Genesis 34:1-31

It does not seem to matter where we go; sin and its consequences never seem to be very far behind us.  If there is ever doubt about the depravity of man we only need read the Scriptures to see how deeply sin is entrenched into the hearts of men.  Sin has a way of stacking up on us and it seems like one sin almost inevitably leads to another.  Praise God that Christ has come to set us free from sin and give us power to overcome the depravity that in locked up in our hearts.

SHECHEM VIOLATES DINAH: Dinah went to the neighboring town to meet the women of her area, during her visit she ends up being raped by Shechem, the prince of the land.  The prince claims to love her and want to take her as his wife, so he sets out to gain permission from Jacob with his father.  This is a very tense situation that was brought on by the sin of lust.  Shechem claims to love Dinah; but what he did was not loving in the least.  It is easy for us to confuse lust with love.  The sexual desires that run in our hearts and minds can easily be confused with what the Bible defines as love.  True love will always be patient, kind, pure and seek the other persons best.  True love in not self seeking or self promoting, rather, it strives to serve and sacrifice.  Shechem and his father are striving to make up for the violation of Dinah by paying for her to become his wife.  It is always complicated to try to make things right when they have started off completely wrong.  Sin always complicates every situation of our lives and we would be well advised to avoid it at all costs.

SIMEON AND LEVI RESPOND WITH VIOLENCE: The proposal of marriage after rape infuriated Dinah’s brothers.  It was not simply an offer to marry Dinah but it was an attempt to become one with the people and assimilate Jacob, his family and his wealth into the kingdom.  I believe that this whole plot was designed in the mind of Satan as an attempt to distract and destroy the family through which God had promised to bless all the nations of the world.  God is in the early stages of building a nation and a people through who He will redeem the nations of the world.  Satan would like nothing better than for this family to be assimilated into another culture and follow the idolatrous practices of these people.  We continue to face the same dangers in the church today.  The brothers appear to accept the proposal of marriage on the condition that the men be circumcised in an attempt to preserve the culture in Israel.  Shechem accepts the condition and convinces his people to follow him by promising that all of Jacob’s wealth will eventually become theirs.  Three days later when the men are still disabled by their pain, Levi and Simeon invade the city and kill all of the men and plunder all that is there.  Once again we see that sin breeds sin and Jacob is angry with his sons for this act of treachery.  Jacob fears that the other nations in Canaan will now fear them and make a preemptive attack on them because of what they have done.  The sons claim that they were only defending the honor of their sister.  It seems that they went a little overboard by taking the entire city for Shechem’s sin.  God is sovereign in all of this; however, we can certainly see the sin nature in all of its strength.  We must beware of this poison that runs in the veins of each and every one of us.  We must cling to the cross of Christ as the only means by which we can be delivered.