Holy Spirit – Old Testament Survey

Psalm 26

Have God examine your heart today.

This psalm begins and ends with the desire to bring blessing to the covenant God of Israel (יְֽהוָה). David sees a way for this to occur in his life through his integrity, his moral uprightness or righteousness. We find this can only be found in a person who has a right relationship with God and who walks in fellowship with Him.

Due to the topic of this psalm, David’s integrity and God’s grace, many declare that this psalm was written before his failing with Bathsheba. However, the false accusations and the mood of the psalm place it about the time of Absalom’s rebellion with all the false accusations coming against David. This is why it is placed here, in this study, and not prior to 2 Samuel 11.

The words of David, to some, seem proud and boisterous. However, they are no different from his words in Psalm 139.23 where he asks God to search his heart.

Someone once said, “Look at others and be distressed; look at self and be depressed; look at Jesus and you will be blessed.” The thoughts of this anonymous saying present themselves in this psalm. David encourages us to look and examine ourselves (1-5), to focus ourselves on the God of our covenant (6-10), and continue to serve Him (11-12). The only way to truly be blessed is to realize that we are servants of the Most High and serve others in His name. This is true life.

Verses 1-5-Are you living the life God created for you to live? Examine yourself today. Read our study on Psalm 1 for a call to examine your life.

Verses 6-10-When we look at ourselves, we can get depressed. When we look to others, we can get upset or frustrated or proud. When we focus on God, we can walk on water and we can also see the standard to which He has called us. It is not us or our world that is our standard, it is He who created us who is the standard (Romans 3.23).

In verses 3–5, David presents six reasons for his integrity:

He calls on God’s grace, not his works.
He basis his daily walk on the truth of God’s Word, not his desires, which only someone indwelt with the Spirit of God can claim.
He proclaims that he has not joined in with others whose purpose is to walk away from God.
He refuses to walk with those who have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3.1-5).
He does not gather together with those who seek to do evil. The congregation he seeks is where he can serve God by serving others.
He refuses to commune with those who propose wickedness. He knows he sits at God’s table (see our study of Psalm 23).

How do you measure up to these six reasons?

Verses 11-12-God calls us, knows us, will conform us ultimately into the image of His Son; He called us, He made us righteous, and He will bring it to completion (Romans 8.28-30 and Philippians 1.6). It is all about Him, not us. He has chosen to use His body, the church, as the chosen instrument to help our conformity to His image through the work of the Holy Spirit. Are you involving yourself in the local congregation? Are you actively praising God by serving others there? If not, you are not walking in integrity. This is the heart of this psalm, David’s desire to worship God with God’s people (6-8). David knew in order to do this he needed to be a man in right relationship with God and in fellowship with Him. Jesus stated this in Matthew 5.23-24.

Have God examine your heart today.

Psalm 2

What would you say about the kingship of Christ in your life? How does His reign manifest itself in your life?

Psalm 2

This is the first messianic psalm in the Psalter. It is quoted often in the New Testament as applying to Jesus’ ministry on earth (Acts 4.25; 13.33; Hebrews 1.5; 5.5). It completes the thoughts, also, from Psalm 1. The first psalm dealt with the righteous and ungodly individual, and the second psalm deals with the righteous and ungodly king or kingdom.

After reading through this psalm, a question is given: what happens when rulers defy God? What does it mean to defy or conspire against God? Would our present nation be classified as having rulers who defy God, attempting to go beyond His Word or without His Word? Can we apply these same questions to a country, such as ours, that does not proclaim to be a Bible-believing nation? What parameters does Psalm 2.1-2 have for us today?

Romans 13 reminds us that no authority is placed in power outside of God granting it power. Although this creates many questions in cases like Hitler, it also sheds light on our government. Neither this psalm nor Romans 13 places stipulations on what type of government, all are under the authority of God. If He places them in power, they are responsible to Him and will be blessed or cursed based on the relationship the leader has with God and based on the relationship the people of that government have with God. When the chapter closes, it closes with a command for the kings and all creation to be subject to God in five ways:

Be wise
Be warned
Serve the Lord
Kiss the Son, which means to embrace Him, to believe in Him, to not be ashamed of Him (Acts 16.31). Can you picture Mary at the cross kissing the feet of her Son (view the Passion of the Christ for a graphic display of this)?
Rejoice or live in His blessing

With this being said, the psalm has traditionally been divided into four parts:

a description of the plans of the wicked )1–3)
the Father’s laughter from heaven (4–6)
the Son’s declaration of the Father’s decree (7–9)
the Spirit’s instruction to obey the Son (10–12)

What would you say about the kingship of Christ in your life? How does His reign manifest itself in your life?

