The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
Chapter Three
“And thou shall speak unto all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the Spirit of Wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto Me in the Priest’s office” (Ex. 28:3).
“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His Word was in my tongue” (II Sam. 23:1-2).
With individuals for special purposes
The relationship of the Holy Spirit to individuals, in the Old Testament, was not the same as it was after the Day of Pentecost. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came selectively, falling upon a few of God’s chosen “instruments” for very special purposes. Then, just before Jesus ascended He informed His Disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to abide permanently within them.
When a person is truly baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit thoroughly indwells that individual. In the Old Testament they were not “baptized” in the Holy Spirit as such, but the Holy Spirit “came upon” people. He was there to guide, direct, and help them in a need, or to accomplish a specific and special purpose.
JOSEPH — Few people are afforded unique opportunities for leadership, but of those who are, Joseph was one who played a special and singular role. The Bible tells us (in Gen. 41:38) “And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”
Joseph had the Spirit of God to guide and lead him. He was given true wisdom. Not only was he able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams, but he was also able to help the entire nation of Egypt through a time of potential disaster when he saved them from their long famine. The Spirit of God was plainly upon Joseph, and he was wonderfully used of God as an instrument for accomplishing God’s Purpose.
In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came over individuals to use them, to help them, and to give them wisdom. He gave them strength for whatever their need. (Read of Gideon in Judg. 6, 7, and 8.)
The Spirit was not available to the general population as such, but only to selected individuals who then became national leaders or powerful workers for God. Among these were Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and a goodly number of other leaders and Prophets.
Long before the Patriarchs, God gave Noah words of knowledge and wisdom to save himself and his family when all other life was to be destroyed by the flood. During the time of the kings, Solomon was given great knowledge and special words of wisdom by God’s Spirit. As the years went by, the Prophets received special revelation, insight, and understanding. These words of wisdom, delivered to the Prophets by the Holy Spirit, still declare God’s message to us as we read them today in the Old Testament.
MOSES — According to the prophet Isaiah, the Holy Spirit was with Moses in a special way. We find this in Isaiah 63:11 where it says, “Then He remembered the days of old, Moses, and His people, saying, Where is He Who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is He Who put his Holy Spirit within him?”
And, in Isaiah 63:14 it says, “As a beast goes down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so did You lead Your people, to make Yourself a glorious name.”
This refers to Moses, who was a great and mighty man of God. It was the Holy Spirit who supplied him the resolution, the power, and the wisdom to accomplish all he did. In the Word of God, we find that Moses complained to God concerning the tremendous load placed upon him by God — leading the rebellious children of Israel from Egypt into the Promise Land.
A rich lesson can be gained from this example. Moses recognized his limits and his needs — and then he declared them to God. Of course, Moses was one of the greatest men who ever lived so it is hard to compare him to ordinary men. But it was the Spirit of God who made Moses great. And even with that, Moses felt unequal to the tasks set before him and the Spirit of God had to lead him in a practical way to seek assistance in his leadership responsibilities.
The Bible tells us in Numbers 11:16-17, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto Me seventy men of the Elders of Israel. . . . And I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you bear it not yourself alone.”
Moses had an overwhelming burden of responsibility. There were some three million people who looked to him for leadership and guidance. He had to stand in judgment almost daily, his energy dissipated by attention to minor details that shouldn’t have required his personal attention. The sheer mass of these matters had sapped his strength until he had little left to devote to important matters. While the Holy Spirit does not tire, the human body of flesh does. Moses complained to the Lord and said he was neither mentally nor physically capable of bearing this load. God then led him to choose out seventy capable men to assist him.
Some say that God could have just given Moses physical strength to carry on. But God does not break His own laws. Of course, individuals do experience special grace and supernatural strength under unique circumstances of short duration. God can, by His Spirit, provide added strength and power, but natural laws are involved, and God will not repeal the natural laws He Himself established.
Even though the Spirit of God gives an individual new power and a dynamic spirit, we can harm ourselves mentally and physically — even though Spirit-filled. There are many great men of God who have overworked to the point of personal disintegration
The Lord taught me a personal lesson in this area some time ago. When I was younger, I had some physical conditions that caused me real distress. They were sufficiently serious that they were actually interfering with my ability to carry out my work for the Lord. Praise God, I finally realized that as a Child of God I could have victory over this nagging situation, and at that point the Lord rapidly gave me victory. And from that point to today I have existed in an almost continuous state of blooming health.
But, while the Lord will heal us physically, this does not give us license to go beyond the bounds of good sense. Having been healed of my chronic conditions, I decided that I was — supported by the strength of the Holy Spirit — relieved of normal, common sense health requirements. I threw myself into my work with a zeal that went beyond rational limits. I felt I could drive myself beyond the point of physical exhaustion and the Lord would give me the strength to maintain this killing pace.
Well, needless to say, I soon found my strength waning. Before long, I was suffering from an almost constant series of colds that sapped my strength until I could barely maintain a normal schedule.
So what did I do? While burdened by a particularly vicious cold, I went before the Lord and cried out one more time for healing — so I could go on with the insane pace I felt I should be maintaining. And as I cried out before Him, He suddenly spoke to me — a circumstance I would like to comment on in a moment.
“Son,” He said, “I have been trying to teach you something but you refuse to listen. Now I want you to stop telling me how to handle things and start doing what I want you to do.”
The problem, of course, was my obstinate refusal to admit that I’m no different from anyone else. Sure, others would break down from overwork, but it couldn’t happen to me. Well, the fact of the matter was, it was happening to me, and if I didn’t start taking better care of my physical plant, the Lord would have to allow me to suffer more and more problems until He finally got my attention.
Needless to say, I changed my ways. I saw that one’s physical body can be almost as important as one’s spiritual condition, and that one inevitably influences the other. And as soon as I began leading a more balanced life, the succession of colds that had been plaguing me stopped. I have had almost no physical problems since then.
And now I would like to comment on a statement I just made. I said that as I cried out to the Lord he “spoke to me.” This is a statement that Spirit-filled Christians often make that can be confusing or disturbing to non-Christians, or to the newer Christian. While the more experienced know exactly what you mean, it can shock the uninitiated when they hear, “the Lord said” or “the Lord told me.”
The Lord did not speak to me in an audible voice. He can speak in an audible voice, and there are Scriptural accounts of just such incidents (Mat. 3:17; Mk. 9:7; Acts 9:4, and others). But these seemed to be reserved for historic occasions. The Spirit-filled Christian does, however, have access to communication with God, and it is not all uncommon.
When the Christian casually says, “the Lord said . . . ,” he really means that God has spoken to his heart or his inner ear. It is an experience we all have when we suddenly know something we didn’t know a moment before. Suddenly our inner ear — our consciousness — hears words echoing within us that have not been generated by our brain or intellect.
There are two possible false sources of these messages. One is our subconscious, and the other is the enemy — Satan or one of his demonic helpers. And how do we sort them out? I pause a second and analyze the message I’ve just received. If it’s a logical extension or development of my conscious thoughts on a problem, it’s probably from my own mind. If it’s something irrational, unsavory, or contrary to Scripture, it’s certainly from Satan. But if it’s logical, rational, and wholesome (although perhaps contrary to what I might want or choose for the situation), I feel it is no doubt God’s Will, by way of the Holy Spirit.
