Spurgeon Morning and Evening February 16 PM

Biblical Context

The book of Nehemiah chronicles the crucial period of Jerusalem’s restoration following the Babylonian exile. Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, is burdened by the news of Jerusalem’s ruined walls and the despair of its inhabitants. Driven by a divine call, he leads the people in the monumental task of rebuilding the city’s defenses.

Nehemiah 9, from which our verse “Thy good Spirit” is drawn, presents a poignant and powerful prayer of confession and remembrance. After the wall is completed and the Law is read publicly by Ezra (Nehemiah 8), the people gather in solemn assembly. The Levites lead them in a sweeping review of Israel’s history, from the covenant with Abraham to their current state. This prayer recounts God’s unfailing faithfulness and provision, contrasting it sharply with Israel’s persistent disobedience and rebellion. It’s a testament to God’s patient endurance and steadfast love.

Within this historical panorama, Nehemiah 9:20 specifically highlights God’s provision for His people during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness: “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouths but gave them water for their thirst.” This verse emphasizes the Spirit’s role not only in sustenance but, critically, in instruction and guidance. Even in their waywardness, God’s Spirit was present, seeking to lead them, making His goodness manifest through His active presence among them.

Key Word Study

Our focus verse, Nehemiah 9:20, speaks of “Thy good Spirit.” Let us delve into the Hebrew term for “Spirit,” which is ruach (רוּחַ).

• Hebrew: רוּחַ (ruach)
• Pronunciation: roo-akh
• Definition: This versatile Hebrew word carries a rich semantic range, encompassing “wind,” “breath,” and “spirit.” In its meteorological sense, it refers to a powerful force of nature (e.g., Genesis 1:2, “a wind from God”). As “breath,” it signifies life itself, the animating force within living beings (e.g., Genesis 2:7, “breath of life”). Most significantly for our study, ruach often denotes the Spirit of God, indicating His divine presence, power, and active agency in creation, revelation, and human affairs.

When Nehemiah 9:20 refers to “Thy good Spirit,” it points to the divine essence of God’s active presence in the lives of His people. It is the life-giving, guiding, and empowering force of God Himself. This “good Spirit” is not merely an influence but the very Person of God at work, sustaining, instructing, and leading His covenant people, even when they strayed. The attribute “good” appended to “Spirit” in this context underscores the benevolent, gracious, and beneficial nature of this divine presence and activity.

The Sin of Forgetting the Holy Spirit

Spurgeon begins with a stark observation: “Common, too common is the sin of forgetting the Holy Spirit.” In our modern Christian walk, this truth remains painfully relevant. We often acknowledge God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son, yet relegate the Holy Spirit to a lesser, perhaps even an optional, role. This oversight is not merely a theological inaccuracy; it is, as Spurgeon asserts, “folly and ingratitude.” It is foolish because we deprive ourselves of divine power, guidance, and comfort. It is ingratitude because the Holy Spirit, in His infinite goodness, “deserves well at our hands.” He is the active, personal presence of God in our lives today, working tirelessly for our spiritual good.

The Essential Goodness of the Holy Spirit

The goodness of the Holy Spirit is fundamental to His very being. Spurgeon declares, “As God, He is good essentially. He shares in the threefold ascription of Holy, holy, holy, which ascends to the Triune Jehovah.” This echoes the worship found in scripture, such as in Isaiah’s vision where seraphim cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). Similarly, in the heavenly throne room described in Revelation, the four living creatures “day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” (Revelation 4:8). The Holy Spirit, being fully God, shares in this absolute purity and holiness. He is “Unmixed purity and truth, and grace.” There is no shadow of imperfection, no hint of malice, no trace of deceit within His divine nature. His goodness is perfect, pure, and unwavering, forming the very foundation of His character and all His works.

The Benevolent Goodness of the Holy Spirit

Beyond His essential nature, the Holy Spirit manifests a profound “benevolent” goodness, particularly in His dealings with humanity. Spurgeon paints a beautiful picture of His tender care: “tenderly bearing with our waywardness, striving with our rebellious wills; quickening us from our death in sin, and then training us for the skies as a loving nurse fosters her child.”

• Bearing with our waywardness: Think of the countless times we resist God’s will, stray from His path, or fall into sin. Yet, the Spirit does not abandon us. He patiently endures our imperfections, continuously seeking to draw us back. This is not passive acceptance but active, loving patience.
• Striving with our rebellious wills: The Spirit actively engages with our inner resistance. He convicts us of sin (John 16:8), challenges our self-sufficiency, and gently but persistently urges us toward righteousness. This striving is not coercive but persuasive, aiming for our transformation.
• Quickening us from our death in sin: Before the Spirit’s work, we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). It is His life-giving power that regenerates us, making us alive to God, opening our eyes to spiritual truth, and implanting new desires for holiness. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:4-5). This quickening is the very spark of spiritual life.
• Training us for the skies as a loving nurse fosters her child: This tender imagery speaks volumes. Just as a nurse patiently teaches a child to walk, talk, and grow, the Spirit nurtures our spiritual development. He guides us in understanding Scripture, comforts us in trials, convicts us of sin, and empowers us for service, preparing us for our eternal home. This is sanctification, a lifelong process of growth into Christlikeness.

