THE HOLY SPIRIT
By Walter Edwards
When I was a student at Asbury College
The Holy Spirit, the Bible and You
In this study we will review the stories of the presence and
actions of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the Bible, from the creation of the
world through the prophets and kings of Israel , the New Testament, and
especially in the Book of Acts and the letters to the earliest Christians. We
will see that Jesus came not only to die for our sins, but also to rise from
the dead and give the Holy Spirit to all who ask. We will see that we can have
what Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, and many others had, and we will learn
how it can happen for us.
[Since I am new at this (writing and publishing stuff) and don’t know
how copyright laws may apply to the large amount of scripture I have copied. I
have used the King James Version which is older than copyright law and can’t be
illegal for me to copy. If you are uncomfortable with the old fashioned
language of the KJV, simply read the passages in the Bible you normally use]
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
1And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of
God. 2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save
Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3And I was with you in
weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4And
my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s
wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power: 5That
your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
We in the church have devoted much attention to wisdom
issues. Our doctrinal formulas, creeds, theological writings represent years of
study, discussion and debate. I do not say they are unneeded or unimportant,
but have we not erred by putting far less time and prayer into the quest for
the power of God the Holy Spirit?
Why don’t we hear more about the Holy Spirit? One
of the disappointing facts about people who experience the power of the Holy
Spirit in their lives is that they are tempted to become judgmental critics of
others who do not seem to “have what they have.” I myself, after I experienced
the power of new life in Christ, thought the older Christians in my congregation, who were not as
excited as I, were not really Christians at all. Something like this seems to
have been going on in Corinth
and prompted Paul to write the 12th through 14th chapters
of 1 Corinthians (See Cautionary Tales,
below)
The tendency in the newly converted to be judgmental has
inspired the remark that” new converts should be locked in a closet for the
first six months,” which you can understand even though it is nonsense. What
they need are mature Christians who know what they are feeling and will affirm
them while walking beside them.
Pastors who have to deal with immature new believers
sometimes fear and reject the movements that produce them. Sometimes the
divisive effect of this judgmental critical spirit causes harm to the Body of
Christ. Pastors then reject these movements and the experiences they produce.
Sadly some pastors have the form of godliness, but do not
know the power of a personal experience with the Holy Spirit. They are good and
faithful servants of God, but are unprepared to cope with this. All these
reasons and perhaps others I haven’t identified have tended to keep us quiet
about this essential part of the Good News about Jesus, he baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
However it is not true that nothing is being said about the
Holy Spirit. Many of our best pastors and teachers have said and are saying a
lot, much of it of great significance.
Bishop Perrera of the United Methodist church in Cuba says,
“Before the current revival in Cuban Methodism, very little was said about the
Holy Spirit. This part of our faith was feared as being divisive.”
In a series of sermons on the Holy Spirit Dr. O. Dean
Martin, then pastor of Trinity
United Methodist
Church Gainesville , Florida Elm Street. ”. His point was that the Holy
Spirit is the person of the Holy Trinity most present with us. Whether we are
uneasy because of sinful guilt, experiencing miraculous new insights, suddenly
discovering that the Bible is opening itself to us, getting guidance we can’t
explain, discovering a calling from God, or coming to a peaceful confidence
that we are now the children of God with a destiny to see him and be like him,
it is the Holy Spirit who is doing it.
Dr. Henry van Dusen, late President of Union Theological
Seminary, in his book, Spirit, Son and
Father, asserts that our experience of God begins with the Holy Spirit,
through whom we are led to Jesus, in whom we discover the true knowledge of God the Father,
William Barclay said, “It is the work of the Holy Spirit
within our hearts which enables us to recognize Jesus for what he is and to
trust him for what he can do.”
It is even in our songs, the United Methodist hymnal No. 332
Spirit of Faith Come Down, tells us why
we need the Holy Spirit.
Acts
19:1And it came to
pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth ,
Paul having passed through the upper
coasts came to Ephesus :
and finding there certain disciples, 2He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said
unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Why will I be giving all this attention to Old
Testament passages? All four Gospels report that the message of John
the Baptist included his statement that Jesus will baptize with the Holy
Spirit. It was pointed out to me, I think in the writings of James D.G. Dunn, that this announcement has no
information about what baptism with the Holy Spirit might mean. That is very
strange except that there is a reasonable explanation for this omission that I
have come to believe; it was because the people to whom John was speaking already
knew enough about the Spirit so that the announcement could stand without
explanation.
The people of Israel were accustomed to hear the
reading and discussion of the writings, we call the Old Testament, in their
synagogues every Sabbath. So from childhood they knew the stories in the Bible that
tell of the action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the prophets, priests,
kings and poets of their nation. When John the Baptist told his Jewish hearers,
“The one coming after him,” would baptize people in the Holy Spirit. Their
familiarity with the Old Testament meant they knew at least some of what that
means. I invite you to look with me at what they knew, what they received from
Jesus in the New Testament, and what is now possible for us.
A Question to ponder: What do
we know before we hear what
Jesus and the church have to tell us about the Holy Spirit? We have the
experience of conscience, The universal presence
of the golden rule either negatively or positively expressed in various ethical
and religious teachings (see, “Justice for Hedgehogs” and "The Abolition of Man"), The good feeling we have when we do good, the way
truth resonates when we meet with it, etc.I believe all these are evidence that
the Spirit of God does strive with all humans, John 1:4
The Holy Spirit In the Old Testament
John 20:22 Jesus said to the disciples “Receive the Holy
Spirit.” The study of the Old Testament passages about the Spirit tells us what
they understood Jesus to be offering them when he said this.
Come Creator Spirit
1In
the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2And
the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the
face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The word translated “moving” also means “brooding” like a bird
with her eggs, warming and guarding them so that the life growing in them can
come to fullness. This image suggests that the Spirit or wind (Hebrew ruach can mean either) was the womb
within which the creative word from God is producing creation out of chaos. The
Father’s word, “Let there be light” implants life into chaos, the Spirit is the
womb in which the miracle happens, and The Word is the one who will come in the
flesh to redeem it all.
Charles Wesley’s hymn Come,
Holy Ghost Our Hearts Inspire UMH No.
603, says in the third verse,
Expand thy wings, celestial Dove,
Brood ‘ore
our nature’s night;
On our
disordered spirits move,
And let
there now be light.
Thus the “sweet singer of Methodism” captures the essence of
the creative work of the Spirit bringing order to chaos in the beginning of it
all, and bringing wholeness from God in the personal miracle of the new birth:
the Holy Spirit present in the creation accomplishes our re-creation, as John
Wesley put it, “Restoring the lost image of God.”
Abraham’s Calling from God
Something stirred Abraham’s father Terah to leave Ur , one of the great
cities of the ancient world, and start toward Canaan .
They got as far as Haran
and stayed there until Terah died. But the stirring didn’t stop and now it
became clear to Abraham that it was God who was calling him with a task, to go
on to Canaan; and a promise, that through him God would bring blessing to all
the people on earth. That stirring, which turns out to be God, with a task and
a promise for us, is the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 12
1Now
the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: 2And
I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name
great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless
them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all
families of the earth be blessed.
Question: Do you
sometimes feel a stirring like that?
Jacob’s dream and wrestling match
God’s task and promise continue through Abraham’s family. A
son named Isaac is born to Abraham in a miraculous “elderly pregnancy” of his
wife Sarah, who had been childless. Isaac finds his wife Rebecca among their
larger family back in Haran
and in due season twin sons are born. Esau first and Jacob second. Esau grows
up to be an outdoorsman, Jacob a home boy.
But Jacob is not a very nice man. He cheats his older
brother out of the inheritance he should have received. He uses sharp business
practices to get revenge on his father-in-law for tricking him into marrying his
two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Yet Jacob has two encounters with God that lead
to a change in his life and enable God to use him to carry on God’s plan that
began with Abraham.
