What did the Holy Spirit do in the Old Testament?
 |
| c. 840 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The first matter for our consideration is whether there is an empowering work of the Spirit within the Old Testament period itself that is different from his inner-transforming work. As a matter of fact, the empowering work of the Spirit is much more evident than the inner-transforming. For example, select individuals are anointed with the Spirit to prophesy (e.g., Num. 11:24–27; 1 Sam. 10:6, 10; 19:20; 2 Sam. 23:2; 1 Chron. 12:18; 2 Chron. 20:14–17; 24:20; and throughout the prophetic writings), perform miraculous feats (Judg. 14:6, 19; 15:14–17; 1 Kings 18:12), exercise spiritual power in leadership (Judg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 1 Sam. 16:13), or simply carry out their appointed service within God’s household (Ex. 35:30–35). Additionally, in numerous miracle narratives where the Spirit receives no explicit mention, the human agents are prophets whose definitive qualification is the Spirit’s anointing (e.g., 1 Kings 17:17–24; 18:16–46; 2 Kings 2:19–22; 4:17). The Spirit’s empowering work was limited to select individuals, and in most cases it “came upon” them for a relatively brief period of time for a specific purpose (e.g., prophecy, deliverance). The Old Testament anticipates that this work of the Spirit in the new age will be democratized in God’s household, a point that we will explore below.
In addition to these incidents of the Spirit’s charismatic activity, we also find in the Old Testament evidence of his inner-transforming work, which resulted in moral conformity to God’s will. Whether the Old Testament explicitly presents the Spirit as the transformer of human nature within this period is a moot question. There are clear instances in which the inner-transforming work of the Spirit is implied. For example, God commands the Israelites to circumcise their hearts (Lev. 26:41; Deut. 10:16; cf. Rom. 2:28–29); the Israelites are said to have grieved God’s Holy Spirit in the desert through their rebellion (Isa. 63:10–11); the Old Testament repeatedly asserts that God honors a humble and contrite spirit (e.g., 2 Sam. 22:28; 2 Kings 22:19; 2 Chron. 7:14; Pss. 25:9; 51:17; Isa. 57:15; 66:2); the Spirit gives both moral instruction and guidance (Neh. 9:20; Ps. 143:10).
Furthermore, God commands the members of the house of Israel to rid themselves of immorality and acquire a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek. 18:31). David expresses a similar desire for a new heart in his prayer of repentance for the Bathsheba affair (Ps. 51:10, 17; note the association of this request with David’s Spirit-anointing in v. 11). But inner transformation, both required by God and desired by David, is not described as a universal experience among the people of God within this period. Rather, the Old Testament anticipates a future new age during which the transformative work of the Spirit will become a universal reality among God’s people. We must therefore consider the Old Testament evidence also in the light of its preparatory nature as it expresses the hope of future fulfillment, a fulfillment that is realized with regard to both inner transformation and empowerment in the New Testament.
The Old Testament Anticipation of the Spirit’s Future Work
With regard to the empowering work of the Spirit, the Old Testament clearly prepares the way for the “last days,” when the Spirit’s charismatic power will be universalized among God’s people.13 No longer restricted to a few select individuals, in the future age every member of the kingdom of God will receive the Spirit as prophetic anointer.14
This hope is first expressed by Moses in Numbers 11:29. Moses had become weary of bearing sole responsibility for leading the rebellious Israelites and appealed to the Lord for deliverance from this burden, even if it meant his own death (11:10–16). God told him to choose seventy from among Israel’s elders and have them assemble in the Tent of Meeting where, the Lord promised, “I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone” (v. 17). After the designated elders had assembled, “the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with [Moses], and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again” (v. 25). The purpose of this anointing was to designate the seventy elders for, and initiate them into, leadership roles that would alleviate some of the burden on Moses. Prophecy functioned as a “sign” that they were indeed so designated and anointed.15
But the Spirit also rested on Eldad and Medad, two elders not selected among the seventy, and they prophesied in the camp. In response to Joshua’s plaintive request that they be stopped from prophesying, Moses said, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” (v. 29). Thus the narrative expresses the hope of a universalized charismatic experience in which there is no mere human control over the Spirit’s activity but rather freedom for the Spirit to come upon whomever he chooses.16 Moses’ wish also presages further canonical expansion in Joel’s prediction that “all people” will someday prophesy.
The hope for the universalization of charismatic activity takes on more specific form in Joel 2:28–32. After a period of judgment (2:11) and repentance (2:12–17), Israel will be restored (2:18ff.). As part of this restoration God will “pour out” (Heb. špk; LXX ekcheō) his Spirit on all people (vv. 28a, 29b), resulting in universalized charismatic activity (vv. 28b–29; e.g., sons, daughters, old men, young men, even servants) and “wonders in the heavens and on the earth” (vv. 30–31a), prior to the “day of the LORD” (v. 31b).17 During these times, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord and whom the Lord calls will be saved (v. 32). In contrast to the old era, when the Spirit’s empowering work was restricted to select individuals, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in this future age will extend to all of God’s people and will be characterized by the Spirit’s empowering work.18
The Old Testament also looks ahead to the Spirit’s future inner-transforming work. The evidence we surveyed above regarding the circumcision of the heart and the work of the Spirit to transform human nature within the Old Testament period (e.g., Lev. 26:41; Deut. 10:16; Neh. 9:20; Ps. 143:10; Isa. 63:10–11) is a harbinger of the canonical expansion of this aspect of the Spirit’s work into the future hope expressed by the prophets. Jeremiah foresees the day when the Lord will make a new covenant with his people, at which time he will put his law in their minds and write it on their hearts (Jer. 31:31–34, esp. 33; cf. Heb. 8:7–13). Ezekiel specifically foresees this future transformation as the work of the Spirit. According to his description of the new age, it will be a time when God puts “a new spirit” in his people and gives them a new heart so that they will follow his law (Ezek. 11:19–20). This moral transformation will also be accomplished by God’s own Spirit taking up residence in each individual (36:26–27; 37:14). The hope of regeneration was thus established through the promise of the indwelling Spirit.
In sum, the Old Testament contains two primary functions of the Holy Spirit, one empowering and the other inner-transforming. (i) The accounts that describe the Spirit’s empowering work consistently portray his empowerment of select individuals to prophesy, perform miracles, deliver, or otherwise carry out their assigned service. The Old Testament also anticipates a new age when this operation of the Spirit will be universalized among God’s people, no longer being restricted to the select few, and will continue to be characterized by charismatic manifestations. (ii) The Spirit transforms human nature, effecting circumcision of the heart and obedience to God’s law. A new age of fulfillment for this work of the Spirit is also anticipated in the Old Testament, looking to an age in which God will put his Spirit in his people, giving them new hearts and minds on which his law is written.
We turn now to consider the New Testament, which reveals how the promised Spirit’s work in the new age is fulfilled in Christ and his body, the church.
Oss, D. A. (1996). A Pentecostal/ Charismatic View. In S. N. Gundry & W. A. Grudem (Eds.), Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?: 4 Views (pp. 245–249). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
