The Spirit in the Torah

Introduction

God, we assert, is unchanging. What we know about him has developed because he has continued to reveal himself to us, in both clear and enigmatic ways. Our Scriptures do not contain a systematic formulation of the person and being of God, telling us more of the God who does and of how God works than of the philosophical propositions defining his being. We have come face to face with God’s revelations of himself, and have been forced to come to some conclusions about who God really is. What we find is that God is oftentimes very different than what we expect, or even what we can explain. But he is still unchanging, which lets us take our later understanding of his Being and look back in his past expressions to reinterpret and add to our overall picture of his work in this world.

Because this is true, an attempt at a fuller study of the Holy Spirit in and through God’s people is not simply a study of the appropriate New Testament passages. Rather, a study such as this must begin at the very beginning, and seek to discover the work of the Spirit at the very outset of God’s interaction with humanity. The Spirit did not suddenly come into existence at Pentecost, rather the Spirit has been active from the beginning, the very beginning. By limiting ourselves to only a certain part of Scripture we lose out on much God wants to reveal to us about himself, and indeed much of which we need to learn in order to most effectively become attuned to his presence with us.

The word translated as Spirit in Hebrew is the word ruach. So, in order to begin to understand the work of the Spirit today, we should first understand the nuances of how ruach is used in the Old Testament. This chapter will start by analyzing various passages in the first five books of the Bible, called the Pentateuch or the Torah, which appear important for this study and which tell us more about God and his ways in this world. I will finish this chapter with an overview of the understanding of the ruach in the Torah, and briefly discuss the implications this study has for the Church today.

Uses of ruach

The word ruach is used very early in the text, with Genesis 1:2 telling us the ruach elohim (“spirit of the Lord”) "hovered" over the water. [1] Because of the incertitude of the exact meaning, however, I shall pass over this instance for the moment.

In chapter three of Genesis we come across the delightful image of God walking in the Garden, "at the time of evening breeze." [2] The word translated as breeze is ruach, found here without theological nuance, merely expressing that it was windy. This most basic use is also found later on in Exodus 10:13 in which a wind from the East carried with it the plague of locusts, followed by the removal of the locusts with a wind from the west in v. 19. Similarly, in Numbers 11:31 a wind brings quail to the people of Israel in order to satisfy their desire for meat. Wind is also found in Genesis 8:1 and Exodus 14:21 as the force which dries up the sea. [3] In each of these cases God is involved in some way with the wind, but the meaning is simply understood as relating to the movement of air from one place to another, generally causing some kind of influence or impact. This movement really is one of the key characteristics of ruach. It is a movement which is seen only as it moves physical objects with its force or power.

The other basic usage of ruach is that of "breath". However, with this comes a theological dimension, as breath is understood as being a key to life, and God is understood as being the source of life. This aspect of life-giving is the primary meaning of ruach in the Noah narrative, where it is used four times in chapters 6 and 7 of Genesis. In 6:3 we find the most explicit use of the word as relating to the spirit of life, in which God declares that his "spirit shall not abide in mortals forever." The removal of his spirit entails death, thus the presence of his spirit is required for any and all life. In 6:17 and 7:15 we find the phrase ruach hayim (spirit/breath of life) as referring to both humans and animals, any and all in whom there was life. While these two verses could be translated as meaning "spirit of life", and connected with 6:3, the rendering more commonly used is connected with 7:22, where the ruach is explicitly located in the nostrils, thus indicating breath. Either way, the two renderings cannot here be separated. Breath is the activity of life, and the spirit, as per 6:3, is the source of this life, so the two nuances are likely both implied.

It is here then a consideration of Genesis 1:2 would be appropriate. Because of the vagueness of the passage it is far from certain which rendering of ruach is best. Some translations prefer wind, while some prefer spirit. [4] The difficulty is that we are not told what the ruach is specifically doing, other than the vague verb "hovering". [5] Those who argue for the wind of God question what the spirit of God would be doing here, and note that this passage is likely paralleled with Genesis 8:1, in which the waters of the flood recede by the force of the wind, and possibly even Exodus 15:10, where waters are parted for the Israelites. The spirit is not mentioned at any place as being part of the creative act, nor plays any other role in the creation narrative. The closest other use in the early narrative is that of the evening breeze in 3:8. Indeed in a Mesopotamian narrative of creation winds play an important role, and are created prior to the rest of the universe, as then could be assumed in 1:2.

However, the most prevalent use of ruach in Genesis is that of life-giver. Unlike either Gen. 8:1 or Exodus 15:10, in 1:2 we are not told the ruach did anything, the reference here is followed by the creation of light, not the separation of the water. The only other use of the verb, though, indicates caring for life is somehow involved. Thus, the use of ruach may simply be here an anticipatory contrast to the formless void and darkness. The canvas was blank, but poised for life, with God's spirit ready to animate fully that which was being made, indwelling the creation at points to produce living things from the non-living. That which was being created was outside of God, but his spirit, as his essence, was hovering and ready to fill certain parts of this otherness, and in filling them with the essence of the divine, cause them to grow and live.

