The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

Judges 3:9-10 and Assorted Scriptures

Sunday, November 5th, 2023

Pastor Sean Cole

Opening: I want you to imagine two scenarios for me this morning.

Scenario One: You are going through your Facebook feed, and you come across a friend’s post about the practice of “grave sucking,” and you click on the link and you’re shocked. You’ve just entered the world of the extreme prophetic hyper-charismatic movement where people go to the graves of dead people and try to suck the anointing from their dead bodies. For example, one pastor and his wife went to C.S. Lewis’s grave and laid on it to try and suck out his anointing.

Then you come across another teacher who is famous for his YouTube clips of smoking or toking the Holy Ghost. He talks about the Holy Spirit being like a drug that you shoot up into people’s arms or like a pot that you smoke that will make you closer to God. Then it links you to another website where the woman preacher talks about getting closer to the Holy Spirit through gold dust coming down in a meeting, astral projections, out-of-body experiences, and angel orbs. After you shake your head in disbelief, you wonder what this has to do with the Holy Spirit.

Scenario Two: You get a knock on your door, and two young men with white shirts and nice black slacks show up and ask what you believe about Jesus. You begin to question them and discover that they don’t believe in the Holy Spirit. They think of the Holy Spirit as a force, or a fog, or some type of power of God. They refer to the Holy Spirit as an “it.”

In scenario one, you’ve seen the wildest and most extreme abuses of the Holy Spirit through the Word-Faith theology. In the second scenario, you’ve been confronted by a major cult that denies the personhood of the Holy Spirit.

And then you begin to think: “You know what, I am not sure what I believe about the Holy Spirit. We don’t hear much about this teaching.”

Why do I bring up this crucial topic of the Holy Spirit?

Last week, we saw the central theme of Judges.

The LORD disciplines His people because they have been paganized by the world around them.

Then, we saw the repeated cycle of sin.

God raised up a Spirit-empowered judge to deliver Israel from bondage to a pagan King and from spiritual bondage to idolatry.

Read Judges 3:9-10

We are introduced to this idea of the Holy Spirit coming upon Old Testament people.

What exactly was the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Old Testament believers?

Did He come “upon” them to empower them for service, or did He actually indwell them and regenerate them like we are today?

Today’s sermon will be highly theological and cause you to think deeply about the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

As I’ve taught Judges in the past, the question of the role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament has also come up. You may have thought about it before but never got a good answer.

Today, I will attempt to answer TWO questions regarding the people of God in the Old Testament.

First and most important: How were the Old Testament saints saved? Were they saved the same way we are today?

Second: How did the Holy Spirit work in the Old Testament, and more specifically, in what ways did He operate on individual Old Testament believers?

Let me answer the first question, and it is based on the Covenant of Grace that was first introduced after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden.

Read Genesis 3:15

God doesn’t ask Adam and Eve to devise a plan of salvation to somehow get themselves out from under the curse.

God acts in sovereign grace and mercy, and the surprising thing foreign to our modern ears is this: He is not compelled to show it nor under constraint to give it. Instead of God giving us what we deserve—eternal wrath in hell, God gives us grace.

He could have very well killed Adam and Eve right there on the spot and sent them to hell for eternity.

This salvation will come from the seed of the woman. In other words, it would not be an animal or an angel that would bring salvation but another man. But not just any ordinary man, but a Man who is fully man, but also fully God. A divine Man.

Jesus left the glories of heaven to become a Man to live on the earth as a servant to die for our sins.

In verse 15, it says that Satan would bruise the heel of Jesus. This is a reference to the death of Jesus on the cross. This coming Savior, who is from the offspring of the woman, would experience a painful, excruciating death.

But not just an ordinary death but a substitutionary death.

Read Genesis 3:21

When God provides animal skins for Adam and Eve, it is not explicit in the text, but we must infer that God Himself killed an animal. There was a substitute. Instead of Adam and Eve dying, an animal died in their place to cover their sin.

So, salvation would come by God’s sovereign grace and come through the infinite God-Man as the Messiah born from a woman and through a cruel death on the cross as our Substitute.

This promise in Genesis 3:15 has historically been called the beginning of the Covenant of Grace.

The Covenant of Grace is best articulated in our statement of faith in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession: “Since humanity brought itself under the curse of the law by its fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace. . . This covenant is revealed in the gospel. It was revealed first to Adam in the promise of salvation through the seed of the woman. After that, it was revealed step by step until the full revelation of it was completed in the New Testament.”

A covenant is a promise or a binding agreement where God alone swears an oath on Himself that He will accomplish His purpose for His glory.

This Covenant of Grace was revealed step by step in the Old Testament in types, shadows, people, and places and was eventually instituted by Jesus in His death on the cross and resurrection.

God made promises to Abraham and David and the nation of Israel that revealed God’s promise to bring a future Savior that would fully and finally take away their sins.

