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 Charismatic Churches, have an Old Testament understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

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 Nigeria.

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 17:17-22)  Raising of the widow woman’s son in Zarephath.

·        (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 Nigeria a demonstration of New Testament Christianity?

 

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' (11:29).   Moses desired that all God’s people would minister in the Holy Spirit - his desire is fulfilled in the New Testament Church, the body of Christ.

 

 

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 Israel.

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.