Jacob is running away from home because Esau is after him
for cheating him, and because Isaac is angry that Jacob lied to him. That night
Jacob lies down to sleep resting his head on a rock and has a dream. He sees
messengers from God going down and up a ladder to heaven. He wakes up, says, “I
didn’t know God was in this place,” and offers God a deal. You take care of me
and I’ll give you 10% of the profit.” Not a very impressive beginning, but
still it is a beginning.
Years later, this time running from his father-in-law and
angry brother-in-law, back to his old home and the angry brother he cheated and
still fears, Jacob encounters a “man” who wrestles with him all night long to
whom he surrenders at last and from whom he asks and receives both a blessing
and a new name, Israel. Years later on his death bed he remembers and calls
this “man,” “The angel of God who redeemed me from all evil.”
(See
Genesis chapters 27-32, and 48:16) After you read these scriptures, re-read
the comments above.
What even a pagan King can see
Now another member of the Abraham family, Joseph son of
Jacob/Israel, becomes the one through whom God continues to work His plans. The
Holy Spirit is in Joseph and even the King of Egypt can see it.
After Joseph was called out of
jail to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream, he suggested what could be done to
prepare for the seven years of famine, including the appointment of a man to
take charge. There was something in this recent jail bird that even a pagan
king could see.
Genesis
Chapter 41:38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such
a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
(Read the entire story of God at
work in the life of Joseph, Genesis Chapters 37-50)
Moses: Getting the Israelites Back out of Egypt
After the good things that happen to the family of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob through Joseph, years pass and a new Pharaoh who “doesn’t know
Joseph” comes to power. The Israelites are multiplying, living in the best of
the land and “aren’t like us.” What if there is a foreign invasion and these
aliens who live among us side with the enemy? We can weaken them by making
their lives difficult and get some work out of them by slave labor. So life for
the Israelites becomes harsh. The Egyptians attempt to arrive at a genocidal
“final solution” by killing the male babies and the people begin to call on The
Lord to deliver them.
A young couple named Amram and Jochabel have a baby boy.
They can’t bring themselves to obey the law by throwing him to the crocodiles,
but in what may have been a way to pretend that they were following the “law,”
they put him in the river, but in a protective basket made of reeds and tar
that crocodiles wouldn’t like to eat. In a “coincidence” orchestrated by the
Holy Spirit, Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby, gives him a name, a life and an
education. She also allowed his sister and mother to nurture him, so when he
was grown he still knew who and what he was. He tries to do a good thing,
protecting one of his relatives by murdering a persecutor, but when he follows
that by trying to mediate a quarrel between two Israelites, he is rejected and
runs away.
He finds refuge with a nomadic sheik who gives him one of
his daughters as wife and a job herding sheep. Forty years pass and then God
makes His presence apparent in the burning bush. The man who ran is called to
go back and take charge where he was rejected before. Every argument and excuse
is tried but God won’t let him off and at last he returns. Now, filled with the
Holy Spirit, he is bold enough to confront the Pharaoh, overcome the foot
dragging, and complaining of the Israelites and lead them out of their slavery.
Once out of Egypt
he has to administer, teach and protect this motley crew.
Organization and Empowerment
(See
Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy for the complete story of Moses)
Exodus 18:13-27 Jethro, Moses Father-in-law advises him to
organize.
1When
Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had
done for Moses, and for Israel
his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt ;
5 …[Jethro] came with [Moses’] sons and his wife unto Moses
into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
8And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done
unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel ’s sake, and all
the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD
delivered them.
13And it came to pass on
the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses
from the morning unto the evening. 14And
when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said,
What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou
thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people
come unto me to inquire of God: 16When
they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and
I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou
doest is not good. 18Thou
wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with
thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to
perform it thyself alone. 19Hearken
now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be
thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto
God: 20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt
show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men,
such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such
over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of
hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22And
let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that
every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they
shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the
burden with thee. 23If thou shalt do
this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to
endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. 24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and
did all that he had said.
But Organization isn’t enough.
Numbers 11:16-29 God fills the elders with the Holy Spirit.
16And
the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel , whom
thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring
them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with
thee. 17And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will
take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it
upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou
bear it not thyself alone…
...24And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the
LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them
round about the tabernacle. 25And
the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake 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. 26But
there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the
one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit
rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went
not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. 27And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad
and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28And
Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men,
answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29And
Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and
that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
Organization isn’t enough. Perhaps the repeated complaints
against “organized religion” are really about the failure to lead the organized
people to become Spirit filled people. Jesus said that unless we love one
another people won’t be able to know if we are his disciples or not. (John
13:34-35). The love for each other that Jesus wants us to have and show, is a
fruit of the Spirit. With out the Holy Spirit in us the fruit isn’t going to
grow and show, on us. Humans with our flaws and limitations will always have
problems living together. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us that gives us
the Love, Joy, Peace Patience, and Perseverance to live together in unity, to
be the body of Christ.
Just as C. S. Lewis said about Aslan, the god character in
the Chronicles of Narnia,” He is not a tame lion,” the Holy Spirit does things
His way, and will often break over the lines we draw. When Moses set up the
meeting where the leaders were to receive the Spirit, two of them, Eldad and
Medad weren’t at the meeting, but the Spirit came on them anyway. Joshua, then
an assistant to Moses, wanted them squelched, but God is not contained or
constrained by our plans and formulas. Moses, wiser than Joshua wished instead
that he Spirit might break out and enter the lives of “all the Lord’s people.”
That wish of Moses becomes a prayer, then a prophecy and finally a miracle of
fulfillment at Pentecost. The God to whom we pray is a Sovereign not a Santa.
Numbers 11:25 . “They shouted like prophets.”
Some of us become quieter when we experience the nearness of
God, at least some of the time. Others are moved to cry, shout, laugh, or dance
in the aisles, at least some of the time. We need to be patient and remember
that people moved by the Holy Spirit will respond according to their own God
given personality; the ecstatic expression of some people who experience the
Holy Spirit has been there from the beginning.
An early example of Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Part of the new leadership responsibilities of Moses is
providing for worship. People need a place and God gives Moses directions for
creating it. God also gives Moses men who are filled with the Holy Spirit
equipping them to build it
Bezaleel and Oholiab were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in craftmanship.
Exodus 31:1-7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2See,
I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of
Judah: 3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in
knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4To
devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5And
in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to
work in all manner of workmanship. 6And I, behold, I
have given with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in
the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make
all that I have commanded thee; 7The tabernacle of the
congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is
thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,
From the builders of the great cathedrals to the members of
the altar guild, to the people who plant flowers around the church or in the
cemetery, to the creators of banners and carvers of decorative screens, to the
organ builders, to seamstresses who make choir robes and stoles, all of the
craftspeople moved by the Spirit of God help us give expression to the worship
we owe our God.
But people filled with the Holy Spirit are still people. We
have personalities shaped by our negative as well as positive experiences. We
are subject to temptation and sometimes we don’t continue “walking humbly with
God” and bad things happen. So the scriptures include some stories that warn us
not to “tempt the Lord our God” by jumping off high places of spiritual
experience expecting that we are super saints who can’t hurt others or be hurt
ourselves.
Cautionary tale number one, Sampson
In the book of Judges Chapters 14-16, we have the story of
Sampson a man of legendary physical strength. But he is not a very savory
character. An unholy man in many ways he visits prostitutes and acts out violent
revenge when he is wronged. In one ritualistic practice, the Nazarite vow, and
only the part of it about not cutting his hair, is he faithful to God. Amazingly, this was enough to open him to the
Holy Spirit so God could use him to help his people. This need not be totally
surprising when we remember the way God has also used people as flawed as I am
and you are.
Numbers 6:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak
unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall
separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves
unto the LORD: 3He shall separate himself from wine and strong
drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither
shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. 4All
the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree,
from the kernels even to the husk. 5All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no
razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he
separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and
shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
There are three kinds of Biblical Holiness, (1)Ritual
holiness like Sampson’s uncut hair, or not eating pork, or circumcision. Then
there is (2) Ethical holiness such as using an honest scale, not stealing, no
murder, refusing to offer or take bribes. And finally there is (3) Relational
holiness, loving your neighbor, forgiving people who wrong you, like Hosea did
for Gomer, practicing hospitality like Abraham did for the messengers of God.
These do not replace each other but flourish together, I am baptized, Ritual: I try to be honest in word and
deed, Ethical; and I forgive as I
pray to be forgiven, Relational.
Though Sampson demonstrated physical power because the
Spirit of God moved him, he lacked the moral/ethical and relational holiness
that we all need. It is a constant complaint of the great prophets that people
are into ritual while failing to be honest and loving toward their neighbors.
Amos 5:21-2421I
hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn
assemblies. 22Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings,
I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings
of your fat beasts. 23Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not
hear the melody of thy viols 24But let judgment run down
as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
A great experience with the Holy
Spirit is indeed great, but it isn’t enough, by itself, there must also be
honesty and love of neighbor, including the neighbor who is an enemy. Jesus
warns us about self-deception through having done wonder works. See in the
Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 7:21-23. 21Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works? 23And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.
(The
stories of Saul and David, the first and second kings of Israel
Cautionary tale #2. Saul son of Kish
1 Samuel Chapters 9-31 We meet a king filled with the Holy
Spirit, transformed, yet a psychotic, with a persecution complex, who finally becomes
a suicide.
Spirit filled and transformed
1 Samuel 9:5
[Saul] ..when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company
of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and
a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 6And
the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them,
and shalt be turned into another man.
9:9And it was so,
that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart:
and all those signs came to pass that day. 10And
when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he
prophesied among them. 11And it came to
pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among
the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is
this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also
among the prophets?
After Samuel had anointed Saul as king he organized a great
gathering of the people to present him. When Samuel got to the “Here’s Saul”
part they couldn’t find him, he was hiding. Yet when he was under definite
directions to wait for Samuel to preside over a sacrifice and feast, he jumped
in and usurped Samuel’s role. As James says, “A double minded man unstable in
all his ways.” (James 1:7)
Jealousy leads to
attempted murder.
After David became his army commander and brought victory to
Saul and Israel ,
Saul became murderously jealous and attempted over and over to kill David. Yet when David had Saul at his mercy and
spared him, Saul wept and promised never to do it again, but did.
18:6And
it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the
Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel , singing and dancing, to
meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7And
the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath
slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8And
Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten
thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands:
and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9And
Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 10And
it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul,
and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as
at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. 11And
Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with
it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
In his final days Saul turned from The Lord and sought
guidance from a witch who communicated with the dead. In the battle with the
Philistines the next day Israel
is defeated, Saul’s sons are killed and Saul falls on his own sword.
Despair and suicide
31:3And the battle went
sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the
archers. 4Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and
thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me
through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid.
Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
Filled and transformed but still human, he and we, need to
remain open to God’s daily guidance, lest, as Jesus warned, having cast out one
evil spirit we let ourselves become empty and end up in a worse condition than
ever. (Matthew 12:43-45)
Cautionary tale # 3.
King David.
David is chosen and
anointed by Samuel. The Holy Spirit comes upon him
1
Samuel 16:10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11And
Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said,
There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel
said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come
hither. 12And he sent, and brought
him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful
countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for
this is he. 13Then 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.
Filled with the Spirit David has
the courage to fight the giant Goliath.
1 Samuel
17. 20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep
with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to
the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the
battle. 21For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array,
army against army. 22And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of
the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23And
as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of
Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake
according to the same words: and David heard them. 24And
all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore
afraid. 25And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man
that is come up? surely to defy Israel
is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the
king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter,
Empowered by the Spirit David
defeats the Philistines, becomes head of the army and marries the king’s
daughter.
1 Samuel
18:5And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and
behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was
accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s
servants.
Saul comes to fear and hate David so much that he attempts
several times to murder him, yet David, a Spirit led man, will not yield to
hate and revenge.
1And
it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it
was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of
Engedi. 2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel , and
went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3And
he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul
went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the
cave. 4And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which
the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand,
that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose,
and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. 5And
it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off
Saul’s skirt. 6And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do
this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand
against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. 7So
David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise
against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his
way. 8David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and
cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David
stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
9And
David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David
seeketh thy hurt? 10Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had
delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some
bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I
said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the
LORD’S anointed. 11Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in
my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know
thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine
hand, and I have not sinned against thee;
After Saul’s death David struggles with the divided kingdom,
those who were Saul’s people, including some of his descendants. Gradually
David unites the kingdom, defeats the attempts of neighboring kingdoms to grab
bits of Israel ’s
territory and finally is accepted by all Israel as their king. Under his leadership
of the nation comes a time of peace and prosperity.
2 Samuel 7:15. David reigned over all Israel ; and
David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. 16And
Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son
of Ahilud was recorder; 17And Zadok the son
of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and
Seraiah was the scribe; 18And Benaiah the
son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
and David’s sons were chief rulers.
Then, perhaps because of prideful self satisfaction, (2 Samuel
Chapters 11-18), A terrible story of, adultery
and murder,
2 Samuel 11: 2And
it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and
walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman
washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look
upon. 3And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one
said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of
Uriah the Hittite? 4And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in
unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and
she returned unto her house. 5And the woman conceived,
and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
murder,
David
wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15And
he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest
battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. 16And
it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a
place where he knew that valiant men were. 17And
the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some
of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died
Death and grief
Confronted by Nathan, a faithful and courageous
prophet/pastor, David repents.
2
Samuel 12:13-18. And David said unto Nathan, I have
sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put
away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14Howbeit, because by this
deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the
child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
15And Nathan departed unto his house. And
the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very
sick. 16David therefore
besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night
upon the earth. 17And the
elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from
the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18And it came to pass on the seventh day,
that the child died.
After being confronted by Nathan the prophet David repents.
Psalm 51:9-12. Hide
thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold
me with thy free spirit.
Sadly, when we sin we not only
mess up our own lives, we confuse the minds and morals of those we are teaching
how to live. Learning from his example, David’s children turn on each other and
at last on David himself. But it all begins with David’s own sin.
rape,
2 Samuel 13:1And
it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister,
whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2And
Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was
a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. 3But
Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah
David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtle man. 4And
he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son,
lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love
Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister. 5And Jonadab said
unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father
cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and
give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it,
and eat it at her hand. 6So Amnon lay down,
and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto
the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes
in my sight, that I may eat at her hand. 7Then
David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s house, and dress
him meat. 8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid
down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his
sight, and did bake the cakes. 9And she took a pan, and
poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said,
Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him. 10And
Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine
hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them
into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11And when she had
brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto
her, Come lie with me, my sister. 12And she answered him,
Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel : do not
thou this folly. 13And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for
thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel . Now therefore, I pray thee,
speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. 14Howbeit
he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her,
and lay with her. 15Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred
wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had
loved her.
revenge,
2 Samuel 12:21But
when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth. 22And
Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated
Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
Absalom throws a banquet for all the sons of David.
2 Samuel 13: 28Now
Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is
merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not:
have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. 29And
the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the
king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.
David exiles Absalom for the murder of Amnon, but finally
lets him come back.
rebellion,
1And
it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and
fifty men to run before him. 2And Absalom rose up early,
and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any
man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called
unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is
of one of the tribes of Israel . 3And
Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right;
but there is no man deputed of the king to hear
thee. 4Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the
land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I
would do him justice! 5And it was so,
that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put
forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6And
on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so
Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel
When Absalom feels strong enough he makes his move.
2
Samuel 15:10. Absalom sent spies throughout all the
tribes of Israel ,
saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom
reigneth in Hebron . 11And
with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem , that
were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any
thing. 12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s
counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered
sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually
with Absalom.
13And
there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are
after Absalom. 14And David said unto all his servants that were
with him at Jerusalem ,
Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom:
make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and
smite the city with the edge of the sword.
Finally David has war
With Absalom and despite David’s orders, Absalom is killed.
Tidings,
my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose
up against thee. 32And the king said unto
Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my
lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be
as that young man is. 33And
the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept:
and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would
God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
And we see David’s struggle with his sin and his love for
God in the Psalms.
