Daily Devotions
Genesis
"My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word." Psalm 119:25
Text: Genesis 34:1-31
SETTLING DOWN IN CANAAN
Jacob had safely returned home to Canaan. He had been happily reconciled with his estranged twin brother. The challenge now was to settle down well in Canaan. Nothing must be taken for granted! Only through hard work and the Lord’s blessings could true success be contemplated. Jacob had been so conscious of the Lord when he left Canaan for Padan Aram. He had been as conscious of his need for the Lord when he returned. The challenge was to practise that consciousness of God faithfully!
A DARK EPISODE
Years passed. Jacob and his family appeared to have settled well in the land. They seemed to have been accepted by their neighbours.
“Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob,
went out to see the daughters of the land.
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite,
prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her,
and violated her.”
GENESIS 34:1-2
Dinah, in all innocence had gone to see some of her friends in the land. The last thing she expected was to be raped.
AN ATTEMPT TO RIGHT A WRONG
Shechem was wrong in what he did. However, he tried to make amends by asking for the hand of Dinah in marriage.
“His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob,
and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the
young woman. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying,
‘Get me this young woman as a wife.'”
GENESIS 34:3-4
It is most unusual for a rapist to marry his victim! Shechem was the prince of the land. As a prince in those days, he could do almost anything he wished and get away with it. There was no law that could prevent him from abusing his privilege of being the son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the land. The ruler of the land determined Law and justice.
The redemptive feature in the rape of Dinah was that Shechem fell in love with Dinah and wanted to marry her! He became kind and tender towards Dinah, and wanted her to remain by his side as his bride. His very soul was strongly attached to Dinah. For some inexplicable reason, he had actually fallen in love with Dinah!
As prince of the land, he could have discarded Dinah as chattel, after he has raped her. Who would question his power and authority? The only person who would have the power to check Shechem would be the ruler of the land, but he happened to be his father! Would an ancient despot ever rule against his own son? Hardly! Hamor must have been deeply surprised that Shechem wanted to marry Dinah! What had gotten into his son that he would consider marrying his rape victim?