we get it sometimes. Our focus is just off. We focus too much on our “gifting” and not enough on our “using”. As part of my study my entire paradigm regarding spiritual gifts has changed (more to come on that as well).

This morning I realized that our 35th President had it right in his Inaugural Speech on January 20, 1961. You’ve probably heard the part I’m referring to many times. You can see and hear it here…

In case you can’t read or listen, here’s what he said that’s so important…

“Ask not what your country can do for you.
Ask what you can do for your country.”

It’s the same in the church. He had it right. It applies to spiritual gifts. It applies to our motivation to be a part of a church in general. Let me “paraphrase” it this way…

“Ask not what your church can do for you.
Ask what you can do for your church.”

Or maybe even better yet…

“Ask not what the people in your church can do for you.
Ask what you can do for the people in your church.”

We’re supposed to be about serving and loving others. It’s what we’re supposed to do with our gifts, talents, and passions. It’s how the church works. It’s how we work.

Like I said, JFK had it right.

You’ve probably asked this question yourself. I can almost guarantee you’ve heard someone ask it. I’ve done both…asked it and heard it just this week in fact. It’s one of those “questions for the ages”…it has been asked ever since mankind got thrown out of The Garden on our ear…

Why does God allow bad stuff to happen to people?

We know deep down that God could stop all of the bad stuff…the stuff happening in our lives, to the people we know, around the world. He has the power, but why doesn’t He do it?

People come to different conclusions. Some think it’s because He’s mean. Some say it’s because He doesn’t care. Some that He doesn’t even exist.

There are “deep” theological answers (think “free will”), but I’m not getting into that today. This whole topic came up while I was reading a passage out of Hebrews this morning. The answer given there is specifically for those who are following Him. Why does God allow stuff to happen to those who are trying there best to follow Him?

Why?

Because we’re His children, and that’s what a good Dad does…

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children.
Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?
If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children,
it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.
Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us,
shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
Hebrews 12:7-9, NLT

When I read that this morning I wanted to know more about the word “discipline” used here. It made me think of how I discipline my own children (a common occurrence…just ask Kyle), punishing them to change their behavior. And it’s close…but it goes beyond how I typically think of discipline. God is using what goes on in our daily lives…the good and the bad…to shape and mold us. He lets the stuff happen because He wants it to train us…to change us. The word is more akin to the idea of instruction and training—not just punishment.

And God’s does this all throw His perfect filter of love and grace. He isn’t allowing these things to happen because He’s mean or doesn’t care. Quite the opposite…He allows it because He knows it’s good for us…it will develop our character and draw us to Himself (if we let it). I don’t know about you, but I want to be a legitimate child of God. And He’s been using plenty of “stuff” in my life to discipline/train me. I just wish it wasn’t so painful sometimes (as does Kyle), and I wish I would realize what’s happening when I’m going through the battle.

Teaching is both by gifting and my passion. But I understand that it’s not everyone’s gifting (1 Corinthians 12:28).

However, we need to be careful not to use that as an excuse in our spiritual lives. We are supposed to be teaching others about spiritual things…

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others.
Hebrews 5:12, NLT

As I read this passage,a couple of thoughts come to mind:

1. There is an expectation of growth in our spiritual lives. We are supposed to learn and graduate from “spiritual milk” to “spiritual meat”. It’s natural…and it’s unnatural not to grow.
2. There is an expectation that we will take others on the journey with us…we are supposed to be teaching others the spiritual truths we learn as we grow. You don’t have to be some Biblical scholar, but you need to be sharing your experiences…how God has been teaching you and how you have grown.

I’ve been praying this week about who God wants me to pour my life into. Who should I be taking on the journey with me? Who can I teach…and learn from at the same time?

I got my answer…how about you?

I have been thinking about brothers and sisters a lot this week. I’ve been thinking about my brother, who I lost 20 years ago. I’ve been thinking about my sister, who I lost a week ago.

Brothers and sisters hold a dear place in our lives. We love them…and sometimes they drive us crazy (but we still love them).

I miss mine. A lot.

But I have one more brother…and so do you…

So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father.
That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.
Hebrews 2:11, NLT

That’s pretty cool if you ask me…Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters.

And He’s not going anywhere.

Do you remember the old (and I do mean old) child’s song/nursery rhyme, “Ring Around the Rosie“? It goes something like this…

Ring around the Rosie,
A pocketful of posies.
Ashes, ashes.
We all fall down.

I remember singing it as a kid (kinda silly looking back now). We had no idea what the song was about (no, it’s not about the Black Plague as some people think it is). And the song/game would go on, and on, and on…

But there is one phrase in there that has an important meaning…and it is almost a direct quote from a Scripture passage I read this morning:

We all stumble in many ways.
James 3:2, NIV

I don’t know about you, but I may just be the poster-child for this passage. I looked up the word “stumble” and it has this idea of us all (plural) falling, stumbling, making mistakes, falling short.

Just like the song says: “We all fall down.”

All of us. We fall. It’s what we do.

But God picks us up. Sometimes He carries us.

We stumble. We fall. God doesn’t—ever.