I find that communications from God tend to come suddenly, arrive completely formed (requiring no further mental effort to “work them out”), and leave one with a feeling of, “Wow! Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”
God did speak to His children in Biblical times, and he does speak to us today. We must, however, tune our Spiritual ears to receive His messages, sharpen our Gift of Discernment (I Cor. 12:10) to reveal the source, and then confidently act upon the new course the Holy Spirit has set for us.
And returning to this question of mentally and physically exhausting ourselves, what better example could we find than the Lord and Master. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and went about healing the sick and all who were oppressed of the Devil (Acts 10:38). Still He said to His Disciples that they needed to separate themselves and rest for a time (Mk. 6:31). The baptism in the Holy Spirit does not give a person license to misuse his body. Neither does it give license to sin or disobey God. We must still use wisdom in practical matters. God gives wisdom and direction in even commonplace matters — if we will seek His face and follow His leadings.
Another event concerning Moses is found in Numbers 11:24-26 where Moses “gathered the seventy men of the Elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spoke unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy Elders: and it came to pass, that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp . . . and the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of them who were written, but went not out unto the Tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.”
When Joshua, Moses’ helper and assistant who was himself a great man, discovered the two men prophesying (who weren’t of the “official” group) he became excited. He went to Moses and said, “My lord Moses, forbid them” (Num. 11:28).
Even though Joshua was one of the greatest men who ever lived, he wasn’t viewing this situation in the proper perspective. He wanted Moses to issue directions as to who might, and might not, demonstrate the power of God’s Holy Spirit. But Moses gave an interesting answer to Joshua: “And Moses said unto him, Do you envy for my sake?” (Num. 11:29).
In other words, Moses was saying, “Don’t you want me to reprimand them simply because I did not designate them, or because they are not among the select seventy, or because I didn’t lay hands upon them?” Then he said, “would God that all the Lord’s people were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them!”
Even today, I wish that every person in the world could have the Spirit of God moving mightily in his life. Thank God for leaders like Moses who want every person to have the power and blessings of God for his life. There was no jealousy or envy with Moses. Thank God for this outpouring of the Spirit.
There are some who have the attitude that if it is not their church, their Bible class, or a prayer meeting under their direction, it shouldn’t be allowed to function with liberty — or if it does, it can’t amount to much. All too many Christians feel that their church, where they undoubtedly play a central role, is uniquely chosen to reflect God’s Glory. Other groups, though? If it isn’t their group, the rose-colored glasses are tossed aside. “Reality” rears its ugly head. “Those” groups can be viewed as they really are. Every spot, wrinkle, and marginal Christian is fair game for merciless appraisal. Groups other than our group are all too often sitting targets for ridicule, criticism, and often outright opposition.
We’ve all seen it. The Spirit of God begins to move and church leaders resist that move with everything at their command. We should thank God for every revival that is taking place — in our church or any other — and for every person being saved. Many leaders are uncomfortable (or even jealous?) of circumstances over which they have no control. They should realize that the mighty moving of the Spirit of God is something that individuals cannot manipulate.
Paul faced the problem of those who ridiculed and criticized him — but who were at the same time proclaiming a version of God’s Word. So Paul said in the midst of all this that Jesus Christ is being preached, and thank God for that, despite the fact that it was not personally favorable to Paul.
I thank God that the Holy Spirit is being poured out upon all flesh in all groups, and we should all remember that we don’t elevate ourselves in God’s eyes by tearing down someone else.
BEZALEEL AND THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE — When God instituted laws and sacraments in Israel, He intended them as object lessons for the ages. Many of these are still valid today as learning tools for the Holy Spirit to utilize in teaching us. We, no less than early Israel, have to be taught at one point or another in our lives about sin and salvation. As an example, no one — except the High Priest — could enter the Holy of Holies to sacrifice before God. Even then, he entered this sacred inner area of the Tabernacle only once a year, after being ritually purified for his entry. Only then could he place the blood upon the mercy seat. The Bible tells us why in Hebrews 9:8: “The Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the First Tabernacle was yet standing.” In other words, at this point Jesus had not yet died for our sins on Calvary. He had not risen from the dead. No mechanism existed for washing away man’s sin. Man could not stand before God in righteousness, without guilt. Consequently, no ordinary mortal could enter the Holy of Holies.
The High Priest (in the sinner’s stead) would enter just once a year as a dramatic reminder that man was not worthy of contact with God. But now, of course, the lowliest person can enter the Holy of Holies — into God’s Presence in the Spirit—and say, “Lord Jesus, save my soul; have mercy upon me.”
Of course, there is no physical Holy of Holies in existence today, as there is no need for one. When Jesus died on Calvary, the veil (which separated mankind from God’s Presence by walling off the Holy of Holies) was rent from top to bottom.
Spiritually speaking, we can now enter the Holy of Holies through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. We can walk boldly into the very Presence of God (wherever we may be) if we ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into our hearts and lives.
The Shekinah Glory existed only in the Presence of God, within the Holy of Holies. When one is saved, he enters into the Holy of Holies because he enters into the Presence of God’s marvelous grace. And even though it may not be seen, he is enveloped in Shekinah Glory.
Even the garments worn by the High Priests were a matter of concern to the Holy Spirit. Exodus 28:3 says, “And you shall speak unto all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the Spirit of Wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto Me in the Priest’s office.”
There is a reason for the rigid specifications the Holy Spirit gave for these garments. Special meaning, significance, and purpose were involved.
When it came to the construction of the Tabernacle itself, God wanted a Spirit-led foreman for the job. He told Moses in Exodus 31:2-5, “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.” God’s Spirit infused this man, enabling him to build the Tabernacle precisely to His specifications, for His Purpose, and for His Glory.
BALAAM — Balaam (Num. 22-24) was an appropriate prototype for many Spirit-filled Christians today. Merely because one is Spirit-filled does not make one perfect. Quite to the contrary, we can all be absolutely certified as not being perfect. There was only one perfect person in all of history, and that was our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, the Born-Again, Spirit-filled Christian had perfect salvation, because his salvation was perfected by Jesus, at Calvary. But as far as Christian maturity, we are never perfected. No mortal person living in this world has ever achieved that state of perfect maturity. Some have evinced great growth, approaching a state of true maturity, but no one has ever achieved that state of perfection. We will never be perfected in maturity until the day the Lord Jesus Christ comes and we have glorified bodies.
But just because we know we won’t be perfected, we have no excuse for drifting along accepting our flawed present condition. Rather, we should eternally press on — striving to mature ever further in the Lord. We must be committed to, and striving toward, maturity. Jesus said, “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect” (Mat. 5:48).
The word “perfect” as used here basically refers to maturity. We are to be mature and complete. Although we know we won’t become perfect, we should not remain spiritual infants. We should grow in grace every day, pressing on toward maturity.
Balaam was an individual who could apparently yield readily to the Lord and to the moving of the Holy Spirit. But, unfortunately, he demonstrated much carnality intertwined with his spirituality. He had something of a dual personality in that he could apparently yield just as readily to the powers of darkness. One might say he was what we call today a “wishy-washy” type. He could really be “all together” and “with it” one day and completely “out of it” the next. At least this appears to be his relationship with God.
God does have patience with this type of individual and graciously deals with each person. Anytime the heart responds to God, He moves to fill it with His Presence — no matter what that person may be about to do the following day. God doesn’t analyze people when He saves them nor give them gifts on the basis of what they will do in the future. He deals with them according to their faith at that moment. This is why we see Christians committing all kinds of errors after God has abundantly blessed them. They certainly shouldn’t do this nor do they have any excuse for such behavior. It undoubtedly hinders the Work of God, not to mention the individual’s relationship to God. Continuing to do so can result in eventual alienation from God.
