HE BREATHED ON THEM
John 20:19 ¶ Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
What a marvelous revelation it is to see that the same Eternal Son of God who formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into that form the breath of life, (as recorded in Genesis 2:7), is seen here again breathing the breath of God into these to receive the Holy Spirit! And that Hebrew word translated, “the Spirit of” in Genesis 1:2 is the exact same Hebrew word translated as “the breath of,” in Genesis 6:17. It is seen as “the Spirit of” 230 times in our bibles, and 26 times as “the breath of.”
Consider these verses: Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
The Lord God is immutable, or changeless. Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Therefore that which he ever does is a pattern of activity by which we can learn of other providential occurrences. Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Therefore to issue forth physical life for Adam, or to issue forth spiritual life in His believers is done by the same life-giving breath of God. John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
And is it not of interest that we are instructed that even as the natural wind has a sound which can be heard, so does the coming of the Wind of the Holy Spirit? Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, (languages) as the Spirit gave them utterance.
In this regard there is a very interesting passage in the second Book of Kings. 2 Kings 4:32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. 34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
As there is no record in detail of God’s specific method of imparting life into the dust of the ground in our Genesis 2:7 verse, Elisha had to receive this procedure of bringing life into this child by a revelation of the Holy Spirit. And this passage reveals to us the intimacy of God’s relating to the man, made in His image! For it states that he “stretched himself upon him.” And the Lord instructed us that the Holy Spirit shall not just be with us, but in us! John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
And then we also have “the sound thereof.” For life in the child was expressed by the sound of seven sneezes. And the sound which comes from those indwelt by the Spirit of truth is the gospel of the kingdom of God. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. For the life of faith is imparted by the hearing of the truth. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Consider God’s deliberations with the Prophet Jeremiah at the time of this calling: Jeremiah 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
The Lord Jesus also revealed in his association with the man born blind somewhat of His act of creation as the Eternal Son of God. John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
The Lord had purposed that this man’s mother give birth to a blind child. For that was needful to glorify Himself as very God. For as the moisture from the breath of His mouth caused the dust of the earth to become the living soul of Adam, so now that same breath and moisture would fashion optical nerves, or eyeballs, or whatever was needed to give vision to this man. Jesus Christ is Eternal God!
And the true God-ordained ministry is given to deal not only with the words of the Scriptures, but also in the realm of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
God has said that he will perform the words of his prophets. And that is because he has given them his word to proclaim. Isaiah 44:26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers;
Therefore Ezekiel was led to a valley of dry, disconnected bones, representing God’s elect church. Then the Prophet Ezekiel was not only commanded to prophesy and preach to the bones that they come together, but also to preach to the wind! For it is one thing for a professional preacher to preach the bare words of the Bible for the producing of morality among his listeners; but it is a far different matter to have a God-ordained servant of the Lord to have power with the Holy Spirit, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Ezekiel 37:1 ¶ The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
Elijah was taught that God was not in the loud shakings of moral religion, but recognized Him is the Spirit’s “voice of silent stillness.” 1 Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave.
Zechariah 4:6 Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
gb
