Daily Devotions
Genesis
"Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart." Psalm 119:34
Text: Genesis 34:1-31
A COMPLEX SITUATION
Hamor the Hivite, as the ruler of Shechem paid due respect to Jacob by making a personal visit to plead for the hand of marriage of Dinah.
“But Hamor spoke with them, saying,
‘The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter.
Please give her to him as a wife. And make marriages with us;
Give your daughters to us ,
and take our daughters to yourselves. So you shall dwell with us,
and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it,
and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.”
GENESIS 34:8-10
The situation before Jacob was quite complex, even though Hamor presented a simplistic approach.
1. An appeal for Dinah’s hand in marriage
To Hamor, nothing could be simpler. All Jacob needed to do was to comply with his request to give permission for Dinah to be married to Shechem his son.
2. An offer of special privileges
Hamor was willing to be very generous to Jacob. He was offering a seemingly attractive business proposition.
a) Intermarriage pacts
Hamor suggested assimilation between their two ethnic groups. Few things bind people together as marriage pacts.
b) Dwelling in the land safely
There was a slight hint that Jacob and his family had not integrated with them. Yes, they lived in the vicinity of Shechem, but they appeared to be living in the countryside more than in the city. Jacob’s main business was in the breeding of animals like goats, sheep, cattle and camels.
If Jacob entered into a treaty with them via marriage pacts, then of course “the land would be before them”. There was a suggestion that they would experience a greater sense of security upon agreeing to establish a pact with them.
c) A tempting offer to become wealthy through this pact
Hamor dangled the temptation of gaining wealth before Jacob. If there was a strong alliance between their families through a marriage pact between Shechem and Dinah, the possibility of Jacob becoming wealthier was very real!
A GREAT TEST FOR JACOB
How should Jacob decide? On the one hand there was his faith in the Lord. On the other hand, there was Hamor’s tempting offer!