Additional “Spirit” Verses from Genesis to Song of Solomon
(This is Appendix “B” from Essay #1)
Several verses from Genesis to Song of Solomon, which deserve some comment, were not included in the main body of Essay #1. These verses were excluded from the primary text because there exists in them some ambiguity about whether the “spirit” in the verse is actually the Holy Spirit, the Spirit’s function in the text may not involve man, or some similar consideration.
Text | Spirit Reference | Comments |
Genesis 6:3 | “My spirit shall not abide in man forever.” | This reference is possibly tied to the creation imagery of God’s breathing life into man. If it is a reference to the Holy Spirit, the KJV’s idea of the Spirit’s striving with man should be remembered. 1 Peter 3:18-19 says that Jesus preached “in” the Spirit to mankind in the days of Noah. This was accomplished by the preacher, Noah, in his time. See comments on 1 Peter 3:18-19 in Essay #19: “The Work of the Holy Spirit from Peter, Jude, and John (1 Peter – Revelation)” |
Job 4:15 | “A spirit glided past my face” | In trying to condemn Job of sin, Eliphaz crafts what is likely a fabricated story of an appearance of a “spirit” in his life. His appeal to a spirit’s presence and his hearing of a voice (Job 4:16), illustrates that even in this ancient time, the work of spirits was seen as the bringing of authoritative revelations to man. |
Job 27:3 | “the spirit of God is in my nostrils.” | This spirit reference seems to be a clear reference to “breath” of God giving life to man. |
Job 32:8 | “the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty” | Elihu attributes man’s ability to reason, not to the passage of years (32:9-10), but to the spirit of man in him which comes from the breath of the Almighty. The reference is to man’s native intellect given to him in creation, not to some later impartation of the Holy Spirit |
Psalm 51:12 | “with a willing spirit” | This passage is tied to Psalm 51:11 about which the main essay has commented. While verse 11 is a statement about the Holy Spirit, the plea by David is here about the nature of his own spirit. |
Psalm 106:33 | “made his spirit bitter” | This is a direct reference to Moses’ spirit being agitated by the sin of Israel. What is worthy of note here is that the construction shows that it is the “spirit” which moves man to speak with his lips. When this truth is applied to God the application is the same (see 1 Corinthians 2:7-16). |
Psalm 139:7 | “go from your Spirit” | This passage is emphasizing the omnipresence of God. Man cannot flee from His Spirit or His presence. The Spirit, being divine, is omnipresent. However, this text does not affirm a specific function of the Spirit with man. |
Proverbs 1:23 | “pour out my spirit” | While this is likely not a direct reference to the Holy Spirit, its usage is important. Solomon’s desire in this text is to impart his wisdom to his “son” (1:8). To accomplish this he states he will “pour out” his spirit to his son; thereby, making his “words known” to him. The pouring out of one’s Spirit provides revelation. That is true for man’s spirit and God’s Spirit as well. |
Jonathan Jenkins
The Holy Spirit in Old Testament History
References to the work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian or in the church are rarely discussed in light of Old Testament revelation about the Holy Spirit. It seems that we take the words of the disciples of John in Acts 19 to mean that little to nothing about the Holy Spirit can be gleaned from the Old Testament, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:2).[2] However, their words do not accurately reflect what the Old Testament reveals about the Spirit.
The Beginning of Sin
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The Holy Spirit in Prophecy
A survey of the more than two dozen passages in written prophets of the Old Testament (Isaiah-Malachi) which refer to the Holy Spirit will show that those later prophets of Israel used the same language and their words carried the same meaning as did the words and meaning of those prophets contained in the earlier writings of the Old Testament.
