Well Hello everyone!
I would like to pick up right where I left off rather then skip ahead so we get the whole content of the book of Genesis. I have been gone due to illness, appointments and other life issues. It has been a battle and may be interrupted again as I am not "there" quite yet. I do encourage you to move ahead with your reading though and when my posts come up, check in and see what insights I can add to your thoughts. 😃 I am sorry for the inconsistencies. Please keep me in your prayers, it's been a ruff go.
Also, my granddaughter is about to have her heart surgery August 12th. She is a mere 15 months old. Please lift her up in your prayers. Please pray for the doctors and her momma and daddy as well.
Thank you!
Now on with the study!
Genesis 34: Dinah
It appears Dinah, Jacob's daughter, may have been a midwife as the scriptures mentions that she "visits the women of the land. " First it is unusual to mention a woman by name, and second it is unusual for one to travel the land, or "work" other than chores, so it makes this an interesting story.
Now one day as she is traveling, or working, Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, rapes her.
Then decides he loves her, for the life of me I don't understand that one, and wants to marry her.
He has his father approach Jacob and his sons and "make a offer"for Dinah's hand in marriage. The sons reply:
13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”
Since Shechem loved Dinah, the proposal seems good and he and his father go to the gate of the city and spoke to the men and they agreed to the terms. All of the men came out of the City gate and were circumcised.
Now here is were the story takes a turn.
25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left.27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the citywhere[c] their sister had been defiled. 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.
Needless to say Jacob was not pleased. He was worried that the Canaanites and Perizzites would be angered with his tribe, and his tribe was small and could not defend itself against them.
The brothers replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
My thoughts are: the brothers acted out of love for their sister BUT it was misdirected. The punishment didn't fit the crime. All the men didn't rape their sister. One man raped their sister. One man should have paid the price, not all.
Sometimes we let our hearts over react, we need to pray, then think, then act on what needs to be done. And sometimes we don't even need to act on it, we just need to let God do the acting.
Jacob has a good reason to worry. These boys did a great injustice to this city. Let's see what comes next..........
Thanks for joining me!
Have a Blessed Week!!
Deb B
The Crafting Fool
 |
| JUNEBUG'S 1ST BIRTHDAY |