The Spirit of God was upon Balaam, for he was a man who was obviously anointed with God’s power of the Holy Spirit. He had the Gift of Prophecy, and God had dealt with him previously. He had sought God and had received marvelous blessings. Seemingly, he was never able to overcome his problems.
Balaam turned from God, and there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that he died the death of righteousness. He was one of those upon whom the Spirit of God came, but who misused the Spirit. He abused his precious privileges by wandering astray. He listened to the voice of the Devil and ended up disobeying God and misusing the gifts given to him by God.
The Bible tells us that there will be someone who will stand before God and say, We have cast out devils in Thy Name and healed the sick in Thy Name. They will declare that they have done many wonderful things in His Name. But what will God say? Depart from me, I never knew you.
It is possible for people to have enjoyed the great moving of the Holy Spirit in their lives and yet through neglect, stubbornness, greed, carelessness, or their own will and desires go contrary to God? Unfortunately, it is.
However, the Holy Spirit is extremely patient with individuals and will do everything He can to salvage a soul. But a person can grieve the Holy Spirit and rebel against Him to the point where the direction of his life — by his own free will and choice — is a direction totally unacceptable to God. If an individual persists in going the way of disobedience (as Balaam did), the Spirit will not restrain him against his will. The Spirit of God will not always strive with man.
JOSHUA — We read in Numbers 27:18, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him.” This is further confirmed in Deuteronomy 34:9 which says, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the Spirit of Wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the Children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.”
Joshua, one of the greatest men of Israel’s history, was led and guided by the Holy Spirit. God gave him supernatural victories that could only have come by intervention of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was the driving force in Joshua’s life. But even though Joshua, Moses, Joseph, David, and others saw tremendous examples of the power of God, the Holy Spirit did not dwell within these individuals in the same manner in which he indwells people today.
Jesus Himself said that he would send the Holy Spirit to “be in us” and “without measure.” Today there is no limit to what an individual can have, or do, in Jesus Christ — through the power of the Holy Spirit. Old Testament figures were used in mighty ways by God, but he used them according to the specific need of the time.
SAMSON — The Spirit of God came mightily upon Samson during the time of the Judges (Judg. 13-16). This period was known as the Dark Ages of Hebrew history, although there were many impressive moves of the Spirit during these times.
Samson emerges as a fine example, but also as a horrible example. Many today mirror Samson’s actions — and reactions. Even though the Spirit of the Lord moved upon Samson again and again in awesome power, he is a prime example of what happens to people who desire the power of the Spirit — but not the discipline of the Spirit.
Another example of the Spirit of God moving mightily in the time of the Judges was Gideon — who was used of the Lord in a unique way.
Many people desire the blessings. They relish the miracles, the zeal, the excitement, the thrill, and the exuberance, but they refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to develop the fruit of the Spirit in their natures. Like Samson, they chose not to bring their spirit under submission to the Holy Spirit.
Some think once they are baptized in the Holy Spirit that “everything automatically takes care of itself.” Of course, this doesn’t happen. Even though a person is baptized in the Holy Ghost, he must bring his own spirit under submission. The Holy Spirit will not do this for him! The Holy Spirit will never force a person to assume a proper attitude. The response is always up to the individual.
Over the years the Lord has seen fit to use me, and I am so grateful. I never cease to view the power of God — the greatness, the majesty, and Glory of God — with wonder and awe. But there is a price attached to God’s great blessings.
We don’t have to, nor could we, buy salvation. Jesus paid it all. Neither can we buy the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are free Gifts, with no price attached to them. Simon the sorcerer discovered this in Acts 8:9-24.
In order to aspire to becoming of use to God — and thus to know true blessings — one has to first bring his own spirit under submission to the Holy Spirit. That is the price one must pay for true discipleship. Full commitment to the Lord, on the part of the individual, can be costly. In accepting total stewardship of one’s life, there may be great sacrifice required. While these do not purchase salvation — nor the Gifts of God — they are nevertheless a significant part of Christian living. More often than not, seeking the deepest commitment to God will extract an equal reduction in worldly relationships and a comparable rejection of worldly “pleasures.”
SAUL — Saul, the first king of Israel, is an example of the individual who experiences the anointing of God — and then turns his back on the Spirit of God. Saul enjoyed the privileges inherent in his position, but he rejected the responsibilities.
The people of Israel, despite God’s counsel, insisted upon a king to rule them in order to unify them against the Philistines and other enemies. God acceded to their wishes to demonstrate what would happen when they took full control of their lives. He gave them Saul.
When the Prophet Samuel found Saul, Saul was little more than a rancher’s son. He was overgrown (unusually tall) and had an inferiority complex. Obviously, God would have to do something for Saul to prepare him for leadership of a nation. Samuel said to Saul, “And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man” (I Sam. 10:6). It certainly appears that Saul’s attitude is right with God in the beginning, and that he followed the Lord. The Spirit of God was definitely upon Saul. God chose him, anointed him, and used him.
In I Samuel 10:10, we have an interesting account. “And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of Prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, (referring to Saul) and he prophesied among them.” This doesn’t happen to an unsaved person, an apostate, or one who has sold out to evil.
The Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul (1 Sam. 10:6-10). The Holy Spirit was upon him. But Saul disobeyed God and became proud, hostile, full of neurotic self-pity — and ended up turning away from the Lord.
The Bible states (in 1 Sam. 16:14), “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.” Obviously, Saul had the Spirit or the Spirit could not have later departed from him. At one time, he was a man of God who followed the Lord, prophesied, worshiped God, and gave evidence of being totally committed to God. But at some point he departed from God, and the Holy Spirit departed from him.
This is one of the most tragic lessons that can be learned by anyone. Saul grieved the Holy Spirit away. He presented an environment the Holy Spirit couldn’t tolerate. Even after he had become mired in sin — disobeying God with murder in his heart and hunting down David — even after all this, the Spirit of God tried to influence him. The Holy Spirit tried to move upon him and stir him to repentance. It was a futile effort. Saul slammed the door, literally turning his back on God. This man who had once walked with God eventually dabbled in witchcraft and ended his life as a suicide on Mount Gilboa (I Sam. 31:4, 6).
A person can fall away from God. The Bible speaks of apostasy and warns that in the latter days, there will be much apostasy. Apostasy means, simply, falling away from God.
Even if a person falls into sin (and moves away from God), the Holy Spirit will again move upon him, bringing conviction. But if the individual consciously persists, by his own free choice, continuing in a direction opposed to God, tragedy and chaos will be the result.
No one is held against his will. If one is deep in sin, there is only one way out and that is God. By His grace, He will renew an individual into fellowship. It is God’s business to lift one higher and higher, into righteousness. But the individual is the one who makes the decision. You can depart form God; He won’t force you to live for Him. But you can also choose to come to Him. And if you do, you will be welcomed back with open arms.
Even after Saul had desecrated the Name of God, cursed and disobeyed God, the Spirit of God still chose to move upon him one more time. If Saul had yielded, God would have accepted him with open arms, blessed him, helped him, and strengthened him. How marvelous is God’s willingness to forgive.
Even Judas, who betrayed Jesus, could have been forgiven. Had he not taken his own life — but fallen instead at the feet of Jesus — he would have experienced forgiveness and God’s blessing. His betrayal of Jesus was despicable, but it wasn’t all that much worse than Peter’s cursing and subsequent denial of Jesus. But Peter begged for mercy, while Judas hung himself. If Judas had repented and asked for the Lord’s mercy, I believe Jesus would have accepted him with open arms, saying, “Welcome home.”
