Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Genesis 34
“Payback”
Vs. 1-7
It is obvious here that there is an encounter with Dinah that is sexual, but depending on the reader, what actually happened could be interpreted different ways. The words he “violated or humiliated” her are so strong here that we often assume that the young girl was forced upon.
This is not what the text is implying. Here is makes a statement about a man of the city seducing a young woman who has gone out to “see what she can see” in the city where she lives. The reason we read it to be anything different is because we are so used to pre-marital sex that it is commonplace.
So, was Dinah looking for sex? No. She was just out seeing the city in which they were now living, and an older man (she was probably only 15) seduced her. After this, the man decides that he wants to marry her. We see this in the way he “spoke tenderly to her”.
Now, when the father and the brothers of Dinah find this out, they are angry. This was an act that violated God’s law, and the culture. This was wrong.
Vs. 8-12
Not that attempts to be correct, after acts that are wrong, ever make anything better. But, the men of the city who had done this come and try and make marriages with Jacob’s family. They offer to do whatever it takes to marry Dinah to Hamor.
Vs. 13-17
Sadly, Jacob’s family responds with deceit. In fact, the agreement that they use is the equivalent of “if you become a Christian, my family will accept you to marry her”, when in fact all they are doing is lying to them. They use an excuse that deals with God, to get their own way.
Vs. 18-24
So, all of the cities men circumcised themselves. They thought that if they did this, they could marry the women, and take control of the cattle and assets.
Vs. 25-29
So, when all the men were sore from circumcision, the sons of Jacob, brothers to Dinah, went in and killed the men of the city in order to avenge the honor of their sister.
Vs. 30-End
Jacob then hears what they did, and tells them that they have now caused more trouble.
Thoughts:
Dinah:
This young girls seemed to go “out into the world” looking for something to do. Obviously she was young, and probably tired of being at home with all the brothers. Unfortunately she was not prepared for what she found.
We are often like Dinah. We go out blindly looking for something better than what we have. We think that we will find it in the world. What we end up with is something that has seduced us into disobeying God.
We seem to learn, only after humiliating ourselves, that the things of the world are only misleading, and lead to problems.
