It seems that some believe that the Holy Spirit didn’t come on the scene until the day of Pentecost. If that were so, who do they say that the Old Testament Holy Spirit was? You have probably guessed this about me. I like to ask (sarcastic) questions that require a little thought to answer? I wonder who I got that from? Maybe I spend too much time with the Holy Spirit of the Old Testament. LOL

Before we look at a few Scriptures, please allow me to clearly state that the Holy Spirit is the exact one and only Spirit of God. There are not more than one Spirit of God. At times, the Scriptures refer to Him as “the Spirit of the Lord” or “Holy Spirit”. But with whichever label, He is God, the one and only.

Old Testament Examples of the Holy Spirit:

*”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.” (Genesis 1:2 NIV)

*”Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.’” (Genesis 6:3 NIV)

*”Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.'” (Exodus 31:1-5 NIV)

*”Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.” (Judges 6:34 NIV)

*”So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:13 NIV)

*(King David said this after he sinned against God.) “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:11 NIV)

*”I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.” (Ezekiel 39:29 NIV)

*”The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” (Isaiah 61:1 NIV)

*”The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD on me.” (Ezekiel 3:14 NIV)

*”The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went up from me,” (Ezekiel 11:24 NIV)

Clearly, the Holy Spirit was on the scene long before the day of Pentecost as described in the New Testament book of Acts. So why did Jesus say “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”? (John 16:7 NIV) Was He carefully saying that He would be with them as Spirit not wearing Son of Man flesh? Was He comforting them in their grief of losing Him? Or was He signaling that He wasn’t exactly “God” but just one-third of a corporation of God? (That last one was sarcasm.)