What The Bible Says: Holy-Spirit FillingSample

BIBLICAL PICTURES OF HOLY-SPIRIT FILLING, PART 2 (BLESSING)

The Holy Spirit as Oil

In the Old Testament, oil was used as a symbol of God’s calling, blessing, and favor. 

For example, God gave instructions to Moses’ regarding his brother Aaron, “You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him” (Exodus 29:7). Centuries later, Samuel was sent to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem to anoint David with oil as the new king who would replace Saul. 

How does that little shepherd boy become a giant-killer and the greatest warrior in the history of Israel? How does that young man who played and sang for his sheep end up writing much of the psalm book that makes up the center of our Bibles?

Something happened after Samuel poured the anointing oil on David’s head. First Samuel 16:13 tells us, “And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.” 

Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants to pour over you and fill your life with His power and favor.

The Holy Spirit as Wind

The Hebrew word for wind is ruach and, in Greek, pneuma means breath. Jesus Himself made the connection between this concept and the Holy Spirit: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). You can’t see the Holy Spirit; you can only see His effect. 

We can see it in the passionate worship of His people. We can see it in the salvation of lost loved ones. We can see it in a growing hunger for God’s Word. We can see it in the eagerness to be freed from temptation and sin, and live a life that honors God. 

Wind is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit at work in the followers of Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit as Water

While the other four markers of the Holy Spirit (dove, fire, oil, and wind) are external, this last one is primarily internal. Water points to the thirst-quenching, life-empowering work of the Holy Spirit. 

During Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well in John 4, He offered her a spring of living water: “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). 

Jesus’ offer still stands. That spring of water is the implanted Holy Spirit in our lives when we trust Christ for our salvation; the “welling up” is His continual work to fill us and sanctify us into the character of Christ. He said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”’ (John 7:37–38). And John explained, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive . . . ” (John 7:39). 

Be still and let the Holy Spirit anoint you, breathe into your spirit, and quench the thirst of your soul today.