Genesis 34:1-31
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Genesis 34:1-31
Genesis 34:1-31
Last week, Jacob had the fear in him. In Genesis 33, Jacob left Laban with his wives, his children, and all his stuff and journeyed back home. While on his way, he sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau to test the waters.
When they returned, they said “Your brother is coming to meet you, and he’s bringing 400 men with him!” So, Esau hatched a plan to bribe his brother, to try to signal him that Jacob had a lot of wealth.
He was also testing Esau too, sacrificing a portion of his servants, livestock, and goods to see how Esau would react. If he would attack, the rest would flee and be safe. Then, after sending everything ahead, he sent his family away so he could get a good night’s rest, and a Man showed up and Jacob started wrestling with him.
He wrestled all night, to the point that the Man had to dislocate his hip to weaken him and still, Jacob would not yield. In that encounter, Jacob would have his name changed to Israel, or “God Rules,” because Jacob learned to hold onto the Lord, he would need to give up his grip on this world.
The next day encompasses 1 whole chapter, minus the last 3 verses.
Jacob arranged his family, his 2 maidservants and their children, then Leah and her kids, and finally Rachel and Joseph. But, instead of sending them ahead of him to save his own skin, he finally shows some backbone. He goes in front of them and bows low 7 times as he approaches out of respect, showing he is a servant.
As he approaches, Esau starts charging him, and once he gets to him he wraps his arms around him and embraces him, kisses him and they weep. This is totally not how this encounter was supposed to go. There was supposed to be this epic boss fight between these 2 100 year old men.
As it turned out, in the 20 years that Jacob had spent away from his brother, the Lord had not only done a work in him, but in Esau as well. Esau wanted to be with his brother again, and wanted him to come live close to him, and Jacob didn’t want that, so he lied to him again, and said “You go on ahead, I’m going to go slow, I’ll meet you there.” Then headed north instead of south and ended up purchasing some of the land that his people would be able to call their own finally.
1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
Dinah, as far as we know, is the only daughter of Jacob, born of Leah just before Rachel would have Joshua. Does anyone know what Dinah means? Judgement. In this passage, her name would bring judgement on the family.
Being an only daughter, I’m sure her brothers didn’t want to play dolls with her. They were too busy working in the fields with their dad. So she was doing what all little girls do, make friends, right?
They are new to the cul-de-sac and naturally the kids would go out to play with the other local kids. That’s what we do, right? We are trusting of our kids to a point to regulate themselves, but there is always a danger in that. A danger that my wife sees and warns against every day. Please remember, the Bible doesn’t condone all of the actions that happen within it, they tell the story so we can learn from them.
2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her. 3 His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.”
This is every dad’s worst nightmare. Every parent’s worst nightmare, but especially every dad. Dinah is out playing with her friends and she catches the eye of the son of the man who Jacob had purchased the land from. A prominent person in the community.
It says his soul was strongly attracted to Dinah. This phrase in the Hebrew means he desired her more than anything. He was like an animal, and you’ll see thru out this chapter, he acted as an animal purely driven by his lust.
Shechem did not value this young girl, she was just a vehicle for him to be gratified. You can tell by the way he responded too, he knew what he did was so wrong, but went straight to normalizing his behavior and trying to seek acceptance from the person he just violated.
That word violated means that now this young girl was now unacceptable as a bride for anyone else because of the sin of this predator. People are not objects. When we burn for lust, that’s all we think about. Shechem was not thinking about a person he loved, he was thinking of the object of his affection. Ever heard that term before? Ever used it before? Fancy a lady and she doesn’t feel the same way for you, and you feel like if you could just prove yourself to her, she’d see they’re perfect with you? This is not that feeling.
Knowing that he must hold onto this desire of his, he goes to his father and tells him what he’s done and says “You need to make what I’ve done legal.” In this ask, his father has a choice to make. Being a father is easy, any man can do that…being a dad is hard. You will hear me make that distinction.
