“And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
Genesis 1:2
PRECIOUS MOMENT
God introduces his Spirit in the 2nd verse of the first chapter of Genesis. In Genesis 1:1 it is already noted that Christ was with God in the beginning. God was not alone.
“Christ is the one through whom God
created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the
things we can’t see… Everything has been created through him and for him. He
existed before everything else began and he holds all creation together.” Colossians 1:15-17
During my junior/senior high school years, I argued a lot about things in the Bible. I had developed a very personal relationship with God and, while I didn’t tell anyone about it (and didn’t really know much about the Bible), I questioned everything that was contrary to what I knew personally. My Sunday School teacher, Uncle Clark, took the brunt of it, of course. So I asked him when was the first time the Holy Spirit appeared in the Bible – Old Testament or New Testament? He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, and probably said to himself, ‘oh no, here we go again.’ Yes, clearly that wasn’t in his lesson plan. But, instead of rebuking me for trying to get him off course, he was actually trying to come up with an answer without disrupting the class. It was clear he wasn’t sure, so he told me he’d do some research and get back to me. I brought it up again in a couple months and asked if the first appearance of the Holy Spirit was when Jesus was baptized and he agreed. A few years later I decided to actually read the Bible and started with Genesis 1. God had begun to teach me to study more and argue less. Precious Moment.
“Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor has taught him? With whom did he take counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:13-14
At one point, God provided a job for me with access to a Men’s Bible Study, which subsequently became the Downtown Bible Study. An amazing man of God, John Price, led the study, which was mostly Old Testament. He taught book-by-book, verse-by-verse. His wife once told me he spent 6 hours each week preparing for this study, at no charge, which fit perfectly into my budget. I shared as much of his teaching as I could, to whomever would listen.
John taught us the Hebrew word for “moved” in Genesis 1:2 is “shattered”. This Holy Spirit wasn’t a gentle hovercraft moving gently over the waters as I originally pictured. This was a powerful act of creation.
“When you send your Spirit, new life is born to replenish all the living of the earth.” Psalm 104:30
Following are some precious moments in times past when God sent his Holy Spirit to “step in”. As you explore the power released in the following verses, consider if you could use such power in your life.
There is a story in Genesis about Joseph, a young man sold into slavery by his brothers, radically accused unjustly, thrown into prison, then years later summoned to interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams. It’s a must read. All the while, Joseph’s brothers had meant to get rid of their father’s favorite son. Joseph, however, kept his heart true to God. In the end, Pharaoh took off his ring and gave it to Joseph, making him the #2 ruler in all Egypt, “And Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?’” Genesis 41:38
As God set up his Tabernacle in the desert, he sent skilled Spirit-filled craftsmen to Moses. “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘See, I have called Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.’” Exodus 31:1-3
When the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, they started intermarrying with the prior tenants and began worshipping their idols and gods. “Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. And when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.” Judges 3:7-11
Jumping ahead a bit we find the story of Samson from the Book of Judges, chapters 14 and 15. When the Spirit of God came upon Samson, he picked up the jawbone of a donkey and killed 1,000 Philistines with it.
“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.” I Samuel 16:13-14
As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his death, he gave them very specific instructions: “If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the Holy Spirit, whom the world cannot receive, because they can’t see him nor know him: but you know him; for he dwells with you and shall be in you.” John 14:15-17
“In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’ He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”
Acts 1:1-8
“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Galatians 5:22-23
Balance again. God documents the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit is an amazing source and resource of power to greater things. Power I can actually use to change the course of my life and others. Precious Moment.
Creation. I wasn’t there. I can only share the promises I’ve found in his Word. He loves you. If you are looking for an opportunity for your own personal prophecy, God provides clues. If your life could use some renewal, you can simply ask.
“And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.” Philippians 1:6