Every year, we receive information about new products — new cell phones, computers, and tablets. New cars, new houses, new software, new books, new detergent, new laws, new lawmakers, new exercises, new diets, new clothes. And often the sales pitch for these items goes something like this: “It’s the same brand you’ve always loved, but better.”
There is a temptation to think the same way about the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, as if the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was somehow deficient and needed improvement and when the necessary changes were made He was unleashed on the New Testament church.
However, while it is true the Holy Spirit operated in different ways in the Old Testament, He was not a different Holy Spirit from the One in the New Testament. Some of His functions changed, but His essence was wholly unchanged.
We see many of the same operations of the Spirit in the Old Testament as in the New:
He restrained sin (Gen. 6:3).
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” (Gen. 6:3)
He empowered and equipped OT saints spiritually (and even “naturally”). And not only did He empower believers in the OT, but He is even said at times to indwell them (Num. 27:18; Ezk. 2:2; 3:24).
“Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.” [Num. 11:17; also Saul (1 Sam. 16:14) and David (Ps. 51:10-12)]
“You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me.” (Ex. 28:3; also 31:1-11)
“The Spirit of the LORD came upon him [Othniel], and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.“ (Judges 3:10; also Gideon, 6:34 and Samson, Judges 14-19)
Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said to me, “Say, ‘Thus says the LORD, “So you think, house of Israel, for I know your thoughts.…”’” (Ezk. 11:5; also Micah 3:8)
He inspired Scripture, that is, He was the originator and source of Scripture.
Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, and the man who was raised on high declares, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.” (2 Sam. 23:1-2)
“However, You bore with them for many years, And admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets…” (Neh. 9:30)
So how was the Holy Spirit’s work different in the Old Testament?
The Holy Spirit’s ministry was limited in number. That is, not every OT saint received the HS. Cf. Gen. 41:38 (Joseph); Judges 3:10: 6:34; 11:29; 14:26; 1 Sam. 10:10 (Saul); 16:13 (David); Dan. 4:9 (Daniel). It is clear that not every OT saint was indwelt by the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit’s ministry was limited in duration. Once one received the Spirit, He did not necessarily stay for the rest of their lives. (E.g., Samson in Judg. 16:20, Saul in 1 Sam. 16:14, and David in Ps. 51:11.)
The Holy Spirit was for special (not universal) service. The Holy Spirit came to equip men to do specific tasks, and then often left. (E.g., Moses in Num. 11 and the Judges in that book.)
The Holy Spirit’s saving work was incomplete because Christ had not died and was not resurrected. So the Spirit could not make men members of the body of Christ; He could not baptize them into one body (1 Cor. 12:13).
In summary, the Holy Spirit has not changed, but His revelation and functions changed in the New Testament — and that has been to the great benefit of the believer in Christ.
In the Holy Spirit, we have been given a unique and special gift. When God says He has given us His Spirit as a guarantee of our salvation (Eph. 1:13-14), we have a gift that the OT saints did not have as we do. As a member of the Triune Godhead, He is the same today as He was then; He has not changed for better or worse, He has not developed, matured, or grown. All that He is as God He always has been and always will be.
What is different is not what the Spirit is, but what is different is that the Spirit has been gifted by the Son to every believer (Jn. 14:16-17, 26) so that every believer might enjoy His unique and infinite power for sanctification and service.
Photo by Shuken Nakamura on Unsplash.
Words of Grace 