It’s good to have you back again.
Let's dig into our slice of the Bible with Daily Bread.
The last thing we learned, was that
Jacob had returned to Canaan and Esau welcomed him peacefully. Jacob built
a house and shelters for his cattle in a city called Succoth.
There was a city about 20 miles west
of there called Shechem. It was named after the son of Hamor who was the
prince of that land. They were descendants of Canaan. Jacob went to
Shechem and bought a field from Hamor’s children and put up an altar there.
One day, Dinah, which is Jacob and
Leah’s daughter, went out to make some friends in the city, and when Shechem
saw her, he took advantage of her and seduced her. He fell in love with her
and asked Hamor to get Dinah to be his wife.
Jacob heard what Shechem had done to
his daughter. His sons were out in the field with the cattle, and Jacob
didn’t say anything until they came in. Hamor went to talk to Jacob when
Jacob’s sons heard what happened. They were very upset and angry because
Shechem not only brought shame to Dinah, but to their whole family as well.
Hamor began, My son Shechem loves you
daughter. I beg you, give her to him to be his wife. Let your daughters
marry our people and take our daughters to marry your people and live and
trade peacefully in the land.
DINAH BIBLE STUDY LESSON
DINAH STORY EXPLANATION
Shechem continued, Let me find grace
in your eyes and whatever you ask, I will give you. Ask for as big of a
dowry as you wish and I will pay it, but give me your daughter to be my
wife.
Well, Jacob’s sons had no intention of
giving their sister to Shechem. In revenge they said, We can’t give her to
you unless all the males of your people be circumcised as we are, then we’ll
give our daughters to marry your people and take your daughters to marry us
and we’ll become one people. But if you don’t, we’ll take Dinah and be
gone.
Hamor and Shechem accepted their offer
because Shechem’s soul longed for Dinah so badly. And they didn’t
hesitate. All the men of the city agreed to it because they figured that
all of Jacob’s cattle and property would become part theirs too as part of
the agreement.
On the third day, two of Jacob’s sons,
Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers each took a sword and killed every male in
the city of Shechem. They took all their livestock and valuables and they
took the women and children of the city captive. They took their sister
Dinah home.
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You
have caused me trouble, because Jacob had made the deal, not knowing that
Simeon and Levi were deceiving Shechem. He said, Now I’ll stink to the
Canaanites and the people of this land and because my family is small
compared to all of them, they’ll gather together and kill me and I and my
family will be destroyed.
DINAH BIBLE STORY SUMMARY
DINAH BIBLE STORY CONCLUSION
Simeon and Levi answered, Should
Shechem be able to treat our sister like a harlot? They didn’t much care
how much Shechem loved Dinah. An injustice was done, and they felt like
they had to defend their sister and their family. It doesn’t sound as if
the people of the land had Shechem’s happiness in mind either. They agreed
to the deal as to profit for themselves dishonestly.
Wow ... What a mess. How are we to
comprehend the moral of this story. Many will think that since Shechem loved
Dinah, what was wrong. Others will believe that since a deal about
circumcision had been made, that it was all good. Still others, especially
parents and family members, will see it differently in that this man seduced
their young daughter or sister and defiled her.
The TRUTH will be revealed. What
does GOD think about it all? If God disagreed with their actions, you can
bet that misfortune will be ahead for Simeon and Levi. Come back and
find out next time as we find out the answer to that and about another baby
son for Jacob on Daily Bread.
CONTINUE TO THE NEXT STUDY
Spirit of Truth