In the tabernacle
God made man for his glory and for fellowship with Him. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they spoke with God. However, this sweet communion was shattered by disobedience to God, which is sin.
Fellowship with God was severed as a result of the fall of man. Because of their disobedience, they were removed from the Garden and separated from God. But God does desire fellowship, and it was for this Purpose that man was created. Conversely, man is never truly happy unless he is in fellowship with God.
God relates to man in a variety of ways. When the people of Israel (God’s chosen people) were in the wilderness, they were instructed to build a tent of worship — the Tabernacle — according to Divine specifications. In the heart of the Tabernacle was the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, where God actually resided. Thus the very Presence of God was among His people, dwelling in the Holy of Holies, and known as the Shekinah, or “Glory of God.” Shekinah is a word related to the word for skin, and also dwelling. The actual Tabernacle, as designed by God, was covered over with badger skins.
Beautiful truths are typified in many Old Testament representations and practices. Jesus, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among us — as John points out in John 1:14. Actually, the word “dwelt” here might better be rendered “tabernacled.” He was the very Presence of God among men. But Jesus said later that He was going to the Father and would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to assume this duty of bringing God’s Presence to men.
God has always associated with man, revealed Himself to man, enjoyed association with man, and offered fellowship to man. It is by and through the Holy Spirit that He comes to us today. The Holy Spirit is the very Presence of God among us and in us. By the Holy Spirit, God now “tabernacles” in us. The Old Testament Tabernacle is the type and picture of His marvelous Ways.
The baptism in the holy spirit
in old testament types
FEASTS OF PASSOVER AND PENTECOST (Lev. 23) — In the beginning, at the establishment of the Feast of Pentecost, its date was placed fifty days after the Passover and the Feast of the Sheaf of the Firstfruits. Without the Passover, there would have been no way of determining the date for the Day of Pentecost.
This is an exact parallel to our lives. Here the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) cannot occur without the first experience — salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ. How significant that it is the Jubilee (fiftieth) Day that results in the jubilation invariably accompanying the Pentecostal experience.
THE BLOOD AND THE OIL (LEV. 14) — In the cleansing of a leper, blood was first placed upon the tip of the right ear of the one who was to be cleansed, upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. Then oil was placed where the blood had been applied. The oil upon (or following) the blood, demonstrates that we must have the Blood of Jesus applied to our hearts before we can receive the Work (and residence) of the Spirit in our lives.
If this oil represents the Holy Spirit’s work at conversion (which it doubtless does), the type has even more to teach us. “And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest’s hand, he shall pour upon the head of him who is to be cleansed.” This typifies the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which comes at the baptism in the Spirit, after salvation.
THE OIL, IN AND UPON THE MEAT OFFERING (LEV. 2:6-7) — “You shall part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a Meat Offering. And if your oblation be a Meat Offering baked in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.”
This presence of oil within the cake represents the Holy Spirit at salvation, while the oil poured over it later represents the Holy Spirit immersion at the Baptism.
THE PILLAR OF CLOUD BY DAY AND THE PILLAR OF FIRE BY NIGHT (NUM. 9:15-23) — Paul says in I Corinthians 10:1-2 that “all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
This was typology for the experience received by the children of God today. They escaped from Egypt (the world) by virtue of the Passover being sacrificed for them. Christ is our Passover (I Cor. 5:7). They then passed through the waters of baptism (Mk. 16:16) as represented by the waters of the Red Sea. And what does being “baptized in the cloud” typify? The baptism in the Holy Spirit! That cloud represents the Shekinah Glory of Almighty God, a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. It not only represented God, but was God in His continuing Presence. “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Ex. 13:21). Note that it does not say that the cloud and the pillar represented God or that He sent them. It says that He went in them, continuously.
God dwelt directly over His people and they literally walked in that cloud — being in effect surrounded by God Himself. This was the continuing situation throughout the wilderness journey.
This figure of baptism into a cloud — which implies a continuation in the element into which one has been baptized — is an appropriate picture of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We do not go into, and immediately come out of, as in water baptism. We instead go into a condition in which we remain, as in a heavenly cloud. By this experience, we enter into the Holy Spirit and continue to live and walk with the Shekinah Glory of God surrounding us.
General prominence
The Holy Spirit was prominent in the Old Testament and gave the inspiration for Scripture. II Peter 1:21 states, “For the Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” In II Timothy 3:16 we’re told, “All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God.” By saying “all Scripture” this, of course, includes the Old Testament.
The Old Testament Prophets were moved on by the Holy Spirit in a special way. The Prophets were granted great revelations by Divine intervention. Obviously, this was the Work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit worked not only through the Prophets who wrote down the revelations of the Old Testament but also with the nation of Israel and its leaders. The Spirit of God also worked with individuals after a measure. However, it is not as people are filled today — without measure. Jesus said that He would send the Holy Spirit and out of one’s innermost being would flow rivers of Living Water.
Even though individuals were saved in the Old Testament, they were operating in a different dispensation — a different set of conditions. Today, after the completion of the Redemptive Work of Christ on Calvary, a new set of conditions is in operation. Old Testament Believers were protected (saved) by trusting in something promised for the future. It was their Faith in something as yet unseen that was imputed to them for Righteousness (James 2:23). They were looking forward to, and believing in, the provision yet to be made by the Messiah.
In Jesus we have the New Covenant. Jesus died at Calvary and rose again. By accepting Him, a person is Born-Again and becomes a new creature in Christ. “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17). A new creature in Christ is a fit habitation for the indwelling of, and baptism in, the Holy Spirit.
Even though Old Testament Believers were not baptized in the Holy Spirit (as we use the term today), God’s Spirit remained among and operated within the chosen nation of Israel. We read in Haggai 2:5, “According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you: fear you not.”
There were many times when Israel fell away from God, and at these times their enemies were victorious; God allowed this to happen. Still God promised that He would not take His Spirit from them. He said in Isaiah 59:21, “As for Me, this is My Covenant with them, saith the Lord; My Spirit that is upon you, and My Words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and forever.”
God the Holy Spirit dealt with the Children of Israel in Old Testament times in a great and wonderful way. They grew disobedient and spiteful and allowed Satan to lead them astray. They rejected God and were no longer blessed by Him. During these periods, God withdrew His aid and refused to protect them from their enemies. These were times when the Holy Spirit, in effect, departed. But God’s Spirit continues to move with Israel today, and His desire is, as Paul stated, for all Israel to be saved (Rom. 11:26).
The three ways the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in the Old Testament are:
1. The Creative Spirit;
2. The Dynamic Spirit; and,
3. The Regenerative Spirit.
The Holy Spirit (as we discussed in chapter 2) was vitally involved in Creation.
The dynamic power of the Holy Spirit can be seen in His influence on the leaders during certain critical periods. Despite moral lapses, when it came time to again “get Israel back on the tracks,” God’s Holy Spirit would again intervene, raise up proper leadership, and again reestablish proper direction.
The Holy Spirit is a regenerative Spirit. David, referred to as “a man after God’s own heart,” failed and sinned grievously (II Sam. 11 and Ps. 51). But God’s Purposes are always Redemptive, and the move of God’s Spirit was upon a repentant David, who asked to be cleansed. He prayed, “take not Your Holy Spirit from me.”
The Holy Spirit was truly at work in the Old Testament and accomplished God’s Purpose of bringing people to Himself to experience the fullness of His goodness, grace, and glory.
“And thou shall speak unto all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the Spirit of Wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto Me in the Priest’s office” (Ex. 28:3).
“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His Word was in my tongue” (II Sam. 23:1-2).
With individuals for special purposes
The relationship of the Holy Spirit to individuals, in the Old Testament, was not the same as it was after the Day of Pentecost. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came selectively, falling upon a few of God’s chosen “instruments” for very special purposes. Then, just before Jesus ascended He informed His Disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to abide permanently within them.
When a person is truly baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit thoroughly indwells that individual. In the Old Testament they were not “baptized” in the Holy Spirit as such, but the Holy Spirit “came upon” people. He was there to guide, direct, and help them in a need, or to accomplish a specific and special purpose.
JOSEPH — Few people are afforded unique opportunities for leadership, but of those who are, Joseph was one who played a special and singular role. The Bible tells us (in Gen. 41:38) “And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”
Joseph had the Spirit of God to guide and lead him. He was given true wisdom. Not only was he able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams, but he was also able to help the entire nation of Egypt through a time of potential disaster when he saved them from their long famine. The Spirit of God was plainly upon Joseph, and he was wonderfully used of God as an instrument for accomplishing God’s Purpose.
In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came over individuals to use them, to help them, and to give them wisdom. He gave them strength for whatever their need. (Read of Gideon in Judg. 6, 7, and 8.)
The Spirit was not available to the general population as such, but only to selected individuals who then became national leaders or powerful workers for God. Among these were Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and a goodly number of other leaders and Prophets.
Long before the Patriarchs, God gave Noah words of knowledge and wisdom to save himself and his family when all other life was to be destroyed by the flood. During the time of the kings, Solomon was given great knowledge and special words of wisdom by God’s Spirit. As the years went by, the Prophets received special revelation, insight, and understanding. These words of wisdom, delivered to the Prophets by the Holy Spirit, still declare God’s message to us as we read them today in the Old Testament.
MOSES — According to the prophet Isaiah, the Holy Spirit was with Moses in a special way. We find this in Isaiah 63:11 where it says, “Then He remembered the days of old, Moses, and His people, saying, Where is He Who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is He Who put his Holy Spirit within him?”
And, in Isaiah 63:14 it says, “As a beast goes down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so did You lead Your people, to make Yourself a glorious name.”
This refers to Moses, who was a great and mighty man of God. It was the Holy Spirit who supplied him the resolution, the power, and the wisdom to accomplish all he did. In the Word of God, we find that Moses complained to God concerning the tremendous load placed upon him by God — leading the rebellious children of Israel from Egypt into the Promise Land.
A rich lesson can be gained from this example. Moses recognized his limits and his needs — and then he declared them to God. Of course, Moses was one of the greatest men who ever lived so it is hard to compare him to ordinary men. But it was the Spirit of God who made Moses great. And even with that, Moses felt unequal to the tasks set before him and the Spirit of God had to lead him in a practical way to seek assistance in his leadership responsibilities.
The Bible tells us in Numbers 11:16-17, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto Me seventy men of the Elders of Israel. . . . And I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you bear it not yourself alone.”
Moses had an overwhelming burden of responsibility. There were some three million people who looked to him for leadership and guidance. He had to stand in judgment almost daily, his energy dissipated by attention to minor details that shouldn’t have required his personal attention. The sheer mass of these matters had sapped his strength until he had little left to devote to important matters. While the Holy Spirit does not tire, the human body of flesh does. Moses complained to the Lord and said he was neither mentally nor physically capable of bearing this load. God then led him to choose out seventy capable men to assist him.
Some say that God could have just given Moses physical strength to carry on. But God does not break His own laws. Of course, individuals do experience special grace and supernatural strength under unique circumstances of short duration. God can, by His Spirit, provide added strength and power, but natural laws are involved, and God will not repeal the natural laws He Himself established.
Even though the Spirit of God gives an individual new power and a dynamic spirit, we can harm ourselves mentally and physically — even though Spirit-filled. There are many great men of God who have overworked to the point of personal disintegration
The Lord taught me a personal lesson in this area some time ago. When I was younger, I had some physical conditions that caused me real distress. They were sufficiently serious that they were actually interfering with my ability to carry out my work for the Lord. Praise God, I finally realized that as a Child of God I could have victory over this nagging situation, and at that point the Lord rapidly gave me victory. And from that point to today I have existed in an almost continuous state of blooming health.
But, while the Lord will heal us physically, this does not give us license to go beyond the bounds of good sense. Having been healed of my chronic conditions, I decided that I was — supported by the strength of the Holy Spirit — relieved of normal, common sense health requirements. I threw myself into my work with a zeal that went beyond rational limits. I felt I could drive myself beyond the point of physical exhaustion and the Lord would give me the strength to maintain this killing pace.
Well, needless to say, I soon found my strength waning. Before long, I was suffering from an almost constant series of colds that sapped my strength until I could barely maintain a normal schedule.
So what did I do? While burdened by a particularly vicious cold, I went before the Lord and cried out one more time for healing — so I could go on with the insane pace I felt I should be maintaining. And as I cried out before Him, He suddenly spoke to me — a circumstance I would like to comment on in a moment.
“Son,” He said, “I have been trying to teach you something but you refuse to listen. Now I want you to stop telling me how to handle things and start doing what I want you to do.”
The problem, of course, was my obstinate refusal to admit that I’m no different from anyone else. Sure, others would break down from overwork, but it couldn’t happen to me. Well, the fact of the matter was, it was happening to me, and if I didn’t start taking better care of my physical plant, the Lord would have to allow me to suffer more and more problems until He finally got my attention.
Needless to say, I changed my ways. I saw that one’s physical body can be almost as important as one’s spiritual condition, and that one inevitably influences the other. And as soon as I began leading a more balanced life, the succession of colds that had been plaguing me stopped. I have had almost no physical problems since then.
And now I would like to comment on a statement I just made. I said that as I cried out to the Lord he “spoke to me.” This is a statement that Spirit-filled Christians often make that can be confusing or disturbing to non-Christians, or to the newer Christian. While the more experienced know exactly what you mean, it can shock the uninitiated when they hear, “the Lord said” or “the Lord told me.”
The Lord did not speak to me in an audible voice. He can speak in an audible voice, and there are Scriptural accounts of just such incidents (Mat. 3:17; Mk. 9:7; Acts 9:4, and others). But these seemed to be reserved for historic occasions. The Spirit-filled Christian does, however, have access to communication with God, and it is not all uncommon.
When the Christian casually says, “the Lord said . . . ,” he really means that God has spoken to his heart or his inner ear. It is an experience we all have when we suddenly know something we didn’t know a moment before. Suddenly our inner ear — our consciousness — hears words echoing within us that have not been generated by our brain or intellect.
There are two possible false sources of these messages. One is our subconscious, and the other is the enemy — Satan or one of his demonic helpers. And how do we sort them out? I pause a second and analyze the message I’ve just received. If it’s a logical extension or development of my conscious thoughts on a problem, it’s probably from my own mind. If it’s something irrational, unsavory, or contrary to Scripture, it’s certainly from Satan. But if it’s logical, rational, and wholesome (although perhaps contrary to what I might want or choose for the situation), I feel it is no doubt God’s Will, by way of the Holy Spirit.
I find that communications from God tend to come suddenly, arrive completely formed (requiring no further mental effort to “work them out”), and leave one with a feeling of, “Wow! Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”
God did speak to His children in Biblical times, and he does speak to us today. We must, however, tune our Spiritual ears to receive His messages, sharpen our Gift of Discernment (I Cor. 12:10) to reveal the source, and then confidently act upon the new course the Holy Spirit has set for us.
And returning to this question of mentally and physically exhausting ourselves, what better example could we find than the Lord and Master. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and went about healing the sick and all who were oppressed of the Devil (Acts 10:38). Still He said to His Disciples that they needed to separate themselves and rest for a time (Mk. 6:31). The baptism in the Holy Spirit does not give a person license to misuse his body. Neither does it give license to sin or disobey God. We must still use wisdom in practical matters. God gives wisdom and direction in even commonplace matters — if we will seek His face and follow His leadings.
Another event concerning Moses is found in Numbers 11:24-26 where Moses “gathered the seventy men of the Elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spoke unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy Elders: and it came to pass, that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp . . . and the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of them who were written, but went not out unto the Tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.”
When Joshua, Moses’ helper and assistant who was himself a great man, discovered the two men prophesying (who weren’t of the “official” group) he became excited. He went to Moses and said, “My lord Moses, forbid them” (Num. 11:28).
Even though Joshua was one of the greatest men who ever lived, he wasn’t viewing this situation in the proper perspective. He wanted Moses to issue directions as to who might, and might not, demonstrate the power of God’s Holy Spirit. But Moses gave an interesting answer to Joshua: “And Moses said unto him, Do you envy for my sake?” (Num. 11:29).
In other words, Moses was saying, “Don’t you want me to reprimand them simply because I did not designate them, or because they are not among the select seventy, or because I didn’t lay hands upon them?” Then he said, “would God that all the Lord’s people were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them!”
Even today, I wish that every person in the world could have the Spirit of God moving mightily in his life. Thank God for leaders like Moses who want every person to have the power and blessings of God for his life. There was no jealousy or envy with Moses. Thank God for this outpouring of the Spirit.
There are some who have the attitude that if it is not their church, their Bible class, or a prayer meeting under their direction, it shouldn’t be allowed to function with liberty — or if it does, it can’t amount to much. All too many Christians feel that their church, where they undoubtedly play a central role, is uniquely chosen to reflect God’s Glory. Other groups, though? If it isn’t their group, the rose-colored glasses are tossed aside. “Reality” rears its ugly head. “Those” groups can be viewed as they really are. Every spot, wrinkle, and marginal Christian is fair game for merciless appraisal. Groups other than our group are all too often sitting targets for ridicule, criticism, and often outright opposition.
We’ve all seen it. The Spirit of God begins to move and church leaders resist that move with everything at their command. We should thank God for every revival that is taking place — in our church or any other — and for every person being saved. Many leaders are uncomfortable (or even jealous?) of circumstances over which they have no control. They should realize that the mighty moving of the Spirit of God is something that individuals cannot manipulate.
Paul faced the problem of those who ridiculed and criticized him — but who were at the same time proclaiming a version of God’s Word. So Paul said in the midst of all this that Jesus Christ is being preached, and thank God for that, despite the fact that it was not personally favorable to Paul.
I thank God that the Holy Spirit is being poured out upon all flesh in all groups, and we should all remember that we don’t elevate ourselves in God’s eyes by tearing down someone else.
BEZALEEL AND THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE — When God instituted laws and sacraments in Israel, He intended them as object lessons for the ages. Many of these are still valid today as learning tools for the Holy Spirit to utilize in teaching us. We, no less than early Israel, have to be taught at one point or another in our lives about sin and salvation. As an example, no one — except the High Priest — could enter the Holy of Holies to sacrifice before God. Even then, he entered this sacred inner area of the Tabernacle only once a year, after being ritually purified for his entry. Only then could he place the blood upon the mercy seat. The Bible tells us why in Hebrews 9:8: “The Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the First Tabernacle was yet standing.” In other words, at this point Jesus had not yet died for our sins on Calvary. He had not risen from the dead. No mechanism existed for washing away man’s sin. Man could not stand before God in righteousness, without guilt. Consequently, no ordinary mortal could enter the Holy of Holies.
The High Priest (in the sinner’s stead) would enter just once a year as a dramatic reminder that man was not worthy of contact with God. But now, of course, the lowliest person can enter the Holy of Holies — into God’s Presence in the Spirit—and say, “Lord Jesus, save my soul; have mercy upon me.”
Of course, there is no physical Holy of Holies in existence today, as there is no need for one. When Jesus died on Calvary, the veil (which separated mankind from God’s Presence by walling off the Holy of Holies) was rent from top to bottom.
Spiritually speaking, we can now enter the Holy of Holies through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. We can walk boldly into the very Presence of God (wherever we may be) if we ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into our hearts and lives.
The Shekinah Glory existed only in the Presence of God, within the Holy of Holies. When one is saved, he enters into the Holy of Holies because he enters into the Presence of God’s marvelous grace. And even though it may not be seen, he is enveloped in Shekinah Glory.
Even the garments worn by the High Priests were a matter of concern to the Holy Spirit. Exodus 28:3 says, “And you shall speak unto all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the Spirit of Wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto Me in the Priest’s office.”
There is a reason for the rigid specifications the Holy Spirit gave for these garments. Special meaning, significance, and purpose were involved.
When it came to the construction of the Tabernacle itself, God wanted a Spirit-led foreman for the job. He told Moses in Exodus 31:2-5, “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.” God’s Spirit infused this man, enabling him to build the Tabernacle precisely to His specifications, for His Purpose, and for His Glory.
BALAAM — Balaam (Num. 22-24) was an appropriate prototype for many Spirit-filled Christians today. Merely because one is Spirit-filled does not make one perfect. Quite to the contrary, we can all be absolutely certified as not being perfect. There was only one perfect person in all of history, and that was our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, the Born-Again, Spirit-filled Christian had perfect salvation, because his salvation was perfected by Jesus, at Calvary. But as far as Christian maturity, we are never perfected. No mortal person living in this world has ever achieved that state of perfect maturity. Some have evinced great growth, approaching a state of true maturity, but no one has ever achieved that state of perfection. We will never be perfected in maturity until the day the Lord Jesus Christ comes and we have glorified bodies.
But just because we know we won’t be perfected, we have no excuse for drifting along accepting our flawed present condition. Rather, we should eternally press on — striving to mature ever further in the Lord. We must be committed to, and striving toward, maturity. Jesus said, “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect” (Mat. 5:48).
The word “perfect” as used here basically refers to maturity. We are to be mature and complete. Although we know we won’t become perfect, we should not remain spiritual infants. We should grow in grace every day, pressing on toward maturity.
Balaam was an individual who could apparently yield readily to the Lord and to the moving of the Holy Spirit. But, unfortunately, he demonstrated much carnality intertwined with his spirituality. He had something of a dual personality in that he could apparently yield just as readily to the powers of darkness. One might say he was what we call today a “wishy-washy” type. He could really be “all together” and “with it” one day and completely “out of it” the next. At least this appears to be his relationship with God.
God does have patience with this type of individual and graciously deals with each person. Anytime the heart responds to God, He moves to fill it with His Presence — no matter what that person may be about to do the following day. God doesn’t analyze people when He saves them nor give them gifts on the basis of what they will do in the future. He deals with them according to their faith at that moment. This is why we see Christians committing all kinds of errors after God has abundantly blessed them. They certainly shouldn’t do this nor do they have any excuse for such behavior. It undoubtedly hinders the Work of God, not to mention the individual’s relationship to God. Continuing to do so can result in eventual alienation from God.
