Christians can learn from several Bible characters who were filled with the Holy Spirit, all fueled and inspired to accomplish God’s work. Here are some:
In Exodus 35:30-35, the Holy Spirit helped the men under Moses’ care. “Then Moses told the people of Israel, ‘The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom…’”
In Numbers 27:18, the Holy Spirit empowered Joshua to lead Israel. “The Lord replied, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.’”
In Judges 6:34, the Holy Spirit came upon Gideon. “Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with power. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.”
In Judges 13:25, the Holy Spirit came upon Samson as well. “And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol.”
In 1 Samuel 16:13, the Holy Spirit rushed upon David when He was anointed as king. “So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on.”
In Ezekiel 2:2, the Holy Spirit enabled Ezekiel to prophesy. “The Spirit came into me as He spoke, and He set me on my feet. I listened carefully to His words.”
In Matthew 1:20, the Holy Spirit conceived Jesus in Mary’s virgin womb. “As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.’”
In Matthew 3:16, the Holy Spirit was present at Jesus’ baptism, telling the people present that Jesus is God. “After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him.”
In Luke 4, even Jesus Himself was filled by the Holy Spirit, enabling Him to go through the wilderness and resist the temptations the devil tested Him with for 40 days. “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days.”
In John 14:26, the Holy Spirit teaches the disciples and reminds them of what Jesus taught while He was on earth. “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
In Acts 4:8-10, the Holy Spirit enabled Peter to bravely question the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law. “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? …Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ…’”
In Acts 8:29, “The Holy Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and walk along beside the carriage.’” Philip immediately ran over, heard someone reading from Isaiah, and began to share the gospel with him. By the end, the Ethiopian was fully committed to getting baptized – right there and then.
Other people in the Bible were filled by the Spirit, but these are evidence enough of how the Holy Spirit works in people. The Holy Spirit truly is God – one that convicts, empowers, and guides us.