Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Dinah and Shechem - The Book of Genesis

Transcript

Dinah and Shechem - The Book of Genesis · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren,
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: shall say unto me I will give. Genesis 34.11 Dear God,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: as you are guiding my life, I will make sure
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: to only make the move that you've designated for me.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: I will not try to choose the easier path or
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: the path that looks more inviting. Instead, I will stay
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: the course. because I know that every step that I
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: take has already been orchestrated for me and my future.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, as I move, keep reminding me that where
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: I currently am is not my final destination. Remind me
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: that as I take the steps of faith needed to
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: realize your promises for my life, that you will keep
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: me from harm and destruction. Thank you, Lord, that even
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: when I step off the track, you are faithful to
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: allow me to not miss a step when I come
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: back and ask for forgiveness. I stand with excitement because
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: I'm about to enter into my Bethel, the land and
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: promise where you dwell. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: for praying with me today. Continue listening for an incredible
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Bible story. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: Dinah and Shechem Before this story, we learned how Jacob
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: feared the wrath of his brother Esau. He prayed to
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: God with great anguish to deliver him. That night Jacob
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: wrestled with God himself and had his name changed to Israel.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: Esau forgave Jacob, and the two went their way. Now
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: we will learn about how Jacob's daughter Dinah was taken
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: advantage of, and the response made by Jacob's sons, Simon
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: and Levi, inspired by the book of Genesis.
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries. and can only come
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: to you each week through the support of listeners just
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: like you. Your support today is so important that we
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: want to thank you for your gift by giving you
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: is a powerful guide that shows how every book of
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word,
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: to get a copy of The Jesus Book, simply go
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: you for your support. In our prior reading, we learned
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: of Jacob's new name, Israel, and of his repentant heart,
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: and that Jacob and Esau made peace with one another finally.
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: It was a wonderful story of God's provision, grace, and blessing.
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: And we saw a more mature, obedient Jacob who now
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: seems ready to follow the will of God for his life.
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: In today's reading, however, Jacob seems to take a step backwards.
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: As you listen, notice how Jacob once again shuns the
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: role of leadership to which God has called him. There
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: will be a great deal of bloodshed, pain, and trouble
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: that spreads through Jacob's family. Eventually, Jacob will wake up
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: to the tragedies and schemes his disobedience have created and
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: then turn to God, truly turn to God for help
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: and guidance. God once again will prove his faithfulness to
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: Jacob and his family. Because God is always faithful. Now,
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: let's listen to today's scripture.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: Jacob and his family settled in a place God had
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: not intended. He was supposed to return to Bethel, yet
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: remained in the land near Hamor. Dinah, the daughter of
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: Jacob and Leah, went out to visit some of the
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: women in the neighboring city a few miles away. She
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: walked with the innocent smile of someone painfully unaware of
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: of just how dangerous a city like this could be. Shechem,
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: the son of Hamor, a prince of the land, saw
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: Dinah from afar. Hidden by the shadows, he trailed her
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: at a distance. Shechem found Dinah intoxicating. He drew closer
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: and closer, watching as she maneuvered through the busy streets. Shechem,
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: like many young rich rulers of his time, knew if
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: he wanted something, he needed just take it for himself.
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: and he wanted Dinah. He burned with a self-serving and
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: violent desire. Shechem suddenly and secretly seized Dinah and drug
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: her away. Flailing and fighting, Dinah realized there would be
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: nobody there to help her. Shechem humiliated Dinah and raped her.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: Dinah was sent on her way humiliated and defiled. Yet
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: instead of releasing her with threats, Shechem spoke tenderly and
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: with gentleness. His soul felt drawn to Dinah, and he
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: mistook his twisted and selfish desires with actual love and affection.
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, Get me
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: this girl for my wife. Word came to Jacob about
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: the assault of his daughter. A contemplative calm came upon him.
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: His sons were working in the field with the livestock,
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: and he needed time to think before releasing the information
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: to them. As Jacob waited in brooding silence, Shechem and
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: his father Hamor came to Jacob to speak of marriage.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: He would not be able to get a word in
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: before the sons of Jacob came racing in with rage.
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: A small army of men ran from the fields as
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: soon as they heard and immediately met them with indignant rage.
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: Under no circumstances would they allow Shechem to have their sister. Hamor,
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: finally able to speak after the barrage of angry brothers,
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: turned to Jacob and said, Shechem's soul longs for your daughter, Jacob.
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: Let us consider a marriage, and all my land can
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: be opened up to you for trade, property, and farming.
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: Shechem then began to speak. There was a look in
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: his eyes, a look of genuine affection and love, yet
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: behind them seemed to be a mind capable of hideous things.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: It sent an uneasy shiver down the spines of Jacob's brothers.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: He spoke, saying, Let me find favor in your eyes,
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: and whatever you desire from me I will give. Name
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: your price, and I.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: Will honor it.
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: Just please let me have Dinah as my wife. Jacob
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: and his sons were men of God, and had set
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: themselves apart from the rest of the world. Yet their
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: kindness was not weakness. They were men of honor, and
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: loved their sister deeply. Their resolve to protect her would
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: not wane. The brothers answered Shechem and Hamor,'' It would
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: disgrace us to give our sister to someone uncircumcised. Our
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: only condition is that you and all your men be circumcised.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: Then we will give all our daughters to be with
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: your men in marriage, and we can become one people,
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: sharing in all things.'' These words pleased Hamor and Shechem.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: Not only did Shechem get his desire, but the whole
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: land would get to share in the abundant resources of
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: Jacob's family. Yet they rejoiced naively, for Jacob's sons would
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: not forgive what Shechem had done to their sister. As promised,
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: Hamor and Shechem went to all of the men in
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: their land and had them circumcised. Men, young and old,
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: took blades to their foreskins. Hamor's people did so gladly,
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: though in a great amount of pain, because they knew
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: they were going to become rich men. and Shechem would
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: get Dinah. Shechem took Dinah to his home, and she
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: dwelt there for three days under his roof, captive and afraid.
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: On the third day, the city was quiet. The sun
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: was making its way down towards evening. The heat of
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: the day was colliding with the cool breeze of evening.
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: The men of the land were resting, sore, and doing
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: their best to not make any sudden movements. The pain
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: was nearly unbearable, but worth it for more livestock and influence.
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: While they all remained in their beds, two pairs of
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: footsteps can be heard coming through the gates. Two sons
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: of Jacob, Simon and Levi, entered the city with swords
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: in their hands.
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: No mercy.
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: No politics or chances to plead their cases. No negotiations
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: or empty threats. With ferocity and decisiveness, the two plunged
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: their swords into the flesh of all Hamel's men. They
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: would try to run, but they couldn't, because they were
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: still in pain from the circumcision. This was their plan
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: all along. Get the men weak, so they could enter
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: in and take their lives easily. Picking up speed, the
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: two brothers swung their swords with revenge, making their way
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: to the home of Hamor and Shechem. Hamor was the
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: first to die. His begs for mercy were interrupted by
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: Simon's right arm slowly gliding the blade against his throat.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: The two brothers turned right through the hall and burst
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: through Shechem's door. There they saw him and their sister.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: Pulling Dinah away, they pointed their swords lightly on the
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: chest of Shechem. They stared into his eyes, the same
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: eyes that had gazed upon their sister with violence and lust.
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: now looked upon them with fear and trembling. No mercy.
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: Shechem fell swiftly under the blades of Simon and Levi.
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: The only inheritance he would get from his marriage to
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: Dinah was iron sinking into his lungs. The sons of
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city. They
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys and whatever
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: was in the city and in the field. All their wealth,
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: all their children and their wives, all that was in
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: the houses, they captured and took back with them. No mercy.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: When they returned, Jacob was outraged. He said to Simon
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: and Levi, You have brought trouble on me by making
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: and the Perizzites. We do not have the same numbers
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: they do. If they gather themselves against me and attack me,
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: we shall be destroyed. Simon and Levi regretted nothing. What
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: should we have done, they said? Allow our sister to
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: be shipped off like a piece of property? Have her
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: ravaged like a prostitute? Jacob, pressed with fear and anxiety,
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: went before God. God spoke plainly. Arise, go up to
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar for me, as
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: you did before you met with Esau. So Jacob left
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: for Bethel as he should have done in the first place.
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: He and his household came before God. Cleanse yourself, change
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: your garments, wash, throw away any idols you may have,
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: and purify your hearts, Jacob commanded his people. A great
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: danger threatens us, but we will arise to Bethel to
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: seek God, who has always answered me wherever I go.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: had and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: They journeyed far, fearful for their lives. They rushed to Bethel.
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: God in mighty power caused a terror to fall upon
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: the cities that surrounded them. They would not pursue God's
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: chosen people. Jacob came to Bethel, back to the land
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: of Canaan, and there he built an altar and call.
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: shall come from you, and kings will come from among you.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: will give to you, and I will give the land
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: to your offspring after you. God blessed Jacob and his family,
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: the people of Israel, and he would not leave them.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: No matter what hardship, they found themselves captive too.
