GENESIS
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Notes on Genesis 34
Here we have a very distressing story that results in making the children of Israel of bad reputation among the nations around them.
This was not wrong in itself but we must remember that the nations around them were heathen. Most served idols and lived according to the flesh or whatever their customs were at that time and place. Israel should have been strong in the Lord and could have become an example of people who knew God and could have shown other nations the way to God. They could have been an example of holy living. If Dinah was curious to learn the ways of the heathen, then this was a sign of compromising and weakness. She just may have been a young lady that wanted to make friends.
This was the thinking of people who do not know the Lord. Women were considered to be second class citizens and not revered and respected. This man did wrong but at least he tried to make it right later. Had Dinah not been beautiful though, would he been that determined to marry her? Because of the coming of Christ and with Him the respect for women, we think this behavior strange, but in those days heathen people who were into idolatry did things worse than that, as bad as it was. False religions never respect a woman's right to make her own mind up or give opinions unless it was societies that were ruled by women; but even then it was only the rich and powerful ones, not all women. Today we have a revival of human trafficking even in the country of the United States. That involves people who have no respect for anyone's right to live and be free. Because we have forsaken the word of God and even denied our creator as a nation, we are slowly reverting back to the days before Christ came which brought respect and salvation to women. That is why we see the wrath of God warned of and predicted in the pages of the book of Revelation.
Those in authority like princes and kings assumed that they had a right to lay claim to virgins. What they wanted they got. Women had very little rights to say yes or no. It could be that Dinah gave her consent because nothing is said of rape but she may have been innocent and not a woman of the world so to speak. At least this man loved Dinah and wanted to marry her. As we saw in the story of Isaac though marrying heathen daughters were grievous to them. The reason is not because they thought they were better but because of the idolatry and lack of the knowledge of God among the heathen. This is why the Canaanites were later driven out because of their wickedness. They were not yet at the point of no return and that is why God did not allow Israel to take their land at that particular time. If we truly love God, love His word and want to follow in the ways of God, we must not marry those that do not feel the way we do. It is not because we are superior but because the two do not mix. We can't serve God with all our hearts if we marry those that do not love Him. They will usually influence us the wrong way. We do not spread the gospel by marrying the ungodly. We are to spread the gospel by preaching, teaching and living godly among them, not by being unequally yoked by joining together in marriage. However, two wrongs do not make a right. If we find ourselves already married to an unbeliever, we are to make it work, not divorce them without a biblical reason such as fornication.
Jacob of course didn't like this but his sons didn't like it to the point of doing something drastic about it. This was a serious offense and there was no way to keep his sons from finding out.
They were right in how they felt about this. However, did they also treat women the same way themselves? We can't have a double standard. Still the daughters of Israel or in fact anyone else should not be treated like a harlot.
Intermarriage with heathens was not advisable to even consider. Again though I emphasize this wasn't racism or supremacy; it was because they were those that practice idolatry which is forbidden among God's people.
They were right in what they said. Dinah should not have been given to heathens in marriage but they were wrong in this deception.
Here are people so willing to have fellowship with Israel that they would consent to circumcision and the pain that accompanied it. Here Israel had a chance to win the heathen to the ways of God but they missed this chance by their anger. They were right about what they stood for (Respect for women) but wrong in the way this was done.
If these men were consenting to a covenant with God and not just outward circumcision, this could have been a real conversion to the Lord. Religion is vain though if it just involves outward ordinances and rituals and the heart is not changed toward God. Water baptism is another observance that is vain if one is not truly born again by God's spirit. Water baptism in itself has no power to save. It is an outward confession of faith in Jesus Christ. We are buried with him in baptism and when we come out of the water; it shows we are raised with Him in the newness of life. If we do not really have faith in Christ and are changed by the spirit of God, water baptism has no value.
Dinah must have been really been beautiful to cause the men to undergo this ritual in order to intermarry with the children of Israel. But as we read further only the motive of Shechem was pure; the others had another reason for undergoing this ritual.
It could be that Shechem and Hamor appealed to the greed of the other men to get them to agree to this act. Covetousness entered the picture and made them consent to undergo circumcision. So it was not a spiritual conversion to the Lord. Like I have said before though outward religious observances is vain if the heart is not changed toward God. Still, if not for the fact of this wrong doing, it might have been an opportunely to win a whole group of people to the real God of Israel.
This is not God's way. To deceive and do things this way was not a good example of people who believe in God. They waited until they were weak. Had this been of God they would have openly confronted them for their sin against Dinah and rebuked them openly.
This was not necessary at all. I know they should not have left wives and children with no fathers to support them but this was totally wrong. If they had to take vengeance, why not deal just with Shechem and not the whole city?
This whole incident was handled very badly. While we can't excuse the sin involved with Shechem thinking he can just lie with someone he desires because she is beautiful, there is also no excuse for the way Simeon and Levi acted out their vengeance by slaying all the males in that way. When it came time for Jacob to die, we see that he gave a prophecy concerning these two that affected their descendants. Here is that prophecy:
We must remember that Jacob once was a deceiver and his children may have inherited that tendency. Simeon and Levi also were a party to selling Joseph as a slave into Egypt. Our children are harmed by our sins. They will follow after us. We need to be a godly example to our children so they can live in the fear of God and teach their children also. The choice is ours to live righteous or give into the weaknesses of the flesh. The bible was written for us to learn from their mistakes, not copy after them and do the same things. It is not written for us to gloat and think we are better but so that we can see the results of evil decisions and not choose the same way. It was also written so that we can see the sinful traits we have inherited and to see our need for a savior. We can't live righteous on our own. We need help. This is the sole reason Jesus came and died for our sins. He came to give us a new nature and a new way of life. We can become a new creature and walk in the spirit of God and not in our own weaknesses of the flesh. The way is provided for us. We can't save ourselves. We need Jesus Christ, the Son of God as Lord of our lives. DC
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