While the arguments theologically can be unclear, with similar texts even supporting “wind”, the specific words used seem to point more directly to "spirit" being a more adequate translation. In this verse ruach is found in connection with elohim (“lord”), with the two together being the subject of the verb, while in 8:1 elohim is the subject acting on the object ruach. Indeed, the phrase ruach elohim occurs five times in the Torah, and a total of sixteen throughout the entire Old Testament. Without exception these verses refer to the spirit of God coming upon someone in power, resulting in specific works of divine interaction, generally in prophesy or other "charisms". [6] With this kind of usage in mind it seems to point to the fact that just as in later texts the spirit anointed individuals, here we see the spirit ready to anoint the whole earth, with all of creation then becoming a prophetic voice in proclaiming God, so that all that lives in some way reflects God's being because all of life is God endowed. [7]

At the end of Genesis, in 41:38, we find another use of ruach. When Pharaoh is in need of one to give him answers to his disturbing dreams he hears of Joseph, who both interprets his dreams and gives wise course of action in response to these. For his wisdom and knowledge Pharaoh rewards him and ask where else they could find one such as him, "one in whom is the spirit of God." Pharaoh notes that because of the presence of the spirit on him, no one is more discerning or as wise as he. It is also interesting to note the ability to recognize the spirit is found in Pharaoh, who exalts Joseph, while those of the "chosen" rejected him. With this use, a new understanding of the spirit can be seen, a spirit which can come upon certain individuals, giving insight and special abilities to accomplish what God desires. We are not given any theological specifics about this, rather we are simply told that God's special presence with Joseph allowed him understanding where no one else could find it.

While, as previously mentioned, the first part of Exodus primarily uses ruach as meaning wind (though certainly winds employed specifically by God), beginning in 28:3 ruach begins to be used almost exclusively as implying some kind of divine interaction. In this verse, we find God telling Moses to have those who are skillful, who have been "filled with the spirit of wisdom," to make Aaron's vestments. This is more than an expression that these are wise and skillful folk, for the text tells us that it is God who filled them with such a spirit. The imagery in the Hebrew tells us he filled them as a cup is filled with a liquid. This phrase is only used three times in the Old Testament, including this occurrence, and all are connected with a distinct divine appointment of a specific person or people. In Deuteronomy 34:9 this phrase is used of Joshua, who was appointed by Moses by the laying on of hands, and who was thus able to carry on the leadership of the people and guide them effectively into the promised land. Outside of the Torah, we only find this phrase in Isaiah 11:2, where it is used to help expand on what is meant by the spirit of YHWH resting on the anointed one. [8]

Similar to 28:3 is the use of ruach in 31:3, and the parallel 35:31. In order to adequately design and make the tabernacle, and all of its accompanying accoutrements, God filled a specific person, Bezalel, with the ruach elohim. [9] This filling resulted in wisdom, understanding, and knowledge so that the various crafts and artistry needed would be a perfect expression of God's plans. In chapter 35, we are given the additional information that the spirit has also "inspired" them to teach the various skills to others. [10] Because the tabernacle was to be God's dwelling place among his people, the setting needed to be a perfect reflection of what God desired it to be. To do this, he shared with specific people an insight into himself, so they would know almost instinctively what was needing to be done. He shared with them part of his own essence and being, and they were thus able to share this knowledge with others in a myriad of creative ways.

In the book of Numbers we find another instance of ruach used to refer to a special anointing by God on specific people for a specific purpose. Rather than artistic expressions however, beginning in 11:17 we find the need for the spirit to help guide and lead the people. Up until this point the leadership of the people had been the burden of Moses, he only was anointed to guide and direct, and he felt the weight of this burden. This passage, then, tells us of another characteristic of the spirit, it can be spread out among various people, so that they all may share in the various burdens or responsibilities of communicating God to the people. Seventy elders were gathered, and YHWH came down in the cloud to anoint them with the same spirit that was on Moses. [11] As these elders were filled, they began to prophesy (v.25), though this was a one time event, as if the spirit resting on them was an overwhelming experience which they had to be acclimated. Interestingly, the location was not important, but rather just the calling itself. Two who did not show up at the tent, but who were among the seventy chosen, also were anointed and began to prophesy. [12] Similar to this passage, in Numbers 11:18, Joshua is appointed as a leader, with the important point made that in him is the spirit, thus giving him the ability and authority to lead the people. [13]

Insights from the Torah

Of the thirty-five uses of ruach in the first five books of the Bible, seven deal with some aspect of physical wind and five relate more specifically to the human spirit. [14] The rest can be in some way considered theologically interesting as they reveal certain aspects of God's work and being, and are thus important for our own understanding. What is clear from this study is that in the specifics of its work the spirit of God does not seem to have done necessarily anything radically new in the New Testament. What the Spirit is shown to do in the these later books we find also comparable works of the spirit in the Torah. Although the later development of the concept of the Trinity seeks to explain the inner being of God, and I feel adds to our understanding, the consistency of his outer being, his works, can be understood in the Torah without reference to the Spirit as the third person, yet still completely relevant to our Christian understanding of the spirit. Thus, the work of the spirit in the Torah should be an important aspect of how we understand the spirit works, even if it does not tell us the specifics of who the spirit is.

