Daily Devotions
Genesis
"The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes." Psalm 119:64
Text: Genesis 34:1-31
COMBINED OFFERS
Once again, Jacob did not respond. The combined offers of Hamor and Shechem must have appeared to be most generous in the eyes of the inhabitants of the land! Why had Jacob not responded warmly to these two offers? What more could they offer?
EVIL FOR EVIL
We cannot fully explain why Jacob had not responded as quickly as he should have. But seeing his hesitance and his silence, the sons of Jacob decided that they would make themselves heard.
“But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father,
and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
And they spoke to them, ‘We cannot do this thing,
to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that
would be a reproach to us. But on this condition we will consent
to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is
circumcised, then we will give our daughters to you,
and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you,
and we will become one people. But if you will not heed us
and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone.'”
GENESIS 34:13-171. An important explanation
The sons of Jacob had explained the reason why Jacob could not give his consent for Dinah to be married to Shechem! The rite of circumcision was the special sign that God had given to Abraham.
“This is My covenant which you shall keep,
between Me and you and your descendants after you.
Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins,
and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.”
GENESIS 17:10-11There was more to the Abrahamic covenant than the sign of the circumcision. The Covenant that God graciously gave to Abraham was His special way of approving his faith! The rite of circumcision in itself was meaningful only if there was that faith in God in the first place! However, the sons of Jacob had conveniently left out this part of the explanation.
2. A counter proposal
Did Shechem expect a reply from Jacob and or his sons? This was the counter proposal. The possibility of being “one people” with the Hivites would be “possible” only if they would consider being circumcised! A correct explanation, but treachery was afoot!