To many, the Trinity is especially hard to understand in the Old Testament, particularly when we look at the Shema, which says “our God is One.” How can that key belief support the idea of the Trinity?
In this lesson you’ll see how the very words themselves support it fully in that in Hebrew, both “God” and the word “One” are plural nouns, and not only is the word “God, Elohim” the plural noun used here but it is used 2600 times in the Old Testament. In addition to showing this important word study, we’ll also show how the clear Biblical statement that God the Father cannot be seen with the contrasting statements that people saw and talked to God is explained by the Trinity (see the lesson for the full explanation). The lesson also covers the different ways the Holy Spirit was/is involved with believers.
If you would like FREE, editable downloads of this material that you can modify and use to teach without attribution, go to the Bible805 Academy. Just click on the little search (magnifying glass icon) at the top of the page, type in the topic you want, hit enter, and it will bring up the various lessons and infographics on it.
Introductory questions
• Does the Old Testament teach the Trinity?
• What about the Shema, that says clearly, “God is One?” Does that deny the Trinity?
• Also, how does it reconcile the verses that say God can’t be seen, with ones that say people saw God?
• These questions and more are what we’ll answer in our lesson today…
Understanding the Trinity, part Three
The Trinity Throughout the Bible
Teacher, Yvon Prehn
Review—this lesson is part of a series on the Trinity
• Understanding the Trinity, part One, The Three Persons of the Trinity, how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are uncreated, co-equal, and eternal persons.
• Understanding the Trinity, part Two, The One Substance of the Trinity, the attributes shared by the members of the Trinity and what that means to us.
• Understanding the Trinity, part Three, The Trinity Throughout the Bible, descriptions of the Trinity and roles of each member in the Old and New Testaments.
• Notes, videos, podcasts, charts, and associated resource links are all available on www.Bible805.com
Before we get into this lesson, I want to answer a question….
• Why does God make things like the Trinity so hard to understand?
• I was asked this by someone as I taught the first classes in this series.
• Many people wonder about this.
• I think the answer is the same Jesus gave when talking to the Pharisees and they had incorrect ideas about God and the resurrection, when he said….
In Matthew 22:29
• Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”
• Answers to questions about God seem difficult because we simply don’t know, really know what the Bible says about important topics.
• It isn’t a matter of God attempting to confuse us.
• It is a matter of the priorities of our lives—the answers are ALL in the Bible, however. . .
• We need to read, to study, research, learn, and discuss topics that relate to our God and us—and we need to be prepared to obey and trust even if we don’t like the answers.
• That’s what we do in Bible805 and these lessons, so let’s return into the subject of the Trinity…..
From the beginning,
the Old Testament talks about the Trinity
• Many are familiar with Gen. 1:1“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” where the word “God” is in plural format.
• Hebrew: ‘ĕlōhîm, plural, masculine noun
• Made, Hebrew bara, a singular verb
• Also with the passage: Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.” Gen.1:26, NLT, where God is clearly a plurality of persons.
• But what about The Shema? The defining phrase of the Jewish faith?
Shema
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength.
Deut. 6:4,5
• At first reading it’s hard to see any evidence of the Trinity in that and many use this verse to deny the existence of the Trinity.
• Let’s look more closely at what the verse actually says….
• First at the word “one”
A closer look at the Hebrew for “one” in this verse
• Hebrew word, ehad H259 , “one” used in the Shema can be used to contain multiple entities in the oneness that makes them one. As in…
• Genesis 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, H259
• Genesis 34:16 Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one H259 people.
• Genesis 41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: H259 God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
From the Hebrew word use, we can see
• The word “one” can contain more than one entity—talking about a group of people and Pharoah’s dreams.
• What kind of Oneness is the could there be with God, if it is not a oneness of persons?
• It is the Oneness of substance, of attributes illustrated in the chart here.
• It is part of the term una substantia, tres personae, meaning one substance, three persons, which was clarified by Tertullian in 213 A.D.
• But did the people in the Old Testament have any sense of that?
Another word used in the Shema, gives us a hint that they did
• It is the word “God” in the phrase, “the Lord our God, the Lord is one”
• This is the plural noun “Elohim.”
• It is the same plural noun that is used in Genesis 1:1, and Genesis 1:26, where it is clearly talking about a plurality of persons—this is the SAME word used in the Shema,
• BUT these 3 places are not the only places the SAME PLURAL WORD “Elohim” used in Genesis.
• In fact, used for God 2600 times in the Old Testament.