Spurgeon rightly concludes this section: “How generous, forgiving, and tender is this patient Spirit of God.” His benevolent goodness is a wellspring of grace for every believer.

The Operative Goodness of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit’s goodness is not abstract; it is intensely practical and active. “He is good operatively. All His works are good in the most eminent degree.” Every spiritual blessing and every step of our spiritual journey is a testament to His operative goodness. He is the divine agent behind every good thing in our spiritual lives:

• He suggests good thoughts: Guiding our minds away from worldly anxieties and towards divine truth, prompting us to meditate on Scripture, and inspiring us with wisdom.
• Prompts good actions: Moving us to acts of charity, service, worship, and obedience, overcoming our natural reluctance and self-interest. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
• Reveals good truths: Opening our understanding to the deep things of God, illuminating Scripture, and giving us spiritual discernment. “These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).
• Applies good promises: Bringing the comforting, strengthening, and hope-filled promises of God’s Word directly to our hearts in times of need, making them real and personal.
• Assists in good attainments: Empowering us to grow in faith, love, patience, and self-control, helping us to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
• Leads to good results: Guiding our paths, ensuring that our efforts, when submitted to Him, ultimately contribute to God’s kingdom and our sanctification.

Indeed, “There is no spiritual good in all the world of which He is not the author and sustainer.” Every prayer answered, every sin overcome, every insight gained, every act of love performed in God’s name, finds its source and strength in the Holy Spirit. His work is so foundational that “heaven itself will owe the perfect character of its redeemed inhabitants to His work.” Without the Spirit, sanctification would be impossible, and our readiness for glory would be nonexistent.

The Official Goodness of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit fulfills various vital offices, each demonstrating His profound goodness and critical importance to the church of God. “He is good officially; whether as Comforter, Instructor, Guide, Sanctifier, Quickener, or Intercessor, He fulfils His office well, and each work is fraught with the highest good to the church of God.”

• Comforter (Paraclete): He is our divine advocate, standing alongside us, bringing peace, encouragement, and solace in times of sorrow and distress. Jesus promised, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).
• Instructor: He teaches us the truths of God’s Word, granting spiritual understanding and wisdom. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13).
• Guide: He leads us in righteousness, showing us God’s will and directing our steps in a world full of confusion. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).
• Sanctifier: He makes us holy, setting us apart for God’s purposes and transforming us into the likeness of Christ. “May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
• Quickener: He imparts spiritual life, invigorating our faith, and renewing our strength. This ties back to His role in regeneration and ongoing spiritual vitality.
• Intercessor: He prays on our behalf, translating our groans and imperfect prayers into perfect petitions before the Father. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

Each of these offices is performed with perfect excellence, bringing “the highest good to the church of God.” The benefits of yielding to His influence are transformative: “They who yield to His influences become good, they who obey His impulses do good, they who live under His power receive good.” Surrender to the Spirit is the path to spiritual flourishing.

Our Response to Such Goodness

Given the Holy Spirit’s boundless goodness and tireless work on our behalf, our response must be one of profound gratitude and active cooperation. “Let us then act towards so good a person according to the dictates of gratitude.”

1. Revere and Adore Him: “Let us revere His person, and adore Him as God over all, blessed for ever.” He is not an impersonal force but the third Person of the Godhead, worthy of our worship and deepest reverence (Romans 9:5, “Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.“).
2. Own His Power and Our Need: “let us own His power, and our need of Him by waiting upon Him in all our holy enterprises.” We are utterly dependent on His strength for every spiritual endeavor. Waiting upon Him means seeking His direction, relying on His enablement, and acknowledging that without Him, we can do nothing of lasting spiritual value (John 15:5).
3. Hourly Seek His Aid and Never Grieve Him: “let us hourly seek His aid, and never grieve Him.” His presence is constant, and our reliance should be likewise. To grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption“) is to resist His promptings, cling to sin, or neglect His gentle leadings. It is to hurt the very One who loves us most.
4. Speak to His Praise: “and let us speak to His praise whenever occasion occurs.” Just as we praise the Father and the Son, we must give glory to the Holy Spirit, acknowledging His magnificent work in our lives and in the world.

Spurgeon’s concluding admonition is powerful and sobering: “The church will never prosper until more reverently it believes in the Holy Ghost.” A church, or indeed an individual believer, that neglects the Holy Spirit will lack power, direction, and true spiritual vitality. It is a tragedy that “He is so good and kind, that it is sad indeed that He should be grieved by slights and negligences.” Let us resolve today to honor, obey, and rejoice in the good Spirit of God, allowing Him full sway in our hearts and lives.