Genesis 34:1- 4 “Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly. So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”
Everybody in the family knew that Dinah was spoiled. As the only daughter with all those brothers, Dinah generally got whatever she wanted. Dinah’s father and her brothers had warned her repeatedly not to go out without an escort, and Dinah should never have gone out by herself that day! Really, Dinah knew better, but she was bored and her brothers were all out in the fields. Why wait for someone to come and accompany her? Why not just slip over to the neighbors and visit a bit when it was so close? That morning Dinah had asked if one of her brothers could accompany her as she visited; but the boys were full of their own self – importance and had no time for their little sister.
Dinah was willful; her brothers were careless. The result was a community tragedy. Shechem, the crown prince of the region, saw Dinah by herself and grabbed her and raped her. As the son of a traditional ruler, Shechem also was probably spoiled. And this girl wasn’t a Hivite; her people were strangers. Surely the normal social conventions that applied to Hivite maidens didn’t apply to Dinah; besides, the girl had lots of brothers. Why hadn’t one of the brothers accompanied her as she went about the community? But the girl was very pretty; why not get her for a wife? Shechem was certain that if his father could handle the whole situation.
v. 5 – 12 “Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned. Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob. When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves. You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”
Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask. Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”
Two willful spoiled young people and an attack that resulted in rape – life is rarely neat and well – compartmentalized. Deborah was both a perpetrator and a victim; had she observed the normal social conventions and waited for one of her brothers to escort her, she would have been safe. Shechem was equally a perpetrator and a victim. Shechem could easily have asked Dinah to lead him back to her father’s camp, where he could have introduced himself. Or Shechem could have left Dinah alone and simply asked his father to speak on his behalf. Neither Dinah nor Shechem observed the proper social conventions.
What is Jacob’s part in all this? Why does Jacob wait until his sons return from the field before he takes any action? Jacob wants as much backing as possible. And at this point, Jacob is older, probably seventy or eighty years old; he needs his sons to help in this matter. Is Jacob angry with his sons because none of them felt it necessary to accompany their little sister? Was it really necessary for ALL of the boys to go to the field that morning? Is Jacob feeling guilty for not having urged one of the boys to stay back and accompany Dinah? Part of the reaction of Jacob and his sons might be guilt for failing to have protected Dinah.
APPLICATION: How do you respond when something truly terrible happens? Are you willing to acknowledge your contribution to the disaster, or do you try to mindlessly blame everyone else around you, conveniently ignoring the part you have played?
As long as you are blaming others, you cannot forgive them. As long as you fail to acknowledge your failings, you cannot forgive yourself either. We will continue this story tomorrow, but it gives us several examples of the disasters lack of confession and unforgiveness can bring.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your mercy and your grace. Help us to face our own shortcomings and to confess them so that we can forgive ourselves and others. Help us to refuse to hold grudges or to seek revenge. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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