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

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