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July 2, 2025 15 mins

Dr. Schreck explores how the spirit is an attribute of the servant of God in the messianic texts of the prophet Isaiah, where people can even "grieve" the spirit by rejecting his work.  The Psalms also speak of the work of God's spirit and appeal to God not to hide his face nor remove his spirit but to send forth the spirit to "renew the face of the earth" (Ps. 104) and to restore "the joy of...salvation" (Ps. 51).

 

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(00:09):
Hello, this is. Doctor Alan Schreck.
We're doing this. Podcast series.
On the Holy Spiritand this section of the.
Podcast seriesis discussing the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament.
I have discussed in the previous podcasthow spirit, God's Spirit.
Was used in some Old Testament.

(00:30):
Passages as.
Convicting God's people of sin,then of cleansing or purifying.
The. Sin of the people as wateror fire does.
And finally.
The spirit is bestowing.
Blessings on this purified people.
So in this podcast, let's look at.
Some other passagesfrom the Old Testament.

(00:51):
That develop. These themes.And especially.
We're going to look at the prophet Isaiah.
And the Psalms.
First we find in the prophet Isaiah
the appearance of a messianic figurewho possesses.
The Spirit of.
God to bring about both judgmentand blessing.
And these. Passages are very.

(01:11):
Familiar to many Christiansbecause They're the servant.
Songs.
They point to the work of the Messiah.
Isaiah 42 one through.
Verses one through seven speaks of.
A servant of God.
Who possesses the spirit.
And to quote that passage.

(01:32):
Here is my servant.
Whom I uphold, my chosen one, with whomI am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit.
He shall bring forth.
Justice to the. Nations.
Not crying out, not shouting, not.
Making his voice heard in the street,a bruised reed he.
Shall not break, and a smolder wickyou shall not quench.

(01:54):
Until he. Establishes justiceon. The earth.
The coastlands will wait for his teaching.
So in those first four verses of Isaiah.
40. Two, the Spirit. Of God.
Is. Upon. This servant.
To enable himto bring justice to the people.

(02:15):
Versefive goes on and says, thus says God.
The Lord, who created the heavensand stretched them out.
Who spreads out the earth with its crops,who gives breath to its.
People and spirit to those who walk in it?
This. This verse reminds us of the.
Beginning of the book.

(02:35):
Of Genesis, in which spirit.
Is an agent of Godin creating and giving a breath Nashoba
and life to the inhabitants of the earth.
And then. In verses six and.
Seven, to read on Ithe Lord, have called you for the.
Victory of justice.
I have grasped you by the handI formed you, and set you

(02:57):
as a covenant of the people,a light for the nations.
To open the eyes of the blind.
To bring.
Out prisoners from.
Confinement and from the dungeon.
Those who live in darkness.
So, those two verses.
Isaiah 42, six and.
Seven continues to describe the work.
Of God's servant to bring about justiceand blessings, which Christians see

(03:22):
as a prophecy of the workof Jesus, the suffering servant.
The Messiah.
This same messianic theme.
Is also seen.
In what is sometimes called Third Isaiah.
In Isaiah chapter 61.
Verses one through three.
This.
Passagein which Jesus quotes in the synagogue.

(03:45):
At Nazareth, he.
Reads this passage from. Isaiah.
You could read that in Luke chapter 418through 21.
And Jesus proclaims that this prophecyis fulfilled in himself.
So I read that Isaiah 60.
One one through three.
The spirit. Of the.
Lord is.
Upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.

(04:08):
He has sent me to bring glad tidingsto the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives.
To release the prisoners.
To announce a year of favor from the Lord.
A day of vindication by our God.
To comfort all who mourn.
To place on those who mourn in Ziona diadem instead of ashes.

(04:30):
To give them the oil of gladness.
And place of.
Mourning, a glorious mantle.
Instead of a. Listless. Spirit.
They shall be called oaks of.
Justice,planted by the Lord to show his glory.
So, those two.
Sections from passages from Isaiah,
Isaiah 42 and Isaiah 61.

