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The context shows the contrast between flesh and spirit, earthly things and heavenly things. As the Holy
Spirit in His movements is contrary to and above nature (i.e. supernatural), so is that which is begotten of the Spirit.
Just as the unsaved world only once born, neither knows Christ nor those who have a second birth (1 John 3:1), so
the working of the Spirit within the believer, the new will and the new desires, are unknown to mankind around us.
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
There is a distinct difference in the work of the Holy Spirit during the Old Testament period and that covered by
the New Testament. In Old Testament days He came upon men to strengthen and equip them for some specific
work, but He did not abide with them and indwell them.
The Lord Jesus gave a new aspect of His work as His own was finishing and He was under the shadow of the
cross. To the disciples He said:
`And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even
the Spirit of truth ... for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you' (John 14:16,17).
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was unknown during Old Testament times. This does not mean that His activities
were small and little known. Various Old Testament saints knew by experience His gracious enabling. In Exodus
31:1-5 we read:
`And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri ... and I have filled
him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
to devise cunning (clever, ingenious) works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to
set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship' (see also Exod. 35:30-35).
Here was the Spirit of God specially equipping this man to make objects of beauty for the dwelling place of God in
the Tabernacle. God is worthy only of the best. The second best will not do, and this is a lesson we can all learn.
Too often God has been offered anything but the best by His people. It is easy to say `our best is nothing worth' and
make this an excuse for giving Him anything no matter how inferior it is. We need the spirit of David when he
assembled all the costly materials for building God's permanent house, namely the Temple. 1 Chronicles 29 should
be read carefully and there we shall see how David gave the very best that he could obtain. He could say `I have
prepared with all my might for the house of my God' (verse 2) and then follows a list of exceeding precious things of
gold and silver, wood, marble and all kinds of precious stones and at the end of it all David said `for all things come
of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee' (verse 14).
In our service let us never offer the Lord anything but the best of our ability, even though this is far from perfect.
The activity and enabling of the Holy Spirit is clearly seen in the book of Judges. We see Him coming upon
Othniel, Caleb's younger brother, to execute his duties as judge and also deliver Israel from their enemies:
`And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered
Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim'
(Judg. 3:10).
Exactly the same thing happened with Gideon (Judg. 6:34). So much so that God reduced Israel's army from
32,000 men to 300, and He said `The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their
hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me' (Judg. 7:2). How well God
knows the frailty and sinful pride of human hearts! No wonder He has devised His mighty redemption plan so that
no man may `have a finger in the pie' as it were, and boast of his own achievements. The most man can do is to
exercise faith in what God has accomplished on his behalf. It is `not of works, lest any man should boast' (Eph.
2:9). God plans to have all the glory at the consummation. Unto Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
unto all generations for ever and ever (Eph. 3:21).
Jephthah had a similar experience of the Holy Spirit's working (Judg. 11:29) and so did Samson. As a child
Samson was specially blessed of the Lord, `And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times (to and fro) in
the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol' (Judg. 13:25). He was given special strength by the Spirit to destroy