Ruach, the breath of God
experienced daily as cool breeze/wind by SYs
From: jagbir singh <www.adishakti.org@gmail.com>
Date: Sat Nov 6, 2004 6:44 am
Subject: Ruach, the breath of God experienced daily
as cool breeze/wind by SYs
Introduction
“The Spirit of God hath made me,
and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job
33:4)
The Spirit of YHVH is YHVH Himself...
In the Tanakh, the word ruach generally means
wind, breath, mind, spirit. In a living creature (nephesh
chayah), the ruach is the breath, whether of
animals (Gen 7:15; Psa 104:25, 29) or mankind (Isa 42:5;
Ezek 37:5). God is the creator of ruach: "The ruach
of God (from God) is in my nostrils" (Job 27:3). In God's
hand is the ruach of all mankind (Job 12:10; Isa
42:5). In mankind, ruach further denotes the
principle of life that possesses reason, will, and
conscience. The ruach imparts the divine image to
man, and constitutes the animating dynamic which results in
man's nephesh as the subject of personal life.
When applied to God, the word Ruach indicates creative
activity (Gen 1:2) and active power (Isa 40:13). The Spirit
of God also works in providence (Job 33:4; Psa 104:30), in
redemption (Ezek 11:19; Ezek 36:26-27), in upholding and
guiding his chosen ones (Neh 9:20; Psa 143:10; Hag 2:5), and
in the empowering of the Messiah (Isa 11:2; Isa 42:1; Isa
61:1).
In short, as the ruach is to the created nephesh,
so the Ruach Elohim is to God Himself, part of God and
identified with God. Ruach may be understood as the Author
of the animating dynamic of the created order, the
underlying Principle of creation, and the One that imparts
the nephesh to the entire universe.
The Spirit of God
Ruach Elohim.
The Spirit of God.
References: Gen. 1:2; Gen. 41:38; Exod. 31:3; 35:31; Num.
24:2; 1 Sam. 10:10; 11:6; 16:15f, 23; 18:10; 19:20, 23; 2
Chr. 15:1; 2 Chr. 24:20.
In many of these references note that the Spirit of God
“came upon” an individual and enabled him to speak or act on
behalf of YHVH.
The Spirit of the LORD
Ruach Adonai.
References: Jdg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14;
1 Sam. 10:6; 16:13,4; 19:9; 2 Sam. 23:2; 1 Ki. 18:12; 22:24;
2 Ki. 2:16; 2 Chr. 18:23; 20:14; Isa. 11:2; 40:7, 13; 59:19;
63:14; Ezek. 11:5; Hos. 13:15; Mic. 2:7; 3:8.
Note: A distinction was made by ancient Jewish
authorities between the "Spirit of the Lord" and the
Shekhinah, or the (tangible) presence of God. This
distinction is made in the Talmud, which gives a list of
things found in the first Temple in Jerusalem, but missing
in the second Temple. The Shekhinah may have referred to
God's actual dwelling within the Holy of Holies, and God's
presence emanating outward from it in a special way, though
this is speculative and not based on the scriptures found
directly in the Tanakh.
The Holy Spirit
Ruach Hakkodesh.
The Holy Spirit.
Reference: Psalm 51:11
The Spirit of the LORD God
Ruach Adonai Adonai.
The Spirit of the LORD God.
Reference: Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of God
Ruach-El.
The Spirit of God.
Reference: Job 33:4
“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the
Almighty hath given me life.”
(Job 33:4)
Hebrew name for God - Ruach Elohim
http://hebrew4christians.com/
Ruach:
Hebrew
word for God
“One
ancient Hebrew word for God, for example, was ruach.
Literally, that word meant "wind," a natural and even an
impersonal concept. The wind or ruach was observed
not as a being, but as a vitalizing force. It had no
boundaries and no recognizing destination. Among the Hebrews
the ruach or wind of God was said to have brooded
over the chaos in the story of creation in order to bring
forth life. Slowly this ruach then evolved and became
personalized and was called Spirit. But it is important to
note that at its origin ruach was an impersonal life
force, an experienced "what," not a "who." The ruach
or wind of God was not external. It rather emerged from
within the world and was understood as its very ground, its
life-giving reality. . . .
The wind was also assumed by the Jewish mind to have come
from God. "Thou didst blow with thy wind," said the book of
Exodus (15:10), and "There went forth a wind from the Lord,"
said the book of Numbers (11:31). God might have been
defined by these ancient people as a distant, theistic,
personal power who lived beyond the sky, but in the very
mysterious wind, which the Jews felt on their own faces,
they believed they found themselves touched by God here and
now.”
Bishop J. S. Spong
Why Christianity Must Change or Die
