Results 1 - 6 of 6
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Why did God wait to send the Holy Spirit | Joel 2:28 | Sir Pent | 113771 | ||
Wow, what a list............................................. Hi Makarios, I don't think I've ever seen so complete a list of places where the Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament. Thanks for that excellent post. To focus on the original question, you seem to be saying that God didn't wait at all to send the Holy Spirit, but rather that He was there from the beginning. Do I understand you correctly that you believe that the Holy Spirit was available to people throughout time in the same way that He is to us today. I only ask because some of the other answers I have recieved seem to think that there is a difference in the way the Holy Spirit was available in the OT and how He is available now. But you brought up good scriptural references for the Holy Spirit "filling" and "indwelling" people even in the Old Testament. So perhaps the answer to "Why did God wait" is that "He didn't". |
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2 | Why did God wait to send the Holy Spirit | Joel 2:28 | EdB | 113868 | ||
Sir Pent I think I see the flow of your question maybe better than when I first answered. In the Old Testament we see the Holy Spirit come upon men of God. He came down on them, was poured out on them, alighted on them, covered them, and was with them but we don't see that dwelled within them. In the New Testament we are told we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, that He dwells within us, we are infilled, or have an indwelling. Two different manifestations, one the Old Testament experience was for empowerment of a particular task. Whether that was to lead God's people, speak God's word, it was done under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The other the New Testament experience the Holy spirit comes as a companion, comforter, counselor, teacher, and master. His presence is permanent with us and He dwells within us. In both cases the Holy Spirit is given for God's service but in the New Testament He is also 'in' rather than 'on'. He becomes integral with us rather than just covering us. He empowers us in addition to working His power through us and for us. As to the timing, before the Holy Spirit could dwell within man, man had to be made holy. The Holy spirit will not dwell in an unholy vessel, before Jesus’ blood was poured out all men were in sin and therefore the Holy Spirit could/would not take residence within man. Therefore the answer to your question on the timing of the Holy Spirit I say the His timing was contingent on the salvation of man through Jesus Christ, which created the Holy vessel (temples) that were required for His inhabitance. EdB |
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3 | Why did God wait to send the Holy Spirit | Joel 2:28 | Sir Pent | 113979 | ||
Problem number 1............................ Hi EdB, Thanks for your response, but I have a couple problems with it. You seem to be saying that the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was "on" people but not "in" them. However, Makarios brought up several references where the Holy Spirit was "in" people of the Old Testament (Gen 41:38, Num 27:18, Dan 4:8, 5:11-14) Makarios also brought up references where the Holy Spirit even "filled" people in the Old Testament (Ex 31:3, Ex 35:31). Admitedly, these are a minority of references to the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Most of the time, He did come "on" people and not "in" them. However, it does show that this was not always the case. Another post in this thread referred to Gal 4:4-6, which refers to the Holy Spirit coming "into our hearts", which I don't think ever is mentioned in the Old Testament. Perhaps that is the true distinction that you are looking for. |
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4 | Why did God wait to send the Holy Spirit | Joel 2:28 | EdB | 113985 | ||
Sir Pent In reading these passages I see word "in" and "filled" being used in linguistic sense rather than stating foundational principals. The Spirit of God was “in” these people to accomplish God’s tasks and once that task was completed the Spirit of God that helped them accomplish that task withdrew. Unlike the relationship we have with Holy Spirit today which is continuing and eternal. EdB |
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5 | Why did God wait to send the Holy Spirit | Joel 2:28 | Sir Pent | 113993 | ||
My clarification 1........................................ Hi EdB, I disagree that the words "in" and "filled" don't really mean "in" and "filled" in the Old Testament. I also don't see in any of the passages that I quoted (Gen 41:38, Num 27:18, Dan 4:8, 5:11-14, Ex 31:3, Ex 35:31) that the Holy Spirit left those people. It seems to me that the difference between the Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments is not whether He was "in" or "on", and not whether He was there "temporarily" or "permanently". Galations 4:4-6 seems to say that the difference is that in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit now comes "into our hearts". What do you think? |
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6 | Why did God wait to send the Holy Spirit | Joel 2:28 | EdB | 113999 | ||
Sir Pent I like the idea of what your gleaning from Gal 4:4-6 however I do see a striking difference in relationship between man and God/Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament man was "filled" or the Holy Spirit came "upon", "in" and etc to empower man to accomplish God's task for that man at that time and place. Whether it was leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt or rebuilding the gates of Jerusalem God was with man, God inspired man, God directed and taught man. However the relationship broken by the fall of man was never overshadowed. In the New Testament we become the children of God and the Holy Spirit is much more in our lives than He was in the lives of Old Testament saints. EdB |
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