Genesis 34:1-4–Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

Posted by Seth on Feb 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Daily Devotions |

Genesis 34:1-4–Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

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Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Genesis 34:1-4 wherein we see the progression into a horrible sin and learn to fix our eyes on Jesus.

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.”

There are so many ugly things that happen in this world, and rape has to be one that ranks extremely high on this filth list. Though it had probably already happened thousands of times over the course of history, Shechem is honored as the first man named in direct association with the deed. Dinah was his victim, a daughter of Jacob and Leah who was out to connect with other women in the new land that her family had settled in. Rich, spoiled brat that he was, Shechem saw, took, flapped his lips in idiot sweet-talk, and asked his daddy to make sure he could satisfy his lusts with her on a more regular basis. OK, perhaps he felt bad about what he did and was to some extent trying to make things right–hard to say. It’s probably just best that I stop there.

What we see following this account is a heap of deception on both sides (Jacob’s family and the city of Shechem) with the side of revenge prevailing. Yes, one ugly act again snowballs into a highly destructive avalanche. This is what sin has always looked like and we’ve never been able to stop it. Until the day when Jesus returns, banishing it all and renewing our bodies and souls, we can only work to restrain it by the power of the Holy Spirit. The best place to start is by looking right into ourselves that we might not give rise to another avalanche! Notice the progression of Shechem’s sin. It’s given to us quickly, but in list form. He first saw her. This is a neutral statement and one that wouldn’t need to lead to anything else. Think on how often a sin of any kind in you or I springs from a glimpse or thought. This is the point where evaluation needs to take place, where right focus must prevail, and the right following step determined. Next he seized her. Actions for good or ill follow our initial considerations and we grab hold of whatever we feel we must put our energy into. Then, having likely already lost control, he lay with her. He knew he was physically strong enough to get what he wanted. When we let ourselves get to this point in our sin, whether fully engaged in the sharing of a juicy gossip story, or structuring the details of a lie, we feel empowered to see it through. The result then was that he humiliated her. Humiliation or destruction of some sort is always the result of sin that will often lead to further crumbling around us.

Perhaps the process described here sounds familiar. James 1:14-15 reads, …each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. The truth is, sin can take place very quickly, but it’s always got a starting place that can be snuffed out before it is birthed. If much hinges on our desires, let us grow in our yearning for Jesus, having our eyes fixed on Him who never let His desires lead Him into sin. Let us put our hope in Him and not in our own strength. Let us see, seize, and join ourselves to Him today.

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