The more I study Scripture, the more I am impressed with the parallels between the Old Testament and the New. Many, many times the New Testament repeats, rewords, further explains the Old Testament!

Today’s Lesson on the “Holy Spirit” provides an example.

“Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” Wisdom speaking in Proverbs 1:23, Wisdom as an attribute of Almighty God.

Now Jesus, God the Son, in John 16:13. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.”

Yes, parallel for sure!

The Holy Spirit is our Teacher, the Communicator of Truth.

Notice the first verb Solomon uses, God uses, in the Proverbs text. “Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” The “will pour out” translation utilizes “naba” from the Hebrew language. It is “causative” in nature, there being a “reason” God does this! This whole “outpouring” is caused by God in Heaven! His idea! His strength involved! His intelligence! Furthermore the idea of “time” built into the verb is that of “duration.” God is still pouring out His Spirit!

The word “naba” means “to flow, to gush, to bubble,” and once in the King James Version “to belch out.” The word only occurs 11 times in the whole Bible.

God’s “Spirit” here is again represented by the noun “ruach,” God’s very Breath! The Spirit is God! Our Triune God.

And once the Spirit has been deluged … “knowledge” comes! “Will make known” is “yada” in Hebrew, with God again causing this education to occur. The God Who teaches is the God Who facilitates our enlightenment, our illumination, our very learning!

No real internalizing and understanding of the word of God occurs … apart from the ministry of the sweet Holy Spirit.

Cause and effect.

The Holy Spirit … then learning God’s Words.

No wonder the Psalmist prayed to the Lord: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” Psalm 119:18

Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

One must be careful not to build “doctrine” on obscure verses of Scripture. Especially without parallel Texts, elsewhere in the Word of God. But I still think I’m safe in writing what follows.

Here’s today’s thought from the Bible, concerning the “Spirit” of God, the “Holy Spirit” we call Him today. Job 34:14-15 observes: “If he (God) set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.”

Wow!

We’ve just been told that the Spirit of God is essential to life itself!

That He is the Sustainer of humanity!

In other words (restating the verses above) … If God set His Mind to it, if God recalled His Spirit (the word “breath” is a synonym for “Spirit”), all life (flesh) would perish (cease to exist), altogether so! Man would decompose, returning of the dust of the earth!

Wow again!

I already realized that Jesus sustained life. Paul wrote of our Lord in Colossians 1:17, “By Him all this consist.” With “consist” (in Greek “sunistao”) meaning “to stick together!”

But I did not realize (until this morning) that the Holy Spirit is that essential to our very existence as well! I should have. After all … He, the Spirit, is God!

Maybe the Holy Spirit “withholds” evil on earth … to that extent! Should He be “recalled,” worldly life would rot beyond usefulness, self-destruct!

Maybe without the Holy Spirit, all vestiges of kindness, every shred of mercy and grace and love, would disintegrate as well! Again, should that be the case, the world could no longer stand!

Maybe without the Holy Spirit, sane logic and intelligence and reasoning would disappear. I do know that in the Tribulation, when the Spirit is “withdrawn” to some extent, mankind soon believes “the lie!” The “line” the Anti-Christ shall use! “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He (the Holy Spirit) who now letteth (hinder) will let, until He be taken out of the way (out of the midst). And then shall that Wicked be revealed.” Paul in Second Thessalonians 2:7-8.

I’m swimming in waters way over my head today!

The utter NECESSITY of God the Holy Spirit’s Presence!

Our Text one more time. ““If he (God) set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; ALL FLESH SHALL PERISH together, and MAN SHALL TURN AGAIN UNTO DUST.”

What a noble, exalted, inspired view of the Holy Spirit of God!

Worth pondering all day long.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

The word is “omnipresent.”

It is the capability of being “everywhere at once!”

Only God possesses such an attribute.

Including God the Holy Spirit!

The Psalmist David writes of this fact, addressing the Almighty. “Whither shall I go from THY SPIRIT? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10

That first question is overwhelming!

“WHITHER SHALL I GO FROM THY SPIRIT?”

The answer, as the context illustrates, is “nowhere.”

God’s Spirit is everywhere!

Simultaneously!

Without any time/space limitations!

He was active in Creation!

And will be active at Armageddon!

