Daily Devotions
Genesis
"My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word." Psalm 119:28
Text: Genesis 34:1-31
NEWS OF THE RAPE
The heart-breaking news of Dinah’s rape soon came to Jacob’s ears. Conflicting feelings must have sought to find expression as each member of the family grappled with the terrible fact – Dinah had been raped!
“And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter.
Now his sons were with his livestock in the field;
so Jacob held his peace until they came.”
GENESIS 34:5
Who can tell the agony that a father must feel as he learns about the rape of his one and only daughter? Jacob with great restraint held his peace till his sons returned from the fields. The tragic news concerning Dinah was something that the whole family must cope with together. They would have to interpret the meaning of this tragedy that had befallen them!
A VISIT FROM THE RULER OF THE LAND
Hamor, acting on his son’s request personally came to see Jacob. He understood the love that Shechem, his son, bore for Dinah. He had supported the idea of a marriage between Shechem and Dinah.
“Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob
to speak with him. And the sons of Jacob came in from the field
when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry,
because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying
with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done.”
GENESIS 34:6-7
Two diametrically opposite perspectives were held that day. Jacob knew that he would have a hard time resolving this crisis that had occurred.
1. The Perspective of Dinah’s brothers
They were seething with rage! There was much grief felt. The anger felt by all was palpable! They had only one sister and obviously she was much loved and protected by all her brothers! To think of how she had been violated tore at their hearts!
2. The Perspective of Hamor and Shechem
Shechem realized that he should not have done such a despicable thing as raping Dinah! However, he had now developed a genuine love for Dinah. Could Dinah’s family understand that he now loved Dinah and that he wanted to marry her?
JACOB’S DILEMMA
Jacob knew that he was in a quandary. They were but “guests” in Hamor’s territory. How should he respond? He had to placate the collective wrath of his sons! On the other hand, the ruler of the land had just asked for Dinah to be married to his son!