Psalm 51
To the chief
Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had
gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from
my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is
ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this
evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and
be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother
conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the
hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the
bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine
iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold
me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach
transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my
salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth
thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it:
thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a
broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion : build thou the walls of Jerusalem .
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of
righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they
offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Heart searching to
keep right in the future.
Psalm 139:1-12, 1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou
understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art
acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but,
lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand
upon me.
6 Such knowledge is
too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I
go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if
I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of
the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall
hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the
night shall be light about me.
12 Yea,
the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the
darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
23-24. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me,
and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and
lead me in the way everlasting.
Spirit
lead me.
Psalm
143:10. Teach me to do
thy will; for thou art my
God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
And Then There are Also Prophets
It is not only kings but others who
are filled with the Spirit in order to serve God. The kings themselves as well
as the people at large need to hear what God has to say about their actions and
the consequences. So God calls prophets filling them with the Holy Spirit equipping
them with a message, and the courage to deliver it. These prophets are so
conscious of God in them and speaking through them that they deliver their
message with the declaration, “This is what God says.”
Foremost among the prophets is one
who did not leave us a book with his name on it like Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc, but
who is so important that he went to heaven without dying (Swing Low Sweet
Chariot), and was expected to return as herald of the coming of the messiah. He
is Elijah. His ministry, message and miracles are recorded in 1 Kings 17-2
Kings 2, some of the most dramatic stories in all of the Bible.
II Kings 2:1-18. Elijah and Elisha.
A double portion of thy spirit
This request is not
for twice as much as Elijah had, but the inheritance of the eldest son. (Deuteronony
17:21). Elisha’s persistence resonates with what Jesus taught in Luke 11:1-13
as the way to receive the Holy Spirit;—ask, seek, knock.
1And
it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind,
that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2And
Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel . And Elisha
said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul
liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel . 3And
the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto
him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day?
And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 4And
Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent
me to Jericho .
And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul
liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho . 5And
the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him,
Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And
he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 6And
Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan . And he
said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I
will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7And
fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and
they two stood by Jordan . 8And
Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the
waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on
dry ground.
9And
it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask
what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I
pray thee, let a double portion of thy
spirit be upon me. 10And he said, Thou hast
asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am
taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 11And
it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there
appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both
asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And
Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel , and the
horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes,
and rent them in two pieces.
13He
took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood
by the bank of Jordan ; 14And
he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and
said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten
the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 15And
when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they
said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and
bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16And
they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men;
let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up,
and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not
send. 17And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send.
They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him
not. 18And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho ,) he said unto
them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
Following these giants are the great literary prophets who
have left us a written record of their words from God, their warnings to Kings
and people, and the consequences of their disobedience.
After the warnings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea and
others, Israel
and Judah continue to turn to other Gods. Often they worship the Gods of the
powerful nations that surround them hoping to persuade the nations (Gentiles)
to make them secure. They learn, the hard way, that it won’t work and they are
led away into captivity. Never again even to our own day do the majority of the
Jews live in the Land
of Promise
But God also gives the prophets a message of hope. A messiah
will come who will give the people the Holy Spirit and bring them back to life.
Not just alive but transformed from the inside. Hard hearts will be replaced by
tender hearts of flesh. The Holy Spirit will enable them to live according to
God’s will and way. God will no longer be embarrassed by them. (Ezekiel 36) Nowhere
is this message of hope and promise given in such dramatic form as in Ezekiel’s
vision of the Valley
of Dry Bones
Ezekiel 36:25-28. Ezekiel’s new covenant.
25Then will I sprinkle
clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from
all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also
will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away
the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit
within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 Dry bones resurrected.
1The
hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and
set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of
bones, 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and,
behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they
were very dry. 3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And
I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4Again he said unto
me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word
of the LORD. 5Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will
cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6And
I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you
with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that
I am the LORD. 7So I prophesied as I was
commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and
the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8And
when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin
covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9Then said he unto me,
Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live. 10So
I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived,
and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole
house of Israel :
behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for
our parts. 12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord
GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out
of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel
Jesus’ Favorite
One of Jesus’ jobs was to show us how to understand the
scriptures of the Old Testament. Jesus would have had no trouble calling the
Jewish bible The Old Testament because the prophet Jeremiah had declared that
there was a need for a new covenant (Testament) between God and the people and
that God had promised there would be one. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
So Jesus says many times that he is changing what was said
by “those of old.” However he keeps
continuity with what God has been doing from the beginning and all through the
story of the family of Abraham. Especially this continuity is in the writings
of the prophets and most of all in the writings of Isaiah. Jesus quotes Isaiah
more than any other part of the Old Testament.
Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus used this scripture to introduced
himself to those who thought they knew all about him, but didn’t. (The people of Nazareth, his old
neighborhood).
1The
Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed
me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound; 2To
proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that
mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called
trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah 30:1-2. Making decisions without discernment is a sin
against the Holy Spirit
1Woe to the rebellious
children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with
a covering, but not of my spirit,
that they may add sin to sin: 2That walk to go down into
Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength
of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
Isaiah 63:10. Grieving the Holy Spirit
10But they rebelled, and
vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he
was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
Not only Isaiah but the other prophets know and are led by
the Holy Spirit. One of the most dramatic and arresting statements concerning
the Spirit comes from one of the shorter prophetic books, Zechariah. They are
called Minor Prophets because their books are short, not because they are less
important.
Our frantic struggles to rescue the institution called the United Methodist
Church
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is
the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but
by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Micah 3:8. Micah was prophet full of the Spirit of the Lord,
conscious of a power that made him able to confront the people.
8But truly I am full of
power by the spirit of the LORD, and
of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his
sin.
And the climax of the unfolding of God’s plan is
revealed by the prophet Joel.
As far back as Moses there was an awareness that something
is missing in people. Genesis declares that we are created in the image of God,
but we hate each other, rob and kill, go to war, lie to others and worst of
all, lie to our selves. Moses said he wished every one of the people he was
leading was filled with the Spirit. He saw that the thing that was missing is
what has been called “the life of God in the soul of humankind.”
Joel was prophet of God to Israel in a time of war and
pestilence. He heard God say that He will “restore the years that the locusts
have eaten.” And He declares that in the last days He will pour out the Spirit
on all humanity. Even those who are not counted of importance by society will
have prophetic powers. Everyone will have the relationship to God that Moses,
Kings, prophets and poets have. This revolutionary promise explained for Peter
what had happened to him, an uneducated Galilean fisherman, and his fellow
disciples on the day of Pentecost.
Joel
2:28-29 (Also Acts 2) And it shall come to pass
afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your
young men shall see visions: 29And also upon the
servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30And
I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and
pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32And
it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the
LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion
and in Jerusalem
shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD
shall call.
(Joel’s
proclamation of God’s promise amounts to an answer to Moses’ prayer.)
(Numbers 11:29 And Moses said
unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were
prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!)
Diversity! The giving of the Holy Spirit to the unlikely
comes to include even Gentiles.
(Ephesians 3:5-6 5Which
in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed
unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6That
the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his
promise in Christ by the gospel:).
Daughters and handmaids will receive what Moses had.
28And it shall come to pass
afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your
young men shall see visions: 29And also upon the
servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
(Joel 2:25. I will restore the years that the locusts have
eaten.)
25And I will restore to you
the years that the locust hath eaten,
AND FINALLY:
In the book of Job the tormented sufferer looks for answers
and in the end gets not answers, but God himself. Isn’t this what we discover
when we “surrender all” and ask for the Holy Spirit? We get God’s own self the
Holy Spirit, better than any particular gift.
Job 42:1Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 2I know that thou canst do every thing,
and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3Who is he that hideth
counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not;
things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak:
I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5I have heard of thee by the hearing of
the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6Wherefore
I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
New Testament Section
A caution about those who claim the New Testament writings,
especially the Gospels, were not written until after the eyewitnesses were
dead: No one of these writings shows that the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple had happened, therefore they must have
been written before the year 70 AD (CE). That is why I trust
that the record in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and The Acts is the
testimony of, or based upon that of eyewitnesses.
The Holy Spirit brings about the Virgin Conception of
Jesus.
God moves into the fallen world in a new way that continues
and advances what God has been doing from ‘..the beginning…” (Genesis 1:1) The
Spirit that brooded over chaos and brought about the creation of the universe,
now moves in the life of Mary to create a body for the Son of God.
Matthew 1:18-21. 18Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was
espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the
Holy Ghost. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and
not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away
privily. 20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of
the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of
the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The Old Testament promises about the Holy Spirit being given
by the messiah are about to be fulfilled. Jesus is here and John the Baptist
announces this good news, an essential part of what we call The Gospel
Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16,
John 1:33 All four gospels say the same thing, a rare event, Jesus comes to baptize in/with the Holy
Spirit.
Matthew: 11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he
that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:
he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mark: 8 I
indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost.
Luke: 16John
answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water;
but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to
unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
John: 33And
I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto
me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the
same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
In the two ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus we see
the pattern of godliness that John Wesley said is the way a Methodist should
be, “having the form of Godliness and seeking the power of Godliness.” (General
Rules, any edition of the Book of Discipline)
John the Baptizer called for repentance and a return to moral
uprightness as in the Ten Commandments, which is the outward form of Godliness.
Jesus called for inner Godliness, not only not committing
sin, but not having the inner attitudes and emotions that lead us to sin. The power
of Godliness is life in the Holy Spirit marked by Love (1 Corinthians 13:13 ), joy and peace. (Romans
14:17b)
1 Corinthians 13:13And now abideth faith, hope, charity,
these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (Agape Love).
Romans 14: 17For
the kingdom of God
The teaching of outward and inward religion continues as
part of what Jesus says about the new
birth. The new life offered to Nicodemus and all of us, begins with the water
of baptism on the outside and the Holy Spirit on the inside.
John 3:5, Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom
of God
The action of the Holy Spirit in people is often surprising
and mysterious. This reminds us of what happened when the Spirit came upon the
elders with Moses in Numbers 11-16-29 .
Eldad and Medad didn’t follow the program and the Spirit filled them anyway.
John 3:8. 8The
wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst
not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born
of the Spirit.
The wind as symbol of what happens to those who are Spirit
born fits the questions we sometimes ask, ‘Why her, why him, why me, what’s
special about them? Nothing but the decision they have made to be available to
God the Holy Spirit!
The disciples baptized with water, Jesus didn’t, thus
emphasizing the ministry of fulfillment in Jesus as the one who would baptize with
the Holy Spirit.
John 4:2 (Though
Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
A Key Part of the Good News given to the Woman at the
Well
(John
4:4-42)
Jesus is again teaching the truth that inward religion is
God’s call and gift. Worship now is to be in Spirit and Truth. God is Spirit
and is looking for worshippers who will worship in Spirit and Truth. The great
spiritual masters of the past, represented today by Twelve Step and Oxford
Group type movements, show us what worship in Truth looks like.
“Confessing our
sins one to another and praying one for another that we may be healed.” (James
5:16).
Praying the
Lord’s Prayer so that “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” becomes in
fact “I surrender all.”
John 4:23-24, 23But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Jesus speaks of Abundance
Rivers of living water
flowing from the hearts of believers. Abundance of blessing, the Holy Spirit
poured not trickled, like the gallons of wine at the wedding in Cana .
John 7:37-39 37In
the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying, If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink. 38He
that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe
on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;
because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
The Upper Room Discourse (also called the Sermon in the
Upper Room, and “The Book of Glory”) (John 13-17)
This section of the Gospel of John has been called all of
the titles mentioned above. The thing that puzzles me is that it seems to have
been given relatively little attention by Bible teachers and students over the
years compared to the attention given to the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5-7)
Yet as we examine it in some detail in the next few paragraphs, it seems to
hold the key to the power that is needed to enable us to live the way of life
taught in the Sermon on the Mount. I find this section of John’s gospel to be
Holy Ground in deed.
In 13:1-17 We see
Spirit empowered servant hood. Being “Filled with the Spirit” grants a dignity
that being a servant doesn’t demean. The classic book Practice of the Presence of God is the testimony of a soldier who
became a pot scrubber in a monastery. Lawrence
wasn’t considered acceptable material to become a priestly monk. So he offered
his scrubbing as a service to God, and was so filled with the presence of the
Holy Spirit that he became a guide for others and is remembered as a great
saint. His book and letters are still in print after centuries.
John 13:1-17: Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that
his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father,
having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2And
supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot,
Simon’s son, to betray him; 3Jesus
knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was
come from God, and went to God; 4He riseth from supper, and
laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5After
that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and
to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6Then
cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my
feet? 7Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know
hereafter. 8Peter
saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but
also my hands and my head. 10Jesus
saith to him, He that is washed needeth not
save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean,
but not all. 11For
he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12So
after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down
again, he said unto them, Know ye what I
have done to you? 13Ye
call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your
feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15For
I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater
than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
The sign that we belong to Him
No label of all those we have invented and promoted to
declare who we are as his disciples is equal to this one.
14:1-14, A house party, and an astounding promise.
Modern translations of the passage give us rooms or resting
places instead of mansions. I was troubled by that at first but came to see
that what I really want, and what Jesus offered is an invitation to a house party
at His Father’s house. His Father who he gave us the right to call Our Father.
14:1Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many
mansions: (Rooms, therefore a
house party) if it were not so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that
where I am, there ye may be also.
What Jesus promises here solves
several concerns of mine. I have been a keeper of things that remind me of
people.(hoarder). If I am to see these people in our father’s house of many
rooms, I don’t need the things. There are misunderstandings and wrongs I have
done, I look forward to the opportunity to fix it. There are thank you’s that I
want to say with deeper meaning than before. There are thank you’s that were
never said because the opportunity was never available. I don’t want to miss
this party!
Directions to the house
For those troubled by the interpreters who
teach that people who don’t know Jesus by name, are excluded from salvation, I
say that Jesus can be and is the way even for those who don’t yet know him by
name, or even know his story, so long as they “reverence [fear] God and do what
is right” they are acceptable to God. (See Acts 10:34 )
14:4And whither I go ye know,
and the way ye know. 5Thomas
saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the
way? 6Jesus saith unto him, I
am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and
from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8Philip
saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus
saith unto him, Have I been so long time
with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath
seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in
me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that
dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe
me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe
me for the very works’ sake.
The Astounding Promise
14:12Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he
do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go
unto my Father. 13And
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. 14If
ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
I’m going, Help is coming.
Paraklatos. The Greek battle
strategy called for the soldiers to fight in a unit until near collapse, with
the enemy also near collapse, and then send in the reserves for a triumphant conclusion.
The reserves are called the paraklatos.
This is the same word translated here, “Comforter”. We are to give all we have
in the work of the kingdom
of God
14:15If ye love me, keep my
commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even 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.
18I
will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19Yet
a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live,
ye shall live also. 20At
that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I
in you. 21He
that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he
that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him. 22Judas
saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself
unto us, and not unto the world? 23Jesus answered and said
unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our
abode with him. 24He
that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not
mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25These
things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the
world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid.
28Ye
have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you.
If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my
Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it
is come to pass, ye might believe. 30Hereafter
I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath
nothing in me. 31But
that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me
commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
Chapter 15, The oneness of Father, Son
and Friends
5I am
the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein
is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
10If
ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my
Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
12This
is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his
life for his friends. 14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth
not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I
have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
26But
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: 27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me
from the beginning.
Clarity in a confused world about the things that
matter, will come from the Holy Spirit.
16:4b-15, Sin, righteousness, judgment.
4But these things have I told you, that when the time shall
come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto
you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5But
now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest
thou? 6But because I have
said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
7Nevertheless
I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not
away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him
unto you. 8And
when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no
more; 11Of judgment, because
the prince of this world is judged. 12I
have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall
show it unto you. 15All
things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of
mine, and shall show it unto you.
