Devotion

From Genesis to Revelation, God’s desire is to showcase Himself as the origin and goal for all comprising His created order, demonstrating how He has worked in many portions and in many ways to accomplish His impeccably good purposes (Isaiah 46:9-11; Hebrews 1:1-2). Tragically, one of the most neglected realms of examining how God has operated within the parameters of His creation pertains to the work of His Spirit in the Old Testament, and how His work has varied throughout the course of history in order to satisfy the divine purposes for that specific period of time. Embedded within the unified tapestry of Scripture’s testimony, the pupil of God’s Word will discover that the Holy Spirit has been actively involved with the affairs of redemptive history from the time of creation and will continue to do so forevermore (Genesis 1:2; Hebrews 9:14). As truly God in every respect, He will continue to sovereignly and inseparably govern every future occurrence to unfold in redemptive history along with the Father and the Son (2 Corinthians 13:14). Yet, in examining the comprehensive record of God’s Word, the consistent observation regarding the work of the Holy Spirit is that He has operated in unique ways before and after Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47).

One of the chief ends to which the Holy Spirit interacts within the world is for the purpose of progressively revealing the divine plan of redemption. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God was intentional in foreshadowing what all the people of God would universally experience by virtue of the person and work of Jesus Christ. This aforementioned Old Testament ministry of the Holy Spirit has been historically referred to as theocratic anointing. Dr. Doug Bookman succinctly summarizes this ancient work of God as “a special intervention by the Holy Spirit by which an individual was equipped to fulfill some responsibility pertaining to the theocratic kingdom [of Israel].” [1] The primary role fulfilled by the Holy Spirit in this specified capacity signified the direct rule of God over His people through a divinely appointed representative.[2] In contrast to the work of the Holy Spirit amongst the people of God throughout the New Covenant epoch of redemptive history, the nature of theocratic anointing was a predominately administrative ministry. It was a ministry reserved exclusively for select Israelite leaders as they dealt with special responsibilities within the theocratic kingdom. When surveying the totality of Scripture, the Holy Spirit’s purposes in administering theocratic anointings during the Old Covenant illustrates a stark contrast between His work in the New Covenant.

The Holy Spirit’s theocratic anointing ministry in the Old Covenant was both a qualitatively and quantitatively different experience than what Believers experience in the New Covenant. With respect to the qualitative differences, one’s spiritual condition (saved versus unsaved) had nothing to do with being chosen by God to accomplish His purposes through theocratic anointment. If one was not faithful to God’s directives, then God could revoke the “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit from that chosen representative (1 Samuel 16:14).[3] David clearly understood this principle as indicated by his confession of adultery with Bathsheba in Psalm 51. Grieved by his heinous transgression committed against the Most High, David pleads with God to forgive him of his sin and entreats the Lord to not punish him as he did Saul by depriving him of the enabling Spirit (Psalm 51:11-12).[4] Without possessing knowledge regarding the nature of theocratic anointing in the Old Covenant, the New Covenant observer of Psalm 51 may question whether this passage of Scripture teaches that one’s salvation can potentially be forfeited by committing a gross sin. Thus, it is vital for contemporary Christians to rightly understand this unique ministry of the Holy Spirit that He performed during a unique season of redemptive history.

An important quantitative difference regarding the work of the Holy Spirit between the Old and New Covenant epochs of history is that while all Old Testament and New Testament Believers are regenerated by the Holy Spirit at the moment, they come to saving faith, nowhere does the Word of God teach that theocratic anointing would be a normative or expected component of Old Covenant history.[5] The Old Testament depicts merely 10 specific incidents that portray designated leaders of Israel as the recipients of theocratic anointing. Each of these unique occurrences played a substantial role in maintaining Israel’s preservation as a nation in addition to advancing the Messianic lineage that would lead to the incarnation and Earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.[6] When surveying the entirety of the Old Testament historical record, there appears to have been no more than 20 people who experienced the theocratic anointing ministry of the Holy Spirit over the duration of approximately 1,475 years spanning between the time of Moses and the events encompassing Pentecost in Acts 2.[7]

Upon the termination of the Old Covenant and the inauguration of the New Covenant, a seismic paradigm shift transpired regarding the work of the Holy Spirit in history (Hebrews 8:6-13). What was for so many generations a gift reserved for only a few, the ministry of the Holy Spirit would become a universal experience for the people of God following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (1 Corinthians 12:13). The redemptive-historical significance of Pentecost was to endow every Christian with the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit. By virtue of the indwelling Spirit of God, all Christians are sufficiently equipped for the purpose of taking the Gospel to all ends of the Earth and as the people of God, they are adequately empowered to minister to one another within the context of the local church (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 4:1-16).[8] Uniquely situated within the New Testament record, the universal outpouring of the Holy Spirit has birthed the “Last Days” of redemptive history and serves as the climax of God’s redemptive purposes to build a kingdom from all nations, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:4-6). This week, may you be encouraged to serve God faithfully where He has placed you in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Weekly Passages For Meditation:

Monday- Numbers 11:10-17

10 Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased. 11 So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? 12 Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ 14 I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. 15 So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.” 16 The Lord therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 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.

Tuesday- 1 Samuel 10:6-10

6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. 7 It shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you. 8 And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.” 9 Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day. 10 When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them.

Wednesday- 1 Kings 3:7-12

7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.

Thursday- Joel 2:28-29

28 It will come about after this

That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;

And your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your old men will dream dreams,

Your young men will see visions.

29 “Even on the male and female servants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Friday- Acts 2:1-4

2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Saturday- 1 Corinthians 12:4-13

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

[1]           Bookman, Doug, “The Old Testament “Theocratic Anointing” of the Holy Spirit,” WordPress, February 27, 2009, accessed August 18, 2020, https://therabbittrail.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/the-old-testament- “theocratic-anointing”-of-the-holy-spirit/.

[2]           Bookman, Doug, “The Old Testament “Theocratic Anointing” of the Holy Spirit,” WordPress, February 27, 2009, accessed August 18, 2020, https://therabbittrail.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/the-old-testament- “theocratic-anointing”-of-the-holy-spirit/.

[3]           Michael Grisanti, BTS512, History of the Covenant People, TMU Online, 74.

[4]           Bookman, Doug, “The Old Testament “Theocratic Anointing” of the Holy Spirit,” WordPress, February 27, 2009, accessed August 18, 2020, https://therabbittrail.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/the-old-testament- “theocratic-anointing”-of-the-holy-spirit/.

[5]           John MacArthur, Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 368.

[6]           Michael Grisanti, BTS512, History of the Covenant People, TMU Online, 74.

[7]           John MacArthur, Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 368.

[8]           Mike Riccardi, “Strange Fire – Undervaluing Pentecost – R. C. Sproul,” The Cripplegate, October 17, 2013, accessed August 17, 2020, http://thecripplegate.com/strange-fire-undervaluing-pentecost-r-c-sproul/.