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When Jesus promises to send the Spirit, he describes the Spirit as the "Paraclete." This word is often translated as "Comforter," but the Greek word has a legal connotation and is actually closer to "Advocate" or even "Defense Attorney." A Paraclete doesn't "soothe" so much as "defend."
That's a good thing, because everyone who receives the Spirit in Scripture needs a good bit of defending. The Spirit clothes judges like Gideon and Samson so they can slaughter Midianites and Philistines. When the Spirit comes upon Saul, He takes his army to deliver Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites.
In our sermon text, the Spirit comes on David and begins a lifetime of persecution, struggle, battle, and hardship. It's the Spirit-filled David who fights Goliath, dodges Saul's spear, and runs around the country just out of Saul’s teach. It's the Spirit-filled David who fights Saul's son Ish-Bosheth and who has to deal with the bloodthirsty sons of Zeruiah. It's the Spirit-filled David who repeatedly cries out in the Psalms for deliverance from His enemies.
Some of David's troubles are the result of His own sin. Still, as soon as the Spirit touches him, he's in for it.
And so are we. This pattern doesn't change in the New Testament. As soon as the Spirit comes on Jesus, Satan shows up to tempt Him; just after Pentecost, the Jewish leaders are dragging Peter and John before the Sanhedrin and stoning Stephen.
The Spirit is our Defender. But He also ensures that we need defense, because He impels us into the wilderness and pushes us into battle.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, July 09, 2006 at 09:10 AM
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