My brothers killed the man who raped me
GENESIS 34

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“I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15)

God’s Promises to Jacob (and Isaac and Abraham)

LAND: ______________                                                DESCENDANTS  _____________

PROTECTION  _____________  BLESSING TO THE WHOLE WORLD _____________

“For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.” (Genesis 33:19-20)

“Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her. His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”” (Genesis 34:1-4)

Jacob’s response to Dinah’s rape:

“When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he kept quiet about it until they came home.” (Genesis 34:5)

Jacob’s response to Joseph’s death:

“Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son.” So his father wept for him..” (Genesis 37:34-35)

 

1) Love your family.

God uses ______ ______ ___________ as lighthouses in our communities.

 i) Get married – it’s good for you!

ii) The best place to have kids is in marriage

iii) Get involved in your local church – it makes you healthier and happier

iv) Make sure Dad takes the kids to church.

 

“Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter–a thing that should not be done.

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.”

Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favour in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask.” (Genesis 34: 7-11)

Dialogue or Die Hard?

“Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. We will give our consent to you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. “ (Genesis 34:13-15)

 

And Jacob says nothing…

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” [Edmund Burke]

 

2) Be people of principle.

“Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” (Genesis 34:30-31)

(i) The Lure of security

“Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.” (Gen.28:1)

“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)

 

(ii) The Lure of Popularity

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33)

Jesus – a better Jacob!

What one thing will I do today as a result?

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I want to know more:

• To watch: The Blind Side – movie.
• To read: Mustard Seed v McWorld – Tom Sine
• To read: The Art of Neighboring – Jay Pathak
• To study: surveys comparing the benefits of faith and/or marriage:
  • kinseyinstitute.org/resources/FAQ.html#frequency
  • webmd.boots.com/sex-relationships/features/marriage-it-really-is-good-for-you
  • ifs.org.uk/comms/comm114.pdf
  • ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614329/
  • centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/UserStorage/pdf/Pdf%20Exec%20summaries/CSJ_Fractured_Families_Executive_Summary.pdf
  • dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2120595/Going-church-makes-happy-says-Gallup-poll.html
• What is Christianity? www.christianityexplored.org/what-is-christianity