If there are questions on this psalm, submit it to Pastor David.

Psalm 133

When the unity God has given us is lived out, we are blessed and we bless those around us as-well. We live the life God created for us to live and we are blessed. We also display the love of God in such a way that those around us want that life too.

Psalm 133 (Possibly written after 1 Chronicles 12.38 occurred; read the study.)

Verse 1-This short psalm focuses our attention on unity (as does Jesus in John 17). This is also a Psalm of Ascents with David as the author. Therefore, the focus of the unity is found in Zion, or Jerusalem. A summary of the passage, then, could be: In order to dwell together in unity we need to participate in corporate worship together. Hebrews 10.19-25 focuses on our need to assemble together. It is housed in a passage on accountability (Hebrews 10.26-31).

Verse 2-Looking at the imagery in verse two we see hyperbole being used to represent the all-consuming grace of God pouring over the unified tribes. The High Priest wore a breastplate on which were the twelve stones representing each tribe. As God’s Spirit or grace, the oil, was poured down, it encompassed all the tribes. The unity was there, now it is blessed by the presence of God.

Verse 3-Mount Hermon is geographically for the Israelites what Aaron was spiritually for them. God proclaimed that He would bless the Israelites with water from Mount Hermon (Leviticus 25.21 and Deuteronomy 28.8). This blessing comes through the source of the Jordan River and through the gathering of clouds that produces the rain (or the dew) for the entire land. God uses His creation to bless His creatures.

David proclaims unity that needs to be lived out. The unity is there, but it needs to be acted. Jesus proclaims our unity. We do not need to pray for unity, but we need to live out that unity (Ephesians 4). If you notice, the unity in Ephesians is also couched in the concept of corporate worship and the working out of the gifts with which the Holy Spirit has endowed each believer. How are you holding yourself accountable through the unifying presence of God in the lives of fellow believers?

An outside link to Mount Hermon.

Psalm 121

Verses 1-2-This verse has been used in songs to describe God’s help (“I Lift My Eyes Up”). Yet it is describing God’s help as contrary to the help others have received from the mountains (Jeremiah 3, particularly verse 23). Our help does not come from the mountains, as some suppose. The mountains are a source of danger, corruption, and syncretism. Our help comes from the God of Heaven. We look to the Creator for our help and not as the pagans who look to the creation. This is mentioned a few psalms later (Psalm 124.8)

Psalm 121

This is another Psalm of Ascents, or Pilgrim Psalms.

Verses 1-2-This verse has been used in songs to describe God’s help (“I Lift My Eyes Up“). Yet it is describing God’s help as contrary to the help others have received from the mountains (Jeremiah 3, particularly verse 23). Our help does not come from the mountains, as some suppose. The mountains are a source of danger, corruption, and syncretism. Our help comes from the God of Heaven. We look to the Creator for our help and not as the pagans who look to the creation. This is mentioned a few psalms later (Psalm 124.8)

Verses 3-4-The writer proclaims and praises who God is in these two verses.

Verses 5-6-Again, the writer praises God for who He is and for what He does.

Verses 7-8-Again, the writer is praising God.

This psalm is called a pilgrim psalm because it describes what God does for the pilgrim on his way to Jerusalem for the holy days. Reading through the psalm using a traveler as a walking metaphor, we can understand this better.

When we travel, we seek protection from robbers and the elements. Here the traveler seeks God’s protection from the scorching heat and the robbers by night. On the journey, they seek God’s firm foothold where their feet will walk. God provides protection from robbers because He needs no sleep, He provides protection from the elements because He is greater than they are, and He keeps them on the right path because He knows the beginning from the end.

