Transcript

Sometimes quarrymen find a very hard kind of rock. They pick little grooves for the iron wedges, and then with great sledge hammers drive these little wedges into the hard rock. Sometimes this fails to split the rock. Then they go at it in another way.

The iron wedges are removed from the grooves. Then little wooden ones of a very hard fiber are selected. These sharp-edged, well-made wooden wedges are put in the grooves tightly and water is kept in the grooves.

The damp wood swells. The granite heart of the rock cannot stand against this new pressure. It takes longer than the iron wedges and sledge, but after a while the rock yields and lies split wide open.

The water works on the wood, and that in turn on the stone. The iron wedges sometimes fail, but the wood and water never fail.

The soft, noiseless, but strong and steady power of the Holy Spirit can work in our lives to transform us. He can break down and break open a hardened heart so that it splits wide open to become a heart after God’s own heart.

In this episode, we’ll be looking at the working of the Holy Spirit in the past during Old Testament times and God’s program with Israel.

Psalm 51:11: “Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.”

The Holy Spirit did not work in the exact same manner during the Old Testament and God’s program with Israel as He does today under grace.

Although it was and is the same Holy Spirit, His methods were different and have changed as God changed His dispensations.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was not universal to every believer, but was given only to certain believers for special tasks or just according to God’s sovereign will.

Such as we read with Joseph in Genesis 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?”

Or with Joshua 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 thine hand upon him.”

But even with the giving and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, there was the possibility of the Holy Spirit leaving that individual. The time of the indwelling was often limited.

King Saul is an example of this. When Saul was anointed as king of Israel, the prophet Samuel told him, “And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them…” (1 Sam. 10:6).

But later, the Spirit came on Saul again, which obviously means that the Spirit departed and came back. 1 Samuel 11:6 says, “And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.”

Later still, once Saul no longer served God as God desired, God removed His Holy Spirit from Saul’s life: “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul” (1 Sam. 16:14).

Likewise, after King Saul, when David was anointed as king of Israel, we read in 1 Samuel 16: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward” (16:13).

But here in Psalm 51, in light of his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, we see David’s fear of the Holy Spirit departing from him.

And David pleaded to the Lord to not give up on him or to banish him from His presence. He begged for the Lord to not take His Holy Spirit from him.

The reason he prayed that was because in the age in which he lived, God did take His Holy Spirit from people when they walked in disobedience to Him.

He did it with King Saul and He could do it with David. And David fervently asked the Lord to spare him this fate.

That’s not how it is under grace. When we rightly divide the Word, we find that we have the Holy Spirit in us and we are sealed by the Spirit until the day of redemption, when our bodies are redeemed at the Rapture, and we are with the Lord in heaven forever.

So a prayer like this by King David is not a prayer we should pray under grace, because there is zero concern that the Spirit might leave us in the Body of Christ.

This is one of the main differences between the way the Holy Spirit operated in the Old Testament and the way He operates in the life of believers today.

Unlike in the past, the Holy Spirit dwells permanently in us, and He is constantly and consistently at work in our lives.

But with Saul and David and others in the past under the law, the Holy Spirit “came upon” them. And that phrase “came upon” means to wrap around, like wrapping with a garment or putting on clothing.

The Spirit would wrap them with His presence enabling them with His perfect power and wisdom. But to put on a garment indicates the possibility of the garment of the Holy Spirit being taken off as well and Him leaving, which He did according to God’s will.

During the period of the judges, the Spirit consistently and repeatedly came upon those who God had chosen to lead Israel, to help them as they led God’s people and to give special power for battle so God would be glorified by Israel’s victories over her enemies.

Speaking of Othniel, a judge in Israel, Judges 3:10 reads, “And the Spirit of the Lord CAME UPON him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war.”

Later, with Gideon, “Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord CAME UPON Gideon,” Judges 6:34 says.

And there are other examples of this with other judges in Israel, particularly Samson.

In Samson’s life, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him on a number of different occasions, which shows us that His presence in Samson’s life was not permanent.

At different times, according to God’s will, “the Spirit of the LORD” came upon him giving him supernatural strength. One of those events occurred when the Philistines came up to Judah to capture Samson.

Out of their fear, 3000 men of Judah convinced Samson to let them bind him with cords to bring him to the Philistines. Judges 15:14-15 records what happened next:

“And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.”

When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, he very easily broke the cords with which the men of Judah had bound him, and then slew 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. This was a demonstration of the mighty power of the Spirit.

Today, under grace, the Spirit works differently. Today, the Spirit of the Lord does not come upon us temporarily to give us superhuman strength as He did with Samson.

Instead, the Spirit indwells us to give us the strength to endure hardships, to empower us to serve the Lord, and through His illumination to the Word, by the power of His Word, He works to change us into the image of Christ “from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Cor. 3:18).

In the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon people to enable them in battle, and to give them supernatural strength, and also to give wisdom for difficult tasks.

When God gave the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, the Holy Spirit filled and equipped craftsmen, like Bezaleel, to be able to carry out those instructions.

Exodus 31:1-3 reads, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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.”