(04:52):
Speak about the spirit of the Lordanointing, His servant.
To do the will, the work of God's.
Salvation.
Two. Chapters later in Isaiah
63, verses one through four.
The prophet Isaiah. Speaks of God'ssaving.
Work, among his peopleas a work of God's Spirit.

(05:15):
But the passage.
Actually turns into a. Lament
because the people, as it will say,rebelled and grieved God's.
Holy Spirit.
And this recalls.
How the people the passage recallshow the people rebelled against.
Moses, who is guided.
By God's Spirit.
So we'll look at that.
Passage reading. From, Isaiah.

(05:36):
60. Three actuallybeginning in verse nine.
It was not a message or an angel, but he.
Himself, who saved. Him.
Others saved them.
Just just a note here.
This word, he himself. Is.
Literally God's face.
God's presence save them.

(05:57):
Goes on because of his.
God saved them.
Because of his love and pity.
He redeemed them himself,lifting them and carrying them all the.
Days of old.
But they rebelled and grieved.
His Holy. Spirit.
So he turned on them like an enemyand fought against them.
Then they remember the. Days of.

(06:18):
Old and. Moses his servant.
Where is he who brought up.
Out of the sea the shepherd of his flock?
That is God?
Where is.
He who.Put His Holy Spirit. In their midst?
Whose glorious armwas the guide at Moses's right,
who divided the waters before them.
Winning for himself.
Eternal renown, who led themwithout stumbling through the depths like.

(06:40):
Horses in.
The open country,like cattle going down into the plain.
The spirit of the Lord guiding them.
Thus you led your people,bringing glory to your name.
So, as we've said, this passage
recalls how, God's people,first of all, they God did a mighty work.

(07:01):
He desired to save. Them,but they rebelled and grieved.
His Holy Spirit. And.
Just as they grieved the Spirit.
Of God working. Through Moses.
So here we are reminded of a number.
Of the Psalms that speak. Of.
God's Spirit and speak of spirit.
Rock as being a guidefor God's people and their.

(07:24):
Source of. Life.
We should also observe that when.
In. Isaiah 63 that.
We've just quoted and in a.
Number of the Psalms, God's Spirit. Ruach.
Is also used. Along with.
This Hebrew. Word penname.
Which means presence.
Or literally the face of God, and oftenthey refer.

(07:45):
To the same thingGod's face, his presence, his spirit.
Because God's Spirit is also his presence.
We see this.
Parallelism. Of. Spirit.
And then in presence.
In Psalm 139, verse seven.
Quote that where can I go.
From your spirit. Rock from your presence.

(08:08):
Penname where can I flee?
We also see this in.
Psalm 143.
Verses. Seven and ten.
In Psalm 140.
Three is the last of the.
Seven traditional penitential psalms.
And we find here a plea for God not to.
Hide his face from me.
Because my spirit fails within me.

(08:31):
And it's also a plea for God's.
Good spirit. To guide him.
So to quote.
Psalm 143,verse seven, hasten to answer me,
O Lord, for my spirit fails within me.
Hide not your.
Face from me.
Lest I become like thosewho go down into the pit.
And then verse ten,teach me to do your will.

(08:51):
For you are my God.
May your good spiritguide me on level ground.
So wewe see these, these beautiful passages.
But let's also turn to, Psalm 104.
Some 104.
Is of Psalm, which is.
Familiar to many of you.

(09:12):
And, Here
we see, the psalmist addressing God.
Psalm 100 and.
Four, verses 27 through. 30.
They look to you, to Godto give them their food in due time.
When you give it to them,they gather in it.
And when you open your hand,they are filled with good things.

(09:35):
If you hide your face, your opinion.
They are dismayed.
If you take away their breath, rock,they perish and.
Return to. Their dust.
When you send forth your.
Spirit,they are created and you renew the.
Face of. The earth.
It's a beautiful Psalm. This appeal.
For God not.

(09:56):
To hide his face or remove his spirit.
This is
seen evenmore clearly in this final psalm.
Well, we'll look at today.
It's, Psalm 51, in verse 13.
We see. Where.
There's also an. Appeal.
Well, we. Also see. Where your.
Holy.

