An Excellent Goal

 

Hebrew is a language that requires entire paragraphs to define many of its words. One lexicon begins to describe today’s word about God with ‘a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples’ then lists seven more terms, landing on ‘measure’ which expands to fifteen more terms, one of which is abundance defined as ‘the property of more than an adequate quantity or supply’ and is sometimes translated as numerous, many, large, wealth, even EXCELLENT, and that word is used several times in the Bible to describe the characteristics of God.

(Psalm 150:2) Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!

This verse says God’s greatness is more than adequate! Greatness = outstanding importance or eminence. I need to remember that should I ever think that God is not enough, that I need something more!

The English word excellent is used for other Hebrew words because those words are like abundance and have such richness in their definitions. Those who translate the Bible are doing the best they can to condense those definitions so readers will not get bogged down. Here is another example:

(Isaiah 28:29) This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

In this verse, excellent is a different Hebrew word meaning “to do something remarkable” and is applied to the wisdom of God. Even that word could be expanded for it means “sound or efficient wisdom that is successful and with good results.”

In the New Testament, excellent is used to describe the superior truths of God as well as the ‘extraordinary overabundance’ of conducting our lives filled with the love of God toward others. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul called it a “more excellent way” meaning love is superior to having spiritual gifts and abilities. He then penned chapter 13 to describe that love.

Titus 3:8 uses a different Greek word but also translated excellent to describe the value of doing deeds based on faith. Since these activities are Holy Spirit driven, this also describes the God who motivates them:

(Titus 3:8) The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

This verse reminds me that a Spirit-motivated life is superior to being motivated by law, rules, a sense of duty and all those “I should do this . . .” notions that come from a human desire to be good, right and godly, a desire that looks good on the outside yet is about self-glory and self-effort. Instead Christ again offers a more excellent way:

(Hebrews 8:6) But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

The ministry of Christ takes me and my self-effort to the cross where I died and received new life in Him. Out of that new life, I can now choose to live the old way, trying hard to achieve an excellence that will always be out of my reach (we all fall short) or live in the power of the Holy Spirit, the more excellent way.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. The Bible tells me to keep my eyes on the goal, on Christ. I slip and fall into old and dead habits, but He lifts me up again and again, just as He promises. He will take me to my eternal destination just as He promises and when I cross that line, I will see Him face to face and be like Him. In the meantime, He uses all of life’s events for my good, to transform me into His likeness — because He has promised this for me also. He called it “life more abundantly” using another word that means “marked by great quantity or degree” and that also could have been translated as excellence!