What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the O.T?

It is amazing how some people ignorantly asserts that the Holy Spirit was quiescent under the old testament. Others also are of the opinion that the Holy Spirit is just an active force or a thing and not a person, but is it true?

A true and a careful bible study will make you fathom the fact that the Spirit of God was not dormant in the old testament, and all his works cannot also be attributed to an active force or a thing, but to a true divine person.

Let us dissect some of the functions of the Holy Spirit under the old testament for our own edification.

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit I can see in the old testament was that, He inspired prophecy by giving his servants utterance. The prophets in the O.T were given prophetic insights into future events and also respecting the coming and work of the Messiah. The people lived in great anticipation of his coming, because of the various inspired prophecies communicated to them by the Spirit of God. 

I love how the apostle beautifully puts it: But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God-- 2 Peter 1; 20-21. This tells us that prophets like Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Malachi and the rest were moved by the Spirit of God and they spoke from God. No wonder, because they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit, their prophetic words did not fall to the ground.

Another function of the Holy Spirit in the O.T was that He empowered God's people to fulfill their ministry.

Judges 14: 19

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father's house.

Samson fulfilled his divine assignment not by his own strength, but the Spirit of God came upon him several times to embolden him to fulfill his God given task.

Judges 11:29

Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon.

Jephthah was also able to fulfill his divine mission, because the Spirit of the Lord was at work in his ministry.

Zechariah 4: 6

Then he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts

How could Zerubbabel rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem, if the Spirit of the Lord had not been with him? He laid the foundation and his hands also completed it. He rebuilt the house of the Lord not by his own strength, but by the Spirit of God.

Another role of the Holy Spirit in the O.T was that He gave gifts and skills to men. 

Exodus 31:2-3

"See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship

Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship. Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God, and the Spirit was the source of all his gifts and skills. 

Genesis 41: 38

And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

Pharaoh had a dream and none of his diviners could rightly interpret his dream, but it took a man whom the Spirit of God has gifted to interpret his dream to his utmost satisfaction.

Another role of the Holy Spirit in the O.T was that He instructed his people.

Nehemiah 9:20

"You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth, And You gave them water for their thirst

The Holy Spirit instructed them, He taught them and guided his people wittingly. A mere impersonal active force cannot perform such function.

The last role of the Holy Spirit, I will give in this article was that He was actively involved in creation

Genesis 1:1-2

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

The Holy Spirit was an active agent in the creation process, He was there setting things in order.

So with these few roles of the Holy Spirit which I have elaborated in this article, we can see that the Holy Spirit was very active in the old testament times. This article is enough to challenge and to refute the cavil of all those who teach otherwise. God bless you 

A thought to ponder 🤔 

The Holy Spirit was an active agent in the creation process, He was there setting things in order

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