This chapter reeks of human sin and wickedness.
First we read about Dinah getting raped. Unlike most rapists, though, Shechem seems to be completely at peace with what he has done and decides to marry Dinah. This violence on her is not only painful, but it “humiliates” her. Shechem has treated her as an object to use to satisfy his sexual desire. The text says he loved her, but by my estimation this was not love but the basest form of lust, unchecked, unrestrained. I’m afraid that Hamor’s words show the truth behind this so called “love,” by intermarrying with Jacob’s family he hoped to obtain Jacob’s flocks and weath.
Then we read about Jacob’s response. What did he do? Nothing! Always the plotter and schemer, he knows his sons are in the field. He doesn’t have the strength to arms to resort to violence – not that it would necessarily be right to resort to violence, but some sort of justice should have been demanded! And as Dinah’s father, Jacob should have led the way to get justice for Dinah.
Then the brothers come. We see that they have inherited their father’s gift of deception. They tell Shechem and his father that Dinah cannot marry him. Not because he raped her and he should be hung! No, he could not marry her because he wasn’t circumcised. This was a ruse to get the men of the city to all be circumcised so that while they were in pain the brothers could attack, which they did, killing every man in the city! They did not seek justice against Shechem, which would have been reasonable and even right, but they murdered all the men in the town!
Then back to Jacob. When his sons came home having murdered and plundered the Hivites, all he seems to be concerned about is that they have made him a stench to the inhabitants of the land. His focus is on how this affects him. His sons’ question, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?” indicates that they were angry with their father and they didn’t feel that he cared about her.
A couple things come to mind here.
First of all, acknowledging that what Shechem did was wrong and reasonably punishable by death (Deut. 22:25), it would be right to pursue justice against Shechem. However, Shechem was the criminal, not the rest of the Hivites. Later, God would clearly state that an individual bears the responsibility for his own sin, and he should be the only one punished for it. (Ezekiel 18:20)
Second, it is shocking and scandalous that the sons of Jacob would use circumcision – the sign of God’s covenant with them which showed that they were God’s chosen people – as a tool to deceive and destroy the Hivites. That would be like using God’s Word to condone murder, theft, racism, or . . . . Oh, wait! That’s something people do even today! The holy things of God must be treated as holy, and we ought not twist them to our own purposes – no matter how just our cause. God made a covenant out of His mercy for us – and circumcision was a sign to remind the Israelites of that mercy. God’s Word declares and gives His mercy and forgiveness to us for Jesus’ sake. We should hold it sacred.
Father, help me to uphold justice for the hurt and violated. Yet help to also recognize that You have shown great mercy to me, and let justice and mercy both be lived out in my life. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
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