Genesis 34
Today's Scripture

So far, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had found favor in the land of Canaan, and for the most part had lived in peace and were welcomed by the people there. (There was the incident of Isaac and the wells, but Isaac did not confront those who opposed him and eventually found a well over which there was no dispute.)

Even when Abraham and Isaac told kings and rulers that their wives were really their sisters (because they feared they would be harmed because of their beauty), God kept the women from being defiled and the kings eventually learned the truth and even gave gifts to Abraham and Isaac.

But in today's passage we read of Jacob's Dinah being violated. It seems that Jacob allowed his sons to take the matter into their own hands, instead of dealing it with it himself. The young man and his father said they would pay a bride price for Dinah (we don't learn in this passage what Dinah's feelings were for the young man), and the brothers agreed, if they would all become circumcised. So, when they agreed and were still sore and tender from the circumcisions, Jacob's sons attacked and killed every male and took the women and the possessions as plunder.

The sons may have learned and watched their father as he was deceitful in some of his dealings--or their grandfather Laban. Jacob chides his sons after the attack--worrying about possible retaliation by the surrounding people. But his sons felt justice should be done on their sister's behalf. Not an easy problem to solve--but it is not mentioned that any party consulted with the Lord before acting. This can be a lesson for us.
- posted by Suzi @ 7:44 AM