The Holy Spirit of God works directly with human beings. It is the indispensable link used by God for the original creation. And it can interreact with every man and woman.
The Holy Spirit of God is the Power He uses to create and transform to accomplish His Plan
The Holy Spirit of God is the force applied by God for two primary functions. He uses this power to create and transform both the inanimate universe (planets to pebbles) and the animate world, (animals and human beings), The Holy Spirit of God is the power by which He accomplishes His plan for His entire creation.
(Origin of Humankind, chapter 5.2)
Where is The Explanation going by spending so much time on Genesis 2:7? As developed last week, this verse is the foundation and crux of the story of human presence on planet Earth. It reveals the spiritual neshama component of physical human beings. Clearly, within the physical universe that humankind is aware of, there’s a spiritual element. A spiritual component which includes the ruach that is directly associated with all humans. We’ve seen and will return to the fact that a composition of this same ruach is also a part of all animal life.
At the same time, the entire Bible story opens with Genesis 1:2, which refers to the Holy Spirit of God moving over the water. Thus, we have:
- An immaterial God with an immaterial Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God (with a capital S)
- A material human with an immaterial neshama and an immaterial ruach, spirit (with a small s)
Two weeks ago, I elaborated on the role of the neshama as related to God and humans. Last week on the ruach, spirit (small s) as relevant to humans. Today I will discuss the Holy Spirit of God related to humans. Next week we’ll discuss the Spirit of God pertaining to animals and the physical non-living creatures (i.e., neither humans nor animals).
The reason for this in-depth approach of EACH component of EVERYTHING that makes up the SPIRITUAL and MATERIAL coherent completeness is to develop a Theory of Everything. Coherent completeness must take into account both the material and the spiritual. The Mathematical Theory of Everything that eludes science ONLY considers the material universe. It is or will be coherent BUT ONLY of the material world. That makes the scientific Theory of Everything INcomplete. I will add more; that’s where establishing the specific roles of the neshama, and the ruach (spirit and Spirit) come profoundly into play. Now for the Spirit with a capital S.
The Spirit and its relation to humans
This first verse, pronounced by the wise man Elihu, the friend of Job, carries a lot of implications and understanding.
This verse should remind you of Genesis 2:7. There it says God breathed the neshama chaya (breath of life) into Adam’s nostrils. Here it says God’s neshama gave Elihu life. God POSSESSES neshama, and He gives it to humans who ALONE possess it among all animate beings. Humans are endowed with human neshama. Not the same intensity as God’s neshama but a type of His neshama; this is the human consciousness and basis of the mind discussed in the blog post from two weeks ago.
Particularly notice that Elihu says the Spirit of God made him. Now, he knows his mother and father birthed him, but he’s talking about his absolute origin. Parents could not give birth had not God-given them that ability through the Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is His power of Creation. In Genesis 2:7, God created Adam. Specifically, Yahweh, the future Jesus Christ, was at the helm. Yahweh created Adam. The Spirit is the power He used to perform this Creation. God POSSESSES this Spirit, and He gives spirit to humans so they can function; this is last week’s blog post.
Put two and two together. God has Neshama and Ruach (Conscience and Mind), and He gives neshama and ruach (conscience and mind) to all humans! Do you see how humans are created in the image and likeness of God? NO other animate physical beings have ever been endowed with neshama and ruach. Humankind is unique. YHVH, through His power, through the Spirit of God, created humans in His image and His likeness.
The Spirit. That’s this week’s emphasis. It is the Holy Spirit of God’s that made Elihu and Adam and all humans. God’s Spirit infused Adam with neshama and ruach. Just like you and I received neshama and ruach. That’s why it uses the term breath of the Almighty (nishmat Shaddai) here. See Further Study below. Yahweh used His power, His Spirit, to give the unique attributes of life to humans.
Just like humans use their power (neshama and ruach, consciousness, and mind) both to plan birthhood and to create any number of incredible inventions and artistic works that only humans can make. It is the human mind that creates. Then human hands execute the work created by the mind. The neshama and ruach conceive everything. Both for humans and God. We’re focusing on God’s Holy Ruach, God’s Holy Spirit.
9 Then said he [God] to me, Prophesy to the wind (H7307 – ruach), prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind (H7307 – ruach), Thus says the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds (H7307 – ruach), O breath (H7307 – ruach), and breathe (H5301) upon these slain, that they may live (H2421).
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath (H7307 – ruach) came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceeding great army.
These two verses are from the well-known chapter of the Valley of Dry Bones. They refer to a future resurrection of the dead, many, many dead (an exceeding great army, referring to great numbers, not their profession). It is YHVH directing His Holy Spirit (personified in this text) to come and breathe on the dead to transform them into living beings. I don’t have space here to go into details, but this is a resurrection of the dead to physical life.
The Holy Spirit (ruach, breath in verse 10) resurrects the dead who receive physical breath (ruach). They REstart breathing (actual air in their lungs) coupled with the REreception of their spirit ruach, (their consciousness, and minds). Both go hand-in-hand.
When a human breathes, they have consciousness and mind (obviously referring to normal mental health). When a human ceases to breathe, they no longer have consciousness nor mind. When a human dies, they are dead, their spirit and neshama are inert and return to God awaiting a future resurrection. Ezekiel 37 indicates what happens to dead people’s ruach(es) that were gathered by God at their deaths explicitly. He will REinstall them at the resurrection. Each person will REgain their consciousness and mind, and the wondrous Plan of God continues for them, which I don’t have the space to elaborate on here.
The Holy Spirit enhances the spirit in humans
God’s Spirit works with the human mind to endow it with additional capacities it needs to progress beyond what the sole human spirit can accomplish. God’s Ruach enhances human ruach. Here we see its effect on both the mental and physical planes of Bezaleel. God conferred on him outstanding skills of artistry for the construction of the Tabernacle. Read the context to see that he and others received enhanced abilities to teach their trades to other artisans. All of this from the Holy Spirit, present in the Old Testament, right from Creation.
30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, See, the LORD has called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
31 And he has filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
Here’s an amazing prophecy about 600 years before the First Coming of Christ. It pinpoints His future earthly Ministry and reveals how and why He would be the sinless Savior. This prophecy is double, also referring to His Second Coming. It says that the force which infused Christ was the Holy Spirit expressly. It is animated by the Power of the Holy Spirit that Christ was able to accomplish His Ministry. With this in mind, John 3.34 should take on a new light.
For he [the Son] whom God [the Father] has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure to him. Christ had an UNlimited quantity of the Spirit, the Ruach, to raise His humanity to that Godly sinless level that characterized Him.
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
This subject of the Holy Spirit of God is lengthy and extends heavily into the New Testament. We shall deepen our understanding both of the Holy Spirit and the human mind and the relation between the two in the future. Suffice to say, the mind (neshama and ruach) is at the center of the work of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual conversion is not the doing of rituals and good works. Those activities do have a place, but the undisputed cornerstone is the work of God’s Holy Spirit to renew the mind of converted Christians.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
After baptism (washing of regeneration), a newborn babe in Christ has a renewing of their mind. Again, no space for details here. A converted person begins to have a different mindset, different values, different outlook. They begin to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18); this is the work of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ruach, on the spirit that animates human beings. It is a steady process of conversion.
With Bezaleel and the Tabernacle builders, we saw that the Holy Spirit of God conferred skills and wisdom on them before Christ’s coming. He administers similarly after His Ministry. Here are various gifts He gives via the Spirit to enhance His servants’ spirits for the benefit of all.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
Much could be said both about the gifts (above) and also the fruit (below) of the Spirit. The above are special callings, whereas below, they are human attitudes that all people animated by the Holy Spirit of God’s can and should develop; this is part of the spiritual growth of a Christian. This subject is central to Christianity, but I cannot develop now.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
These are just a few among many many verses in the Bible that show the power of the Holy Spirit of God working with the spirit, the mind, of humans to continue His work here and now on Earth.
This blog post is an excerpt from chapter 5.2 of the book Origin of Humankind
Further Study
Job 33:4 uses the term breath of the Almighty (nishmat Shaddai) in this verse. Verify the meaning of Almighty (H7706) at UnlockBiblieMeaning.com. Look at the root letters and compare them with H7699 (Click on Prev(ious) 5 at the bottom of H7706). There H7699 is associated with a woman’s breasts.
No space to expand here, but the Almighty, who gives life, is like a mother who gives birth and then breastfeeds her newborn. Surely this is what giving life (end of Job 33:4) is all about. Notice that God has this strictly feminine attribute, breasts. I’m not referring to what God’s physical appearance is. It’s referring to His possessing female nurturing characteristics, which males do not possess in this way. Genesis 1:27 says, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Both females and males have God’s image. That’s why one of God’s names is Breasts.
If you looked at H7706, you would have noticed that Strong says it comes from H7703
KJV – dead, destroy(-er), oppress, robber, spoil(-er), ⨯utterly, (lay) waste.
It’s the total opposite of breasts and life-giver. Notice that H7703 also has the same Biblical Hebrew root letters. Namely, the shin (ש) and the daled (ד), this last letter is doubled, which is typical for two-letter roots. In H7699, it has a vav (ו), a vowel, between the two root letters.
Once again, you can see the beauty and the intricacy of Biblical Hebrew, which you cannot see in any translation. Almighty means both life-giver and life-taker. Read the second key to master Biblical Hebrew. A lot of people believe in God as a life-giver but have a tough time thinking He’s a life-taker. The Bible says He is. It’s another subject which we shall broach. Why is God a life-taker?
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