God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament

 

God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During Creation

There is no where you turn to in the Bible that you will not see God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit is right there in the old testament just as he is in the new testament Bible. Even though the new testament started the era of the God the Holy Spirit, it has almost the same amount of information on the Holy Spirit as the old testament.

To start with, the first time God the Holy Spirit in the old testament was mentioned was in Genesis 1:2… The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 

Based on account of Genesis chapter 1, we can deduce that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were all present during creation. Colossians 1:16 confirmed Jesus created all things in Heaven and on earth. Mind you, the creation story in Genesis was not the original beginning of all things, as you will see that water already existed before Jesus created the first thing mentioned, in Genesis, which was light. 

It was on the water available during the creation period that God the Holy Spirit in the old testament hovered on. 

God the Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During The Time Of Joseph

And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

Genesis 41:38

As fetish as Pharaoh was, he acknowledged the presence of God the Holy Spirit in the life of Joseph after he interpreted his dream and advised him to save ahead of the famine. 

Considering the number of magicians and wise men in the land of Egypt, no one would have believed none of those great people could find it difficult to interprete the dream of Pharaoh. That incident confirmed God the Holy Spirit, in the old testament, in the life one person who believed in the Almighty God could be far better than thousands of people who were knowledgeable in science.

 

God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During The Time Of Moses

After God appointed Moses’ brother, Aaron, and his children — Nadab, Abihu, Eleazer and Ithamar — as priests, he instructed Moses to inform gifted artisans to make a holy garment for them. 

Of course, without putting on the holy garment, they were not expected to enter into the Tabernacle of meeting as the holy garment was to cover their nakedness and made them appear glorious and beautiful before God.

Going by the exact sewing details God gave Moses, no gifted artisans can sew such a garment without the presence of God the Holy Spirit in the person’s life. No cloth had ever been fashioned or decorated in such a manner as described by the Almighty God. Therefore, to make such a never-before-seen garment, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the old testament is needed in the artisan’s life. 

So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.

Exodus 28:3

God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During The Time Of 70 Elders

From the account of Numbers chapter 11, we discovered all the amazing things Moses did was as a result of the Holy Spirit in the old testament in him. Just as one Joseph was far better than hundreds of wise men and magicians in Egypt, so was Moses during the journey of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt to the promised land.

Even though God the Holy Spirit in the old testament was present in Moses, he didn’t realize it. This was evident in his life after he complained to God that he wanted the heavy burden of bearing over 1 million of children of Israel to come off his neck. 

Moses wouldn’t have complained had it not been because the children of Israel were weeping for meat as they were tired of eating only manna. 

To help ease of Moses burden, the Almighty God instructed him to gather the 70 Elders of the people so that he could put God the Holy Spirit, in the old testament, who was in Moses into the lives of those elders. 

Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

Numbers 11:25

God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During The Time Of Balaam

Had it not been for God the Holy Spirit in the old testament who came upon Balaam, the whole tribes of the children of Israel would have been cursed as Balak wanted. 

Balaam, as instructed by Balak, was ready to curse the children of Israel with his sorcery act before the Holy Spirit in the old testament came upon him, and he began to bless them against the wish of Balak. 

And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Numbers 24:2

Then he took up his oracle and said: “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

Numbers 24:3

Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!

Numbers 24:10

God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During The Time Of Joshua

After the death of Moses, Joshua took over the mantle of leadership and let the children of Israel to the promise land. He was able to achieve this feat because Moses had imparted the Holy Spirit in the old testament in him by the laying of hands.

Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Deuteronomy 34:9

So, laying of hands was not a new testament act. It started in the days of Moses and became a norm after that time till this present period. Intuitively, anyone who has God the Holy Spirit in him can impart the spirit into another person just by the laying of hands.

During the time of the judges, the children of Israel sinned against God by worshipping Baals and Asherahs and God sold them into the hands of a very powerful king, king of Mesopotamia, who was known as Cushan-Rishathaim. 

As a result of their son, they served this king of Mesopotamia for 8 years before the Lord sent a deliverer to save them. 

Of course, the deliverer who was Caleb’s younger brother, Othniel, could never stand against Cushan-Rishathaim, King of Mesopotamia, but he overcame him as a result of the presence of God the Holy Spirit in the old testament in him.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim.

Judges 3:10

God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During The Time Of Gideon (Jerubbaal)

Even though Gideon was a man known for his astounding confidence, he never wanted to fight against the Midianites until he confirmed the Almighty God was with him. Before he used the fleece of wool to confirm if God the Father sent him, God the Holy Spirit in the old testament came upon him and made him blow the trumpet whose sound attracted Abiezrites who were ready to go to war against the Midianites. 

But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.

Judges 6:34

Of course, God the Holy Spirit in the old testament made him more confident than he was when he tore down the altar of Baal and broke the wooden image. He was ready to fight the Midianites with thousands of people he had gathered from Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali until God the Father reduced the thousands of soldiers to 300 men so that the children of Israel would not claim the glory of the victory.

God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During The Time Of Jephthah

Ordinarily, Jephthah wouldn’t have dared passed through Gilead and Manasseh on his way to fight against the Ammonites, but he did because he was filled with the Holy Spirit in the old testament.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon. 

Judges 11:29

God The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament During The Time Of Samson

Apart from the parents of Samson, the Philistines, who were the enemies of the children of Israel, knew the strength of Samson was not ordinary. As a result, they sought every possible means to find the secret to his power. Of course, the secret was simply the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

While God the Holy Spirit in the old testament was in him, he tore apart a lion like one killing a goat. 

And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

Judges 14:6

More so, while God the Holy Spirit in the old testament was still in him, he cut off the strong rope used to tie him down as if the rope was a flax. 

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands.

Judges 15:19

Also, he was able to fulfill his riddles vow because God the Holy Spirit in the old testament was in him. God the Holy Spirit empowered him so much that he killed thirty men, who were from the clans of the enemies of children of Israel, without stress.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house.

Judges 14:19

However, the moment his hair, which has seven locks, was cut off by the Philistines with the help of his wife, God the Holy Spirit in the old testament left him, and he became powerless and, eventually, lost his life.

That incident confirmed how important God the Holy Spirit was in the life of powerful people of God in the old testament.