Genesis 34:1-7 “1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. 3 And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.” 5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done” (KJV).
In the first verse, I was filled with a few questions, such as: Was Dinah naïve, rebellious, or just plain ignorant in the ways of the world? Why was it so important for Dinah to venture out and get to know the women of the land? Did she not get advice from Leah her mother, and why was she out sightseeing by herself?
After asking myself these questions, I was led back to Jacob, who was in charge and responsible for his family. I have to wonder why Jacob was staying so long in this pagan neighborhood and putting his family at risk. He should have kept on traveling to Bethel and continue growing in the Lord and teaching his family.
When we disobey the Lord, we put ourselves in danger as well as our family. Lot pitched his tent near Sodom, eventually he moved into the wicked city. Jacob pitched his tent in Shechem and this wicked city is pulling him and his family into their wickedness.
Three times the word “defiled” is used to describe the wicked deed of Shechem. The young prince claimed that he did it because he loved her and wanted her for his wife, but committing violent rape and keeping the girl confined to his house was a strange way to show his love for her.
His actions and words witness to the fact that God’s people and the people of Canaan had very different moral and ethical beliefs. Jacob was silent when he heard the tragic news. Since his sons were in the field with the sheep and cattle and he could do nothing without their help, he was wise to wait.
It is interesting to note in the latter part of verse 5 it says “Jacob held his peace until they were come”. We can see here that Jacob was failing in his spiritual leadership, instead of turning to the Lord for wisdom he became quite comfortable asking his sons what to do in difficult times.
It is very important to remind ourselves and take note of where we get our advice from, especially spiritual advice. This is a lesson I teach on a regular basis in my class. I have fallen prey to the advice of friends and family. I have made the mistake of letting my emotions control my actions. The lesson I learned, ensure the advice you are given is according to His truth. If it does not line up, then follow the Lord’s wisdom. I also believe it is important to explain to those who gave the advice, why you did not follow what they said. This opens the door to witness and help others, even if they do not agree; you have an opportunity to plant a seed of truth.
God will do the watering and shine the light. There may be times when the Lord shines that light right away and you will be able to see that seed grow; other times it may be years later. But remember, all things are in His timing. Acts 1:7 “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” (KJV). Hamor is the father of Schechem and goes out to meet with Jacob and discuss his son marrying Dinah. Hamor was very wealthy and had some authority in the land. His meeting with Jacob appears to be an attempt to “fix” the mess his son has gotten into. Jacobs’s sons come out of the field after hearing what happened and they are furious.
Application
We must be careful that we do not seek satisfaction in the world, outside the purpose and plan of God. Sin is a process that leads to defiant acts. All it takes is someone to believe that this little sin is no big deal, and then it has turned into a big deal. A great Christian saying goes like this “Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you ever wanted to pay” (Unknown Author).
Look back at Jacob’s deception towards his father, one lie turned into many lies and ended up costing him twenty years working for Laban and two wives later he is still dealing with the consequences of a little white lie. He got his advice and instructions from his mother, but never measured it against the Lords truth. Those little white lies are now growing so big that his daughter Dinah was attacked physically and taken hostage.
When God calls you, make sure you answer the phone, listen to the message and take good notes. You don’t want to get the message wrong; it could cost you more than you were willing to pay. For Jacob it began as a little white lie, and quickly turned into more lies, and then a quick getaway in order to escape the wrath of his brother and father. When it came to taking care of his children, he did not listen to the Lords wisdom and let Dinah spend time with worldly friends.
What could have stopped the progression of his sin? Look back to Gen. 31:13 “I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out of this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred” (KJV). But Jacob was slow to obey the Lords command.
In Christ,
The Silent Preacher
Daniel 3:1-7 “1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up” (KJV).
The Silent Preacher 