Lesson 7
The
Brain Soul Complex
4. The human Spirit must be distinguished from:
a.
The "breath of lives"
1. This speaks of the ignition of B/C and Brain-Stem of
the central nervous system when human life, the soul, is imputed at conception.
For
Adam it was after God had formed the body (Gen 2:7 "and breathed into
his nostrils the breath (neshemah) of lives" (chayyim
pl.).
In
Job 27:3 a distinction is made: "For
as long as a spirit (h.s.) is within me, and the breath (neshemah) is in my nostrils,"
Job
33:4 "The
Spirit of God (H.S.) has made me, and the breath (neshemah) of the Almighty (H.S.) has
given me life (ignited the brain-soul producing life)" cf Isa 42:5; Acts
- interesting statements from Job who had been through the
mill so to speak, he had lost everything, his wealth, his family (except for
his nagging wife) his wealth and his health and yet he recognized that God
still had a purpose and plan for his life.
- Yea he had some questions, wavered under the pressure of
his 3 buddies but he ultimately thought it all through and came to the
conclusion that it was more important to maintain his focus on God, the creator
than to be totally self absorbed.
2. Physical death is spoken of as the absence of the
Neshemah (Gen
Dt 20:16; Josh
Job
34:14,15;
The
point here that Elihu makes is that any of us will
only be here in this life as long or until God pulls the life support system, its that simple, so you can relax.
This
is seen in: Ps 30:3;
Ps 33:19; Ps 41:2
3. A concordant or lexical study of neshemah reveals it is
also used of the breath of God who ignites, sustains and terminates life.
Job
37:10 Neshemah
responsible for the ice age and post-diluvian weather;
Isa 30:33 prediction that the Neshemah of God will destroy
b.
The Human Soul (Heb
1. Both believers and unbelievers have souls.
2. Both have neshemah - Dan 5:23 - Belshazzar
ruler of
- he was arrogant, decadent and
believed that he was invincible but his neshemah was removed by a sword of a
Persian (secondary cause) ultimately it was God who pulled his life support
system (
3. Only believers have both neshemah and the human spirit.
c. The sin nature influencing the soul and therefore the
life.
Must
ask the question what about those passages of Scripture that ascribe a spirit
to the unbeliever?
The
contrast: Prov
1. "Spirit" used in contexts where a
sinful or evil condition is envisaged, is not referring to the human spirit but
to the B/C with the indwelling sin nature in rulership and therefore dominating
the whole process. [i.e.
soul and life]
-
Really describes the readout that others will observe.
2. Both believers and unbelievers have this
"influencing spirit", the sin nature.
3. Example of Unbelievers; Gen 41:8 - Pharaoh's
"spirit was troubled";
Dt
1 Chron
- God used an unbeliever leader of an evil nation to
administer the discipline on
Dan
2:1 "his spirit (
4. Believers posses the sin nature which can influence
their life when it rules:
Ro
8:15a "spirit of slavery" (sin nature promotes a works
oriented system in an attempt to please God);
2 Tim 1:7 "spirit of fear" (flows from
sin nature rulership).