Holy Spirit - Power
November 7, 2021Today's message was the second in a series about the Holy Spirit. The message is here.
Before we start in on "power," I want to share a notion that I ran across this week that more pertains to the "Intro" topic of last week. To the ancient Hebrews, God and spirit were pretty much the same, God being incorporeal and all. So, saying "Spirit of God" would have sounded redundant.
I was more than a bit overwhelmed by the topic of Power this week. Pastor Patrick mentioned the Greek word dunamis as being "power" (as in dynamite). So I started there and learned that dunamis was the Greek word used to translate at least 29 different Hebrew words (details). Hebrew has many variations and nuances on the idea of "power."
In one dictionary of the Bible, the word Power doesn't have its own listing. Rather, it points to Strength and Authority. Under Strength there are 15 Hebrew words. Under Authority there are four.
Here's a tangent already... In reading about the Greek dunamis, I found often talked about with dunamis is exousia (also Greek). Exousia refers more to the authority or right to exercise power. The scriptures make it clear that all authority and power are God's.
So, here's a rundown of the types of power in the Old Testament. Most of this info is from the dictionaries and concordances listed on the Credits page, particularly the "Expository" dictionary.
Memshalah: dominion, rule, kingdom. This word is first used to describe the sun and moon "ruling" over day and night. It also is used regarding kingdoms, like Solomon's, Hezekiahs's, Nebuchadnezzar's, etc. It used in Micah 4 in reference to the divine power of God bringing the slaves out of Egypt.
Shallit: the ruler or king, the one who exercises the power. Joseph is called the shallit, governor or ruler, of Egypt. Shallat is the verb form meaning to rule. There are a couple of uses that refer to overpowering enemies. In Psalms 119:133 there is a cry for wickedness not to have dominion or rule over us.
Toqeph: royal power. This is rare (3x).
Koah: strength, power, might. This is used to describe human strength, animal strength, the strength of a nation, and the power/might of God. As for God, it's usually in relation to miracles to benefit mankind. either to overcome enemies (e.g. Egypt) or to sustain (e.g. in the wilderness).
Gibbor: might warrior, valiant man. This term is used for Israelite warriors, judges, Goliath, etc. The use includes general "strong man" in non-specific situations. Gibbor is used directly to say Might God, e.g. in Neh. 9:32. Angels are described as gibbor in Ps. 103:20.
Hazaq: to strengthen, be strong, prevail (300x). It's used in the sense of "hang on" relative to famine. In Genesis 48:2 the notion is strengthen oneself regarding food. Be strong, or resolute, occurs in such passages as Deut. 11:8. Hazaq can also be an adjective meaning strong or mighty. Examples include phrases like "God's mighty hand."
Oz: strength, power. Examples include "The Lord is my/our strength" (Ex. 15:2). Oz is also used to describe a strong fortress or tower (e.g. Judg. 9:51).
Geburah: strength, might power; metaphorically, too, as in strength of character. The might or power of God in his redemptive action (Deut. 3:24).
Asum/Az: strong or mighty in the sense of secure, thriving. The sense of thriving is used in the case of Abraham's generations (Gen 18:18).
There are plenty more. I'll summarize additional notions: refuge, physical security, stronghold, hand of, delivering, courage, be/grow strong (e.g. against floodwaters (Gen 7:18).
Another interesting Hebrew word related to this discussion is meod. Often translated into the Greek as dunamis (power), it's meaning is more like very or much, or "muchness." In Deut. 6:5 we are to love our God with all our heart, soul, and strength. "Strength" there comes from meod, muchness; it's much more than just strength, but all of you, all your abilities. Meod intensifies words. God called His Adam and Eve very (meod) good. He described Cain as very (meod) angry. The floodwaters of Noah were "meod" powerful.
Clearly, the notion of power, including the power of the Holy Spirit, has many ramifications throughout the Old Testament, including the Torah. This merely scratches the surface of power's muchness.