Vengeance

This infamous incident happened at the town called Shechem, the very place where God appeared to Abram and promised him that this land would one day belong to his generations to come (Gen 12:6-7). Abram built an altar there to the Lord, and this meant that that piece of land was dedicated to Yahweh, the only living God.

The dedication of the land is re-enforced by Jacob, who arrived at Shechem, bought a piece of land from the people of Hamor, and also built an altar there which he named El Elohe Israel, meaning ‘God, God of Israel’ (Gen 33:1 – 34:31).

Then the unthinkable happened – Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, went out with the daughters of the land (from a pagan nation) and Shechem the Hivite, Hamor’s eldest son and therefore next in line to rule, captured her and raped her. In Gen 34:3 we read that he fell in love with her and asked his father to arrange for him to marry her. He made very generous offers to Jacob, promising to pay any dowry that they asked for; giving them the freedom of the land to live and trade in; and to live with them as family and in peace.

Jacob’s sons were grieved and angry when they heard what had happened to Dinah, and rightfully so. However, their bitterness and unforgiveness drove them to commit a terrible sin. They convinced Hamor and his people to get circumcised, and on the third day, when all the men were in pain, they attacked – killing all the males and taking the women, children, livestock and material possessions for themselves.

We may think that Shechem got what he deserved, and that Simeon and Levi defended their sister’s honour. But there is a spiritual dimension here that came into play when the men were circumcised under the authority and directive of the sons of Abraham – they were brought into the covenant of God! They became blood-brothers, and the Israelites thus deceived and killed their own family, a family that was prepared to do the honourable thing and make restitution for the wrong they had committed.

Jacob seriously disapproved of this conduct of Simeon and Levi, as we read in Gen 49:5, and his last words to them were “… cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.”  The women they had conquered brought idols into the camp with them, which Jacob buried there, starting the defilement of the land which would have serious consequences later in Israel’s history.

(Credit to Gerda Venter)

Pearls to ponder:

 One sin does not justify another. All vengeance belongs to God (Rom12:19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.) Are you secretly harbouring vengeance in your heart?!