On our journey through life, are we asking God to be our Guide and Protector? This is one of the benefits of having the Holy Spirit indwell us as believers. He is Protector and Guide in our journey through life (John 14.16-31 and 16.5-15). God protects us 24 hours a day. He keeps us all the time. The word “keep” is used six times in this chapter. He indeed cares for us. He keeps us to the very end (Jude 24).

1 Samuel 28.3-25

Today we are going to look at an unpopular passage in the Bible. Many people today look at their horoscope, conduct seances (Isaiah 8.19), play with an Ouija board, and things like that thinking it is okay to do. First Samuel 28.3-25 and Deuteronomy 18.9-14 informs us that God looks on such things as from the devil. The judgment for people who practice these things is death (Exodus 22.18 and Leviticus 20.27). Moreover, this also was a cause of Saul’s own death (1 Chronicles 10.13). Sorcery is listed in Galatians 5.20 as a fruit of the flesh, which must be rejected. In the book of Acts, Peter and Paul (Acts 8.9-13 and 13.6-12) reject sorcerers. As mentioned above, even seemingly innocent games that are associated with the occult can open the door to serious problems.

Saul has really gone downhill by now. He is a few chapters away from dying and he is getting desperate for help. Verse three reminds us what had happened in 1 Samuel 25.1, which was Samuel’s death. This incident caused David to flee to the wilderness and left Saul without any counsel. He did well in that he expelled from Israel all the mediums and wizards.

Saul had been pursuing David for so long, it seems as though he forgot the real enemy in the Philistines. When the Philistines encamped against him, Saul had nowhere to turn. Samuel was gone, David was living with the Philistines, and God would not speak to Saul even through the prophets. Since God had left him to his own devices, God did not answer Saul’s prayers (Proverbs 1.20–33). However, one of his servants told him of a medium who did not leave the country and was still living in Endor (think Samaria). Why does he have someone in his house that knows of this medium and who has not informed Saul earlier so he might expel her too? We all have these remnants in our houses. What sin is it that you continue to commit and refuse to expel?

Saul sought her out, deceived her, and sinned. The medium was asked by Saul to conjure Samuel. Something in the text makes us wonder if she was ever really able to contact anyone because of her reaction when Samuel actually appeared. All in attendance were afraid.

Saul is reminded of the consequences of his earlier sin of disobeying God, which is the removal of the kingly line from his house to David’s house and Saul’s death. It becomes a reality in this chapter when Samuel tells Saul that Saul with die before the next day is over. We need to understand that we will face the consequences of our sins even as Christians. We will not face the ultimate consequence of eternal damnation but will face the immediate consequences. Saul’s kingdom was removed. What area of your life has been affected because of your sin? Has an area where you once dominated left? Could it be from sin? Saul lived in fear. What area of your life are you fearful? Could it be from sin? God no longer spoke to Saul. When we sin, God will not be in fellowship with us. Do you need to repent of sin to restore your fellowship with God?

Saul’s health fell into question in this chapter too. He was weak due to the news he received and due to his sin. He was also weak due to not eating or sleeping properly. How are you doing with your nutrition and sleep? God created us in such a way that we will make bad decisions if we do not follow His Word and follow the needs He created in us. We are meant to eat and rest to ensure our health. How are you doing?

1 Samuel 18-19

A review of the regression of Saul seems appropriate here. He is chosen by God as a result of the disobedience of the people (1 Samuel 10, cf. Jeremiah 2 particularly verse 13 and Isaiah 50).

A review of the regression of Saul seems appropriate here. He is chosen by God as a result of the disobedience of the people (1 Samuel 10, cf. Jeremiah 2 particularly verse 13 and Isaiah 50). He receives the Holy Spirit temporarily. Remember that this is an Old Testament phenomenon. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit permanently indwells believers. After his willful rebellion against God, God replaces him with David (1 Samuel 16.13-14). The Spirit is removed from Saul and placed on David. This sets the stage for all that is to come through the rest of 1 Samuel. Our passage today begins in this milieu. David and Jonathan become great friends. Saul seems pleased with all that is occurring. The three of them battle the Philistines and are victorious. The people proclaim God’s work in and through both Saul and David. Saul becomes enraged, jealous, and seeks to kill David from that moment. He does not see God’s work but his. This returns us to the opening verses of 1 Samuel 17 where Saul is focused on himself, not God. When we focus on what we are doing and not on what God is doing, envy, jealousy, strife, anger, rage, etc. (Galatians 5.16-26) become our “fruit.” This is what happened with Saul.

