Living in the Presence of God: A Study of the Holy Spirit Week 3: The Holy Spirit in the Torah pt. 2

b. Not like an Agatha Christie mystery in which there is an unknown (murder), and the job of the investigator is to find the answer to the unknown (the murderer).

c. Mysterion is to be pondered and meditated upon with the knowledge that the mystery will never actually be solved because our minds are finite and God is infinite.

d. The Holy Spirit, the presence of God, is a mystery – He can be known, felt, and experienced.

e. However He can never be fully known, felt, or experienced.

II. Exodus

a. Burning Bush

i. Exodus 3:1-22 – commissioning for ministry

ii. Vs. 2 – “the angel of YHWH” – this is a Christophany or an appearance of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures.

iii. Presence of fire that doesn’t burn – fire is an image of God’s Spirit.

iv. Vs. 4 – God called Moses.

v. Vs. 5 – God’s holiness is revealed – the bush, consumed with the fire of God’s Spirit, tendered by the Son (the angel of YHWH), projected the words of the Father.

vi. Remember this imagery when we come to Acts 2!

b. The artists

i. Moving ahead, Israel has been freed from slavery, has moved to the wilderness, has received the 10 commandments, and the beginnings of the Law.

ii. After Israel agreed to live by the Law, Moses returned to Mount Sinai and received the instructions about the Tabernacle (more on that shortly).

iii. YHWH calls out an artist, Bezalel, who will contribute to the building of the Tabernacle.

1. Exodus 31:1-5 - “Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel (Shadow of God’s protection) son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with Ruach Elohim, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft."

2. Exodus 35:30-33 - "Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Ruach Elohim, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft."

3. The first person mentioned in scripture to be filled with Ruach Elohim is an artist charged with making items for the Tabernacle.

4. His artistic abilities were also spiritual gifts.

c. The Tabernacle

i. Ex 40:34-38 The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD (kebod YHWH) filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey. If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.

ii. God’s glory is another image of the Holy Spirit – God’s holy presence. Clouds are like air that, although visible, is not something one can hold or contain. Fire is also used in this imagery.

iii. The Presence of God was present in the Tabernacle, but even Moses could not approach it (until the Law of Leviticus was given). The Holy Spirit rested on two artists for a limited time and then rested in a tent – but not in people. Not yet.

d. The Temple

i. Read 2 Chronicles 7:1-4

ii. Similar language to the Tabernacle

iii. However, God’s presence is conditional. 1 Kings 9:1-9

iv. This is the essence of the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Scripture – God’s presence is conditional on humans being obedient and faithful.

III. Numbers

a. Chapter 11 - Moses is receiving some help from 70 elders.

b. Numbers 11:16–17 - The LORD answered Moses, “Bring me seventy men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you. Then I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the Spirit who is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.

c. Vs. 25-26 - "Then the LORD descended in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the Spirit who was on Moses and placed the Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they never did it again. Two men had remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the other Medad; the Spirit rested on them—they were among those listed, but had not gone out to the tent—and they prophesied in the camp."

d. YHWH takes a portion of His Spirit and places it upon the 70, and they immediately begin to prophecy.

e. It did not last.

f. Also notice, two of the 70 were not at the tent of meeting, but the Spirit rested on them as well.

g. God commissioned the 70 with a type of baptism of His Spirit, and they were gifted temporarily with a prophetic gift, but the gift did not last.

IV. Joshua

a. Numbers 27:18 - "The LORD replied to Moses, 'Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit (ruach) in him, and lay your hands on him.'"

b. Deut 34:9 - "Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom (ruach hokmah) because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses."

c. Moses had the Spirit of God on/in him in order to lead Israel through the wilderness. Joshua had the Spirit of God / Wisdom in order to lead Israel into the Promised Land.

d. Ruach Hokmah is God’s Spirit – Proverbs 2:6

V. Summation – The role of the Holy Spirit in the Torah:

a. Creation – presence with humans before the fall, damaged after the fall. The Spirit makes dead, purposeless things alive and full of order. The artists creating the Tabernacle

b. Judgement - Flood

c. Commission – The 70, the artists, the Tabernacle (Temple), and Joshua.

d. The Ruach Elohim, which is the presence of God, is conditional and can be rejected and lost.

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