Genesis 33, 34 - Trouble in Shechem

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Good to be back in the Word again tonight as we continue our journey in Genesis, specifically the life Jacob. Last week we watched Jacob made preparations to meet Esau not knowing if Esau was still wanted to kill him. He sent out messengers and learned that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men at his side.

Jacob then divided his entourage into two camps just in case Esau’s intentions were not good and so at least some of his family could escape. He then sent droves of camels, donkeys, and cattle, sheep, and goats as present to hopefully appease Esau.

Finally, we saw Jacob spend the night alone where he encountered a man who wrestled with him from sun down to sun up. Oh course we learned that this was none other than a visitation of the pre-incarnate Christ.

So some incredible things happened during this night of wresting.

Jacob held on to the man and refused to let go. All night long until he received the blessing of the man.

The man changes Jacobs name to Israel - prince with God or Governed by God.

The man cripples Jacob to get him to release his grip. Jacob lives the rest of his life with an altered walk, limping.

Now a changed man, surrendered to God, and Jacob now Israel is now ready to meet Esau.

So now lets stand as we get into Gen 33;

Genesis 33 (NASB95)

1 Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids.

2 He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.

3 But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

So here Jacob strategically divides his family according to the pecking order of the wives, from least to most favored. The handmaids and their kids, followed by Leah and her kids, followed by Rachel and Joseph. But noticed Jacob meet Esau ahead of them.

By Jacob bowing 7 times before Esau, according to the “Tell el Amarna” tablets, one approaching a king always bowed 7 times. By so doing Jacob was acknowledging that Esau was the ruler of that region.

Image- Tell El Amarna tablets

4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

The Hebrew construction here indicates a very emotional greeting as Esau intensely caused himself to embrace his brother. There is something about seeing family after a long absence.

5 He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”

Notice how Jacob addresses Esau with humility.

6 Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down.

7 Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down.

8 And he said, “What do you mean by all this company which I have met?” And he said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”

9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.”

10 Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.

11 “Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty.” Thus he urged him and he took it.

Now there is a subtle difference in the Hebrew between Esau saying in verse 9 “I have enough” and Jacob in verse 11 saying” I have plenty.” The word used by Esau in v9 is “rawv” meaning “enough or much.” But the word used by Jacob is “kol” which means everything.

As believers it is the same for us. We don’t just have a lot but we have been given everything.

Peter writes;

2 Peter 1:3 NASB95

3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Now regarding Jacob urging Esau to accept his gift, we talked about this last week. It was supremely important to Jacob that Esau accept Jacobs gift. This would indicate that the hard feelings were over.

As an aside, Christ offers to us the free gift of forgiveness of sin and salvation. But the gift must be accepted. The sad truth is that although this gift is offered to all, most do not accept it.

Now when we are at odds with others scripture commands us to seek peace.

Jesus said;

Matthew 5:9 NASB95

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Paul wrote,

Romans 12:18 (NASB95)

18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Scripture urges us to live peaceably with all men as much as is possible. Sometimes it can be impossible.

Have you noticed that some people even some believers seem to always be looking for a fight.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.”

13 But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die.

14 “Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

15 Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

Obviously Jacob did not want Esau’s help here. Historically, Edom - Esau’s descendants would become the enemies of Israel.

16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

17 Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.

It seems that at Succoth, which means booths, that Jacob and his family stayed there for a significant amount of time as he built himself a home. Pilgrims live in tents. Gods command was to go back to the promised land and this was still east of the Jordan. Actually in the same place where the tribe of Gad would settle with Reuben and the Half Tribe of Manasseh during the time of Joshua. Apparently this was a great area for flocks.

How many people do we know who live their lives right on the border of the promised land and never fully going in. Perhaps personal or business pursuits block the way. Be sure you have fully entered into the Spirit Filled life. That’s the only place where we like Jacob can say I have “kol”, everything and need nothing.

18 Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city.

19 He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money.

20 Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Meaning, The God of Israel.

Many times what sees to be an insignificant decision, like where will we live can have horrible consequences. Jacob chose a place next to Pagan city.

We move to Chapter 34

Genesis 34 (NASB95)

So here in Gen 34, finally in the PL and trouble finds them.

1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.

2 When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.

The Hebrew construction indicates rape. Literally: he intensely caused her to lay with him.

3 He was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her.

4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young girl for a wife.”

5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in.

6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.

Now here lies a difficult question, what was Jacob to do? As I like to say in situations like this “the egg is already scrambled.” All fathers and mothers have had to deal with the realities of life like this. What we hope to not do is make things worse. But it seems what Jacob chose was to nothing.

7 Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

This is the first time we hear of Israel in a nationalistic way mentioned. It would not be until the time Moses, several hundred years that they would become a nation.

It seems at this point that Jacob was grieved or depressed that he deferred his family leadership to his sons. When the fathers go absent bad things are bound to happen.

8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him in marriage.

It does appear that Shechem loved Dinah and took the honorable approach. Later in the law we read;

Deuteronomy 22:28–29 NASB95

28 “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.

So now, Hamor and Shechem make their proposal to Jacob.

9 “Intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves.

10 “Thus you shall live with us, and the land shall be open before you; live and trade in it and acquire property in it.”

11 Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “If I find favor in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me.

12 “Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl in marriage.”

Shechem is speaking of the dowry here. He is willing to pay almost anything.

13 But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.

Unlike today’s society, the virginity of the bride was of supreme importance. An unwed woman who was no longer a virgin had no hope of marriage.

14 They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us.

15 “Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you be circumcised,

16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will live with you and become one people.

17 “But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

18 Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

19 The young man did not delay to do the thing, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father.

Now Hamor and Shechem have to sell this to their people.

20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,

21 “These men are friendly with us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage, and give our daughters to them.

22 “Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised.

23 “Will not their livestock and their property and all their animals be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will live with us.”

24 All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25 Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male.

Do you wonder where were the rest of the brother’s? Why only Simeon and Levi? They were full brothers to Dinah. It is interesting that Reuben and Judah did not take part in this massacre as they also were full brothers to Dinah.

26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went forth.

27 Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister.

28 They took their flocks and their herds and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field;

29 and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I will be destroyed, I and my household.”

31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?”

So here a real low point in Jacobs life. Soon all the other Canaanites villages would know what had been done. Jacob needed a restart with Yahweh. So next week God takes him back to Bethel, the House of God.

Maybe you need a restart tonight. Go back to where you started, Bethel!

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