God gives us over to our desires. Since Saul desired to disobey God and not walk in the Spirit, God gave him a spirit that was likened to his desires–an evil one. It is evidence here that Saul has gone crazy. The rest of his career is characterized by vengeance and violence against one who seeks Saul’s best. The remainder of Saul’s life is in pursuit of killing the one who refuses to kill him. What primary goal do you have in life? Is it pursuing your passions or God’s will? When we pursue our desires apart from God, we live insanely (reread Galatians 5.16ff). When we follow God’s will, we are blessed with the life we desire because we are in alignment with His will for us (Matthew 6.33 and 16.24-26).

We see Saul desiring to be part of David’s life in that he admired David’s accomplishments. But his desire to be number one consumed him and he demoted the one who was able to help him. Even in this demoted state, David grew in popularity, was successful, and even Saul stood in awe of him because David was walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This motif continues throughout this chapter and the rest of the book. Saul tries to defeat David with many snares, David is victorious, and Saul gets angrier. At times, although sad, it is comical. Think about someone you know that became angry and then began to act foolishly. This is Saul.

He thinks if he can trick David into wanting to marry any daughter of his that David will die by the hand of the Philistines. His logic, “I don’t want David as a son-in-law, but if I can get him to want to marry my daughter he will have to pay a dowry. He won’t be able to afford it. So, I will make it the death of one-hundred Philistines. He will die in the battle. My daughter won’t have to marry him because he will be dead.” Foolish. If God is for us, who can be against us? No one! His planned failed, of course. David defeated the Philistines, his daughter Michal loved David, David became more famous, and Saul’s anger grew.
To make matters worse, Saul’s son Jonathan became David’s best friend. Jonathan even knew that David would take the throne from him. Jonathan was joyful about his because he knew this was God’s will. He didn’t think that because he was a prince that he had a right to the throne, it was in God’s hand. This is in line with what Christ did for us in Philippians 2.5-11.

In chapter 19 Saul’s family intercedes for David and helps him escape from the evil Saul planned for David. David flees to Ramah (just north of Jerusalem) to spend time with Samuel. This is where David begins his career fleeing for his life from the hand of Saul. The end of chapter 19 is odd and gives evidence of the Spirit coming and going while not permanently indwelling in the Old Testament.

Are we willing to stand for God no matter the cost like David, Jonathan, and Michal? Or, like Saul, do we try to sway the situation in our favor where people will like us and applaud us? What is the measure of your success?

1 Samuel 16

From this point on the main character of 1 Samuel is David, mainly in his relationship with Saul. He is considered the greatest kings of the Israelites.

Have you ever thought of having children? What God would say about them? What does He say about you?

From this point on the main character of 1 Samuel is David, mainly in his relationship with Saul. He is considered the greatest kings of the Israelites. We see in chapter 15 that he is anointed by Samuel and begin his service before Saul as a musician. After his battle with Goliath and the Philistines in chapter 17, the remainder of the book shows his dealings with Saul as he lives his life as a fugitive from Saul.

David is anointed king in this chapter and enters into Saul’s court. God rejected Saul as king in chapter 15 due to his disobedience and non repentance. He then removes His Spirit from him in chapter 16. Saul’s court knew that God had rejected him and sent an evil spirit to torment him. When we are not walking by the power of God, those around us can tell something is amiss. When we refuse to repent and attempt to suppress the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, they know something is wrong. What do our words and actions show others about our lives?

God calls David as king, the rightful king, and gives to him His Spirit who indwells him from that day forward. David is from the tribe of Judah and of the town of Bethlehem. He is rightfully king by prophecy (Genesis 49.8-12) and king by character (1 Samuel 13.14 and 16.7). First Samuel 16.13 describes a man after God’s own heart. This is a man who allows God to live in and through him. First Samuel 16.18 displays how this manifested itself in David’s life.

