The thought is … as they say … “elementary.” Yet it is also a profound truth. Today’s Text is found in Zechariah 7:12, just a clause from that great Verse.

“Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and THE WORDS WHICH THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SENT IN HIS SPIRIT by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.”

Did you see my emphasis? The Lord has sent His Words (His Word, the Scriptures) to us … via His Holy Spirit!

This is now called the Bible doctrine of “Inspiration.”

The Hebrew verb “hath sent” is “shalach,” meaning “to sow” 3 times in the Bible! Jesus’ Parable immediately comes to mind! “A Sower went forth to sow ….”

The noun for God’s “words” here is “dabar,” meaning “speech, sayings, commandments,” usually verbal communication loaded with meaning, forethought, God’s very “logic!” (To me “dabar” in the Old Testament is much like “logos” in the New Testament.)

The preposition “be” (Hebrew, pronounced “bey”) is here translated “in.” God sent His Word … “in” … the Person of His Spirit. It can also mean “through” His Spirit.

Wow!

Paul echoes the same fact in Second Timothy 3:16. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The word list “given by inspiration of God” translates just one Greek verbal, “theopneustos.” Meaning “God Breathed!”

Zechariah and Paul agree, both being directed by the Holy Spirit, of Whom we are speaking. Concerning Whom I am writing.

So when we pick up our Bibles, we must realize afresh the Source of its Truth! God … God the Holy Spirit! And then (it would help) realaize that He is also (the Author of the Word) living within our hearts as Believers in Jesus! No wonder we “see” such Wisdom and Beauty and Practicality as we study the Bible! (The Very Author indwells us, whispers His intent concerning any given Passage … directly into our ears!)

Yet the people of Zechariah’s day still did not respond to the Word of God! “Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.”

They did not listen!

Will you?

Will we?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

This “Holy Spirit” Verse is well-known.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Found in Zechariah 4:6 … multitudes quote it daily.

I understand the Sentence to be teaching us that God’s Vehicle for accomplishing things on earth … IS HIS SPIRIT, HIS HOLY SPIRIT.

I’m not saying the Holy Spirit cannot use “might.” He can. The noun “chaiyl” is translated “army/armies” 56 times in the Bible! And “hosts” another 29 times.

And He is too able to utilize “power” in His work. “Koach” means “to be firm,” unbending. It is usually said to mean “strength, force, ability,” such words practically being synonyms. Sheer brute might!

But the Holy Spirit is not dependent on any of those catalysts.

He is the “Doer” of the Godhead!

Through His “Spirit” God works!

For example, Jesus Death. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14

And Job 26:13 tells us that God: “BY HIS SPIRIT he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.” The “serpent” is one of the constellations of the heavens! God created through the Agency of His Spirit!

Our dead bodies some day, when Jesus comes again, will be raised from their graves and transformed into glorified bodies! Here’s how: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies BY HIS SPIRIT that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11, Wow!

Furthermore, we are “taught” by the Spirit of God! “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us BY HIS SPIRIT: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” 1st Corinthians 2:9-10

I hope these three examples will help illustrate my point today.

God has ordained His SPIRIT as the great Worker in executing the Will of the Trinity!

We don’t need an army.

We don’t need exercise equipment or brawny bodyguards.

We NEED God the Holy Spirit!

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

I bow in reverence to the Truth of this verse.

“Oh, Holy Spirit, how we need Thee!”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

WE PRAY A BLESSED THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!

Listen to an Old Testament Prophet, a “Minor” Prophet he is labeled today: “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.” Micah 3:8

The POWER of the Holy Spirit!

The Hebrew verb “male” not only means “to be full, to be satisfied,” but also “to be consecrated, replenished, satisfied,” and even twice “to be overflowed!”

Oh, to be THAT controlled and indwelt by the Holy Spirit!

The noun “power” (spelled “koach”) means “to be firm, strong.” At least its root word does. Also “might, force, ability, wealth.”

“By” is a particle (preposition) meaning “together with.”

So I can declare with Bible authority … the Holy Spirit of God is the Divine Agent of Power!

After His 40 days of Temptation, defeating the devil at every turn … Luke 4:14 tells us of Jesus: “And Jesus returned in THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT  into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.”

The Lord Himself … empowered by the Holy Spirit!

