“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV
I was rereading parts of Samson’s story and kept coming across this line, “The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.” As you remember, Samson’s parents were visited by an angel who announced that Samson was to be a Nazarite – set apart for God. Even as a child, we are told the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. “The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” (Judges 13:24-25 NIV). Three times in Samson’s adult life we are told “The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him” so that he could accomplish feats of strength: when a lion startled him but he tore it apart with his bare hands, when he struck down 30 men in anger, and when he struck down 1000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone.
To me, this presence of the Spirit of God is even more unique because so few people in the Old Testament are said to have “the Spirit of the Lord.” For instance, the prophet Samuel anointed David to become King and we are told that “the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.” (1 Samuel 16:13 NIV) But your rank-and-file “everyday person” in the Old Testament had no such connotation. My study Bible tells me, “In the OT the unique empowering of the Spirit was given to individuals primarily to enable them to carry out the special responsibilities God had given them.” * This is a startling statement when you contrast it with the post-Pentecost Church where ALL believers have the Spirit of the Lord living within them.
One of Jesus’s “radical” statements was to claim that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” (Luke 4:18 NIV). While non-believing contemporaries could have just dismissed this statement as that of a crazy man, the disciples’ experience at Pentecost and its subsequent dramatic change in their lives, was more difficult to dismiss. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.” (Acts 2:4 NASB) The filling of the Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak in other languages – we might call them “prayer languages” or “prophetic words” today. And then these disciples – filled and empowered by Holy Spirit – quickly started changing lives around them. After the coming of Holy Spirit, even on that first day of Pentecost, Peter’s preaching led to the repentance and conversion of 3000 people! As we continue to read the New Testament we hear story after story of how Spirit-empowered believers brought more and more people into God’s family and impacted the world.
Why were these first disciples able to impact the world in such a powerful way? Because the Spirit of the Lord filled them. Why was Jesus able to claim he was the Messiah? Because the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord was upon him. Why was David’s kingship fairly successful? Because the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Why was Samson able to do such amazing feats of physical strength? Because the Spirit of the Lord had come powerfully upon him. Why are you called to be a child of God and empowered by Holy Spirit? Because God has special responsibilities he wants you to carry out. He has things for you to do. Even difficult things – things that take much physical strength, emotional courage, spiritual discernment, or mental prowess, for example – can be accomplished under the power of Holy Spirit. May we all be open to the work of Holy Spirit within us and may we know the joy and freedom that comes when we live life with the Spirit of the Lord powerfully upon us.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thank you for your Word which shows us your heart for people. Thank you for Bible stories like Samson and David and the first disciples at Pentecost that show us how your Spirit can empower us to do what you need us to do. We pray you would help us be open to and aware of the work of the Spirit so that we can fulfill the plans and purposes you have for us. Help us know the joy and freedom that comes when the Spirit of the Lord comes powerfully upon us. We ask in Christ’s name, Amen.
“Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her.” (Judges 14:5-7 NV)
“Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he returned to his father’s home.” (Judges 14:19 NIV)
“As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.” (Judges 15:14-15 NIV)
“So [Samuel] sent for [David] and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:12-13 NIV)
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.” (Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV)
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV)
*(NIV Study Bible, note on Judges 11:29, p. 376).