The Holy Spirit
Course:
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church
Section One: The Holy Spirit in the Old
Testament
Introductory Lesson 1
Lesson Title: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
Text: Joel 2:28-29, ‘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: And also upon the servants and upon the
handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.’
Introduction: An Old Testament
understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Many
people, even in Pentecostal and
Miracles
are not just New Testament phenomena.
In the Old
Testament there are miracles that have no comparison in the New Testament.
Joshua
made the sun stand still when the Israelites needed longer daylight.
Hezekiah
saw the shadow go back as a sign that he would live for 15 more years.
These
miracles involved the movement of the earth.
Introductory Story:
The
report of the raising of a dead man in
Reinhert Bonnke ministries reported the miracle of a man
raised from the dead. Although the accuracy of the report has to be received on the basis of testimony, there is a big difference between this miracle and the raising of the dead in the ministry of Elijah and Elisha.
The reported miracle happened when a big
crusade was taking place.
People were praying underneath the
auditorium.
The dead man was brought to the place
where the people were praying.
He got up and walked away.
Question: Does this report of a miracle demonstrate New
Testament Christianity?
The Gifts of the Spirit were in operation in the Old Testament. Even if a person is raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit this alone cannot be called New Testament Christianity because the same power is seen demonstrated in the Old Testament.
Lesson Outline
1)
The Gifts of the Spirit operated in the
Old Testament
2)
The ministry of the Holy Spirit operated
in the Old Testament through a limited number of anointed leaders
3)
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Main Points;
1. The Gifts of the Spirit operated in the Old
Testament
Question: If the
operation of the Gifts of the Spirit is New Testament Christianity then why do
we see the dead raised in the Old Testament through the anointed ministries of
Elijah and Elisha?
a)
Old Testament ministry of the Holy Spirit
·
(1 Kings
·
(2 Kings 4:32-37). Raising of the Shunnamite woman’s
son. The Shunnamite
woman’s faith was built upon reason. God
promised her a son. God gave her a son. The son dies
prematurely. God must raise her son from the dead
because He promised her a son.
·
A man was even raised from the dead when
his body was thrown into the grave of Elisha. 2 Kings 14:20-21, ‘And Elisha
died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at
the coming in of the year. And it came
to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men;
and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha:
and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha,
he revived, and stood up on his feet.’
b) The Ministry of
the Holy Spirit has not changed. It is
the body of Christ that is different. The
Holy Spirit ministers through all believers not just a selected few.
Question: If the dead were raised through
anointed ministries in the Old Testament then the raising of a dead person
under an anointed ministry is not a unique characteristic of New Testament Christianity? What makes the raising of a dead man in
Personal Story:
The Holy Spirit ministering through the body of Christ
I was teaching this one time at a
Nigerian Bible School in London and a young lady brought to my attention the
fact that the miracle concerning the man who was raised from the dead actually
happened at the prayer meeting of the believers that was taking place at the
time of the crusade. The miracle happened
through the anointed ministry of the body of Christ not just through the
ministry of a big preacher. This is New
Testament Christianity.
2.
The Ministry of
the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was through a limited number of leaders
who were anointed.
a)
The Holy Spirit equipped Moses and others
for ministry. Numbers 11:14-30.
i)
The anointing was on Moses equipping him
for the ministry God that called him to do.
When the responsibility for ministry was shared a portion of the
anointing that was upon Moses was taken from him and came upon the 70 elders.
ii)
The Gifts of the Spirit operated when the
Spirit came upon those called to service (ministry). The 70 began to prophecy. Numbers 11:24-30. They moved in the gifts of the Spirit.
iii)
Two of the 70 were still in the camp
amongst the people and they began prophesying to the people. No problem with those who prophesied outside
the camp – prophesy had no impact. The
two who were among the people had a great impact.
b)
Moses knew the difference between the
moving of the Spirit and an attack on his leadership.
i)
Jealous anger can arise when people
minister in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit was regarded by some as an attack upon
the leadership of Moses.
ii)
Good leadership will encourage ministry
amongst God’s people. Moses said ‘would God that all the
Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them'
(
3.
The outpouring
of the Spirit. The prophet
Joel prophesied that the limited way in which the Holy Spirit operated would
one day end and the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all believers - Joel
2:28-29.
a)
In the Old Testament Gifts of healings
only operated occasionally through anointed prophets.
Those who desired
healing needed to go to the anonted prophet
Example of Naaman - The maid of Naaman’s wife spoke about
the ministry of Elisha. Naaman could
receive healing by going to Elisha to be healed, 2
Kings 5:3.
b)
Promise of the Outpouring of the Holy
Spirit upon all believers. Joel prophesied that the day would
come when the Holy Spirit would be poured upon ‘all flesh’ meaning ‘believers’.
·
Joel spoke about a time when the Holy
Spirit would be poured upon the Handmaids not just big preachers, Joel 2:29. Spirit poured out upon (1) Old men – dream
dreams (2) Young men – see visions (3) Even upon the maid servants.
·
Peter tells the crowd on the Day of
Pentecost in Acts 2:16 ‘This is that
which was spoken by the prophet Joel’
·
The time of the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit upon all God’s people and no longer just upon a small number of anointed
leaders
Summary
The Holy Spirit ministered in the
Old Testament through a small number of people who God raised up to lead the
people of
1)
Raising the dead was seen in the Old
Testament. The gifts of the Spirit
operated through the ministries of Elijah and Elisha.
2)
When the anointing came upon the 70
leaders they moved in the gifts of the Spirit.
This was not a threat to the leadership of Moses for he desired all of
God’s people to be anointed of the Holy Spirit
3)
The prophet Joel prophesied that God would
pour out His Spirit upon all believers.