Growing up I always looked forward to visiting my grandparents in Sarasota, FL. It was always a fun time. One reason these trips were particularly enjoyable was that they would always take us to a restaurant called ‘The Buccaneer.’ It was one of my favorite places to go. It looked like a pirate ship, the staff were dressed like pirates, it was dark and kind of scary, and they gave pirate hats to all the kids to wear during dinner. But the best part about it is that on your way out after dinner, every child who came to dine at ‘The Buccaneer’ would get to choose a toy out of this large treasure chest near the front. So for little 9 year old Adam, walking out of a pirate ship restaurant with a pirate hat and with a new pirate sword toy, was the best thing ever!
As we now come to the sermon I’d encourage you to have a similar child-like joy. Scripture is indeed a treasure chest of glory for us, and every time we open it we’re well served by the Lord. This reminder is needed this week especially because we have a hard chapter before us. One of the joys/struggles of expository preaching, where you preach verse by verse through books of the Bible, is that every now and then you come to passages of Scripture that you generally would never choose to preach on. We’ve had a few moments like this in our trek through Genesis this past year and a half, where we’ve come to some sections full of dark and wicked sins. Genesis 34 is such a chapter. It’s very dark, hard to read, but nonetheless inspired by God for His glory and our good.
So to the text we turn. See first…
The Defiling (v1-4)
“Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”
Right away we see the vilest of sins. In the first few words the narrator tells of “Dinah the daughter of Leah.” This primes us for bad things drawing near.[1] Remember it was Leah who was the unloved wife of Jacob, and so it’s very likely that the neglect toward Leah also was expressed toward Leah’s children. So here we have Dinah, the unloved daughter of Leah, the unloved wife. You might think I’m reading this into the text, but the events of this chapter will make it plain that this is indeed the case.
Well, in v1 Dinah gets curious. Curious about the women of the land. This sounds very innocent, but it does seem to suggest Dinah’s desire, perhaps temptation, to know how the women of the world lived. And her curiosity doesn’t lead to anything good, as v2 makes plain, because Shechem, the prince of the land, saw her, took her, and raped her. While the case could be made that she was responsible for going out to investigate the women of the land, she was certainly not responsible for the horrific event that followed. The prince of the city, Shechem the son of Hamor, did what Eve did in chapter 3 and what the sons of God did in chapter 6. He saw Dinah, seized Dinah, and laid with Dinah.[2] There is no evidence that Dinah was a willing participant in this deed. So this is evil. It’s unrestrained sexual domination, and so the word ‘humiliated’ in v2 is fitting.
Yet it gets worse in v3, as Shechem was drawn to, loved, and spoke tenderly to Dinah. The three affectionate terms in v3 are the opposite of the three abusive terms in v2. It all shows how backward Shechem is and how backward the people of Canaan are, meaning, this is not the way to go about getting a wife. The godly way to get a wife is to begin in v3. You see a woman, you’re drawn to her, you fall in love with her, and then you speak tenderly to her. So tenderly in fact that you woo and pursue to the point of engagement and marriage where then the bond created in heart leads to the bond created in body. That’s the right way to go about this. Shechem did it the exact reverse.
And more so, see v4. He so desires to have Dinah that he commands his father to get her bluntly saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.” And to our great dismay, the rest of the chapter shows us Hamor’s actions in doing just that. How will that play out? How will Jacob and his sons react to Dinah being defiled? See our second heading…in v5-12 next.
More Sin (v5-12)
“Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done. But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.” Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”
Sin began the chapter and now we see more sin in the reactions of Jacob, Dinah’s brothers, and Hamor. Jacob first. In v5-7 Jacob hears about his daughter’s rape and his response initially is to “hold his peace.” You might think this shows restraint, humility, or wisdom on Jacob’s part, but notice he never stops holding his peace as Hamor comes to discuss the situation with him.[3] See Jacob’s sin here. He’s far too passive in his inaction throughout this whole chapter and proves what we said earlier. That Dinah really is the unloved daughter of the unloved wife.
Now for the brothers. In v5-7 as Jacob is passively holding his peace, Jacob’s son and Dinah’s brothers react in a way completely appropriate. They were out in the field, they saw Hamor come to speak with Jacob, and they came in from the field to hear this news. And upon hearing the news they became indignant and very angry, because they knew an immoral and outrageous event had taken place. A thing that should not be done. I do think this is the fitting reaction, we wish Jacob had reacted this way. But I think their right reaction doesn’t remain right, because of what it leads to in the rest of the chapter. Perhaps a plan is already forming in their mind?
Now for Hamor. We see him obedient to his sons command, and diplomatically come to speak with Jacob in v6, we see the sons join the chat in v7, and we hear the words he says in v8-12. See his pagan ways. In v8-9 he offers no apology, doesn’t mention the rape of Dinah, but only speaks of his son’s desire to marry her and his request to intermarry with them.[4] In v10 Hamor tries to sweeten the deal by promising trade and prosperity, basically that Jacob and his sons will no longer be aliens and foreigners but full citizens in the land if they do this.[5] And in v11-12 Hamor says he will pay any bride price they desire for Dinah.
So we saw the sin of Shechem in the defiling of Dinah, and now we see more sin in Jacob’s passivity, his sons overactivity, and Hamor’s lies and underhanded dealing. I wish I could say the sins were over, but in v13-24 we yet again see…
More Sin (v13-29)
“The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.” Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father’s house. So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, “These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.” And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went away. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.”
