Verse of the day:
Genesis 34:30-31 Then Jacob
said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the
inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together
against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.” 31 But
they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”
What
a sad state of affairs we see here as Simeon and Levi have committed mass
murder in response to their sister Dinah being raped by Shechem, the Hivite
prince. Sadly, this all began because Dinah went out to see the daughters of
the land (v. 1). We have far too many Christians who intermingle with the
unsaved, and seek them out as their primary source of fellowship, but then
complain, and blame God for not protecting them from the wickedness, and sinful
actions, of those who do not have Jesus. As born again believers, we cannot “hang
out” with the world, in their bars, clubs, and other places, and not expect
that something bad is never going to happen. Sadly, I have seen believers that
were injured, or killed, because something went wrong at a worldly event where they
already knew that there was going to be heavy drinking, and drug use; but then
they lament the consequences of intermingling with the world. God is very clear
in His command to avoid being like the world. 2 Corinthians 6:17 tells us to
come out from among the unbelievers, and separate ourselves from them. This
does not mean that we will never be around them, for we are called to lead them
to Jesus; but we are not to behave like them, and practice the things they
practice. 1 John 2:15 tells us not to love the world, or the things of the
world. 1 Corinthians 15:33 is very clear that evil company corrupts good
habits. Regardless of the reason that Dinah sought the daughters of the land,
it did not excuse Shechem’s sinful behavior. He was guilty of rape. After
committing the crime, he sought to make it right, or justify what he did, by
seeking Jacob’s permission to marry her. Although his feelings for her seemed
genuine, and even though he was completely willing to do whatever Jacob and his
sons required of him, he was completely wrong in doing what he did, and there
would be dire consequences that would come from his actions. Sadly, this is
something that we born again believers seem to forget sometimes. When we engage
in sinful behavior, there are always consequences, and those consequences often
affect others adversely as well. Galatians 6:7 tell us, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Unfortunately, even
though Shechem reaped what he had sown, Jacob’s sons were also wrong in using
deceit to get their revenge, then imposing their form of justice, not just on
Shechem, but on his father, and the men of the city (v. 13-29). Furthermore,
even though it was Simeon and Levi who committed this mass murder, their
brothers were just as guilty when they went into the city and took their wives
captive, and took the spoils of their wealth. Again, God forbid that our sinful
behavior should draw others to participate in our sinful actions, making them
just as guilty as we are. Regardless of how this chain of events started, these
men had the choice to not return evil for evil, and could have chosen to allow
God to take whatever measures He chose to bring vengeance upon Shechem for his
sinful actions. They added to their sin, when Jacob rebuked them for behaving
no better than the wicked people who surrounded them, by not just trying to
excuse their actions, but making it seem as if Jacob was suggesting that Shechem
should not pay a price for what he did. So often, when trying to justify our
own actions, we try to make the person who desires to take the godly approach,
seem like they are wrong for choosing to leave justice where it really belongs,
in God’s hands. We never make a bad situation better by imposing our own form
of justice; for judgment and justice belong solely to God.
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