Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hello, this is Doctor Alan Schreck.
Thank you for joining me on this podcast.
We've been looking.
In this series of the Spirit in.
The bride at the. Holy Spirit.
So far in this.
Podcast series, I've lookedat some of the uses of the Hebrew.
Word ruah, which translates wind.
Breath or spirit. In the Old Testament.
(00:21):
Such as in the. Creation.
Accounts in the book of Genesisas a source of prophecy.
And as equipping and empowering leaders.
Such as Joseph, son of.
Jacob. Moses and the elders.
Joshua, judges, and finally kings.
Such as Saul and. David.
These are all a.
Ways which in the Old Testamentwe see the Spirit.
(00:43):
Of God, the Ruah of God, the breathof God, the wind of God working.
Now in this podcast,we will look at two other.
Meanings of ruah or spirit in the Old.
Testament.
First of all, regarding the ethicalor moral life of God's
people in the Old Testament,
to convict the people.
Of their sins.
(01:05):
And then also we'll go to seehow the Spirit of God is also a source of.
New life, hope and restoration.
After the conviction of sin.
We're going to see.
When the people of of God are purified.
The spirit also worksto bring about this new life.
So let's begin.
The prophet Micah in Micah chapter.
(01:28):
Three verse eight declares.
But as for me, I am filled with power.
With the spirit of the Lord.
With authority and might to declare to.
Jacob his crimes and to Israel his sins.
Father George Montague, in.
His book.
Holy Spirit Growth of.A Biblical Tradition.
(01:49):
Comments on this text.
He says this is new.
Until this text,the spirit of the Lord has been.
Either the principle of life,the means of divine communication.
Or the source of charismatic activity.
Now, for the first time in our.
Sources in the Old. Testament.
There was a. Clear relationship.
(02:10):
Of the spirit of the.
Lord to the ethical life of Israel.
The spirit inspires.
The prophet here, Micah, to pronouncean ethical judgment upon the people.
Whereas the preceding prophetshad avoided the use of rock.
Because it did not clearly conveyan ethical expectation,
but only charismatic salvation,Micah dared.
(02:31):
To use it because.
He feltit could be given a new ethical meaning.
So, we also see this in the beginning
of the book of Isaiah,in Isaiah, chapter four.
Verse.
Four, he speaks of a timewhen to quote, quote Isaiah
four four, when the Lord washes awaythe filth of the daughters of Zion
(02:54):
and purges Jerusalem'sblood from her midst with a blast.
Of searing. Judgment.
Now, a literal translationof that last phrase
is that the Lord purgesJerusalem's blood from her midst.
With a spirit of judgment,Miss Spot, and with.
A spirit. Of fire.
(03:15):
So that blast of spirits, of.
Searing judgmentfrom the New American Bible
literally is that, God will purge the.
The sins with a spirit.
Of judgment and a spirit of fire.
Here we see spirit as a source of.
Purification of Israel by fire.
(03:37):
In Isaiah chapter 30, verse 28,
it speaks of a wind or spirit
that will winnow Assyria, burning
away, the the sin of Assyria like chaff.
So in a.
Couple places in.
Isaiah, in the the first part of Isaiah.
(03:57):
We see the spirit.
spoken of as a purifying fire.
And this corresponds in the New Testamentto John the.
Baptist's. Word about Jesus.
His words about Jesus and.
If you look at Matthew chapter three.
Verses.
11 and 12, he says, he
that is, one who is to come after me
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will baptize you with the Holy Spiritand with fire.
His winnowing fork is in his hand,and he will clear his
threshing floorand gather his wheat into the granary.
But the chaffhe will burn with unquenchable fire.
So even in the Old Testamentwe see a prefigure ment of this.
Prophecy. Of John the Baptist.
(04:40):
With the Spirit.
Of Godis a purifying fire, cleansing from sin.
This text of Isaiah,
if we go back to, Isaiah chapter four.
In verses five. And six.
After it speaks of this searing.
Judgment of. The, the spirit.
It speaks of a restoration. Of Israel.
(05:02):
To, to quote there.
Isaiah four.
after. It says. That, he will purge.
Jerusalem's bloodwith this blast of searing.
Judgment.
It says, then will the Lord createover the whole sight of Mount
Zion and over her. Place of assembly.
A smoking cloud by dayand a light of flaming fire by night?
(05:24):
For over all his glory will be shelterand protection.
Shade from the parching heat of day.
Refuge from the cover of storm and rain.
So note that.
Besides the spirit. In Isaiah for.
Being a spirit of searing.
Fire purifying fire,there's also an image of purification.
(05:46):
From sin as a. Washing.
It says there.
That the Lord will wash away the filthfrom the.
Daughters of Zion.
That's in the beginning of Isaiah 44.
So we we see this.
Image of watera later also in Isaiah chapter 32.
Verse.
15, it becomes clearthat this image of water.
(06:10):
Is also. Related to. The Holy Spirit.
We can see this,
In the beginning of Isaiah chapter32, where.
