It is remarkable that the first Person of the Holy Trinity to be mentioned in the Old Testament is the Holy Spirit of God. We read: " The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters " (Gen. 1:22And 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)).
So cosmos was brought out of chaos. The ruined earth was brought into a suitable condition for the residence of man. Who was sufficient for this mighty work? Only a Divine Person.
As time went on we find men of God raised up. We find faith actuating Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and many others. How was it that they were moved to live a life of faith? We read: "The just shall live by his faith " (Hab. 2:44Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)).
It could only have been by the action of the Spirit of God. Man was under probation in the Old Testament, the children of Israel were under the law, affording the whole world a lesson, so that
The time had not come for the full revelation of the truth of the Gospel. That waited for the coming into this world of the Son of God. But though the time had not come for this full revelation, we find God by His Spirit moving. On the ground of faith Abraham had righteousness imputed to him, and David knew the blessedness of sins forgiven. Who can deny that new birth marked these men of faith? Who but a new-born soul, one taught of the Spirit, could say?- " My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation " (Psa. 13:55But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. (Psalm 13:5)).
The Spirit of God is often mentioned in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit came upon Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Saul, David, and many others.
There were three classes anointed with oil in Old Testament times-prophets, priests and kings Oil is typical of the Holy Spirit, and, indeed, the Holy Spirit is called " the Anointing " in 1 John 2:27,27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:27) and " an Unction " (same word as Anointing) in 1 John 2:2020But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20). When the prophet was anointed, it conferred upon him an endowment enabling him to fulfill the prophetic office. When the priest was anointed, it was an endowment to enable him to fulfill the priestly office. When the king was anointed, it was an endowment to enable him to fulfill the kingly office.
The case of Saul and David clearly illustrates this, showing the great difference of the sovereign action of the Holy Spirit in Old and New Testament times. King Saul by his misconduct as king had forfeited the right to reign. So God instructed Samuel to anoint David, a shepherd lad, the youngest of the sons of Jesse, in his stead. We read: " Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.. but the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him " (1 Sam. 16:13, 1413Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 14But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. (1 Samuel 16:13‑14)).
This passage is very illuminating. It shows that the Spirit of God came upon men in Old Testament times for definite purposes, and for an indefinite time. Sometimes it was to strengthen them to slay their enemies, as in the case of Samson; sometimes to prophesy; sometimes to minister in the holy things of God; sometimes to rule over God's people, as in the case of David.
Here the Spirit is taken from Saul and transferred to David. After this Saul is as a man bereft of God's presence and help. He seeks satanic help by consulting the witch of Endor, finally in the battle on Mount Gilboa dying ingloriously by falling upon his own sword. So ended a life that once had some promise in it. This shows that the Spirit could be given and withdrawn according to God's pleasure. In the New Testament the Spirit once bestowed is never withdrawn, as we shall see plainly when we take up that side of the subject.
David seems to have known that the Spirit of God could be withdrawn. After Nathan, the prophet, had rebuked David for his sin with Bathsheba, he wrote that great penitential psalm, when he cried out in the bitterness of his soul, " Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me " (Psa. 51:1111Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11)).
We must not imagine that the names mentioned in the Old Testament as men of faith enumerate all that were blessed. There must have been many more. Joseph's bough ran over the wall. Gentiles were blessed, as witness the names of Jethro, father-in-law to Moses; Job, the greatest man in the east; Naamati, the Syrian general; the widow of Sarepta, to whom Elijah was sent; and doubtless many others. God's Holy Spirit is sovereign and free.