• See the Blue Letter Bible for the many references https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h430/kjv/wlc/0-1/
The use of Elohim, the PLURAL word for God is used throughout the Old Testament
• If God is the author of scripture, and we believe He is, in the use of this word, God was consistently communicating something about Himself—
• That His “oneness” was not that of a solitary entity, but a plurality of persons.
• But who are they? Who are the persons of the Trinity and how are they revealed in the Old Testament?
• To answer, let’s overview the Old Testament to see what it says about God, how it describes His encounters with people.
Challenge at the start—the Bible says
• God can’t be seen
• Exodus 33:20, “But He [God] said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”
• John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time.”
• John 6:46, “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.”
• Both Old and New Testaments tell us that God the Father cannot appear to humans.
• But then how do we explain the following verses?
Where it says God appears to humans?
• “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless;
Gen. 17:1).
• Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day (Genesis 18:1).
• (After wrestling with God) Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved (Genesis 32:30).
And there are more….
• Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. . . . . .as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence. . . . .
(Joshua 5:13-15).
• Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, ‘Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.’ (Judges 6:22).
• Look! he answered, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God (Daniel 3:25).
• What is going on in these passages, where the Old Testament characters clearly say they SAW God?
Understanding the Trinity,
as we previously discussed it, explains it
• If there is a plurality of persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, these appearances are of the second person of the Trinity, God the Son.
• In addition to His participation at creation, He appeared at various times in the Old Testament as. . .
• What theologians refer to as the “Preincarnate Christ”, meaning this was Jesus, before he was permanently incarnated (enfleshed,) when he was born as a baby in the manger.
• Also called the Angel of Jehovah or the Angel of the Lord.
• Clarification— angel—is the Hebrew word mal’āḵ meaning a messenger or representative, NOT the current cultural idea of a cute little creature with wings.
This view is shared by many theologians.
The two comments here are from www.preceptautin.org
a great resource site for all Bible studies.
These are two of many entries on “the Angel of the Lord.”
• John F. Walvoord, highly respected for his exposition of the prophetic sections of the Scriptures and former president of Dallas Theological Seminary, lists these arguments supporting the conclusion that the appearances of the Angel of Jehovah represent “Christophanies” or visible appearances of our Lord Jesus Christ prior to His incarnation:
–The Angel of Jehovah of the Old Testament no longer appears after the incarnation of Christ.
–Both the Angel of Jehovah and Christ are sent by the Father.
–The Angel of Jehovah could not be either the Father or the Holy Spirit for the Father and the Spirit are invisible to man.
• Warren Wiersbe – This person who appeared to [Hagar after she was cast out by Abraham] is the first appearance in Scripture of the Angel of the Lord, who is generally identified as our Lord Jesus Christ. In Genesis 16:10, the angel promised to do what only God can do; and in Genesis 16:13, Hagar called the angel “God.” These pre-Incarnation visits of Jesus Christ to the earth were to meet special needs and to accomplish special tasks. The fact that the Son of God took on a temporary body, left heaven, and came down to help a rejected servant-girl surely reveals His grace and love.
We know who it is who appears to humanity, let’s now look the God who cannot be seen
• God the Father, the first person of the Trinity is the One who speaks, decrees, demands, and initiates many of the actions of the Bible—
• He is the one who gives messages to the prophets, who then speak God’s words to the people
• 2 Kings 17:13 Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.”
• Ezekiel 30:1 the word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy.
So far, we’ve seen in the Old Testament
• God the Father, the 1st person of the Trinity is the one who commands, gives the Law, speaks to the prophets who speak to the people, who cannot be seen.
• God the Son, the 2nd person of the Trinity is the pre-incarnate Christ, aka the Angel of the Lord, who takes on human form at significant times in the lives of his chosen people.
• What about the 3rd person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit came on people for specific tasks in the Old Testament
• Numbers 27:18 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
• See, I have chosen Bezalel . . . and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills to make artistic designs. Exodus 31:2-4
• The Spirit guided the prophets: Ezekiel 2:2 The Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.
• But He could also be removed, as when Saul disobeyed, the Spirit departed 1 Sam 16:14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul.
Summary of the Trinity in the Old Testament
• The use of the word Elohim (a plural noun) for God is used over 2600 times and describes both the individual personhood and the united characteristics of the Trinity. Individual passages clarify the work of each member of the Trinity in these ways.
• 1st person of the Trinity, God as Father is Lord of all, though invisible to human eyes, initiates, inspires, speaks, acts.
