Yesterday we learned
that Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, was raped and taken by a young ruler named Shechem. But what you may not have known was that Shechem was a descendant of Noah’s cursed grandson named Canaan. You may remember from Genesis 10 “Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha. These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.” Genesis 10:15-20 You may also remember how Jacob’s sons responded when they learned that their sister had been taken and violated. “Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter - a thing that should not be done.” Genesis 34:7 Jacob’s sons had been set apart by the covenant God made with their grandfather Abraham. The circumcision was an act that God had them do to show they were willing to cut off the flesh - as an expression of their love for Him. Scripture says, “Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. They said to them, “We can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us.” We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.” Genesis 34:7, 13-17 Jacob’s sons knew the act of circumcision was very debilitating and very painful. And they knew if the Canaanites decided to circumcise their flesh, God would know their hearts evil intent. God would know they were doing it for themselves. God would know they were doing it to have access to more women, and more control. God would know they would continue to keep false gods and pagan customs - God would see their impure hearts. Scripture says, “All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. 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 - The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.” Genesis 34:24-29 In chapter 35 we see Gods response to the sons of Jacob’s decision God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau. So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone. So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them. Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother." Genesis 35:1-8 You see, Canaan was cursed, and the sons of Jacob were blessed - even though that evil thing happened to Dinah. God took Jacob and his sons, and their families, and told them to go to Bethel - the place where Jacob first saw the Lord. Jacob told everyone in his community to get rid of all the foreign gods and gold rings. Jacob honored God and did a wonderful thing! Rape - it’s a travesty! It’s a sinful behavior based on self-centered power. But apparently, what is more important to God - is for us to love Him more than we love false images, foreign gods and that which is cursed. For some sovereign reason God decided to choose Abraham to set up His covenant with. This Eternal God decided that Isaac would be the chosen son - not Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, his Egyptian slave. God decided to choose Jacob, the second-born twin of Isaac and Rebecca, to set apart and give a new name - Israel. God took Jacob full circle. He led him to Luz and gave him a dream - a ladder that bridged between earth and Heaven. Jacob saw the angels of God ascending and descending on it, and at the top stood the Lord who identified himself. Then God led him to Harran, where he became Laban’s slave and was humbled. In that place, God gave him knowledge and wealth and sons. Then God led him to Edom, where he came face to face with his brother who wanted to kill him. In this place Jacob wrestled with God and humans - and won - and God gave him the name Israel. God gave Jacob favor! Esau was excited to see him. He showed love to him. Then God led Jacob back to Shechem, the same place Abraham was led. There Dinah was raped, and God led Jacob and his sons to Luz - the town Jacob had renamed Bethel - “The house of God.” You see God took Jacob full circle. He showed Jacob and his sons, where had come from, and he reminded them of where they are going. They returned to Jacob’s first love. “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised to you.” Then Jacob built and altar to God, and he called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.” Genesis 28:12-17, 19 And now, after Shechem violated Jacob’s daughter, and Jacob’s sons lied and caused Shechem and his men to circumcise themselves; after Jacob’s sons destroyed the whole town - killing the men and taking all their possessions - God tells Jacob to purify himself, he and his sons and all that they own. Then God blesses them. The scripture says, “Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” Genesis 35:5 Jacob and his sons and all that they owned, were sovereignly set apart by the Eternal God. It was not due to the circumcision of flesh - it was based on the condition of their heart, and their reliance to trust in Him. Jacob's sons had zeal. They knew they had the Lord's protection. They used evil to fight evil for good.
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