A father is a man (with XY Chromosomes) We have to define it today, and that’s a shame. But he’s a man that has the ability to procreate. A dad is THE man. He is the one that’s around for your games, that helps you with homework, a protector, a teacher, a leader. How do fathers become dad’s? Usually thru trial and error. Rarely do we listen to someone elses’ advice when it comes to being a dad. Especially from our dad, right? He’s the last one we want to be like. I’m glad I don’t have that in my dad. I’m glad he taught me how to be the man I am today…as well as the man I don’t want to be. It’s my job as his son to continue what he started and pass that on to my boys.
Now, it’s time to move to Dina’s father. How would he react to this news?
5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came.
So, word gets to Jacob, somehow, and he holds himself together until his son’s come. I can see that…you’re waiting for your people to show up and make sure you’re not going to make a really bad decision, right? Some of us would respond with sorrow, others with anger. Some of us just can’t cry unless we’re around the right people. Jacob did not want to act out alone.
How many of us just want to be alone when we’re hurting? It seems like the best place to be, and for a time it is…but most times it’s where the darkest feelings come roaring up. You need people you trust around you to help you navigate those tough times. Jesus said come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. He encourages us to not only give it to him, but to each other.
Those are rebuilding times. Times when we need to build each other up.
So, Jacob is waiting for his boys to show up, and he gets a visitor.
6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done.
The moxie of this man Hamor to approach Jacob about this. It makes me wonder…was this the custom of these people? Was this how they operated? Since Abraham, were these God fearing people? So, like we talked about last week, if you don’t answer to god, who is your god? You are, right? When you are god, who gets the worship? Who gets the praise? Who takes what they want? You do.
You keep seeing too in these verses, laying with her, AND doing something that ought not be done. This wasn’t just a loving event. The Bible is clear, what happened is predatory. It was torture on this young woman. All for the gratification of a man who couldn’t control himself. A man who follows his desires.
Jacob and his brothers had a right to be very angry with hearing this news. I would be angry. I’m not a vengeful person…but I can’t prepare myself for something like this, but it doesn’t get any better:
8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9 And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. 10 So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.”
What he should have said is “the soul of my son hungers for your daughter.” That’s the drive behind this. He then starts bargaining for this girl. It’s time I ask the question, how old is Dina? How old is the object of this craving this man has for her? The chapter starts out saying Dina went out with the daughters of the land. The word used in the Hebrew there describes younger teenaged girls. That’s who she was hanging out with.
The word used in verse 3, of this girl Shechem was soothing is a girl that’s not of marrying age. When Jacob and his family came into the land, she was the last born before Joseph. 7 years of child rearing, she was next to last…then 6 years for the sheep from Laban. She’s as young as 6, and max age was 11-12 years old at this time. Most scholars say she was 8-10. This society was perverted.
It’s no wonder why the word was given by God to not intermarry with these people. They gave into every lust and supported it, reinforced it as trade and profited from it. Are we, as a society today, that far off of this?
Trafficking is at our doorstep. We must know well those who surround our kids. They must be protected, educated, and hardened targets. Our children need to know that there’s nothing that can be done to them to remove their worth, nor your love for them. Part of that protection is letting them know what is out there. It lays at your door, ready to devour them, and in doing so, destroy every piece of your heart, mind and soul if you’re not ready to fight it.
Your kids need to know you’ve fought that fight. They need to know they’re not alone, they’re not the only ones feeling these feelings. Give them the tools you use and the open line of communication to talk to you about what’s going on. It is uncomfortable, but you’re their parents for a reason.
11 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.”
Now we hear from Mr. Wonderful, willing to opine and hand over whatever the cost to continue to torment this girl AND HER FAMILY. Name the price, no matter how high it is. When sin like this happens, there is always damage to the surrounding people.
I hear you asking, why is this in the Bible? I would ask in return, do you not see that this is how the devil works? He takes what’s most precious and innocent to you or about you and crushes it…then drags you thru those broken pieces again, and again, and again. All along, just give me what I want, accept me for who I am and this will all go back to normal. I will repay you by giving you what you crave.
Don’t play with the devil’s tricks. Don’t even entertain that you are strong enough or whitty enough to fight back. You can’t do it. You’ll be knee or hip deep in the mud before you even know what’s going on.
Surely Jacob would not stand for this, right? What does Dinah think about this? Where is she?