The Spirit of God was upon Balaam, for he was a man who was obviously anointed with God’s power of the Holy Spirit. He had the Gift of Prophecy, and God had dealt with him previously. He had sought God and had received marvelous blessings. Seemingly, he was never able to overcome his problems.
Balaam turned from God, and there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that he died the death of righteousness. He was one of those upon whom the Spirit of God came, but who misused the Spirit. He abused his precious privileges by wandering astray. He listened to the voice of the Devil and ended up disobeying God and misusing the gifts given to him by God.
The Bible tells us that there will be someone who will stand before God and say, We have cast out devils in Thy Name and healed the sick in Thy Name. They will declare that they have done many wonderful things in His Name. But what will God say? Depart from me, I never knew you.
It is possible for people to have enjoyed the great moving of the Holy Spirit in their lives and yet through neglect, stubbornness, greed, carelessness, or their own will and desires go contrary to God? Unfortunately, it is.
However, the Holy Spirit is extremely patient with individuals and will do everything He can to salvage a soul. But a person can grieve the Holy Spirit and rebel against Him to the point where the direction of his life — by his own free will and choice — is a direction totally unacceptable to God. If an individual persists in going the way of disobedience (as Balaam did), the Spirit will not restrain him against his will. The Spirit of God will not always strive with man.
JOSHUA — We read in Numbers 27:18, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him.” This is further confirmed in Deuteronomy 34:9 which says, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the Spirit of Wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the Children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.”
Joshua, one of the greatest men of Israel’s history, was led and guided by the Holy Spirit. God gave him supernatural victories that could only have come by intervention of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was the driving force in Joshua’s life. But even though Joshua, Moses, Joseph, David, and others saw tremendous examples of the power of God, the Holy Spirit did not dwell within these individuals in the same manner in which he indwells people today.
Jesus Himself said that he would send the Holy Spirit to “be in us” and “without measure.” Today there is no limit to what an individual can have, or do, in Jesus Christ — through the power of the Holy Spirit. Old Testament figures were used in mighty ways by God, but he used them according to the specific need of the time.
SAMSON — The Spirit of God came mightily upon Samson during the time of the Judges (Judg. 13-16). This period was known as the Dark Ages of Hebrew history, although there were many impressive moves of the Spirit during these times.
Samson emerges as a fine example, but also as a horrible example. Many today mirror Samson’s actions — and reactions. Even though the Spirit of the Lord moved upon Samson again and again in awesome power, he is a prime example of what happens to people who desire the power of the Spirit — but not the discipline of the Spirit.
Another example of the Spirit of God moving mightily in the time of the Judges was Gideon — who was used of the Lord in a unique way.
Many people desire the blessings. They relish the miracles, the zeal, the excitement, the thrill, and the exuberance, but they refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to develop the fruit of the Spirit in their natures. Like Samson, they chose not to bring their spirit under submission to the Holy Spirit.
Some think once they are baptized in the Holy Spirit that “everything automatically takes care of itself.” Of course, this doesn’t happen. Even though a person is baptized in the Holy Ghost, he must bring his own spirit under submission. The Holy Spirit will not do this for him! The Holy Spirit will never force a person to assume a proper attitude. The response is always up to the individual.
Over the years the Lord has seen fit to use me, and I am so grateful. I never cease to view the power of God — the greatness, the majesty, and Glory of God — with wonder and awe. But there is a price attached to God’s great blessings.
We don’t have to, nor could we, buy salvation. Jesus paid it all. Neither can we buy the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are free Gifts, with no price attached to them. Simon the sorcerer discovered this in Acts 8:9-24.
In order to aspire to becoming of use to God — and thus to know true blessings — one has to first bring his own spirit under submission to the Holy Spirit. That is the price one must pay for true discipleship. Full commitment to the Lord, on the part of the individual, can be costly. In accepting total stewardship of one’s life, there may be great sacrifice required. While these do not purchase salvation — nor the Gifts of God — they are nevertheless a significant part of Christian living. More often than not, seeking the deepest commitment to God will extract an equal reduction in worldly relationships and a comparable rejection of worldly “pleasures.”
SAUL — Saul, the first king of Israel, is an example of the individual who experiences the anointing of God — and then turns his back on the Spirit of God. Saul enjoyed the privileges inherent in his position, but he rejected the responsibilities.
The people of Israel, despite God’s counsel, insisted upon a king to rule them in order to unify them against the Philistines and other enemies. God acceded to their wishes to demonstrate what would happen when they took full control of their lives. He gave them Saul.
When the Prophet Samuel found Saul, Saul was little more than a rancher’s son. He was overgrown (unusually tall) and had an inferiority complex. Obviously, God would have to do something for Saul to prepare him for leadership of a nation. Samuel said to Saul, “And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man” (I Sam. 10:6). It certainly appears that Saul’s attitude is right with God in the beginning, and that he followed the Lord. The Spirit of God was definitely upon Saul. God chose him, anointed him, and used him.
In I Samuel 10:10, we have an interesting account. “And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of Prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, (referring to Saul) and he prophesied among them.” This doesn’t happen to an unsaved person, an apostate, or one who has sold out to evil.
The Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul (1 Sam. 10:6-10). The Holy Spirit was upon him. But Saul disobeyed God and became proud, hostile, full of neurotic self-pity — and ended up turning away from the Lord.
The Bible states (in 1 Sam. 16:14), “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.” Obviously, Saul had the Spirit or the Spirit could not have later departed from him. At one time, he was a man of God who followed the Lord, prophesied, worshiped God, and gave evidence of being totally committed to God. But at some point he departed from God, and the Holy Spirit departed from him.
This is one of the most tragic lessons that can be learned by anyone. Saul grieved the Holy Spirit away. He presented an environment the Holy Spirit couldn’t tolerate. Even after he had become mired in sin — disobeying God with murder in his heart and hunting down David — even after all this, the Spirit of God tried to influence him. The Holy Spirit tried to move upon him and stir him to repentance. It was a futile effort. Saul slammed the door, literally turning his back on God. This man who had once walked with God eventually dabbled in witchcraft and ended his life as a suicide on Mount Gilboa (I Sam. 31:4, 6).
A person can fall away from God. The Bible speaks of apostasy and warns that in the latter days, there will be much apostasy. Apostasy means, simply, falling away from God.
Even if a person falls into sin (and moves away from God), the Holy Spirit will again move upon him, bringing conviction. But if the individual consciously persists, by his own free choice, continuing in a direction opposed to God, tragedy and chaos will be the result.
No one is held against his will. If one is deep in sin, there is only one way out and that is God. By His grace, He will renew an individual into fellowship. It is God’s business to lift one higher and higher, into righteousness. But the individual is the one who makes the decision. You can depart form God; He won’t force you to live for Him. But you can also choose to come to Him. And if you do, you will be welcomed back with open arms.
Even after Saul had desecrated the Name of God, cursed and disobeyed God, the Spirit of God still chose to move upon him one more time. If Saul had yielded, God would have accepted him with open arms, blessed him, helped him, and strengthened him. How marvelous is God’s willingness to forgive.
Even Judas, who betrayed Jesus, could have been forgiven. Had he not taken his own life — but fallen instead at the feet of Jesus — he would have experienced forgiveness and God’s blessing. His betrayal of Jesus was despicable, but it wasn’t all that much worse than Peter’s cursing and subsequent denial of Jesus. But Peter begged for mercy, while Judas hung himself. If Judas had repented and asked for the Lord’s mercy, I believe Jesus would have accepted him with open arms, saying, “Welcome home.”
