WORTHY OF EMULATION
Written by Dale Ebel
“13 The man [Isaac] became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 15 So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. 16 Then Abimelek said to Isaac, ‘Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.'” —Genesis 26:13–16 NIV
[1 Corinthians 11:1 AMP] 1 Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
The next seven paragraphs are copied from an article I wrote on my blog, daleebel.org, page 10, dated May 21, 2019, if you would like to read the whole article.
“As unlikely as it may seem, these four verses are among the most important in the Torah. They also demonstrate why the Book of the Covenants (OT) is as relevant today as it was three thousand years ago—because it illuminates human nature, and human nature doesn’t change. Jesus Christ knew this well:
“21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” —Mark 7:21–23 NLT
The above-mentioned condition of man’s heart is probably one reason why John records Christ’s apprehension about man (see John 2:23–25).
“23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. 25 No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like.” —John 2:23–25 NLT
Envy or Emulation
The verses in Genesis 26 encapsulate Jewish and human history. Instead of emulating the successful, most people envy them and then often wish to destroy their wealth—or even destroy them.
My Most Recent Thoughts About America and Envy
The most notable exception to this unfortunate rule of human nature has been the American people. Until almost the present day, Americans have tended to react to successful people not by resenting them, but by seeking to emulate them.”
This seems to be changing, as more Americans (left-leaning socialists in particular) join others in resenting the economic success of others. Contributing to this is the megaphone of the anti-American press, which keeps repeating the mantra: “You did not earn your millions, you stole it” (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), or “You did not generate your wealth by yourself” (President Obama)—implying you don’t need all that wealth, so let the government distribute your earned wealth. These statements are socialistic at their roots and an expression of identity politics.
Socialism is a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. The “community” in every socialistic country is those in power, and for America that would be the federal and state governments. In essence, it is a form of oligarchy where power is centered in the hands of the few. Venezuela is an example.
Countries like Holland and Sweden are not socialistic they are a “limited free market” system.
Why Most Wealthy People Are Successful
Because of the media’s dishonesty and lack of integrity, they never seem to celebrate how most wealthy people achieved their success. My answer regarding wealth generation is this: they have an entrepreneurial spirit, which fosters and creates new and unique ideas. They work hard, take risks, get loans, and create the organizational structure to support their ideas and efforts.
This is capitalism at its best, which allows freedom
of opportunity but does not legislate outcomes.
If you would like to increase your awareness of socialism compared to the free-market system, look to the Founders’ Bible, pages 1934–1943. We had a family in-home church gathering with our grandchildren and their friends on this article. It was life-giving!
In this article there is a very illuminating portion, pages 1935–1937, regarding the failure of the first Pilgrims under a socialistic system carried over from England. All our grandchildren have read this article, and I have discussed it with them. Try to emulate me in this little effort ☺!
Responses to This Teaching
Please Remember Power is Released When We Obey!
- Please select one or two people in your sphere of influence and express to them what character traits you wish to emulate in them, or are already emulating. Be as specific as possible. Consider doing this with your family!
- I meet in a study with a small group of men, and I have chosen to describe a predominant trait in each of their lives that I wish to emulate. I have also supplied a verse in the Bible that exemplifies that characteristic. I will communicate that to each of them. Does it take time? Of course it does! Is it worth it for these men to hear this from my perspective? What do you think? Imagine if you did this with each of your children or grandchildren!
- Are there people distant from you, or whom you don’t know that well, that you wish to emulate? Share with them. I did this very morning with the technician working on our TV. Read his response: “Dale, you are so thoughtful and kind. Thank you!”
- Write down two to three truths that you gleaned from the biblical passages listed. Please write your comments or insights in your Bible.
- Please include people who are not Christ-followers. I have discovered that many people I meet have a moral compass yet do not profess Christ, and they have traits or actions that I can follow. I tell them they do, and how I wish to emulate them. EVERY RESPONSE BRINGS ENCOURAGEMENT! TRY IT😀
- Would you consider doing a home church with your family? Yes / No. Circle one
Responses to this teaching are welcome!
In Christ,
Dale