Today, Thanksgiving Day, let’s all ask our Heaven Father to so endue us. With the fullness of His Spirit, the Spirit Who empowers us to live acceptably to our Redeemer!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

I recall years ago hearing a Preacher tell us that he prayed dozens of times a day, in fact hundreds of times some days … “God give me the Power of Thy Spirit! Oh, Lord give me Power!”

Wow!

 

Just a clause today, from Isaiah 63:14. But remember first that several days ago we studied the Holy Spirit “resting” on Jesus. Indeed! He “rests” on us too, in fact more than that. He verily “indwells” us as New Testament Believers in Jesus!

Yet the Bible says even more of Him. “The Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest.” Isaiah 63:10, not just the Spirit resting “on” someone … but CAUSING HIM OR HER TO REST AS WELL!

The Holy Spirit is then, in a godly sense, the “Giver” of rest!

To be candid, Isaiah 63:14 is talking about a beast, an animal. But then that animal is likened to the Children of Israel, favorably so this time. “As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: SO DIDST THOU lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.” (Giving them rest, too, being implied.)

The verb translated “caused to rest” is “nuach.” It’s in the Hiphil stem (Hebrew grammar) and demands that whatever action is being depicted, it is a “caused” event!

The Holy Spirit “causes” rest in our lives!

Paul (Galatians 5:22) teaches is that one of the foremost traits of the Holy Spirit Himself is “Peace.” He is the Peace Causer of the Trinity!

Of course there exists the “Peace of God,” too, God the Father. Paul again calls Him “the God of Peace” in Romans 15:33, in prayer, a benediction.

Jesus is a Peace Bringer as well. Listen to Him in John 14:27. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

But the Holy Spirit is first mentioned doing this, bringing rest out of turmoil! In fact, one might call Genesis 1:2 an illustration of the Holy Spirit bringing Peace, Order, and Tranquility out of a raging flood! “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD moved upon the face of the waters.” Then soon “peace” has come and God is calling things “good!”

Oh, how I personally need this Lesson today.

I need probably to sleep more, better realizing that real “rest” is a gift of God! Psalm 127:2 thunders: “For so He (our great God) giveth his beloved sleep.”

I need to take more time “off,” a day here and there to better realize the beautiful things of God.  Enjoying the sweet “rest” the Holy Spirit wants “to cause” in my life!

Well, that’s my thought for today, from the Bible.

I do know this. Without the smile of the Holy Spirit … there is not rest!

Truth!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Goodness! I just realized I did not fully define the verb “rest,” or “nuach.” It means once “to cease” from wearisome labor! Once “to be confederate” with someone! The closer He is to me, the more I will peacefully rest! Once to be “quiet.” Once “to settle down.” And naturally, 55 more times in Scripture … “nuach” means “to rest.”

 

Another Verse about the Holy Spirit!

Isaiah 63:10 teaches us: “But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit.”

Everything hinges on that verb, “vexed.” Am I being taught the Spirit of God can indeed be “vexed? Because of “rebellion?”

Yes!

By the way, “to rebel” (in Hebrew “marah,” which means “to disobey, to be contentious, to provoke, to be bitter”) is one of the ways a person allows the devil to have “place” in their lives. To rebel against God. (“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” 1st Samuel 15:23)

And just how does the Holy Spirit react to my misbehavior?

He is “vexed!”

Spelled “atzsab,” the word means “to cause pain!” Or “to displease.” Including “to hurt, to make sorry, to grieve!”

The verb here is (Hebrew grammar) a Piel stem! Vigorous action, energetic sinning! Intensive “grieving” of the Holy Spirit!

Wow!

Then, the Holy Spirit is not an “it!”

The Holy Spirit is a “Person!”

We say “The Third Person Of The Godhead.”

A Person with “feelings!”

He can rejoice!

He can encourage!

And He can be hurt!

What kind of relationship do I have with Him … right now?

How about you?

And if I deliberately, stubbornly, knowingly, “hurt” (disobey) the Holy Spirit … are there any consequences?

Apparently so. Because Isaiah 63:10 continues. “But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit: THEREFORE HE WAS TURNED TO BE THEIR ENEMY, AND HE FOUGHT AGAINST THEM.” 

The Holy Spirit “for” me, as I obey my Lord.

Or the Holy Spirit “against” me … as I rebel!

What an important choice!

God the Spirit as my “Comforter.”

Or God the Spirit as my “enemy.”

What a Verse this morning.

“But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit: therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them.”

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell