In Genesis 34 Dinah, Jacob’s daughter is raped in the city of Shechem by a man named Shechem.  Jacob keeps silent about this terrible sin against his daughter.  However, when her brothers hear of it, they are outraged.  They are so outraged that the devise a plan to deceive the men of Shechem.  They agree to exchange their daughters in marriage with the men of Shechem as long as the men of Shechem agree to be circumcised.  The men of Shechem agree to do this and while they are recovering from the circumcision Simeon and Levi come and kill them all.  This is followed by the rest of the brothers looting the city.  Jacob is outraged at this act by his sons and begins to lament what this might mean for him.  Jacob’s sons felt their act was justified in light of their sister, Dinah, being raped.  There is one sin after the other in this account.  There is disobedience, immorality, passiveness, deceitfulness, revenge and self-centeredness.  Jacob is passive and silent about the fact his daughter has been violated.  His sons are outraged about Dinah being raped and they respond with sin of their own.  Jacob is only concerned about himself.  Sin will happen in this world.  How the follower of Christ responds is the key. I can respond rightly by pointing out the sin and calling for repentance.  I can respond with sin of my own by either being passive or by taking justice into my own hands.  Lord, when I see sin or am sinned against, by Your grace, help me respond in a way that honors You.

– Bryan McKenzie

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