From chapter one of the book there has been no question that the book for the most part was written and being read by seemingly victims of unmet promises and unmet expectations. That being said, we can come to the probable conclusion that as readers we are not comforted nor enthusiastically receiving much from the words of Paul or the New Testament.
Richard was looking for the "manifold wisdom of God" in the church. That's where I have searched as well. But the church's obvious defects seem to expose the risk that God took in committing His Spirit to flawed human beings. The church in Corinth verses the racism in South Africa, bloodshed in Northern Ireland, and scandals among U.S. Christian leaders. So I think it would be fair to say that a large part of our disappointment with God comes from our disillusionment with other Christians.
It seems that with God's reliance on the church, we can almost be assured of disappointment with Him. If the Hebrews wanted to know God's will, the High Priest had ways of discerning the answer. Today 1,275 denominations in the U.S. attest to the difficulty of the church agreeing on God's will about anything. That's part of the risk that God took with human beings.
So what was God thinking? Why take such a risk? Paul may have responded to those questions like this. "Are you crazy?! Go back and read Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy at one sitting, and then we can talk. You call those "the good old days"? Who wants to live like that? Do you want to spend every day of your life worrying about your destiny? Do you want to scramble all day to make sure you keep all the rules? Do you want to go through long rituals and animal sacrifices and a fancy-dressed high priest just to approach God? I spent half my life trying to live up to those demands, and you can have them. The difference between the law and the Spirit is the difference between death and life."
Sure there is risk in placing the Spirit in mankind's hands. Risk on both sides. For us, it means risking our independence by committing to follow an invisible God who requires of us faith and obedience. For God, it means risking that we, like the Israelites, may never grow up, it means risking that we may never love Him. He must have weighed the cost and thought it worth while.
God's voice in the beginning was thunderously loud. When He spoke mountains trembled. Yet those that heard it and even feared it, became increasingly able to ignore it. When the voice grew silent very few persevered. Then the voice of Jesus came down to the level of a human voice, but still carrying with it the authority of God. Now, there is the voice of the Spirit. It is as close to us as breath and as gentle as a whisper. It is the most vulnerable voice as it can be quenched and grieved. The gentle whisper of the voice of the Spirit intercedes for us in our moments of weakness. It is the most intimate voice.
The Spirit can not and will not take away our disappointment with God. In fact the very titles given to the Spirit are almost a guarantee that we will have such disappointments. Intercessor, Helper, Counselor, Comforter? Comforter? Why would I need a comforter if there were to be no disappointments in life? The Spirit's whisper is there to remind us of a new reality, one into which we will awaken for eternity.
I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you,
Which shall be the darkness of God....
I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope,
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing;
wait without love,
For love would be love of the wrong thing;
there is yet faith,
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in waiting. T.S. Eliot
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