After God commanded Moses to appoint 70 elders to assist Moses in bearing the burden of leading the children of Israel, He placed His Holy Spirit on them so that they would be equipped for that difficult task. Numbers 11:24-25 reads:

“And Moses went out…and gathered the 70 men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him [Moses], and gave it unto the 70 elders: and it came to pass, that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.”

These examples show how in the Old Testament God gave special ability to certain individuals by the Spirit, giving Israel a task, a special call to service, and then equipping individuals to accomplish that task through the working of the Holy Spirit.

And as a general rule, it was a temporary work of the Holy Spirit who came upon them but then later departed.

The people who experienced the Holy Spirit in their lives did not expect the Holy Spirit to come upon them, they did not pray for the Holy Spirit, and they did nothing to prompt His work in their lives. It was God who took the initiative to give them the Holy Spirit.

And every believer in the Old Testament during Israel’s program did not receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. That was to begin later for Israel at the Day of Pentecost.

John 14:16-17: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

The Spirit came and went in Israel’s past, empowering certain individuals and then departing. But according to the Lord’s words here, there was coming a day when, for Israel, the Father would give and send the Spirit, when the Spirit would “abide with you for ever,” and when He would “be in you” and indwell them.

There are parallels between the coming of God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

(1) Both the coming of Christ and the Spirit to Israel were the subjects of Old Testament prophecy and the fulfillment of them.
(2). Both were sent by God the Father.
(3) Each descended from heaven to the earth.
(4) Both came to Israel, Christ in Bethlehem, the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem.
(5) As John the Baptist announced the coming of Christ, Christ announced the coming of the Spirit.
(6) Each coming was marked by supernatural phenomena: the angelic choir of praise for Christ and the “sound from heaven” for the Spirit. The glory of the Lord shining around the shepherds for Christ, and the “tongues of fire” for the Spirit.
(7) Christ’s coming resulted in Herod being “troubled and all Jerusalem with him.” The Spirit’s coming resulted in the multitude at Pentecost being confounded and troubled.
(8) Each came to Israel for the salvation of souls under the terms of the gospel of the kingdom.

We often talk of the love, obedience, and humility of God the Son in coming to this world to die for sinners, which is very true. But it’s the same with the Holy Spirit. It was by love, obedience, and humility that the Spirit willingly came to this world.

As the Son is always obedient to the Father, so the Spirit is always obedient to the Father and the Son. There is no inferiority of the Holy Spirit to the other Persons of the Trinity, but there is a willing submission by Him in keeping with the unity of purpose of the Godhead.

Christ came to this world as a willing servant to be obedient even unto death even the death of the Cross. So it is harmonious with all that we know about God and His work and nature that God the Holy Spirit should be an unseen, humble, obedient servant.

The Spirit’s ministry is to speak of Christ rather than Himself. He gives glory to the Son and in glorifying the Son this glorifies the Father. The Spirit does not glorify Himself. He does not speak of His own Person directly to lift Himself up in any way.

Rather His ministry is as the Lord said in John 15:26: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, HE SHALL TESTIFY OF ME.” And in John 16:13-14, the Lord said of the Spirit: “for He shall not speak of Himself…He shall glorify Me.”

The Lord told His apostles that the Father would “give you another Comforter.” First, it’s interesting to note how the Lord said that: “ANOTHER Comforter.”

In other words, Christ is a Comforter, and the Father would send “another Comforter,” that is, the Holy Spirit to Israel.

“Comforter” is the Greek word “parakletos” which means an advocate or one called to the side of another for help or counsel.

After Christ ascended, the Spirit was to be the Comforter and Helper for Israel on the earth, while Christ would be her Comforter and Helper in heaven.

This is a principle for us under grace as well. The Spirit on earth and Christ in heaven are our Comforters and Helpers.

But for Israel, there is a specific need for having the Spirit as a Comforter and Helper: because, according to the Word of God, Israel is destined to go through the horrors of the seven-year Tribulation, the time of “Jacob’s trouble.”

When the Anti-Christ is persecuting believing Jews, when they are unable to buy and sell without the mark of the beast after the mid-point of the Tribulation, when there is natural disaster after natural disaster, when demonic activity is rampant at that time, believers in Israel will NEED comfort, counsel, and a helper during those 7 years.

God, in His mercy, sent His Spirit to Israel at Pentecost in preparation for this time. But after God temporarily set Israel aside because of her unbelief, this purpose for the Spirit waits for the age of grace to conclude.

But after the Rapture, believing Jews will be indwelt by the Holy Spirit and He will be a Comforter to aid them as they attempt to survive the terrors of these 7 years.

Unlike the Spirit’s ministry to Israel in the past when He came and went, Christ said that the Spirit would “abide with you for ever…for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” This is in keeping with the New Covenant promise regarding the Holy Spirit.

God promised Israel in Ezekiel 36:26-27, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you…And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.”

Pentecost was about fulfilling the New Covenant blessing of God putting His Spirit within the people of Israel. This was a foretaste of the kingdom to come.