In the first section of Genesis the primary use of ruach is in relationship to life itself, with the word primarily being translated as breath, but implying the source of his life as being that of God's presence among and in it. If the use in 1:2 is appropriately understood as relating to God's spirit, rather than a strong, but vague, wind, then we must allow for a broader work of the spirit in the world than much of our theology currently suggests. Life itself seems to be an indicator of the presence of the spirit of God. When the spirit is removed, life is removed.

This broader presence of the spirit in all living things (with special anointing being given to a specific person or people) should have a radical affect not only on our understanding of other cultures, but also our understanding of nature, of plants and animals, and our responsibilities in helping to cultivate these for the glory of God. The spirit is the source of all that is living and a certain amount of respect and honor should be given to the presence of the spirit in whatever lives. [15] Though the created world is apart from the being of God, those things which are animated into life are points at which God has entered with his spirit and thus must be treated accordingly. This aspect of life gives depth to the strong laws concerning blood, and sacrifice, and other aspects of life and death.

Towards the end of the book of Exodus we find another important aspect of the ruach being highlighted. God declared that he would dwell among his people, and thus required people to know him and create an appropriate dwelling place for him. Where God is everything becomes a theological statement. In chapter 31 we are told the ruach elohim rested on a specific individual, [16] and this individual was anointed for a creative task, to build, to design, to shape, which brings to mind the first use of this phrase in Genesis 1:2. Through the spirit's presence in him Bezalel, along with Oholiab, were able to understand the directions that had been given, were able to choose correctly at moments of decision, were able to instinctually know what God was seeking, and most importantly maybe, they were able to actually do the work that was required. In addition, as chapter 35 states, they were so overflowing with the spirit that they were able to teach others the skills needed.

The result of this anointing was not only a successfully built tabernacle, but one built with an amazing enthusiasm and participation. The Spirit filled Oholiab and Bezalel, giving them insight into God, deep calling to deep. This depth reflected in these two men that which God required for the task, and this task required beauty, skill, artistry, creativity. Moses did not simply take the burden on himself, but let the spirit work in these two men, and all who participated, trusting that his role was one of leadership, and did not encompass every activity.

This is a vital lesson for our own contexts, as well as adding to what the common Christian conceptions of the "gifts of the Spirit" may include. The first time the spirit is explicitly stated having filled anyone, it is to produce works of beauty, of art, which reflect the presence of God. Especially in our evangelical contexts we have lost this understanding of God's anointing in creative works. The spirit of the Lord came upon them and they were given great wisdom, skill, and intelligence to make wonderful things, things which were to reflect God and enhance the worship of the people.

The purpose of this anointing was not to prophesy, to lead, or to make war, rather the purpose was to design, to create, to reflect the Creator by the work of the hands of the people. In the passage of Numbers 11, we find this anointing also being revealed as one of leading the community in general. No longer was Moses required to bear the burden, but others were allowed to share it. This sharing of leadership required that they too must have insight into the will of God. The work of the spirit in the midst of the people of God leads the people towards a great understanding of God himself, with the aim of this work to do His will in and through his people. The spirit gives the power and gifts to achieve that which has called his people to do and accomplish, the question is whether we are able and willing to acknowledge these gifts, especially those that are not necessarily specifically "church duties".

Conclusion

Towards the end of chapter 11 of Numbers, where we find the elders of Israel overcome in a prophetic frenzy as the spirit came upon them, we also find Joshua seeking to stop what was happening. He sought to maintain the order of the community, an order he felt was necessitated by the leadership of Moses alone as the speaker for God. Yet Moses was not seeking after his own glory, nor was he desiring to fight for his position. Rather we find him at first seeking help at the beginning of the chapter, then more than willing to let others share it at the end. He declares to Joshua in 11:29, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the YHWH's people were prophets, and that YHWH would put his spirit on them!" In the book of Acts we find this plea fulfilled, and as Christians we believe that indeed now the Spirit is upon all of God's people.

Though we may understand God's being differently now, the examples of how the spirit worked in the Torah is of enormous value in our communities. The spirit of God is the same, but now working even more broadly among his people. It is the spirit that brings life, so we must respect and honor all life. It is the spirit that brings gifts and abilities to accomplish God's purpose in this world as well as gifts and abilities that help us in manifold ways understand God on a deeper and deeper level, so we must learn to accept these gifts and not limit in our structures the ways in which the spirit can be expressed through the people. The spirit of God was active from the very beginning, creating and recreating, drawing all the cosmos into a whole relationship with the divine and is still active in us and throughout the world in accomplishing the same task. It is our joy, and as Moses knew, our burden to share this task and to do this we must constantly depend on the spirit of God who has called us, filled us, leads us, and empowers us to accomplish that which he has called us to do.