The
Holy Spirit is our guide into further truth. Some examples of truth learned since
the time of the New Testament are: That Chattel Slavery is evil, That there
should be Hospitals, That children should not be thrown away, so we should have
Orphanages, That women are not property, but are entitled to full human
dignity. That democracy, as the way for people to choose their own way, is the
best system of government. .
John 17:1-26, Jesus’ prayer for the twelve and for us.
Skeptics have asserted that this prayer was made up by the
author of the gospel, because “how could anyone know what Jesus said to the
Father.” But Jesus says that He said this in the world. John knew because Jesus
told.
13And now come I to thee; and
these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in
themselves.
This prayer of Jesus which has no explicit mention of the
Holy Spirit, speaks of a oneness of the Father, the Son and the disciples,
which is only conceivable through the indwelling of the Spirit in each, so that
Trinity takes us into itself and we are born again into the family of God. The
oneness of Father, Son and us that Jesus prays for, is what he promised in
chapters 14, 15, and 16.
17:20Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21That they all
may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they
also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22And the glory
which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are
one: 23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in
one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them,
as thou hast loved me.
The Trial, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
John chapters 18-20. The price he
paid and the victory he won so that he could give us this gift.
The Risen Lord Commissions the Apostles and breathes
on them the Breath of God
John 20:22And when he had said this, he breathed on them,
and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy
Ghost: 23Whose
soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose
soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
There is so much more about the Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel
because it was written in gentile territory for gentiles, Ephesus ! They had little knowledge of the Old
Testament and its record of the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in the
long history of God’s dealing with Israel . So John had to include the
things Jesus said and did that explain. Remember that these gentile believers
had experienced the Holy Spirit (see Acts 19), but they needed to understand
what, or Who, had happened to them.
The Holy Spirit in The Synoptic Gospels
Luke 1:15, John The Baptist filled with the Holy Spirit
before birth. John is a perpetual Nazarite. (See Numbers 6:1-21)
15For he shall be great in
the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
Luke 1:26-38 Mary is to have a son, Jesus, by the power of
the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:41, Elizabeth’s song, she was filled with the Holy
Spirit when Mary greeted her.
41And it came to pass,
that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb;
and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
Luke 2:25-26, Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit and
knew he would not die before the Messiah came.
25And, behold, there was a
man in Jerusalem ,
whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and
devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel : and the Holy Ghost was upon
him. 26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he
should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And
he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the
child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28Then
took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29Lord,
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30For
mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31Which thou hast
prepared before the face of all people; 32A
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Matthew 4:1, (Luke 4:1) Jesus led into the Wilderness by the
Holy Spirit, who had descended on him when he was baptized by John.
1And Jesus being full of
the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan ,
and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luke 4:18-19 Jesus announces his
ministry by the anointing of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Isaiah’s
prophesy,
Jesus takes the three disciples,
who are his inner circle, to a mountain retreat where they see his unveiled
glory, see his conversation with Moses and Elijah, and tells them the kingdom
is coming and some of them will see it
Jesus’ promise here cannot refer
to His second coming, it might refer to the transfiguration which followed
immediately, but I believe it refers to Pentecost when the disciples received
power from on high in the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 9:11And
he said unto them, Verily I say unto you,
That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death,
till they have seen the kingdom
of God
Following the mission of the Seventy in Luke 10:1ff
Luke 10:21, The twelve return and Jesus is filled with the
Joy of the Holy Spirit.
21In that hour Jesus
rejoiced in spirit,
Luke 11:13. The Purpose of Prayer.
1And
it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased,
one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught
his disciples. 2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4And
forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And
lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
5And
he said unto them, Which of you shall have
a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me
three loaves; 6For
a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before
him? 7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the
door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give
thee. 8I say unto you,
Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of
his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will
he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give
him a serpent? 12Or
if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that
ask him?
The Sin against
the Holy Spirit
Matthew 12:22-37, 22Then was brought unto him
one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that
the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23And all the people
were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24But
when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow
doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25And
Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation;
and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself;
how shall then his kingdom stand? 27And
if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them
out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28But
if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God
In verse 28 Jesus makes one of his “connect the dots”
declarations of who he is, by saying that the Kingdom of God
In verse 31 He declares that there is a way in which people
make an absolute and final refusal of God. Since Jesus also says that “whoever
comes to him he will not refuse,” it has to be that this refusal involves
burning the bridges so you can’t come to him. Since it is the Holy Spirit who
convinces us of the truth, convicts us of our sin and assures us that we have
become the children of God by adoption; to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to burn
the bridge.
In verse 33 Jesus tells us that confusing bad and good is
how we do it. If we look at what God is doing to overcome evil and call it bad
we have burned the bridge to God, we murder our ability to see truth and are
lost in an absolute darkness of our own choosing.
Mark 3:19 -30
20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could
not so much as eat bread. 21And when his friends
heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is
beside himself.
22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the
prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23And
he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24And
if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot
stand. 26And
if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an
end. 27No man can enter
into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the
strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28Verily
I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and
blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never
forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30Because
they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
In verse 30 we see the very thing itself being done, Jesus
heals the bodies and souls of suffering, tormented people and these critics,
some of them his “friends”, said “He hath an unclean spirit.”
Luke 11:14-26. 14And he was casting out a
devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the
dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15But some of them
said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16And
others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17But
he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a
house divided against a house falleth. 18If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his
kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons
cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the
kingdom of God
Added poignancy in the tragedy of the unpardonable sin is
the fact that the previous 13 verses in this chapter tell how we are to pray in
order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. How it must have torn at Jesus’ heart
to offer the gift of all gifts and then have to warn us of the danger of
committing a sin that cannot be forgiven.
C.S. Lewis’ book The
Abolition of Man” illustrates this sin. By deconstructing the meaning of
words, to look at good and call it evil, destroys meaning, murders your own
ability to discriminate between good and evil, and blasphemes the Holy Spirit. To
justify obscenity in the name of free speech, when the “speech” is in fact
verbal assault is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. The prostitution of language that reduces the
offense of the bodice ripper to “if some people were offended.” as in the Janet
Jackson incident at the half time show in the 2004 Super Bowl, blasphemes the
Holy Spirit.
There is another caution we are to observe in reverence to
the Holy Spirit, who is God, not to cause the one who is with us to give
guidance and power, grief.
25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with
his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26Be
ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27Neither
give place to the devil. 28Let him that stole steal
no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the
thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29Let
no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to
the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30And grieve not the holy
Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and
evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And
be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 5:1Be ye therefore followers
of God, as dear children; 2And walk in love, as
Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
Where is it that the Holy Spirit is grieved? It
is in the fellowship of believers when “bitterness,
and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking,” are seen and heard in
the church. Why is there a lack of spiritual power to persuade and save people?
because the Spirit who provides the power is grieved.
Prophetic Power to the Persecuted Witness
Mark 13:9-11, The words of the persecuted will be given by
the Holy Spirit.
9But take heed to yourselves:
for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be
beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a
testimony against them. 10And
the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up,
take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but
whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye
that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
A dramatic example, is the replies of St. Joan of Arc when
she was on trial.
Luke 24:46-49, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit and
tells them to wait for the promise in Jerusalem.
46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and
to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached
in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem Jerusalem
Luke again takes up the story he’s been telling, “Book 2” Acts of
the Apostles
Acts 1:1-8
1The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that
Jesus began both to do and teach, 2Until the day in which he was
taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the
apostles whom he had chosen: 3To
whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs,
being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God: 4And,
being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should
not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For
John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him,
saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel ? 7And
he said unto them, It is not for you to
know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem Judaea , and in Samaria
Verse 3. Jesus teaches them as he did before, but now as the
one who has died and risen again. Scattered here and there in the four Gospels
are remarks about things he said which they didn’t understand until after the
resurrection. Here we see how and when they did come to understand.