What do we conclude from the Covenant of Grace? Old Testament believers were saved in the same way we are saved. Their salvation was by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Their salvation was promised in Genesis 3:15, and by faith, they trusted in this promise and did not have to earn acceptance by God with any works.

Again, listen to our statement of faith on the death of Christ: “The virtue, efficacy, and benefit of Christ’s death was imparted to the elect in every age since the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices that revealed him and pointed to him as the seed that would bruise the serpent’s head and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

What this means is that the death of Christ was effective for all God’s people since Adam and was pictured or prophesied in those types and shadows that pointed back to the original promise in Genesis 3:15. Salvation would come by a Messiah who would crush the head of Satan on the cross.

The Covenant of Grace covers the sins of both Old and New Testament believers, as Jesus’ death on the cross is retroactive to those in the Old Testament. Jesus paid for their sins, although He had not come yet. They were saved by looking forward to Him, and God saved them by grace alone through faith alone.

The sacrificial system and all the types and shadows DID NOT save them or permanently forgive their sins. They only pictured or pointed to what Christ would eventually do on the cross.

So, the Covenant of Grace revealed in Genesis 3:15 and throughout the Old Testament was fully established when Christ died on the cross.

Therefore, Old Testament believers were saved by Grace in the promise of Jesus, who would come and die on the cross. They were saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone—the same way we are today.

Now let’s ask the second theological question: What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, and more specifically, were Old Testament believers regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit?

The Old Testament reveals THREE overarching ways the Holy Spirit worked.

First, the Holy Spirit was active in creation.

Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Second, the Holy Spirit empowered or anointed specific people to service.

Exodus 31:1–4 The Lordsaid to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,

1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

We also see the Spirit coming on judges like Othniel and Gideon to deliver Israel from their enemies.

2 Kings 2:9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”

Micah 3:8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.

Third, the Holy Spirit did regenerate and indwell individual Old Testament believers.

Now, I want to build a case for this so that you don’t take my word for it but see it biblically and theologically.

Let us consider some biblical truths regarding the nature of man and how God saves sinners.

First, all people are born spiritually dead due to the Fall.

Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Ephesians 2:1–3 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Second, the Holy Spirit sovereignly causes a spiritually dead person to come alive and have faith in Christ.

John 3:7–8 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Ephesians 2:4–5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Third, if these first two truths are valid for all people, then for O.T. people to hear, believe, and respond in faith to the LORD, the Spirit must also grant them the supernatural ability to do so.

While it is not called “regeneration” in the OT, we see evidence that God does a work of supernatural grace to make a sinner into a new creation by granting saving faith.

Deuteronomy 30:6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Notice the order: God will do this internal work on their hearts first. This work will lead them or result in them loving and serving God.

The implication is that an Israelite could not love or serve God WITHOUT this circumcision or cutting away or supernatural working of God in the depths of the heart.

Fourth, Old Testament believers did have faith in the promised Messiah and were faithful in obedience.

While the New Testament terms such as being born again or regeneration or indwelling do not appear in the Old Testament, what evidence do we see?

Noah: Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fearconstructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Abraham: Genesis 15:5–6 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Joseph: Genesis 41:38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”

Moses: Hebrews 11:24–26 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Seventy Elders: Numbers 11:25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

Joshua: Numbers 27:18 So the Lordsaid to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.

John the Baptist: Luke 1:15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

Elizabeth: Luke 1:41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

Zechariah Luke 1:67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

These are examples of individuals before the birth of Christ whom the Holy Spirit indwelt or filled.

Therefore, Old Testament saints were regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, just as we are today.

Can anyone truly be saved outside of faith in Jesus? Or faith in the promised Messiah revealed in the Covenant of Grace in the Old Testament? We have seen that all of God’s people in both the Old Testament, New Testament, and today are saved in the same way.

In addition, can anyone truly be saved outside of the regeneration and indwelling of the Holy Spirit? The answer is no.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him

How could Old Testament believers have faith, obey, pray, worship, or respond positively to God WITHOUT the Holy Spirit?

You have to argue one of two ways:

One: They could do spiritual good without the Holy Spirit, but we really don’t know how. It cannot be the law because they are still sinful.

Galatians 5:16–17 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Was this internal battle with the flesh NOT present in Old Testament people? Was their human nature somehow different than ours?

They may not have had the categories we do of the flesh and the Holy Spirit, but they needed the power of the Spirit within them to obey God and walk in holiness just like we do.

Two: The Holy Spirit came upon them to give them the power to have faith and obey, but He did not live in them continually.

If so, how could they remain faithful continually? Did the Holy Spirit come and go? Did he empower at times and not others?

I want to show two Old Testament passages from the Psalms of David that reveal to us that the Holy Spirit did an internal, spiritual work in the lives of individual believers.

