YEAR 1, WEEK 50, Day 1, Monday, 9 December 2024

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=genesis+34

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 9 December 2024:

“This chapter contains one of the most shameful incidents in Israel’s history. A terrible crime was committed against Dinah the daughter of Leah, but the response by her brothers was worse than the crime. When the Bible shows its leaders and heroes in such terrible, plain truth, we can know for sure that it is a book from God. Men don’t normally write about themselves and their ancestors like this.” (David Guzik)

Genesis 34:1 – Now Dinah… went out to see the women of the land.

Engaging the world is extremely dangerous. Because so much of the world seems so appealing, we can forget the destructive power of sin and to what extremes to godless can go. Some of the evilest people appear to be the ‘nicest’ people.

Jacob was directed by God to return to Bethel (Genesis 31:13) be he decided to live for a time near the ungodly city of Shechem (Genesis 33:18), rendering his family susceptible to Shechem’s ungodly influence. Dinah was left unsupervised and unprotected to socialize within an immoral society for reasons which aren’t explained but which serve as a warning to parents today. As Christians seek to raise Christian children and protect them from worldly influences, it is increasingly difficult to supervise their viewing on networked television and social media, where they are bombarded with normalized immorality. Too often, Christian parents are shocked to find their children have been irreversibly victimized by an ungodly, oversexualized, perverse culture. Jacob should have taken his family to the city to which God had directed him, without delay. Likewise, Christian parents need to pay attention and proactively separate their children from the godless community and connect them with a godly church community.

Genesis 34:3, 4, — And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.” … But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife.”

The Hebrew word for “love” in these verses is “ahab,” which, much like people use the word for love today, can mean a variety of forms of affection or attraction, such as true love, sexual attraction, strong appetite for a food or drink (“I love pizza!”), or a close friendship. The “love” described above is certainly not the agape love (unconditional, selfless, sacrificial love) God intends for His people, rather, it is selfish lust, as evidenced by its demand for self-gratification, even at the expense of the dignity of the object of affection. True love always wants the very best for that which is loved, even at the expense of the lover. Sin in any form for any reason is always unloving and antichrist. Today, as has always been the case, people commit terrible acts of sin in the name of love, suggesting love demands sin in order to be fulfilled. Regardless the associated displays and proclamations of affection, sinful “love” is merely lust. Shechem “loved” Dinah as much as a godless person could, which is selfishly, lustfully. Any kindness he showed Dinah was merely intended to satisfy his own desires, ultimately at her expense. God is love, and without God, there is no real love, which is why God has always demanded His people to date and marry within the community of His people.

Genesis 34:5-12 – Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”

Shechem did a disgraceful thing and deeply offended Jacob’s family, but Shechem apparently desired to make restitution and actively sought reconciliation – “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give.” However, in their self-righteous indignation and anger for what happened to Dinah, the sons of Jacob sinned terribly against the House of Hamor. Their resentment resulted in great destruction and hatred that would last for generations to come. Christians have been given the ministry and message of reconciliation and must continually work for peace with those who have offended us. We cannot let hurt stand in the way of the sort of love to which God has called us –

• 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 — All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
• Luke 6:27-36 — “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
• Hebrews 12:3-4 — Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
• Luke 9:23 — And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
• Luke 14:27 — Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

“Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.” (Genesis 34:9-10) Hamor (Shechem’s father), seeking reconciliation and restitution, suggested unification between the families, the ungodly with the godly. While we should seek peace with the ungodly, we must be very careful not to fall into the temptation of uniting with them or partnering with them and compromising our holiness. Perhaps the greatest threat to the church today is syncretism, the blending of our religion with worldly philosophies and false religions, often motivated by a desire to get along. Christians may assume in a partnership with the ungodly that they will evangelize the ungodly into godliness, but there can be no partnership with the ungodly. Conversion must come before immersion to avoid perversion.

Listen to this five-minute commentary on syncretism by R.C. Sproul: https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/ultimately-with-rc-sproul/the-threat-of-syncretism

• 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 — Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
• Psalm 1:1-4 — Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
• 1 Corinthians 15:33 — Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
• Proverbs 13:20 — Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
• Ephesians 5:11 — Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
• James 4:4 — You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
• Proverbs 4:14-15 — Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.

Genesis 34:13, 27-39 – The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah…. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.

Jacob’s sons returned sin for sin, resulting in the slaughter of many who had nothing to do with the original offense. Following Jacob’s bad example of deceitfulness, the sons of Jacob slaughtered countless unsuspecting, peaceful bystanders. If we are not careful, we too can let our anger get out of hand and hurt the innocent around us while inciting others to do the same. For example, strife between a mother and father hurts the children but also teaches them to be hurtful people.

When you respond to sinners with sin, you become as guilty as they are, regardless of who started it, and you only cause further pain which escalates. Pain and anger are never justifications to sin, and vengeance is always in defiance to God. In this case, we observe that Jacob’s sons not only return sin for sin, they significantly escalate sin, responding more offensively than the original offense. This too is very common – “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.” (Proverbs 17:14)

• Proverbs 20:22 — Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
• Romans 12:17-19 — Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
• 1 Thessalonians — See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
• Proverbs 24:29 — Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
• 1 Peter 3:9 — Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
• Deuteronomy 32:35 — Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’
• 1 Peter 2:23 — When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
• Matthew 5:39 — But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
• 1 Peter 4:19 — Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
• Psalm 37:34 — Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
• Psalm 27:14 — Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
• Lamentations 3:25-26 — The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
• 2 Samuel 16:12 — It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.
• Isaiah 40:31 — but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Jacob was a model of deceit for his children as were his father and mother before him. What did you learn from your parents, and what habits are you teaching others? Do not let sin continue from generation to generation but rather faith and faithfulness. Be the one in your family who breaks the cycle –

• Deuteronomy 6:5-9 — You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
• Joshua 24:15 — And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Genesis 34:30 — Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, ‘You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.’

Jacob was not as concerned about the spiritual significance of what he and his sons did as he was about the social and tangible impact. Jacob was only concerned about his own skin. You will see this character trait continue to play out as we read on. About what are you most concerned on a daily basis?

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 9 December 2024: Today, when offended by others, respond from your faith and not your feelings. Do not return sin for sin, but rather demonstrate the grace and love of Christ, and communicate, not as your own defendant, but rather as Christ’s ambassador. Practice this today, because it takes much practice. Read 1 Peter 3:8-22 for encouragement.