Notice in v13 it is not Jacob who answers Hamor, it is his angry sons. This is because Jacob is still holding his peace, still being far too passive in this matter. Yet, do you see how Moses (the narrator here) guides us in how to think of the sons reply?[6] He says the sons answer Hamor “deceitfully.” What is this? Well on one hand we get it. Their sister had been raped and their father Jacob isn’t doing a thing about it! Anger is the appropriate response here. But on the other hand, they take it too far by deceitfully carrying out a plan, not just to get back at the Shechemites, but to kill them all. See it unfold in v14-17. They say they will accept Hamor’s request, but they add one condition, circumcision. The sons tell Hamor that if he and all his people are circumcised then they will become one people with them. Do you see how evil this is? We’ve read ahead and seen the outcome of their plan, of their killing all the men in Shechem. It begins here in this deception with their one condition of circumcision. It is evil of the sons, because they’re taking the very sign of God’s covenant, emptying it of its divine meaning, and using it for their own evil ends.[7]
We see in v18 that this greatly pleased Hamor and Shechem, so much so that they go back to their own people and have a town hall meeting to convince them. But see Hamor’s words to his own people in v21-23. He once again mentions nothing about the rape of Dinah, or Shechem’s desire to marry Dinah, or even the promises they’ve made the Jacob’s sons.[8] Hamor shows his real interest in this affair. He only wants Jacob’s stuff, and he tells the people as much in v23, “Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours?” They all agree in v24 and go off to be circumcised.
Now the plan of the sons is carried out. In v25-26 we see the ghastly ordeal. Three days later, when all the men were sore from their circumcision, Simeon and Levi murder all the defenseless men of Shechem. And see it, in v27-29 the rest of the sons of Jacob come and plunder the Shechemites, carrying away for themselves all their children, wives, and possessions. Why did they do this? The end of v27 says it, “…because they had defiled their sister.” Jacob’s sinful inactivity has led to the sons sinful overactivity.[9]
Lastly, see in v30-31…
More Sin (v30-31)
“Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.” But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”
Two things to see here. First see Jacob. Finally he gets worked up and expresses some vexation of soul here. But look at why he gets worked up here. Jacob is only concerned with his reputation and self-preservation. His sons have made him a ‘stench’ among the pagans. Apparently Jacob greatly desired to be thought well of among the pagans when he should’ve been concerned with his God and his family.
Second see how chapter 34 ends. Moses the narrator once again masterfully so orders this account that he gives the final word to the sons, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?” This prompts us to feel for the sons, to ask along with them ‘What else could we have done?’ Note once again Jacob answers with silence.
Conclusion:
After such a chapter, full of hard things, we have to face some hard realities ourselves.
First, see the absence of God.[10] Did you notice how chapter 34 doesn’t mention God once? Yet, it’s surrounded with God. What do I mean? The last verse of chapter 33 ends with God and the first verse of chapter 35 begins with God. What then do we make of the supposed absence of God here in chapter 34? It’s simple really, without God, this is what happens to us. Without God, all manner of sin becomes our norm. Lesson? Run toward the Lord as fast as you can. You see our feet naturally go in sinful directions, it takes grace-fueled effort to run in the opposite direction. But run we must. Lest ourselves, our families, and our church will be filled with sin.
Second, see the world’s allure. It’s clear in the chapter today that the world is enticing. Dinah desired to go see the ways of the women of the world. Simeon and Levi and the brothers used the ways of the world to repay their enemies. And Jacob craved to be accepted and welcomed by the world. And yet, how did the world exert influence on them? By overt teaching or catechizing? No, the world’s influence is far more subtle than that. Through all manner of ways the world subtly tempts us to believe that its own ways are normal and that the ways of righteousness are strange. Don’t mishear me, there is certainly right and wrong in view here…sin is always wrong, righteousness is always right, but we don’t often experience the allurement of the world in the framework of right and wrong. The world seeks to slowly yet surely trick us into believing that its own ways, values, loves, passions, and pleasures are normal and that godly obedience is strange or peculiar. Lesson? On one hand we must remember that righteousness and godly obedience is now our normal while all worldliness is strange to us. We’re called to be in the world but different and separate from the world. But on the other hand, we must remember that this world isn’t to be our home. We’re strangers and exiles here. Which means, we shouldn’t feel as if we fit in, heaven is our home. So if we do feel like this world is our home, we need to remember where our true home is, where are true citizenship is, and let its ways, values, loves, passions, and pleasures define us here and now.
Third, see the power of the gospel. It’s very easy to see this chapter and say, “Yuck…I want to avoid people like this at all costs!” I get that, I do. But it’s just not realistic. Be reminded you of 1 Cor. 6, “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God…but such were some of you…” The Church is full of saved sinners who not only came from these lifestyles, but still struggle with these lifestyles. The power of the gospel, the strength of grace, the might of Christ is this: He came and still comes straight into the void and blackness and filth of sin, and He saves and sanctifies.
Praise God that Christ willingly went where we would never go, to bring us to where never could go on our own.
[1] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, WBC (Waco, TX: Zondervan, 2000), 310.
[2] Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2001), 462, footnote 241.
[3] John D. Currid, Genesis 25:19-50:26, EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015), 146.
[4] Waltke, Genesis, 464.
[5] Currid, Genesis 25:19-50:26, 147.
[6] Currid, 149.
[7] Waltke, Genesis, 466.
[8] Currid, Genesis 25:19-50:26, 151.
[9] Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 315.
[10] Currid, Genesis 25:19-50:26, 144.