Verse 4. “promise of the Father.” The promise is the one
made throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments. What Moses wished for,
Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied Joel envisioned and John the Baptist proclaimed,
is ready to come to those who wait as instructed.
Verse 8. Power. The rest of the book of Acts is a
description of the power of the Holy Spirit in action, His operation in the
lives of the Apostles and the ways they sometimes grieved and limited Him.
The Day of the Father’s Promise Fulfilled
Acts 2:1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all
with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And
there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each
of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as
the Spirit gave them utterance.
5And
there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under
heaven. 6Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came
together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7And
they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all
these which speak Galilaeans? 8And how hear we every man
in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9Parthians,
and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia ,
and in Judaea , and Cappadocia ,
in Pontus ,
and Asia , 10Phrygia,
and Pamphylia, in Egypt ,
and in the parts of Libya
about Cyrene ,
and strangers of Rome ,
Jews and proselytes, 11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues
the wonderful works of God. 12And they were all amazed,
and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13Others
mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14But
Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye
men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known
unto you, and hearken to my words: 15For these are not
drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the
day. 16But this is that
which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And
it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit
upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18And
on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my
Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19And I will show wonders
in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of
smoke: 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21And
it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved. 22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a
man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did
by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him,
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom
God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not
possible that he should be holden of it. 25For
David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he
is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore
did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest
in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt
thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou
hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy
countenance. 29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you
of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is
with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a
prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit
of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his
throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ,
that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32This Jesus hath God
raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the
right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the
Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith
himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until
I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore
let all the house of Israel
know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ.
37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in
their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and
brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto
you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as
many as the Lord our God shall call. 40And
with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from
this untoward generation. 41Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were
added unto them about three thousand souls.
42And
they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in
breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were
done by the apostles. 44And all that
believed were together, and had all things common; 45And
sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as
every man had need. 46And they,
continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house
to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47Praising
God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2, Wind
(vs.2) The Greek and Hebrew languages have one word in each that means both
wind and breath. So from the creation story with the Wind moving over the
waters and God breathing into Adam the Breath of Life to Jesus telling
Nicodemus that the work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is like the mysterious
movement of the wind, we are prepared for this moment.
Tongues and Understanding (vss.4 and 6) In the story of the Tower
of Babel we are told of human arrogance that wants to be like God and the
resulting chaotic loss of the ability to communicate with one another.
Confusion of languages and everything else caused by pride.
Here we see people humbled before God through repentance and
obedience, filled with faith, and overflowing with God’s presence, therefore
able to understand each other and share the best news that ever was.
Explanation (vss. 16-21), This study of the Holy Spirit in the
whole bible has led me to the conclusion that Pentecost is not a mere “add on”
to the Gospels, but is that for which the Gospels exist. Jesus came to forgive
in order to prepare us to receive the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is the
record of what the Holy Spirit can do and wants to do, in and through us. That
this was God’s plan, unfolding through out the entire history of Israel , is
declared by reference to one of the prophets who foretold it, Joel.
Witness (vss
22-36) Peter speaks for the 120, all of whom are telling what they have seen
and heard throughout the ministry, death, resurrection, and teaching of Jesus.
The New Testament from start to finish claims the authority of eyewitnesses.
Response (vss
37-41) The message of these witnesses is that the one the crowds had rejected
and condemned to death has been raised from death. God has declared Jesus to be
right, his accusers to be wrong and those who crucified him to be guilty of
murder. The Holy Spirit convicted many of them and in their acknowledgement of
guilt they ask, “What shall we do?” Repent, which means to change your mind
about everything, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ showing you now
belong to him, and expect to receive the same Holy Spirit promised by the
prophets and who you have seen in action here today.
Life together
(vss. 42-47) Their new life as believers begins. Listening to the teaching
(doctrine) of the Apostles, fellowship (hanging out), eating together,
including the bread and wine that remembered Jesus; probably every time they
ate together; and praying together certainly the prayer Jesus taught them and
the Psalms.
Chapter 4 tells of an attempt by the authorities to stop
them. They are told to stop, threatened and…
Acts 4:23 -31,
A power filling prayer meeting.
…..23And
being let go, they went to their own
company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto
them. 24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God
with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25Who
by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the
people imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth
stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against
his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast
anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel , were
gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined
before to be done. 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto
thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By
stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by
the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31And when they had prayed,
the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
These Spirit filled believers wouldn’t be quiet about what
they knew. Part of what they knew was that the power of the risen Jesus through
the Holy Spirit was in them, so as they confronted people in need they healed
them. When they were called on to explain themselves they told about Jesus and
so confronted the authorities who had him killed. They were threatened, ordered
to keep quiet, but declared that God had ordered their words and actions so
they would obey Him, not them. Their boldness came as they renewed the filling
of the Spirit in communal prayer.
Acts 6:8-7:53, What one persecuted believer said under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:11 ).
8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and
miracles among the people. 9Then there arose certain
of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines,
and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia
and of Asia , disputing with Stephen. 10And
they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. 11Then
they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words
against Moses, and against God. 12And
they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came
upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the
council, 13And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth
not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: 14For
we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place,
and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 15And
all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had
been the face of an angel.
Acts 7
1Then said the high priest, Are these things so? 2And
he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in
Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3And
said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into
the land which I shall show thee. 4Then came he out of the
land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father
was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5And
he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his
foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to
his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 6And
God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and
that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil
four hundred years. 7And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I
judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this
place. 8And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham
begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat
Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. 9And
the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt : but God was with him, 10And
delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the
sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt ;
and he made him governor over Egypt
and all his house. 11Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt Egypt , he sent out our fathers
first. 13And at the second time Joseph was made known to
his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 14Then
sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his
kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. 15So Jacob went down
into Egypt ,
and died, he, and our fathers, 16And were carried over
into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money
of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
17But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had
sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt , 18Till
another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19The
same dealt subtly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that
they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20In
which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his
father’s house three months: 21And when he was cast out,
Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22And
Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words
and in deeds. 23And when he was full forty years old, it came into his
heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel . 24And
seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and
avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25For
he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would
deliver them: but they understood not. 26And the next day
he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one
again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27But
he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler
and a judge over us? 28Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian
yesterday? 29Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian
30And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in
the wilderness of mount
Sina Egypt , and I
have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I
will send thee into Egypt . 35This
Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same
did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel
which appeared to him in the bush. 36He brought them
out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt Red sea , and in the wilderness
forty years.
37This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel,
A prophet shall the Lord your God raise
up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38This
is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to
him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the
lively oracles to give unto us: 39To whom our fathers would
not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back
again into Egypt, 40Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as
for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what
is become of him. 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice
unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of
heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel , have ye
offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty
years in the wilderness? 43Yea, ye took up the tabernacle
of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship
them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon . 44Our
fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed,
speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he
had seen. 45Which also our fathers that came after brought in with
Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face
of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46Who
found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of
Jacob. 47But Solomon built him an house. 48Howbeit
the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the
prophet, 49Heaven is my throne, and earth is
my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is
the place of my rest? 50Hath not my hand
made all these things?
51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do
always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do
ye. 52Which
of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them
which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the
betrayers and murderers: 53Who
have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54When they heard these
things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their
teeth. 55But he, being full of the
Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56And
said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the
right hand of God. 57Then they cried out with
a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him:
and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was
Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and
saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And
he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
One of the persecuted believers inspired by the
Holy Spirit gave his witness, beginning with Abraham (v. 2) continuing with
Moses’ prophesy about the one to come (v.37)
he recounts the whole story of God’s love and Israel’s failure, ending with the charge that his accusers were
doing just what their unfaithful ancestors did, (v.51) so they killed him. But
God used his witness to begin the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. That day Saul
held the coats of the murderers, years later he would die for Jesus as Stephen
had.
Acts 8:14-17 Passing the Holy Spirit on.
14Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15Who,
when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy
Ghost: 16(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17Then laid they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Ghost.
Acts 10:44 -47,
Gentiles too, the prophecy of Joel fulfilled in regard to “All people.”
