Sunday, August 25, 2024
Today, we’re continuing our exploration of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. Throughout Scripture, the Holy Spirit is represented in various ways—fire, water, oil, and more. Each of these symbols reveals a different aspect of the Spirit’s nature and work in our lives. Today, we’re focusing on the symbol of the wind.
As we explore the symbol of the wind today, it’s important to understand the deep connection between breath, wind, and the Holy Spirit in the original languages of Scripture. In both Hebrew and Greek, the same word is used for all three concepts, highlighting their intrinsic relationship.
Hebrew:
1. Breath: רוּחַ (Ruach)
o Pronunciation: roo-ahkh
o This word means “breath,” “wind,” or “spirit” depending on the context.
2. Wind: רוּחַ (Ruach)
o Same as above, Ruach can refer to the wind or the breath of life.
3. Holy Spirit: רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ (Ruach HaKodesh)
o Pronunciation: roo-ahkh ha-ko-desh
o “Ruach HaKodesh” directly translates to “Holy Spirit” in Hebrew.
Greek:
1. Breath: πνεῦμα (Pneuma)
o Pronunciation: pnyoo-mah
o This word can mean “breath,” “wind,” or “spirit.”
2. Wind: πνεῦμα (Pneuma)
o Same as above, Pneuma is used for both “wind” and “breath.”
3. Holy Spirit: τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα (To Hagion Pneuma)
o Pronunciation: to ha-gee-on pnyoo-mah
o “To Hagion Pneuma” is the Greek term for “Holy Spirit.”
Exodus 14:21-22 NIV
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.”
This strong wind, רוּחַ (Ruach), blew through the night, parting the waters of the Red Sea and creating a path of escape for the Israelites. What seemed like an impossible situation was transformed by the mighty wind of God, symbolizing His Spirit at work to bring freedom and salvation to His people.
John 3:1-3 NIV
“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’”
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council, came to Jesus under the cover of night. The fact that Nicodemus chose to visit Jesus at night is significant. As a respected religious leader, he might have been concerned about being seen with Jesus, whose teachings were controversial and challenged the established religious norms.
Nicodemus believed to some extent but didn’t fully grasp the truth. He was trying to play it safe, keeping one foot in the familiar and the other exploring the new. However, Jesus wasn’t interested in partial belief or divided loyalty—He calls believers to a complete transformation, a total renewal that could only come through being born again by the Spirit.
John 3:4-6 NIV
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
Jesus explains to Nicodemus that “flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” This means that just as our physical life comes from human birth, our spiritual life must come from the Holy Spirit. Being “born of the Spirit” is about a deep, inner transformation that only the Holy Spirit can bring about. This spiritual rebirth produces a new nature within us, one that is aligned with God and capable of bearing spiritual fruit.
John 3:7-8 NIV
“You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Just like the wind, the Holy Spirit’s presence and work are invisible but undeniably real. You can hear the wind as it rustles the leaves or whistles through the trees; you can see its effects as it moves objects and changes the landscape; and you can feel the wind on your skin, refreshing and powerful. Similarly, the Holy Spirit moves in ways that are often beyond our understanding, but we can hear His voice in our hearts, see the changes He brings in our lives, and feel His presence guiding and comforting us.