Psalm 51:10–11 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

David is pleading with God to create and renew! These are powerful words that remind us of God’s act in creation. He also references the Holy Spirit.

In confessing sin, David desires the Holy Spirit to do an internal cleansing and renewal of his soul.

When David begs the LORD not to take the Holy Spirit from him, the inference is that the Holy Spirit was living inside of him.

Now, we need to be careful here. This passage does not mean the Holy Spirit can be taken away from true believers. Once the Spirit regenerates or makes us alive in Christ and comes and lives inside us, He can never leave.

Then, what is David’s burden here, and what does this mean?

I believe that David is speaking about God's “felt presence” in his life. The awareness of God. Since he sinned grievously, his fellowship with God was broken. The Spirit would not leave David, but that sense of God’s presence and love can be lost. He desires a renewed sense of the presence of God in his life, and he attributes that to the Holy Spirit working within him.

He wants the continuous blessing of God in his life. He’s not saying that he can somehow lose his salvation.

John Calvin gives a great comment on this verse: “It is natural that the saints, when they have fallen into sin, should feel anxiety upon this point; but it is their duty to hold fast the truth that grace is the incorruptible seed of God, which can never perish in any heart where it is deposited.”[1]

David needs the power of the Spirit to fight temptation and walk in holiness—just like we do today.

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

David asks the Holy Spirit to lead and teach him to do God’s will. Again, how can Old Testament believers obey and respond positively to God in worship unless they are indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit?

They needed the Spirit’s help and power inside of them to obey just as much as we do today.

Now, let me answer an objection that you may have. What about Pentecost?

Some people think that the Old Testament saints were not saved by grace alone but by keeping the law. They also believe they were not indwelt or regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They make a sharp distinction between the way God worked in the Old Testament versus the New.

They argue that these became realities ONLY AFTER Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and Jesus had ascended back to heaven. In other words, only those who come after Pentecost are regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but not before.

Based on our study, the day of Pentecost CANNOT mean that the Holy Spirit was not active in regeneration and indwelling Old Testament believers or those before the ascension of Christ.

There are two things to be aware of:

First, the Holy Spirit PRIMARILY worked among the Israelites, with the exception of Gentile converts who believed in the LORD.

Second, the Old Testament was a time of preparation and pointing forward to Christ.

The spiritual blessings that the Holy Spirit gave in the lives of the Israelites were a foretaste or looking forward to the fullness of the blessings that would impact not only Israel but Gentiles all over the world.

The Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament, but not in the fullness of including Gentiles. Only after Christ's death the Spirit would be poured out on all flesh—not just Israelites.

We need to understand what happened at Pentecost.

Pentecost did not signal the beginning of the Spirit’s indwelling. Instead, it signified the official constitution and organization of baptized believers gathering together as the church.

Pentecost is not a radical shift in the working of the Holy Spirit in regeneration or indwelling that differs from the Old Testament. Instead, Pentecost shows a different economy of the Spirit concerning Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

The Holy Spirit indwelt Old Testament believers, but Pentecost shows this more significantly now that Jesus has come in the flesh, died on the cross, rose again, and instituted the New Covenant or the fulfillment of the Covenant of Grace.

After ascending to the right hand, He poured out His Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, so that He, as the resurrected Head or Groom, could be joined to the Body or Bride—the church.

Why is this important? Without the Holy Spirit, we would never experience all the blessings of salvation.

You would not be a Christian unless the Holy Spirit regenerated you and caused you to be born again.

You cannot be a Christian unless the Holy Spirit indwells you permanently.

Because the Holy Spirit has regenerated us and He permanently indwells us, we have fellowship and union with Christ.

The Holy Spirit unites us to Christ.

And this most powerfully is experienced in observing the Lord’s Supper,

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Notice the present tense of the word “participation” or “share”—this communion is a present-tense reality in the Lord’s Supper.

It is a present communion with Christ now where He is the one Mediator seated at the right hand of the throne of God, having finished the work. We experience by grace the present benefits that his broken body and shed blood have won for us—namely, the forgiveness of sins, a right standing before God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and all the benefits of the finished work of Christ.

One of the primary ways the Holy Spirit helps you continue to grow in your faith is through the Lord’s Supper.

Every time we take the Lord’s Supper, we remember not only what He did in the past but in the present—in the moment, we receive sustaining grace from the Holy Spirit, who nourishes our souls with thankfulness, strength, and peace because of Christ’s finished work.

The bottom line is this: The Holy Spirit is INDESPINSABLE!

You cannot live without Him. He is our source of salvation. He unites you to Christ. He lives inside of you. He empowers you. He cleanses you. He grows you in holiness. He gives you the strength to live the Christian life.

And most importantly, He glorifies Jesus by pointing you to the Savior.

Let us be thankful for the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives to give us all the blessings of salvation and sweet communion with our risen Lord!

[1]John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries: Psalms 36-92(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 300.