From the second verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:2 … to the last paragraph of the Bible, Revelation 22:17, the Holy Spirit is present, by Name!

Wow!

From east to west!

North to south!

Including you, inhabiting you, possibly filling you … dear Christian friend!

My point early this Saturday morning, a travel day for Brother Bagwell, ENJOY His Presence, the Holy Spirit’s.

Paul said in Second Corinthians 13:14 that we can “commune” with the Holy Spirit! Such communion is, in Greek, the word “koinonia,” meaning “companionship, comradery, partnership, fellowship,” all thrilling words in this “Holy Spirit” context.

Friends, He will be with you everywhere you go today.

Acknowledge Him.

Do NOT offend Him! (Grieve Him not, nor quench Him!)

Enjoy what He brings to your heart and mind!

And remember, you can never really “go from His Presence!”

Jonah tried, to no avail.

When you pray, He is interpreting your prayer in Heaven. When you read the Bible, He is explaining the Text. When you are tempted, He is enforcing your faith. When you are discouraged, He is your Comforter!

Mercy, why would anyone ever want to go from His Presence?

Oh the joy of living … after Pentecost!

Really, the dispensation of the Holy Spirit!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Yes, the Book of Job has a lot to say about the “Spirit.”

Though today some of my readers will think I have “stretched” the verse a little! Yet I do believe the “truth” I’m explaining is valid.

Our Text today: “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” Job 32:8

There seems to be a “parallel” set of words in our verse. The “spirit” in man and the “Inspiration” of the Almighty! And the One teaches the other!

The “inspiration of the Almighty” here gives understanding, prudence, wisdom, discernment (all synonyms) to the “spirit” in man!

This is the same idea Paul elucidates in Romans 8:16. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Here’s God’s HOLY SPIRIT “bearing witness” (communing together) with our human “spirit,” thus proving we are indeed “saved” by the Grace of God!

Again I say, that’s a lot like Job 32:8. “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”

The word for “spirit” as concerning “man” is “ruach,” used a total of 378 times in the Bible (Old Testament) and the normal word for the Holy Spirit as well. It means (in addition to “spirit” of course) “breath, wind, air,” and even “courage” once! (Joshua 2:11 is the “courage” instance.)

And the noun for “inspiration” is “neshamah,” rare indeed, found only 24 times in Scripture! It means “breath, spirit,” and even “blast” (of air) 3 times! It is derived from the verb “nasham,” meaning “to pant” and is used of a woman in labor pangs, about to give birth! A very strong word indeed!

God’s MIGHTY Spirit, energized and intense, instructing me!

My innermost being, my human “spirit!”

Wow!

PROOF I am saved!

Here’s our Job verse in action, quoting Jesus Himself now! “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26

Job again: “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”

All I can do or say … is bow and worship my Heavenly king, my Lord and Saviour … and praise His Name, thanking Him for the education!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Everyone knows the Holy Spirit aided in creation! We see Him there before “light” was even called into existence. “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. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:2-3

But the Book of Job adds to the discussion!

Especially Job chapter 26, where verse 13 beautifully announces of God: “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens ….”

Wow!

Creation again, using a Piel stem verb (in Hebrew suggesting great vigor, energetic action, fervency of purpose) spelled “shiprah” (translated “hath garnished”).

God, via the Holy Spirit, “made to glisten” the Heavens! Made the stars shine!

Yes, “shiprah” is a “hapax legomenon” in Scripture. That means the exact word is only found once in all the Bible, here in Job 26:13.

But its “root” means “to be pleasing, to be beautiful, to be bright.”

And aren’t the “heavens” just that?

Next clear night, go outside and look upward!

And the stronger telescopes and amazing outer-space viewing platforms we have today … merely accent our verse!

What color!

What span, distance, light years of power!

What awe His Handiwork inspires!

Yes, Job is right, of course. “By His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) He (God the Father) hath garnished the heavens ….” His “fingerprints” are in the sky!

But also, “by His Spirit,” He has saved my soul!

“By His Spirit” He sanctifies our lives!

“By His Spirit” He teaches us the Word of God!

“By His Spirit” He convicts me of wrongdoing!

Is there no end to the workings of God the Holy Spirit?

The universe his canvas, the Holy Spirit is God’s Artist Supreme!

By the way, is He “garnishing” your life today?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell