Do you think the Old Testament saints were indwelt with the Holy Spirit?
Let’s begin to look at your good question by reading Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
This was the beginning of the church. On this day, the Holy Spirit filled every believer in that place. This marks the unique period where every believer receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. This is the day the Church period began. Let’s look at a few verses that show that everyone who puts their faith in Christ is indwelt with the Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
- Ephesians 1:13-14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
These verses, speaking to believers in general, show that all believers have the Spirit from the moment of salvation. All those in the church have the Spirit of God living in them. But you asked about the saints in the Old Testament…did they have the Holy Spirit living in them? We do have on occasion, verses that show us that the Holy Spirit did indeed come upon some. We read in
- Numbers 27:18, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him.”
- 1 Samuel 16:13, “Then 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.”
It was for special purposes or tasks that the Spirit would come upon men, but we understand that the presence of the Spirit in a person did not include everyone and did not indicate He would dwell in that person permanently. In fact, let’s look at David’s great and humble confession of his sin. It is such a wonderful and heartfelt confession, let’s read much of it. Psalm 51:1-12, “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. CAST ME NOT AWAY FROM THY PRESENCE; and TAKE NOT THY HOLY SPIRIT FROM ME. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
In this humble prayer, David actually prayed for two things that we need never pray for:
- Cast me not away from thy presence.
- Take not thy Spirit from me.
First, the Lord has promised that He will never leave us in Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Second, the Lord has sealed us with His Spirit until the very day that He calls us home to Himself in Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
So, from this we learn that the Old Testament saints could have the Spirit dwelling inside them, but not on a permanent basis like we in the church have today. (CC) (637.4)