Genesis 34
Notes
Transcript
Background
Last week we saw Jacob reunite with Esau in a dramatic fashion. Esau showed kindness to Jacob instead of wrath, which was expected. Both men experienced the blessing of forgiveness, and Jacob returned to the land of Canaan, promised to his grandfather. They camped outside of the city of Shechem.
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.
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.
We recall from the last chapter that Jacob had settled outside of the city of Shechem, and bought the land from Hamor, the father of the city’s namesake.
Previously to this, he had built booths in Succoth, indicating that he had stayed there for at least a short period of time.
Doing so indicated that Jacob planned to stay in the land, as this was the first time any of the patriarchs bought land outside of a burial plot.
We also see later on that this was his intent.
Though he had returned to the land of Canaan, he sojourned instead of returning to his father’s house or going to meet Esau as he had promised him.
Dinah was Jacob’s only daughter that is named in the Scriptures, and this account is most likely the reason why.
Dinah would have been at least somewhat close in age (older) to Joseph at this point.
Based on estimates and assumptions, she was probably around 12-15 years old, but possibly younger.
Dinah went out to see and perhaps socialize with her peers.
It should be noted that Jacob’s family in the past has kept their distance from the inhabitants of the land, because contact often led to trouble.
Particularly note Esau’s mistakes of taking wives from among them:
34 When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite;
35 and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
This was Rebekah’s excuse for sending Jacob off to her family.
As she was out, Shechem saw her and raped her.
He was the prince of the land, the son of Hamor whom Jacob bought the land from. The city was presumably named after him, or he the city.
There is some debate about this, but this is the most likely scenario, and it is tragic.
There are some who want to lay some blame on Dinah, but this is misguided.
He was deeply attracted to her (his “soul clung” to her) and wanted her for his wife. His affection was genuine but his methods were selfish and evil.
He asked his father to obtain her as his wife. This was customary.
Word of this had reached Jacob, but he did not act until his sons had returned from the field.
6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.
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.
8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him in marriage.
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.”
Dinah’s brothers have now heard of this evil deed, and their wrath is kindled. However, Hamor attempts to make things right and offers a treaty of intermarriage.
As we saw earlier, this was not an ideal proposition. Scripture shows nothing but trouble coming from intermarrying between those who are considered righteous and those of the world.
3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live,
This was actually prohibited in the Law:
3 “Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons.
15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice,
16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.
While we’re no longer under the Law, the essence of this statute still holds true for believers today.
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you.
18 “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.
Believers should not be unequally yoked with non-believers.
Believers should not be unequally yoked with non-believers.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
Shechem went even further and offered to pay whatever price he had to in order to obtain Dinah as his wife.
Notice what is absent - repentance.
13 But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
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.
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.
Here we see deception upon deception play out. Jacob’s sons use their family heritage and righteousness to manipulate a masterful plan worthy of their father.
On the face of it, their request, while odd and certainly painful, seems culturally reasonable, which is what makes it so effective.
In fact, it was a small price to pay, considering they could have asked for great wealth as a dowry price.
Shechem wasted no time in using his influence as prince to convince the men of the city to join him in circumcision.
He shows the benefit of becoming united with Jacob’s family and revealing their true duplicity - not only obtaining Dinah as a wife, but also eventually absorbing all of their property as well.
Shechem’s lust for Dinah made him willing to pay any price for her, but he also saw an opportunity to gain even more, and incited his countrymen to pay this small price for even greater wealth.
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.
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?”
Simeon and Levi, full brothers of Dinah, took their opportunity to mete out justice and vengeance upon Shechem.
Though in some sense, this seems just, the scope is far too broad.
It is also a foreshadowing of Israel’s task hundreds of years from now.
They killed every man of the city while he was helpless and recovering, including Shechem and Hamor, and rescued their sister Dinah.
Furthermore, Jacob’s sons looted the city after the men were slain, taking their livestock and wealth, and making the women and children servants.
This looting was fairly common practice in ancient times.
Jacob’s response is his recognition that actions such as these have consequences that go beyond the immediate circumstances.
His view is big-picture, the sustaining of his household, and he sees that his sons have sinned in their anger.
Ultimately, it was wrong of them to exact vengeance in this manner.
18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
As believers, we are held to an even higher standard:
27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Revenge belongs to the LORD, we are to love our neighbors instead.
Revenge belongs to the LORD, we are to love our neighbors instead.
With that said, we are also seeing again fear and unbelief in Jacob, when he should know that God is with him and will protect him.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Believers should not be unequally yoked with non-believers.
Revenge belongs to the LORD, we are to love our neighbors instead.
Next week, we will celebrate Easter Sunday!
Communion: We practice open communion, which means if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you may join the church in taking the Lord’s Supper. Communion is a practice of remembering what Christ has done by eating and drinking, and we are told that we must examine ourselves in the taking of communion, so that we do not eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner. Take this time to examine yourself before we take communion together.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.