We are in a series called Kingdom Revealed and looking deeply into the first two chapters of Genesis. We discussed the cosmic temple, imagers, trees, mountains, and rivers. This week, we will discuss the ‘Spirit of God’. After Jesus was raised from the dead, we read in John 7:37-39 that He sent the Spirit into his followers.
John 7:37–39 (NIV)
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Back in Genesis 1, we are introduced to the “Spirit of God” or “Holy Spirit”.
Genesis 1:1–2 (NIV)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
On the first page of the Bible, the world before creation is presented as a realm of darkness and chaos. Yet, above this tumult, the Spirit of God is portrayed as hovering, poised to instill life, order, and beauty. This Spirit represents God’s personal presence, referred to in Hebrew as ‘ruakh’.
As the narrative of the Bible progresses, we observe that God’s ‘ruakh’ imparts unique empowerment to individuals for particular missions. Joseph is the first character in the Bible to experience this divine empowerment.
Genesis 41:38 (NIV)
38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”
God’s Spirit enables Joseph to understand and interpret dreams. In Exodus, we see this Spirit empowerment happen again.
Exodus 31:1–3 (NIV)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—
God’s Spirit empowers Bezalel to make the beautiful things in the tabernacle. We further learn that God’s ruakh endows the prophets with power. The prophets proclaimed that the Spirit would emerge to impose order out of chaos, similar to the events of Genesis 1. However, this time, its purpose is to transform the human heart, enabling people to love God and others genuinely.
Isaiah 11:1–3 (NIV)
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— 3and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
Ezekiel 36:26–27 (NIV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Ezekiel 37:14 (NIV)
14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”
We will dig into all of this and how the Holy Spirit empowers believers today at Keys Vineyard Church this weekend. Please make plans to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