It speaks of.
The destruction. Of the cities of Israel.
Which will last.
So there's a. Section on.
The cities of Israel.
(06:30):
Being destroyed until, to quoteIsaiah 32 1530.
Two, verse 15, until the spirit.
From on high is poured out on us,then will the desert become an orchard,
and the orchard will be regardedas a forest, right?
Will dwell in the desertand justice abide in the orchard.
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Justice will bring about peace.
Right will. Produce calm and. Security.
My people will live in a peaceful country,
in secure dwellings and quietresting places.
Happy are you who sow beside every stream.
And let the acts and the.
Acts asco. Freely. So,
point here is that, this image of.
(07:15):
Spirit as, as.
Being water,the spirit being poured out from on spirit
from on high being poured outand then all these beautiful
things will result the desertbecoming an orchard.
The orchard is a forest.
And, father Montague.
Comments on this.
He says this text is the.
(07:35):
High point.
Of Isaiah's theology of the spirit.
It comes immediatelyafter a prediction of disaster.
The period of humiliationwill not last forever.
It will be replaced by a time of salvationintroduced by the outpouring of.
Quote, the spirit. From on high, unquote.
The spirit of the.
Lord father.
(07:56):
Moneywho goes on this spirit. Of the Lord.
Is seen as the source of all.
Eschatological blessings that follow.
Each word of the. Text is important.
The spirit is poured out.
This is the.
First time it is used of.
The spiritin the positive sense of salvation.
The beginning of a theme that hereafter
(08:17):
will appear frequently in the Bible,especially in the New Testament.
All these.
Images of the spirit as.
As like water being poured out.
Father Monica concludes, thoughretaining its ever more logical
meaning, ruach of breath or wind.
The spirit. Here. Draws its to itself.
The function of a stream of water.
(08:38):
So even though literally the.
Word spirit.
In Hebrew rock does not mean water,it means breath or wind.
Here we see a number of.
Places.
Where, the Old Testament talks about.
The spirit as being.
Poured outand becoming a life giving source
for the, the people of Israelafter they're purified of their.
(09:02):
Sins.
If we
continue in the prophet Isaiah, laterin what scholars called
Second Isaiah in, chapter 44.
Verses one through four.
It it also speaks of.
The spirit.
Bringing about new life.
(09:24):
I'll just quote thatIsaiah 44 one through five.
It says here, then, O Jacob, my servantIsrael, whom I have chosen.
Thus says the Lord, who made youyour help, who formed you from the womb.
Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, my darling,the darling whom I have chosen.
I will pour out waterupon the thirsty ground,
(09:45):
and streams upon the dry land.
I will pour out my spiritupon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
They shall.
Spring up amidstthe verdure like. Poplars.
Poplars are besides the flowing waters,one shall say,
I am the Lord's, and other shall be namedafter Jacob, and Israel shall.
(10:06):
Be his surname.
So once again, also in the prophet Isaiah.
We we see.
The spirit is being.
Talked about is I will pour out my spiritupon your offspring
and there will be blessings.
So, now we'll see as we go onin this podcast series that God's.
Promised to his.
People here of, all these blessingsthat come with the the.
(10:27):
Outpouring of the spirit.
These will be fulfilledin the New Testament.
Now in our next podcast,I'm going to continue on this theme of.
The Spirit.
Of God,bringing life, hope and restoration.
We're going to be seeing that.
This is also associated.
In the prophet Isaiahand in the Old Testament
(10:50):
with the work of the Messiah, who will bethe one who will bring forth this great.
Outpouring of the spirit.
And we'll also see.
We want to look in the next podcast about,the prophecies of the New Covenant,
in the prophets, Isaiah and I'm sorry,
the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel,and especially as we'll see in the
(11:11):
in the prophet Ezekiel, we're going to seemore of this rich imagery of,
the spirit,both purifying the people of sin
and being a source of, of new lifeand the promise of the New Covenant.
So join us then.
I hope todayyou've seen that, spirit of God
in the Old Testament,gives us a whole new dimension.
(11:34):
The spirit is being.Like a purifying fire.
The Spirit of God being also one who,after cleansing
from sinas by water or purifying by fire. It.
The spirit is.
Also bringing about restorationand blessing.
We'll see this as we said, as I.
Said, fulfilled in the New Testament.
So let's close today with, a prayerfor that continual outpouring.
(11:59):
Of the spirit as we.
Close each of these podcasts
with a traditional Catholic prayerto the Holy Spirit, come, Holy Spirit.
Fill the hearts of your.
Faithful and kindle in usthe fire of your love.
Send forth your spirit.
And they shall be created,and you shall renew.
The face of the earth.
Let us pray, oh God, whoby the light of the Holy Spirit
(12:19):
did instruct the hearts of your faithful,grant that by that.
Same Holy Spirit.
We may be truly wise and ever.
Rejoice in his.
Consolations through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Thank you.
God blessyou and join us again in the next podcast.