13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. 15 But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone.”
Where is Jacob? Do you notice, he’s still called Jacob here? That’s not by mistake. He hasn’t taken on the meaning of the name yet. It’s been revealed to him, but there is still a proving needed in his life. This is part of that…and he’s blowing it.
It’s his sons that answer, and they buy some time. They have learned from their father how to be shrewd, and they could use the covenant of Abraham to a tactical advantage, if they would take the bait. Some of you know where this is going, in their anger, they take a chance at making a huge tactical move.
What else are they doing here? What was circumcision a sign of? A covenant with God. That they would then be under the same authority. These Canaanite people were not under any authority like that. They did what they wanted.
Where is Dinah in all of this? We assume she’s right there with them, right? Isn’t that what a happy couple does when they come to meet the father of the bride?
18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father.
Finally, Shechem had his price. He was willing to do whatever was needed because he desired this little girl. But, what in the world does this mean that Shechem was more honorable than all of the household of his father?
It means, out of all of the household…this was the best they had. Shechem was held in the highest of esteem out of all of Hamor’s family. He was the “good egg” and everyone knew it.
This also means, his word would carry weight when a command was given. So they hurried back to the city.
20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: 21 “These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters.
Who was it that went home? Hamor and Shechem. Not Dinah. You can add kidnapping to the list of crimes of Shechem now too, can’t you?
They come in heralding that this wealthy new group of people will now be accessable to them. He instantly makes the first thing he says is let’s normalize the intermarrying of our families.
As the crowd is roaring it’s victory, the crow opens his mouth with the catch:
22 Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised.
I can imagine…the conversations and the turn in the crowd… This has now become way not OK, right?
Shechem was so slimy, he speaks up again to rally the crowd, knowing it has to be EVERY MAN.
23 Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
What do we see here? Not only was this town fleshly in their desires, but they were motivated by greed. Power, greed, and sex are deadly motivating factors, and it was strong enough with all of these men to be OK with this act.
Not a woman spoke up…but how or why would they if they were used to being slaves to their husbands? There was zero value for the women in this city. All the more reason for why what Shechem has done is so acceptable in this city.
25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. 26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out.
Simeon and Levi were the oldest kids in all of the family, but they were also the full brothers of Dinah. They knew what they were asking the men of Shechem to do would make it impossible for them to fight back. This was their clandestine plan to get their sister back.
Sin had consumed the whole of the men of the city, and they were now undone by a couple of teenage vigilantes that took matters into their own hands.
It was the oldest brothers that would mete out the judgement on the townsmen, after all, Dinah’s name does mean Judgement in the Hebrew. The younger boys, though, also knew of the operation to get her back, how were they involved?
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.
So the sons of Jacob liberate the city, all of these women and children that were in bondage. They bring it all back to their father triumphantly. They deserve a hero’s welcome, don’t they? Jacob sees what they’ve done and is grieved.
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.” 31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”
The word obnoxious is translated in other versions as “stink.” He’s worried about his name becoming a foul odor to the people of the land in which they now dwell. He was afraid that now the whole family would be in danger because they acted so rashly.
They did, if you think about it…but why did they act as they did? Because dad was paralyzed. Jacob did nothing. He didn’t respond, he didn’t say anything in defense of his daughter, he just sat there.
As difficult as this passage is to digest, there is application and reflection all thruout it.
First of all, there is evil in our world. Open your eyes to it. It’s at all of our doorsteps, at every click of the mouse and flick of your finger. It’s evil. Example, I’ve shown some of you…when I’m on my facebook on my phone, I swipe and there is nothing really objectionable on it. Then I switch to the church’s profile and instantly, there’s sin everywhere, knowing that this lust of the eyes and of the flesh is the gateway to a man’s deepest desires.
Once the enemy has you, though, he wants to keep you. He’ll provide any means to keep you in that state of worship to him. He’ll pay any price, just as Schechem did. He doesn’t care the cost, it’s worth it to him to keep you so filled with your wants and worries that you can never see the Light of the World shining for you.