(10:16):
Spiritand your opinion are again, paralleled.
So let's look at Psalm 51 here.
I'm going to.
Quote verses 12. Through 14.
Well, first. Of all, just that verse 13.
Cast me not out from your presenceand your Holy.
Spirit.
Take not from me as in some of.

(10:38):
The other Psalms, this appeal is a plea.
For God not to take.
His presence away, his face away.
And not to remove your holy Spirit.
And let me.
And then verses.
12 through 14.
This is.
A beautiful passage, a climactic. Passage.
Of course, this is a Psalm of David.

(11:00):
When he's appealing.
For God to have. Mercy for. Him.
To forgive him of his sin.
He he. Prays here.
In Psalm 51, verse 12 through 14.
A clean heart create for me, O God, and a.
Steadfast spirit. Renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,your by name, and your Holy.

(11:21):
Spirit. Take not from me.
Give me back the joy of your salvationand a willing spirit.
Sustain in me.
It's beautiful at the end that,that you know, David.
Who is so saddened byhis sin, is is requesting here both.
To not for God to take him away.

(11:41):
From his presence or.
Not to.
Take his Holy Spirit.
From him, but also to give him the joy of.
Salvation and to be able to serve God.
Willingly. Give him a willing spirit.
And. We know this is what. Really.Pleases.
God not to find not to follow God.
And his commands.

(12:02):
With. Just out of duty.
But to do it with the light.
Psalm. 40, verses. Nine and Psalm 119.
Verse 16.
Say in your law, oh.
Lord, is my delight.
So this. Renewed gift of.
The spirit. Will enable, that will.
Allow the psalmistto experience his service of God as a joy.

(12:24):
And of course.
Father Montague.
Points out centuries later, Saint Paul.
Will identify the Lord's will as love.
And describe joyas one of the fruits of the spirit.
So we've looked at some psalms,some passages,
both from the prophet Isaiah and,
the Psalms, showing how the word.

(12:44):
The Spirit of God is at work.
And these appeals. And pleas.
For God to to continue to not.
To hide his face,to send forth his spirit.
And to, for renewaland to bring about the.
Joy of. Salvation.
To conclude here on these Psalms.
Father Montague. Speaks.
About Psalm 51 and a beautiful way.

(13:05):
He says, this Psalm.Then. Brings us to the.
Summit of the Old Testament.
Theology of the spirit.
As far as the personal and experiential.
Dimensions of the.
Holy Spirit are concerned,it will be surpassed.
Only in the New Testament,
which will nonetheless build on the deepfoundation laid by.
This obscure psalmist who sang of his.

(13:27):
Longing for the new life.
Which only God's Spiritcould create in his.
Heart. End of quote from Father Montague.
So as we're looking at thethe use of the word
rock spirit in the Old Testament,we see today the beautiful work of.
The Holy Spirit to. Renew. To restore.

(13:48):
A plea for God not to for us not to.
Grieve the Spirit of.
God by, by rejecting God's ways,but rather to continue to to.
Grace us with. The gift of.
The spirit. That we would know the.
Joy of our salvation.
So let us end with a.
Next podcast.
We'll be continuing.

(14:09):
To explore the spiritin. The Old Testament.
I want to especially look at next, podcastthat the the Holy Spirit and the.
Prophets, especially.
Jeremiah.
But most importantly,in the prophet Ezekiel.
And then we might segue. Into some of the.
Later, prophetic and apocalypticwritings of the Old Testament, which.
Speak of the Spirit of. God.

(14:31):
But let's ask.
The Holy Spiritto do as we've seen in Psalm.
51, to create a clean heartin us, to renew
in us a steadfast spirit for God,not to take His.
Holy Spirit from us as we pray.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Fill the hearts of your faithfuland kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth. Your spirit,and they shall be.
Created. This is Psalm one.

(14:52):
Hundred and four, and you shall renew.
The face of the. Earth.
Let us pray.
Oh God, whoby the light of the Holy Spirit,
and instruct the hearts of your faithful,grant that by that.
Same Holy Spirit.
We may be truly.
Wise and ever rejoice in his.
Consolationsthrough Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thank you for joining us, and,
hope you can join us againfor our podcast on the Holy Spirit.
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