I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite (he was in line to be king; he had heritage)
who is skillful in playing (he used his gifts to bring others closer to God and people recognized it and were able to praise God because of it)
a man of valor (he did not live in fear–see chapter 17–but trusted God to do what He promised much like Joshua believed what God said in Joshua 1 and Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.7)
a warrior (he trained himself to become better at what was expected of him–see chapter 17)
prudent in speech (he spoke wisely, without haste–James 1.19)
and a man of good presence (he was respectable and respected)
and the Lord is with him (this is the most important, God was with him because he joined God in His work. God wasn’t with David’s vision, but David was in alignment with God’s goal).

This chapter introduces David as king. The next chapter appears to be out of chronological order but is placed here to affirm David as king, as Saul’s replacement. More on that tomorrow.

How are people in your sphere of influence seeing God in you today?

1 Samuel 10-11

How did those in your sphere of influence perceive your faith yesterday?

Today we come to the coronation and odd beginning for Saul. Before we begin these chapters, here are some observations. God chooses a tall man by this he was considered handsome. The Israelites proclaim that there is none like him. Are they judging him by his stature or by his character? Since not many people knew who he was, it appears as though the judgment was based on the outer appearance and not the inward appearance shining (Matthew 5.13-16 and Galatians 5.22-23). He was a Benjamite from Gibeah. Reread the end of Judges to recall the character of the men of that town and what happened to the Benjamites. Saul makes this city his capital.

We see in Scripture that when God does a new thing, He provides His Spirit. Although the Holy Spirit is not mentioned in this chapter, we do see that God “gave him [Saul] another heart.” Ezekiel 11.19 shows us when the Holy Spirit comes, He will give us a new heart not of stone but of flesh. When God introduces salvation in the book of Acts, the Spirit goes before the Apostles to open the eyes of the Jews, Samaritans, god-fearers, and the Gentiles to the Gospel.

A Special Note on the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts

a. The outpourings indicated that these particular people were called by God into His service.

b. The Holy Spirit indicated God’s claim on these people.

c. The initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit came on those Jews who already believed in Jesus (Acts 2).

d. A later outpouring came on the Samaritans showing the Christians in Jerusalem that these people were also a part of God’s kingdom (Acts 8).

e. Later, the Holy Spirit would be poured out on the Gentile Cornelius and those who gathered with him (Acts 10).

f. Later, the Holy Spirit came on religious people who followed John the Baptist as a sign that what they believed was now complete in Christ (Acts 19).

g. After this, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is absent from biblical literature.

Back to 1 Samuel 10. We see this is what happened with Saul as confirmation to the people that God chose him, due to the disobedience of the people (1 Samuel 10.17-19, cf. Romans 1 and how God gives us over to our sins), and as confirmation to Saul that what Samuel spoke at the beginning of chapter 10 was from God. This confirmation is prophesied in verses 1-8, fulfilled in verses 9-16, and accepted in verses 17-26.

This chapter shows that he had great promise as a king. He was humble (or shy) and loyal to his father and his work.

The chapter ends ominously with a few people rejecting his kingship and a king gouging the eyes of all Jews east of the Jordan River (Joshua reminds us of the two-and-a-half tribes who settle there–Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh). However, 7,000 men escaped with both eyes and they went to Jabesh-Gilead. This king, Nashan, in chapter 11 pursues the men who surrender to him. He accepts only if he can gouge their eye out. Saul is called to help. He is plowing a field (what a kingly duty).

Verse six tells us that the Holy Spirit came upon him. We need to understand the theology behind this statement. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not permanently dwell in people. He came and went, this is why David would cry out in Psalm 51 for God not to take the Spirit away. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is the guarantor of our salvation and He seals it thus never to be taken away from us.

Saul promises victory, has it and is renewed as king over all Israel with no murmurers.

Saul did great things in these chapters because of the presence of God in his life. What are we doing today that is great because of that same God who indwells us? How do people know we have been saved? What evidence is there in our lives that God lives in us? What works are we doing that manifest Him (Ephesians 2.8-10)? How is our light shining in this darkened world so that they can see God in us?