7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
The devil knows this land. He’s the king of this world, He reigns on what’s under the sun. Peter tells us what his purpose is:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
We can’t let our guard down. That’s why I commend Job over most other men in the OT. He does this in response to knowing his flesh is so weak:
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?
Don’t entertain the devil. Mark 9 says it’s better to enter heaven with one eye, or one hand than to lose your soul to keep them both. Only one man stood before satan and prevailed. Don’t think you can do it. You’re not strong enough.
Your sin is not a toy, it’s not a pet. It’s poison, it’s the fuse of a bomb that will kill you unless you take drastic action. Do not be fooled, your husband, your wife is not a mistake you made.
Jacob, as a father, is reflective of the way the men today. We don’t take action, we don’t love our wives and our kids as we should. If we did, our kids wouldn’t get away with what they do.
I’m just as guilty. For many years, I held the ministries I was in charge of in higher esteem than my family. If you’re serving in ministry here, DO NOT DO THIS. Your family and marriage come first. If ministry is negatively effecting your family, you need to come and talk with Hollie and I. Let us help you, let us pray for you, let us find a way to help you heal.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say you are to love your wives as Christ loved the church, unless you serve as a deacon or elder in the body, then she plays second fiddle. Lead your families, together. It’s not a one person job.
Jacob does nothing, and then gets mad that his reputation is now ruined because his sons did what he should have done. What he should have done first thing is said “GIVE ME MY DAUGHTER.” There’s no reasoning. There’s no agreements. He was paralyzed by the calculations in his mind of “what will the neighbors think.”
Worship team
Finally, to Dinah, the subject of this tragedy. Why is it that the innocent always pay the highest price? Why do they have to hurt to show us the wickedness of our ways? It’s really the only way we see, isn’t it? What’s the old saying “Everything’s fun and games until someone gets hurt.” That’s the only time we see.
It’s a common question, when a person cheats on their spouse, who hurts? The person who cheated? Or the person who was cheated on? The person being cheated on, right? Why is that? I heard a pastor one day listening to a message on the radio explain this one day, and he explained it like this:
The innocent will always hurt more. We can’t understand it, but God can. Our sin doesn’t hurt us, it embarrasses us. Who does it hurt? It hurts the heart of the Lord. We are His prized achievement here on earth, and the devil knows how much He loves us, AND, how often we let Him down.
Then he talked about forgiveness, and asked why it is impossible for us to forgive and forget. The Bible says:
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
We can’t do this! If you hurt me, or someone close to me, I’ll NEVER forget it. That’s not the point of forgiveness, though. It’s not to comfort those who hurt us, because they’ve got their own issue to handle. Forgiveness is for us, it means you no longer have any more power over me.
Jesus was innocent when he was arrested upon the kiss of Judas. He was innocent as He stood trial for trying to set right what man had perverted, having a crown of thorns pressed upon his head, He was innocent as he stood before the crowd of his peers who cried out “Crucify Him” and as they shouted for a murderer to be released instead of the one wearing the crown made of thorns that had been pressed onto his head.
He was innocent when he was then taken to be flogged and whipped, to the point his skin was split and more of his blood spilled. This man had to pay. He was innocent when they made him pick up the cross and place it on his shoulder and drag it thru the streets, knowing this is path, this is the only way that the weight of our sins can be relieved from us.
He was innocent, as they laid the cross down, then he willingly laid on top of it and was stretched out on that implement of death. As the nails were set and driven in, He did not protest. Then hoisted up high, humiliated he was hung to die as a testament of the devil’s achievement. Innocent, He suffered. Every website we entertain. Every second look, every second we steal from our companies, every time we use His name as a cuss word, every time we hold grudges and gossip. Every one of them, Jesus paid for. He hurt, and we don’t.
If you sin, it should affect you. It should break your heart. We all struggle, start winning more than you lose. The forgiveness we experience as Christians is not cheap. It was very costly. His innocence is what redeemed us.
We are to learn that we can’t forgive and forget. We are to live with the hurt of others, so we understand that the hurt we experience is reflective of what Jesus felt for us. We need to realize that making that relationship whole again is just as hard, if not harder to make happen.
Jesus paid it all for us, so that we can have everlasting life with Him. He is the gateway. He is the Only Way.
