How To Avoid Rape? by: William R. Nabaza of www.Nabaza.com
Genesis 34:1-2: (Contemporary English Version)
Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the women who lived there.
She was seen by Hamor's son Shechem, the leader of the Hivites, and he grabbed her and raped her.
Genesis 34:1-2: (New Living Translation)
1 One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area.
2 But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.
It's not that easy when you're rape, I've already counseled people who have been raped, it's a process of the mind where you are repeatedly used and abused. It's horrible, I tell you!
Genesis was written by Moses, one of the five books of the Pentateuch, meaning Origins or Beginnings. The first Messianic Promise was found on Genesis 3:15, "And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Maybe that's why from then on, the enemy was very angry with the woman to destroy her.
Rape usually happens to the female species but in our time and day, it could also happen to a male specie. If you don't belong to either one, check out the bible, male and female He created them (Genesis 1:27), maybe someone created it other than God!
Abuse of rape can be done on the male and on the female. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” (Genesis 19:5) Angels in the form of a male specie almost got raped.
I will be talking about how to avoid rape of a female. In this case, Dinah got raped because of several factors. Now we talk about how to avoid being raped whether you're a male or a female.
NUMBER ONE, REMEMBER IT CAN HAPPEN IN A DAY YOU DON'T EXPECT.
Genesis 34:1 says "One day.." as for Christians GOD is always protecting us. Here are a couple of promises I live with on a daily basis.
Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the LORD, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Deuteronomy 33 v 29:
Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.
Psalm 27 v 1 & 5:
The LORD is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid? For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 31v 20:
In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.
Psalm 32 v 7:
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 34 v 7-8:
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 37 v 39-40:
The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 57 v 1:
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
Psalm 62 v 5-8:
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 119 v 114:
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
Psalm 121:
I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 125 v 1-2:
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Psalm 145 v 18:
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
2 Samuel 22 v 31-37:
"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
Isaiah 12 v 2:
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Isaiah 25 v 9:
In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
Isaiah 43 v 1-5:
But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
Matthew 10 v 28-31:
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
1 Peter 3 v 12-13:
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?
Hebrews 13 v 5-6:
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
NUMBER TWO: DON'T TRAVEL ALONE.
Dinah is female. If you're a Christian, then GOD is with us, who can be against us? What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? (Romans 8:31) Genesis 34:1-2. In these day and age, we can't even distinguish, but females are the weaker partner or vessel. (1 Peter 3:7) it was not declared by just someone from the male specie but it was declared by GOD, so if you're a female, you should submit and agree on it. Don't travel around on unfamiliar territories or places where you don't know the place or where you prefer to travel alone. Go with someone you know, much preferably in groups if you're single so you will be protected. Go with guardians, loved ones and friends. If you're a single church worker, go with the ministry group you're in, someone you know from the start, and someone you trust with your very life. If you're a married, travel with your family or husband.
Obviously, the local prince "saw" Dinah walking alone (Genesis 34:2) The word "saw" here came from the Hebrew word "raw-aw" which has an idea of looking on one another, seeing joyfully. This is not just one short look but a long (lustful, even drooling) one, and Dinah returned the favor of looking, so it's not just one time but a lot of times going on looking and looking back was exchanged between Shechem and Dinah. Shechem enjoyed what he saw, giving us a hint that Dinah indeed is a lovely woman to behold.
Females of today dressed very scarcely, it's like they're conserving money to buy a decent dress. They show off everything they own, and the rest is up to the male imagination to build up. 1Timothy 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; I don't care what the trend or fashion is nowadays, I don't care if I'm called conservative when it comes to dressing but what I care is the WORD OF GOD, GOD's WORDS never come out of style and is never old-fashioned. (Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.) It also goes to us too, that we put on clothes that will glorify the LORD. (1Corinthians 10:31 : When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God.)
Dont' forget that we have lust of the eyes to dealt with and no one's perfect not until the LORD will change us in the twinkling of an eye.. (1 Corinthians 15:52) but until then we should live whether we eat, drink or dress to glorify the LORD whom we serve. 1John 2:16 says "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Females dress carelessly and when looked upon with lust, they complained, in the first place Eve was the first one tempted and then Adam. 2 Corinthians 11:3 says: "But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent." So to avoid it, stop the temptation from where it originated, the female and don't let it reach Adam (us). Ephesians 4:27 says : "Neither give place to the devil."
NUMBER THREE: CONSULT AUTHORITY FIGURE AROUND THE PLACE.
Obviously, the rapist in that area which is Shechem, leader of the Hivites, is the authority figure in that area. (Genesis 34:2) Take notice that it was so easy for Shechem to (1) see her, or better translated looked lustfully towards her, (2) grabbed her, (3) raped her. No one ever cared or intervene, because they're all afraid of Shechem, because not only he's the leader of them but also the son (the heir) of Hamor. The authority figure in that area or place was from the rapist's side not of the victim's side. Of course, whatever their leader think what is right is right for them.
NUMBER FOUR: DON'T COME IN A PLACE WHERE YOU KNOW YOU WILL BE HELPLESS.
Analyze the actions of Dinah, (1) she wanted to visit the women who lived there, in these day and age, we can avoid this, why not just send out an sms instead of a real visit, or poke them on facebook or retweet them on twitter, but it doesn't work that way on their day and age. (2) they were in the land of the Hivites, not their own nationality, (3) she kept seeing the man with tantalizing eyes, Dinah responded with a long look as well. She's a ready victim for the rapist. She thought since he was the son of Hamor and the leader, he has enough decency in himself to respect her. But she's forgotten one thing, their culture and practices are obviously different from what they practice.
NUMBER FIVE: RAPE TAKES TIME AND IT'S A PROCESS.
There are times and cases where you go to a place and suddenly you're raped, please refer to numbers 1 to 4 solutions of avoiding rape if that's the case, but in here, Shechem got to know her by just looking at her. But someone might argue that Shechem loved her? See Genesis 34:3 reads "But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words." but we have to dig into the WORD of GOD to really, really see it. In the Hebrew it says "daw-bak" or "clave" in the English word. See this is the same Hebrew word used in this verse, Genesis 2:24, "This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." clave or joined is the English word. How would Shechem cleaved or joined himself (by just looking lustfully at her, remember?) although the obvious fact that Shechem and Dinah are not yet husband and wife? So that explains it? Many are now in bed with someone else pretending to be their wife or do they know that sex outside of marriage is not accepted by GOD? Hebrews 13:4 reads "Have respect for marriage. Always be faithful to your partner, because God will punish anyone who is immoral or unfaithful in marriage."
Let's compare versions: first in King James Version it says
Genesis 34:3 And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
Contemporary English Version:
Gen 34:3 But Shechem was attracted to Dinah, so he told her how much he loved her.
Good News Bible:
Gen 34:3 But he found the young woman so attractive that he fell in love with her and tried to win her affection.
We see how it's watered down and deviated from the Hebrew word for "clave" is "daw-bak" meaning "cling or adhere", "figuratively to catch by pursuit", "cleave" "follow close" (just like a lurker, or a stalker), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take
... and why would Shechem do all of these to Dinah, is Dinah her wife? or her girlfriend? or are they engaged?
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall CLEAVE unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
God still works out solutions in His Words, don't ignore His Words and you'll end up suffering.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. (Parallel verse: Proverbs 16:25)
Psalms 119:35 Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.
Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
If we're presented with paths to take, always choose to glorify GOD and take the WORD'S path, you can never go wrong.
William R. Nabaza
13 Arcontica Village,
Dasmarinas, Cavite 4114
Philippines
pldt: 416-1173 / smart: 09296711763
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