A Roman centurion who is a servant of God, ”one who feared
God and did what is right” (Acts 10:35),. Is visited by a messenger from God,
sends for Peter as instructed, and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.
44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on
all them which heard the word. 45And they of the
circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was
poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46For
they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47Can
any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received
the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Acts 15:1-29 The
Church decides not to argue with the Holy Spirit.
8And
God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost,
even as he did unto us; 9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their
hearts by faith. (See Acts 15:1-29)
The Holy Spirit as Guide
Acts 16:6-10 6Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of
Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7After
they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit
suffered them not. 8And they passing by Mysia
came down to Troas . 9And
a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia , and
prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia , and help us. 10And
after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia ,
assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto
them.
The Fourth Cautionary Tale,
I Corinthians
12-14 and the preacher who counted his gifts.
These three chapters name the gifts of the Spirit, tell us
how the gifts are to be expressed in the life of the church, and warn us to
remember that the Fruit of The Spirit, which is love, is more excellent than
any gift. Without love the gifts are nothing. This profound message from Paul
was called forth by the misbehaviors of the Corinthian church which Paul also
could say lacked no spiritual gift. People blessed with great spiritual
experiences still need apostolic correction and discipline. “Whoever gets mad
is wrong.”
There was a preacher who was filled
with the Holy Spirit and began an exploration into the spirit filled life. He
experienced glossolalia, healed people, prophesied, spoke words of wisdom, and
got a PhD in the study of mysticism. One day he was counting up all his rich
experiences in an attitude of self congratulation when The Spirit said to him,
“Why do you think I gave you all these gifts? Not because you are so wonderful
but because you are so needy!”
“Too Deep For Words”
C. S. Lewis in his book, Letters
to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer, speaks of “prayer without words.” I think
that people who have true inward religion at times experience such a deep
concern for lost people and the evil they suffer, on the one hand, and on the
other, such joy because they know God loved them so much that He gave his Son
for them, they are unable to put either the concern or the joy into words. So
the Spirit helps them to groan with concern and rejoice with joy that cannot be
spoken.
Romans 8:26-27, Prayer in the Spirit, and Mark 7:34.
Romans 8:26Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray
for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And
he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the
Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the
will of God.
Mark
7: 32And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an
impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33And
he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he
spit, and touched his tongue; 34And
looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith
unto him, Ephphatha, that
is, Be opened. 35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his
tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
In Romans
8:26 Paul refers to a sort
of prayer that is an inarticulate groan, which is the Spirit assisted prayer of
intercession in accord with the will of God. In Mark 7:34 we have the record of Jesus praying with an
unutterable groan (sigh). It is interesting that this is associated with one of
those few places where we are given a word Jesus said to the deaf man that is
in the untranslated Aramaic language of Jesus’ everyday speech, what scholars
call the ipssima verba.
Acts 19:1-7, We haven’t even heard of the Holy Spirit.
1And
it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth , Paul having passed through the upper
coasts came to Ephesus :
and finding certain disciples, 2He said unto them, Have ye
received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there
be any Holy Ghost. 3And he said unto them,
Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4Then
said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the
people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is,
on Christ Jesus. 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had
laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they
spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7And all the men
were about twelve.
This happened in Ephesus
these men were Gentiles and so lacked the knowledge about the Holy Spirit that
Jews familiar with the Old Testament writings knew.
How to be available.
Jesus tells us to wait for what God has promised, who is the
Holy Spirit. When his disciples asked him to teach them to pray he gave them
what we call The Lord’s Prayer together with words that tell us to be
persistent and to trust the goodness and generosity of God who will give the
Holy Spirit to those who ask him, [this way].
Luke 11:1-13 The prayer Jesus gave
us.
1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain
place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to
pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2And
he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our
Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3Give
us day by day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins; for
we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into
temptation; but deliver us from evil.
5And he said unto them, Which
of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto
him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6For
a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before
him? 7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the
door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give
thee. 8I say unto you,
Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of
his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will
he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give
him a serpent? 12Or
if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that
ask him?
Having said this prayer most of our
lives, now let us learn to pray it.
Assurance of Resurrection Life for us
One of the gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit is the
assurance of our ultimate victory over death. We are reminded by the effects of
aging, the deaths of people around us and our aches and pains that the body we
live in is a raggedy tent that will not last long. But, because Jesus lives we
will live, and the Holy Spirit is the “little taste of heaven we are given, to
get to heaven on.”
2 Corinthians 5:1-5 1For
we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon
with our house which is from heaven: 3If so be that being
clothed we shall not be found naked. 4For we that are
in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would
be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of
life. 5Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is
God, who also hath given unto us the
earnest of the Spirit. 6Therefore we are
always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are
absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not
by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to
be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
When we agree on a “big deal” like buying a tract of land
the buyer puts up part of the purchase price and it is called “earnest money.”
Paul uses this as a parable of what God has done for those who trust the good
news of Jesus and his kingdom. We have been given the Holy Spirit as God’s
assurance, “earnest” of what is now ours and will be fully possessed when Jesus
returns. This is why all three parts of our Holy Communion confession “Christ
has died, Christ has risen, “Christ is
coming again” are essential.
When John Wesley made a plan for those people who came to
him for guidance in seeking to be saved, he developed a short statement called
the General Rules. The third section of them was about how to be open to God’s
presence in our lives. He called these the means of Grace and said for the
people who wanted his help to use them and get God’s help. Here they are.
(The means of grace,
From the General Rules in the United Methodist Book of Discipline.)
“attend upon all the ordinances of God; such are:
The public worship of God.
The ministry of the Word, either
read or expounded.
The Supper of the Lord.
Family and private prayer.
Searching the Scriptures.
Fasting or abstinence.”
Farther in or stand by the door? The Rev.
Sam Shoemaker rector successively of two Calvary Episcopal Congregations, one
in New York and the other in Pittsburg, who was also used by God to help Bill
Wilson create AA, had a concern about Christians who became so “Spiritual” that
they no longer could communicate with those outside the door of faith. Sam chose to stay “by the
door” for their sake.
This teaching about the Holy Spirit may seem to be too far
“inside” but I believe that the experiencing of transforming power and the
personal presence of God is central to the gospel and cannot be dismissed as
something only for some people we might think of as “way inside,” super
Christians. As Peter said at Pentecost, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to
all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:39 )
My Own Experience of the Holy Spirit
I didn’t know it was the Holy Spirit when as a child, I
heard about Mary, and Joseph and the baby Jesus, and came to a loving
fascination with that Holy Family. Nor did I know it was the Holy Spirit when I
received a “promotion Bible” on moving to the third grade in Sunday school.
When I heard the story of the Good Samaritan and was told that we must value
people according to their actions not their race, and when I heard that we will
be judged by Jesus according to our care of hungry, thirsty, naked, sick,
prisoners and strangers and believed that I must live accordingly, I didn’t
know it was the Holy Spirit.
But when I asked God to let me belong to Him and felt the
love, joy and peace of God’s forgiving acceptance, I then learned that it was
the Holy Spirit. Looking back from that moment I began to recognize the times
when the Holy Spirit was at work on and in me. Now that I have identified the
One who is always there and always was, I strive amidst all the tumultuous times
and the quiet times to listen for the “still small voice” and allow Him to lead
and correct as well as comfort and assure me.
Decisions have been made where I faced choices between two
good things, where I would have my student pastorate and go to seminary,
whether or not to continue courting a fine girl who is now for many years
another minister’s wife. As I prayed and considered both, a feeling of
uneasiness warned me off of one alternative, and a feeling of peace drew me to
the other. It was the Holy Spirit.
The increasing physical limitations that keep me from doing
a pastor’s work made me consider how I am to serve God at this point in my
life. The words of people who wanted me to write what I teach and preach have
come back to me with the conviction that the Holy Spirit is saying NOW it is
time to do that.
So here it is, I hope it is good for those who read, as it
has been for me in writing.
Walter Edwards, S.V.D.
Fourth Sunday of Pentecost, 2013
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