In the tabernacle
God made man for his glory and for fellowship with Him. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they spoke with God. However, this sweet communion was shattered by disobedience to God, which is sin.
Fellowship with God was severed as a result of the fall of man. Because of their disobedience, they were removed from the Garden and separated from God. But God does desire fellowship, and it was for this Purpose that man was created. Conversely, man is never truly happy unless he is in fellowship with God.
God relates to man in a variety of ways. When the people of Israel (God’s chosen people) were in the wilderness, they were instructed to build a tent of worship — the Tabernacle — according to Divine specifications. In the heart of the Tabernacle was the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, where God actually resided. Thus the very Presence of God was among His people, dwelling in the Holy of Holies, and known as the Shekinah, or “Glory of God.” Shekinah is a word related to the word for skin, and also dwelling. The actual Tabernacle, as designed by God, was covered over with badger skins.
Beautiful truths are typified in many Old Testament representations and practices. Jesus, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among us — as John points out in John 1:14. Actually, the word “dwelt” here might better be rendered “tabernacled.” He was the very Presence of God among men. But Jesus said later that He was going to the Father and would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to assume this duty of bringing God’s Presence to men.
God has always associated with man, revealed Himself to man, enjoyed association with man, and offered fellowship to man. It is by and through the Holy Spirit that He comes to us today. The Holy Spirit is the very Presence of God among us and in us. By the Holy Spirit, God now “tabernacles” in us. The Old Testament Tabernacle is the type and picture of His marvelous Ways.
The baptism in the holy spirit
in old testament types
FEASTS OF PASSOVER AND PENTECOST (Lev. 23) — In the beginning, at the establishment of the Feast of Pentecost, its date was placed fifty days after the Passover and the Feast of the Sheaf of the Firstfruits. Without the Passover, there would have been no way of determining the date for the Day of Pentecost.
This is an exact parallel to our lives. Here the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) cannot occur without the first experience — salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ. How significant that it is the Jubilee (fiftieth) Day that results in the jubilation invariably accompanying the Pentecostal experience.
THE BLOOD AND THE OIL (LEV. 14) — In the cleansing of a leper, blood was first placed upon the tip of the right ear of the one who was to be cleansed, upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. Then oil was placed where the blood had been applied. The oil upon (or following) the blood, demonstrates that we must have the Blood of Jesus applied to our hearts before we can receive the Work (and residence) of the Spirit in our lives.
If this oil represents the Holy Spirit’s work at conversion (which it doubtless does), the type has even more to teach us. “And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest’s hand, he shall pour upon the head of him who is to be cleansed.” This typifies the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which comes at the baptism in the Spirit, after salvation.
THE OIL, IN AND UPON THE MEAT OFFERING (LEV. 2:6-7) — “You shall part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a Meat Offering. And if your oblation be a Meat Offering baked in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.”
This presence of oil within the cake represents the Holy Spirit at salvation, while the oil poured over it later represents the Holy Spirit immersion at the Baptism.
THE PILLAR OF CLOUD BY DAY AND THE PILLAR OF FIRE BY NIGHT (NUM. 9:15-23) — Paul says in I Corinthians 10:1-2 that “all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
This was typology for the experience received by the children of God today. They escaped from Egypt (the world) by virtue of the Passover being sacrificed for them. Christ is our Passover (I Cor. 5:7). They then passed through the waters of baptism (Mk. 16:16) as represented by the waters of the Red Sea. And what does being “baptized in the cloud” typify? The baptism in the Holy Spirit! That cloud represents the Shekinah Glory of Almighty God, a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. It not only represented God, but was God in His continuing Presence. “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Ex. 13:21). Note that it does not say that the cloud and the pillar represented God or that He sent them. It says that He went in them, continuously.
God dwelt directly over His people and they literally walked in that cloud — being in effect surrounded by God Himself. This was the continuing situation throughout the wilderness journey.
This figure of baptism into a cloud — which implies a continuation in the element into which one has been baptized — is an appropriate picture of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We do not go into, and immediately come out of, as in water baptism. We instead go into a condition in which we remain, as in a heavenly cloud. By this experience, we enter into the Holy Spirit and continue to live and walk with the Shekinah Glory of God surrounding us.
General prominence
The Holy Spirit was prominent in the Old Testament and gave the inspiration for Scripture. II Peter 1:21 states, “For the Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” In II Timothy 3:16 we’re told, “All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God.” By saying “all Scripture” this, of course, includes the Old Testament.
The Old Testament Prophets were moved on by the Holy Spirit in a special way. The Prophets were granted great revelations by Divine intervention. Obviously, this was the Work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit worked not only through the Prophets who wrote down the revelations of the Old Testament but also with the nation of Israel and its leaders. The Spirit of God also worked with individuals after a measure. However, it is not as people are filled today — without measure. Jesus said that He would send the Holy Spirit and out of one’s innermost being would flow rivers of Living Water.
Even though individuals were saved in the Old Testament, they were operating in a different dispensation — a different set of conditions. Today, after the completion of the Redemptive Work of Christ on Calvary, a new set of conditions is in operation. Old Testament Believers were protected (saved) by trusting in something promised for the future. It was their Faith in something as yet unseen that was imputed to them for Righteousness (James 2:23). They were looking forward to, and believing in, the provision yet to be made by the Messiah.
In Jesus we have the New Covenant. Jesus died at Calvary and rose again. By accepting Him, a person is Born-Again and becomes a new creature in Christ. “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17). A new creature in Christ is a fit habitation for the indwelling of, and baptism in, the Holy Spirit.
Even though Old Testament Believers were not baptized in the Holy Spirit (as we use the term today), God’s Spirit remained among and operated within the chosen nation of Israel. We read in Haggai 2:5, “According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you: fear you not.”
There were many times when Israel fell away from God, and at these times their enemies were victorious; God allowed this to happen. Still God promised that He would not take His Spirit from them. He said in Isaiah 59:21, “As for Me, this is My Covenant with them, saith the Lord; My Spirit that is upon you, and My Words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and forever.”
God the Holy Spirit dealt with the Children of Israel in Old Testament times in a great and wonderful way. They grew disobedient and spiteful and allowed Satan to lead them astray. They rejected God and were no longer blessed by Him. During these periods, God withdrew His aid and refused to protect them from their enemies. These were times when the Holy Spirit, in effect, departed. But God’s Spirit continues to move with Israel today, and His desire is, as Paul stated, for all Israel to be saved (Rom. 11:26).
The three ways the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in the Old Testament are:
1. The Creative Spirit;
2. The Dynamic Spirit; and,
3. The Regenerative Spirit.
The Holy Spirit (as we discussed in chapter 2) was vitally involved in Creation.
The dynamic power of the Holy Spirit can be seen in His influence on the leaders during certain critical periods. Despite moral lapses, when it came time to again “get Israel back on the tracks,” God’s Holy Spirit would again intervene, raise up proper leadership, and again reestablish proper direction.
The Holy Spirit is a regenerative Spirit. David, referred to as “a man after God’s own heart,” failed and sinned grievously (II Sam. 11 and Ps. 51). But God’s Purposes are always Redemptive, and the move of God’s Spirit was upon a repentant David, who asked to be cleansed. He prayed, “take not Your Holy Spirit from me.”
The Holy Spirit was truly at work in the Old Testament and accomplished God’s Purpose of bringing people to Himself to experience the fullness of His goodness, grace, and glory.
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