Hello and Welcome...Today we read Genesis 34:1-31...I thought I would start you off today by this nice and peaceful photo before we begin...Today's reading is a doozy.
Today we learned that Dinah, Jacob's daughter had decided to visit with the women of the land.
2When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.
3He was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her.
4So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this young girl for a wife."
Jacob found out about this but his sons were out in the fields working. He decided to wait until they returned to tell them.
6Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.
7Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.
8But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him in marriage.
12"Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl in marriage."
Jacob knew they could not be trusted because they had violated his daughter.
14They 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.
19The young man did not delay to do the thing, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father.
24All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
25Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male.We also learned that Someon and Levi were indeed so upset with the violation of their sister that they looted the city and took all the livestock and looted houses.
30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I will be destroyed, I and my household."
31But they said, "Should he treat our sister as a harlot?"
WOW quite a story today...what a shock...can you imagine the violation! and the anger in these young men...did these brothers love their sister or what? And the violation of Jacob's daughter...this man of God's blessing...And what is going to happen now with Jacob...they could no longer stay there...Halley's Handbook simply states...The bloody act of Simeon and Levi made him odious to his neighbors and soon he moved on to Bethel.
Please continue on with me as we read Genesis 35:1-29