• 2nd person of the Trinity, God the Son, appeared as the head of the Lord’s armies and the Angel of the Lord at specific times and was also looked forward to as the coming Messiah.
• 3rd person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit empowered those chosen by God for holiness and service but was not universally and permanently given to believers as He will be in the New Testament.
Though separate persons, they all work together in significant events in the Old Testament
• An example following the Exodus:
• God the Father speaks to the people at Sinai, gives them the law.
• God the Son, the pre-incarnate Jesus is the God Moses speaks to face to face and who appears to Joshua as the Commander of the Lord’s armies
• God the Holy Spirit, inspires and gifts with skills the builders of the Tabernacle in their obedience to God’s commands.
• Not as clear and explicit as in the New Testament (e.g. no passage that spells out what each person of the Trinity is doing as in the Baptism of Jesus),yet, if you are intentionally looking for it, you can see the work of the various members of the Trinity as you read the Old Testament.
Then in the New Testament
• Three persons more clearly seen, a primary example in the Baptism of Jesus
• Matthew 3:16–17 says, “When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’”
After the Baptism of Jesus, Jesus continued interactions with God the Father and the Holy Spirit
• Jesus was clearly in constant communication with God, His Father as He prayed for healing, for miracles, and simply interacting about everything as he did when he got up early each day to pray.
• The Spirit was also involved, as this passage of many describes, Jesus began His ministry in the power of the Spirit. Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region (Luke 4:14 NKJV).
• And at the end of His earthly ministry, the work of the Spirit in Jesus life is described in this way in Rom. 8:11 as “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead.”
• And not only did the Holy Spirit raise Jesus from the dead, but He now has a new relationship with us.
Today, All Believers, not just those with a special task to do have a new relationship with the Holy Spirit
• “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14: 15-17
• He again promised the Holy Spirit just before his ascension into heaven—
• On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
• .. . . . .you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-5,8
CLARIFICATION: this is not a “Second Blessing”
• The Holy Spirit is given to ALL believers at the moment of salvation.
• We do not receive the Spirit as a “second blessing” as evidenced by speaking in tongues or laying on of hands or any other action.
• Acts is a historical book, not doctrinal and many of the many of the events it records are historically accurate, but NOT normative for the church today.
• See lesson on “What is the Charismatic Movement?” for an expanded explanation of this topic at www.Bible805.com.
• However, there is a difference between being INDWELT by the Holy Spirit, which every believer is and being FILLED or CONTROLLED by the Holy Spirit, which is a condition based on our obedience.
Clarification, “filled with the Spirit” means controlled, empowered by the Holy Spirit
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, NIV
• Don’t drink too much wine, for many evils lie along that path; be filled instead with the Holy Spirit and controlled by him. Ephesians 5:18 LB
• We can limit the Holy Spirit’s power in our life, and we can make Him sad by our behavior.
• Eph. 4:30 Don’t cause the Holy Spirit sorrow by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who marks you to be present on that day when salvation from sin will be complete.
About the Trinity and many other biblical truths, God doesn’t tell his people everything at once
• But He can be trusted to reveal all that needs to be revealed in its proper time as He did in the progressive revelation of the Trinity.
• In the Old Testament, God the Father instructed and cared for His people though He was not seen, His voice was heard, and message communicated through the prophets.
• Jesus assumed human form in special circumstances, though for most he was looked forward to as Messiah. In a similar way the Holy Spirit only came upon special people to equip them for specific tasks.
• In the New Testament, Jesus (while remaining fully God) became incarnate in human flesh and secured our salvation by His death on the cross. Jesus was in constant contact with God the Father asking for His intervention in healing, wisdom, and help in many areas. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus for His work and now indwells every believer immediately upon acceptance of Jesus as Savior and comforts, strengthens, and gifts believers for service and spiritual growth.
Progressively we get to know our Triune God better and better
• I trust this study of the Trinity has helped you better understand your Triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Please download the charts and other materials and share them with others as the Trinity is truly not a doctrine that is difficult to understand or explain—our God wants to be known and has revealed Himself in His Word.
• But as wonderful as this revelation of our Triune God is to us when we study His Word, in reality, it is still “through a glass darkly.”
• Think how much more wonderful it will be when someday, we experience God the Father and the Spirit more fully and when we see our Savior face to face.
• Then we will begin to truly understand the Trinity, though all eternity we’ll never grasp the fullness of it.
____________________________________________________________
www.Bible805.com
• Links to:
• Podcasts, blogs, charts, and eBooks
• Printables & merch of Bible verses & encouraging sayings
• Chronological Bible-reading schedules