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: Jacob encountered God, wrestled with Him, and received His blessing.
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: He has now made peace with Esau and is free
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: to return to the place where God intends for him
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: to live with his family. But that's not the choice
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: Jacob makes. Instead of going to Bethel, he remains in
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: another land nearby that's ruled by a man named Hamor.
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: Jacob's daughter Dinah visits the nearby city controlled by Shechem,
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: and as she is walking through town, Hamor's son Shechem
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: pursues and rapes Dinah. Then he begins to feel what
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: he considers love for this woman. Of course, this is
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: not a God-honoring love. This is lust. This is a
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: man who forced himself upon a young woman. But in
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: his twisted mind, He somehow feels some affection for her
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: and asks his father to secure a marriage with her.
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: Jacob hears what happened to Dinah, and rather than acting,
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: he remains silent. He doesn't tell his sons of the
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: rape either. Perhaps he knew they were prone to violence,
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: or maybe he was slipping back into his old complacent
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: ways and failing to lead his family. Whatever the reason,
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: he does nothing. But when his sons hear what happened
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: to Dinah, their sister, they intend to avenge her. When
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: Hamor and Shechem come to ask for Dinah's hand, Jacob
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: takes a back seat in the conversation. Hamor offers a
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: political and financial alliance if they will allow Shechem to
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: marry Dinah. Jacob's sons counter that all males in Hamor's
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: land must be circumcised before they will allow Dinah to
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: marry Shechem. Their true intention was never to bring these
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: men into a relationship with God. It was a mere
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: ruse of war to buy some time before their full
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: plan was set in action and perhaps cause Hamor and
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: his men some serious discomfort in the meantime. Jacob's sons
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: attacked these men when their guard was down due to
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: a negotiated treaty and killed them all and rescued Dinah.
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: This may seem like justice, but it's far from it.
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: They used a sacred act ordained by God, not for
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: a holy purpose, but for bloodshed, vengeance, and plunder. Hamor
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: and Shechem's actions were not honorable, but neither were the
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: actions of Simeon and Levi. And when Jacob discovers what
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: they've done, he is shaken out of his complacency and
• 15:17
  Speaker 3: once again attacked with fear. He knows his son's actions
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: could bring calamity upon his own family. So once again,
• 15:27
  Speaker 3: He goes to God and God tells him to go
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: to Bethel and build an altar to him there. It
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: was what he was supposed to do from the beginning
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: in obedience to God, but now he finally obeys. How
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: often do you and I go through unnecessary and unwanted
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: trouble simply because we're not listening to God? If we
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: would only do what God says from the beginning, we
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: would not face so many of the trials and struggles
• 15:53
  Speaker 3: and difficulties that we face. Before he flees to Bethel,
• 15:58
  Speaker 3: Jacob knows he and his family must leave behind not
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: just the land, but the gods and idols they're holding
• 16:03
  Speaker 3: on to instead of the one true God who is
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: always with them, always faithful. We close today's story with
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: another example of this faithfulness of God to Jacob. He
• 16:15
  Speaker 3: strikes fear of the cities around Jacob so nobody pursues
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: Jacob's family and he can safely arrive at Bethel. God
• 16:22
  Speaker 3: once again affirms the promise he's made to Jacob and
• 16:26
  Speaker 3: to Isaac and to Abraham before him. He will give
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: him this land, and from him will come many nations
• 16:34
  Speaker 3: and kings. And a key figure in this plan is
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: one of Jacob's son, Joseph, whose colorful story will begin
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: next time. Dear God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: thank you today for what we have read in your
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: word and that it teaches us that Obeying you is
• 16:56
  Speaker 3: always the right plan, the best plan. Thank you that
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: when we fail to obey, there is forgiveness when we
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: turn to you in confession and repentance, because you are
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: always faithful to forgive and cleanse us through your son, Jesus.
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: And it is in his name that we pray. Amen.
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: And before we go, I wanted to let you know
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: that the Bible in a Year podcast is an outreach
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come to you each
• 17:27
  Speaker 3: week through the support of listeners like you. Your support
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: today is so important that we want to thank you
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: for your gift by giving you a copy of my
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: book called The Jesus Book. This book is a powerful
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: guide that shows how every book in the Bible points
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: to Christ and how you can better read and understand
• 17:46
  Speaker 3: the Bible. And How God's Word Transforms Our Lives. So
• 17:50
  Speaker 3: to get your copy of the Jesus book, simply go
• 17:53
  Speaker 3: to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: you for your support.