Jacob has had a really tough time - back in Padan Aram he finally left his uncle Laban, who had cheated him for 20 years. Laban would have probably killed him had God not intervened but even still Laban gives Jacob a really hard time and then makes this agreement asking that God judge Jacob if he mistreats his daughters.
So after that Jacob approaches the borders of Israel - afraid of the next enemy he must face - Esau - his brother who had vowed to kill him. So he devises all these plans to handle Esau - gifts and words - sort of the old Jacob trying to outwit his brother.
But God has other plans and wrestles all night with Jacob until at last all he has left is to hang on the angel and demand a blessing - which God gives him as a change of name - associated with a change of heart. No longer Jacob, deceiver - governed by self, he was now Israel, governed by God.
So now it’s the next morning - D-Day.
Verses 1 - 3
So by now Esau has gotten wave after wave of gifts - and Jacob looks up and here he comes with 400 men. Jacob, or Israel, has got to be wondering - did it work? Am I facing a brother or a battle?
The old Jacob would have probably put everybody else out in front and himself hiding in the back - but now he puts his family behind him (with Rachael and Joseph in the rear) and faces Esau - bowing down as a sign of respect - not just once but 7 times.
But as it turns out - Esau is more interested in swapping family news than taking revenge.
Verse 4
What a relief - reminds me of the prodigal son a little bit. It is amazing what time and distance can do - you realize just how rashly you might have reacted to something. It’s a good lesson - once you react you rarely have a chance to re-act because relationships get severed and sometimes take years to be restored.
James 1:19-20 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
Verses 5 - 7
The wives and kids come forth - bowing. Again Jacob gives God the glory for the kids and the provisions.
So next comes this little back and forth on the gifts Jacob brought:
Verses 8 - 11
I imagine one of the reasons Jacob insists on giving the gifts to Esau is his extreme relief that the meeting turned out so well.
He is not as open, though, to Esau’s next suggestion.
Verses 12 - 17
You get the sense that Jacob really doesn’t want to go with Esau. My sense is that he still doesn’t like his brother - they are simply too different. Esau’s attitudes and lifestyle are not compatible with a person whose heart is given to the Lord.
There are times when we can re-establish ties - but not close relationships with those who don’t know the Lord. Perhaps Jacob thinks that Esau will have too great an influence over his family.
Jacob doesn’t tell Esau that he’s going another direction - but he doesn’t lie to him either. Instead Jacob goes to Succoth. Succoth is in modern Jordan - about halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It means "booths."
Verses 18 - 20
Shechem is about 35 miles north of Jerusalem - across the Jordan and a little south of Succoth. This is important because Jacob buys land - it shows ownership of the Promised Land - just as Abraham did in chapter 23 when he bought land in Hebron (to the south of Shechem).
He also built an altar there - calling it "God, the God of Israel." Abraham built an altar on the same spot in 12:7 after God appeared to him and told him he would have this land.
Chapter 34
Verses 1 - 4
This chapter is one of the darker passages of Genesis - we have rape, deception, religious hypocrisy, followed by terrible violence.
There is some question as to whether Shechem violently raped Dinah or whether there was some form of mutuality - but there may have been more than violence or lust involved - it may have been a strategic move on Shechem’s part. In that culture when an arranged marriage was unlikely - one or more of the parties could take matters into their own hands. Once a woman had lost her virginity an arrangement with another family was unlikely so then the two would be married. It’s pretty horrible - having to marry your rapist.
But we see later than Shechem has political and economic motivations on this mind.
Verses 5 - 10
So Hamor makes a deal with Jacob - a "bride price" for Dinah. Shechem says to make it as steep as they wanted. To the old Jacob this would have been pretty tempting - but he isn’t Jacob anymore - but Israel. Shechem is responding out of infatuation - he wants the girl no matter what it costs him.
Verses 11 - 17
Somehow Jacob’s sons get Schechem and Hamor aside and put their spin on the deal. They aren’t interested in the money, they want revenge. But they go about it in an interesting way.
Circumcision would not have been unheard of to the Shechemites - it was used as a right of puberty, marriage, or fertility - but wasn’t used universally. For the Sons of Israel - it was a sign of their covenant with God (Genesis 17).
So for these guys to use circumcision in this way was a real slap in the face to their relationship to God. They act like they want the Shechemites to become into the covenant - but in reality it is simply a way to disable them physically. Be wary of people who try to get you to do religious things just so they can take advantage of you. Some of our modern day televangelists who promise prosperity or health in return for monetary donations. They aren’t really interested in you or your relationship to God - only making their coffers larger. Not all are like that, of course, but it shows that this kind of religious hypocrisy is not new.
For the people of the town - it was apparently worth it. They thought they were getting the better deal. It’s amazing how greed can cloud judgment.
Verses 18 - 24
I’m sure they saw all the economic gain that was to be had by assimilating Jacob’s clan into their own. It would have had to be some enticement to get them to undergo this procedure - which would have totally laid them low for days.
So then we see the real reason for the "deal" and the real character of Simeon and Levi.
Verses 25 - 29
What a scene. They were right to be upset at how their sister had been treated - but this was a completely disproportionate response.
There have been some digs in the area - and it’s estimated that between 500-1000 people lived there at that time - way too many for two guys to kill. It’s likely that Simeon and Levi hired or ordered servants to go with them.
But notice that once the killing has started - the rest of the brothers get in the act and loot the entire town. Their justification would have likely been getting the bride price they deserved - everything.
So now look how Jacob responds:
Verses 30 - 31
Jacob has a right to be worried - but actually the opposite happens. Look at verse 5 of chapter 35 - the "terror of God fell upon the towns all around them."
Despite the foolishness of his sons, God’s covenant will not be stopped. There is no sin that can wipe out God’s grace through His Son Jesus Christ. That doesn’t make sin right - but it does make God more powerful than sin.
Conclusions
The Purpose of Evil
Often times we think that God works through positive events and the Devil through negative. But in fact, God will have His way by using evil, even using evil to judge evil. It doesn’t mean that God likes evil - but He is simply so big and powerful and perfect that no matter what anyone does, God will work it to His will.
It doesn’t excuse evil - and Simeon and Levi and all of their descendants bear the fruit of their sin - but what it means is that God will work His purposes in it - no matter what we as sinful humans do.
In this case the covenant people were again in jeopardy. The Shechemites were planning to assimilate them - because of what Simeon and Levi did - that assimilation didn’t take place, and the covenant people were safe.
Don’t let bad things that happen to you make you think that God is not in your situation, doesn’t care, or isn’t involved.
Later on - one of Israel’s sons Joseph will tell his brothers:
Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Leaving All
Jacob could have gone back with Esau - tried to make a go of the relationship. But he saw no changes in Esau - indeed we’ll see later that his character follows down with his descendants.
In this case, serving God was more important than serving family. Now I’m not saying that when you come to the Lord you should ostracize your family - but as was my case, some in my family really put me down for becoming a Christian - and I had a choice to make - not serve the Lord openly, or risk the retribution of my family. I chose to serve God.
Matthew 10:37-39 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Jacob lost a lot when he didn’t follow Esau - protection, perhaps more wealth, but it was more important to serve God wholeheartedly. Perhaps you face that kind of decision as well - just know that God will provide for you - more than you would have gained the other way.
And even though it might mean some loneliness - God will provide the sweet fellowship of other believers as well.
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