WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
No idea is likely to cause more spiritual and emotional illness and lead to destructive forms of worship than that of the wrong view of the holy spirit.First, understand that no text of the Bible makes a difference between spirit (lower case "s") and Spirit (upper case "S"). When you see the word written "Spirit" you should understand this as commentary by the translators.
Second, if the Holy Spirit is a member of the "god family" then the Holy Spirit existed from the beginning. Therefore, there would be no excuse for not speaking of the Spirit as a person in the Old Testament. The New Testament uses the term more often because it was written within a Greek-speaking world where "spirit" is often personified as a personae or mask.
Third, the phrase "holy spirit" is used only three times in the KJV, NIV and the NAS of the Old Testament. "Holy" is not a name; it means to be ceremonially pure in the eyes of God. "Spirit" is not used of a person who is a member of the god "family." Rather, "spirit" literally means "the wind," but it is used of the "mental disposition" of either man or God. For instance, we say, "She has a dignified air about her" or "She has a sweet spirit." We mean that she has a dignified and sweet "mental disposition."
Fourth, to understand the idea of "spirit" we must understand the meaning of words. The Hebrew word almost always translated "spirit" is:
Ruwach (h7307) roo'-akh, roo'-akh; from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i. e. a sensible (or even violent exhalation; fig. life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extens. a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (includ. its expression and functions): - air, anger, blast, breath, * cool, courage, mind, * quarter, * side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, * vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).
This word does not speak of a separate God-person with the name "Holy Spirit."
No professor or preacher has an ancient dictionary of Hebrew. The meanings of words is determined by how they are used in the writings. Therefore, we will look at the actual passages which use the phrase "holy spirit." This will show that the phrase does not speak of a separate god person, and will define the meaning of "grieving God's Spirit."
We will look at Isaiah first. He wrote:
For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. Isaiah 63:8
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:9
But they rebelled, and vexed (caused pain to) his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. Isaiah 63:10
They rejected God's covenant immediately after pledging to keep it, turned to Egyptian bull worship and fell from God's grace. In return, God ordained the priestly-Levitical orders to keep the people away from the symbols of His presence and gave them the Law of Moses. Grieving or vexing God's spirit means to grieve God at his heart or in His mental disposition or feelings.
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Genesis 6:6
They grieved God because:
Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. Psalm 56:5
This was dangerous because the spirit in the prophets was the Mind or Mental Disposition of Christ as God:
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 1 Peter 1:11
In the same way, a woman can be grieved in spirit:
For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. Isaiah 54:6
We can understand that God's "heart" is not a separated person, we can also understand that His "spirit" is not separated from His Being any more than our spirit is another person. And to grieve the Holy Spirit is to make God sad.
God's Spirit Dwells in Our spirit
When the spirit proceeds from God we do not understand that God divides and sends out a Divine Being. Rather, we understand that God's mental disposition is a quality of the mind of God. When He sends forth His spirit or mental disposition it exerts some effect upon mankind.
Because we were made in God's image we can easily understand that God is not triplets because we are not triplets. When our spirit or the mental disposition of our mind rejects the Mind of God then we reject and resist the Spirit of God. When we open our minds to God's mind we are justified or become eligible to "become the children of God" and receive spiritual (mental) blessings.
The body speaks of external things. The body was involved in worship under the Law of Moses to keep it ceremonially accepted by God so that He did not take their "spirit" from then so that they would die.
However, the spirit is internal. God lives in the secret depths of our internal being and this is where we must worship Him "in spirit and in truth." God does not live in houses; He is not worshipped with external, body rituals; He does not respond to haughty people proposing -- for a price -- to bring you into God's presence!
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place (sanctuary), with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble, and
to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 57:15
For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. Isaiah 57:16
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. Isaiah 57:17
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. Isaiah 57:18
I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him. Isaiah 57:19
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18
The "burden" which the clergy laded Christ's people down like pack animals was "anxiety from religious rituals." However, Christ who insisted that worship must be "in spirit and in truth" came to give rest. This word in Hebrew is:
Shaqat (h8252) shaw-kat'; a prim. root; to repose (usually fig.): - appease, idleness, (at, be at, be in, give) quiet (-ness), (be at, be in, give, have, take) rest, settle, be still.
For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. Isaiah 30:15
The Greek word Jesus used is:
Anapauo (g373) an-up-ow'-o; from 303 and 3973; (reflex.) to repose (lit. or fig. [be exempt], remain); by impl. to refresh: - take ease, refresh, (give, take) rest.
There is -- cannot be -- any peace for those who try to "generate" spirit or enthusiasm through external rituals. While they may seem sincere, Isaiah treats those who cannot rest in the quiet secret places of God in our mind and spirit are defined as wicked:
There is no peace (shalowm) , saith my God, to the wicked. Isaiah 57:21
THUS saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? Isaiah 66:1
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him
- that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
- and trembleth at my word. Isaiah 66:2
While the phrase "the Holy Spirit" is not used, the following passage shows that the "spirit" which would rest upon Jesus would not be the Holy Spirit as a person resting upon Him. Rather, the "spirit" would be the Mind of God or the mental disposition of God revealed through words which Jesus defined as "spirit and life" (John 6:63):
AND there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; Isaiah 11:2
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: Isaiah 11:3
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod (branch) of his mouth, and with the breath (spirit) of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Isaiah 11:4
Jesus never identified the Holy Spirit as a person but rather claimed that the Spirit of God was with and in Him. However, He clearly identified the Spirit as Himself as "Another Comforter" (John 14:16-18) or the words which He spoke to them in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 11:
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
God reveals Himself primarily as Father, Son and Spirit although He is often the Arm, the Branch, the Door or the Way. However, because we -- made in His image -- are body, spirit and soul, we are not triplets and we should not understand God as triplets. At the same time, we should understand His Triune nature as One God so that we can understand ourselves and enjoy a relationship with Him "in spirit and in truth."
Kenneth Sublett