The Holy Spirit came to indwell and fill believers in Israel on the day of Pentecost. And He also will do that in Christ’s future millennial kingdom on the earth.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father to Israel. Christ baptized believers on this day with the Holy Spirit. They were identified completely with the Holy Spirit and were indwelt and filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit came testifying of Christ. He came for the purpose of confirming Jesus of Nazareth as Israel’s Messiah and to give evidence of His resurrection from the dead.

He came to give the unbelieving nation the opportunity to repent of crucifying their Messiah and to be water baptized that they might receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

He came to offer Israel the kingdom if they would receive her Messiah.

He came to empower Israel as witnesses of Christ’s resurrection “in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

In accordance with the gospel of the kingdom, the Spirit’s indwelling presence resulted in miracles, signs, and wonders which bore testimony to Christ’s resurrection and also so that they could most effectively and powerfully be witnesses of it.

Thus they were given the ability to speak in tongues, heal the sick, and raise the dead, and it was by the miraculous ministry of the Spirit that they were enabled to do so.

The Lord told His apostles in John 14, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

The Lord in this context had just said that “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.” The Lord said He was the truth, and then He referred to the Spirit as “the Spirit of TRUTH.”

The Lord knew He was headed for the Cross, His resurrection, and ascension, and in calling the Spirit, the Spirit of truth, He was teaching the apostles that the Spirit would be His continued presence among them.

That’s why the Lord said that the world doesn’t know the Spirit, “but ye know Him.” How did the apostles “know” the Spirit when He hadn’t come to Israel yet? They knew Him in Christ. To know Christ is to know the Spirit.

And that’s why Christ said, “for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” At that time, the Spirit was dwelling with them in the Person of Christ.

Luke 4:1 says Christ was “full of the Holy Ghost.” To be with Christ was to be with the Holy Spirit. And Christ and the Holy Spirit are one in mind, purpose and nature.

John 16:8-11: “And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”

This passage has Israel in view and should be interpreted as such. “When He is come” speaks of the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit came to Israel. “Reprove” here speaks of conviction. And “the world” must be thought of as God thought of the world under Israel’s program: Israel first, Gentiles second.

Conviction, however, is a ministry of the Spirit that is common to both programs of God, His program with Israel and His program with the Body of Christ.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, the Apostle Paul wrote that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof…”

The word “reprove” in John 16:8 is translated from the same root word as “reproof” in 2 Timothy 3:16. These 2 verses together teach that the Holy Spirit convicts through the Word of God.

When the Spirit came and the Word was preached to Israel by Peter at Pentecost, the Spirit convicted the Jews of their unbelief and sin of crucifying their Messiah, and “they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Being pricked in their heart was the Spirit’s conviction.

Today, under grace, the Holy Spirit continues to work through His Word to convict people of their sin, unbelief, lack of righteousness, judgment and their need of the Savior.

In verses 9-11, the Lord explained what He meant by the Spirit reproving the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Christ taught how the Holy Spirit would reprove, or convict “Of sin, because they believe not on Me.” The Spirit would come and convict the sin and unbelief of the world.

Being sinful by nature and having violated God’s law, all people outside of Christ are dead in their sins and headed for judgment, and what ultimately condemns them is “because they believe not on Me,” their unwillingness to believe in Christ as Savior.

Next, Christ said the Spirit would convict them “Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see Me no more.” Whose righteousness? The righteousness of Jesus Christ. The Spirit would convict the world of their lack of righteousness in light of Christ’s perfect righteousness.

While the Lord was here, His presence convicted of righteousness. His perfect, righteous life and sinlessness convicted man of their lack of righteousness.

But because Christ was going to His Father and Israel would see Him no more, the Spirit would take over and continue this conviction of righteousness and by the Word of God making the world see their need for righteousness, the righteousness of Christ.

And as one commentator put it “Christ’s return to heaven, to be welcomed by the Father, is the ultimate proof that He is the perfect pattern of righteousness that God accepts.”

By the Word, the Spirit shatters the pretensions of self-righteousness. Christ is the ultimate standard of perfect righteousness. The Spirit convicts unbelievers of their failure to meet that standard.

Finally, the Holy Spirit would convict “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” When the Spirit came, He would convict “of judgment,” that is, eternal judgment in the lake of fire.

The Lord Jesus Christ had more to say about hell than anyone else in the Bible. In love He warned of the danger of it.

Once He was gone back to the Father, the Spirit, by the Word, would continue this warning and conviction of judgment.

The Spirit convicts the world of their guilt and the just judgment they deserve. He reproves all of the truth that there is no escape from judgment if Christ is rejected.

The prince of the world is the devil. But he is now a defeated prince. He stands condemned before God, judged and defeated by the Cross. The head of the serpent was crushed by Christ’s triumph over sin, death, and Satan. The Cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ sealed his fate.

The devil was judged by the Cross, and all who reject the Savior will share in his same destiny and doom. They will face the judgment that he will endure in the “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

We hope that each one watching has trusted Christ as their Savior. Perhaps the Spirit has convicted you of sin, unbelief, your lack of righteousness, and the judgment to come.

To be saved from your sins and judgment, the Bible says you simply need to trust Christ alone, that He died for your sins personally, and rose again the third day. And that’s it. We are saved by faith alone.