WORD STUDY – TO BE USED OF GOD אלט (Aramaic)
Roman 9:3: “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”
Philippians 1:23-24: “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh [is] more needful for you.”
It may not be politically correct for me to say this, but what the fat, how many people are going to read this anyways? The worse possible person to translate a modern English version of the Bible is a tenured professor who spent his life writing academic papers, receiving praise and honor from his peers, writing best selling books and living a comfortable surburan life. To me the best person to give us a modern translation is a man I met who has a PhD and teaches at a University which happens to be in China. He is considered to be the pastor to a million underground pastors in China, he devoted his life to spreading the Gospel and teaching underground pastors in China, he has many hair raising stories of how he has escaped the secret police and death. He does not own a home, he does not live in the security of the America, and he is virtually unknown to Christians in this country. He is, for want of a better comparison, a modern day Apostle Paul.
If he were to give a modern day English translation of Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.” You can bet his translation would carry a much more powerful punch than some professor sitting in his ivy tower who hasn’t kissed his wife in twenty years. This man is someone who was once surrounded by militants killing everyone around him and by passing his home because of all the guards dressed in white surrounding his home defying them to attack. He knows and understands the love and heart of God.
I have heard that the Apostle Paul desired to die and go to heaven but wanted to stay so he could earn the crown of righteousness. But if you read II Timothy 4:6 you find he has already earned that crown. I mean who keeps running a race once they have the trophy? No, Paul longed to stay on earth, to suffer the tortures, the starvation, the beatings, the persecution because to die and go to heaven meant he could not be used of God to show others the way to Jesus.
Paul did not suffer on this earth to gain favor with God. Romans 8 tells us he had that. He did not do it to get a bigger mansion in heaven, Romans 9:3 tells us he would even sacrifice his relationship with God which would forfeit his mansion in heaven for the sake of his brethren.
So why did Paul continue to live on this earth when he clearly stated it was better to be with God? The answer is in Philippians 1:24 “Nevertheless to abide in the flesh [is] more needful for you.” In the Greek the word for more needful is anankaioterion which means more necessary. I mean that is how most if not all our modern translations render it. It makes is sound like Paul is saying: “I rather go to heaven but it is necessary for me to stay, so I will stay, lucky you.” I would rather place anankaioterion in the context that Homer placed it, indispensable because of love. Paul’s native language was Aramaic and in his mind he most likely used the word the Peshitta uses ‘elates. ‘Elates expresses a pressing, urgent, longing and desire. If we put this phrase: “Nevertheless to abide in the flesh [is] more needful for you.” in its emotional context and using the Aramaic word ‘elates or even Homer’s use of the word anankaioterion you would get: “Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is indispensable because of my love for you.” Then I would paraphrase it this way: “Nevertheless to abide in the flesh just to be used of God which is my greatest desire.”
There are many things we will not experience in heaven that we can in the flesh here on earth. We will never know the joy of that hug from someone we just led to the Lord, our evangelistic days will be over. We will never know the joy of watching someone weep from the joy of the Lord as we share the love of God to a hurting person, for there will be no hurting people in heaven to comfort with the love of God. We will never know again what it is like to speak, to sing, to pray in the midst of persecution for we will never know persecution in heaven. We will never again feel the touch of His consuming fire as charge into battle in His name for the battle will be over.
I tell you heaven must be more marvelous than we can imagine for I can see this tired old warrior sitting in heaven pining over those exciting days when in my darkest hour, when the hurt and pain was so bad I felt I could not go on and then that amazing moment when His love just consumed me and delivered me from my pain. I will never know that special joy again in heaven.
Why do you think James said: “Count it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” NIV. This life on earth is our only chance to know that healing presence and love of God in the midst of trials, so embrace them, it is your only opportunity for in heaven you will not know trials.
But more important and overwhelming I know for a fact that if there is any regret in heaven it will be the missed opportunities that God sent our way to show someone the way to God. In heaven I will never awake in the morning feeling closer to God and knowing the joy of finding Him more beautiful as each day passes for in Heaven I will have the fullness of God.
For me personally, the closer I come to the heart of God the greater my desire to avoid the grave so I can have just one more chance to be ‘elates – to be used of God.
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