Genesis 34:25-31 – The hazard of moving half way with God

Infuriated by Jacob’s seeming passive response, Simeon and Levi took matters into their hand. They exacted revenge on Hamor and Shechem and the male of that city. They were cold and calculating. They knew that the third day after circumcision would be most painful for a person who had undergone it, and would render that person less active. Verse 25 tells us that “Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male.” Hamor and Shechem were also murdered and they rescued Dinah from Shechem’s house. The other brothers than came in and went into a killing frenzy taking out every helpless victim and plundering the city. They cleaned out the Shechemites, their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses.  No one escaped, every male died that day.  

Jacob’s response to the whole massacre was pathetic. He merely gave them a dressing down, He was obviously more concerned about his reputation and safety. He was afraid that the Canaanites and the Perizzites might gang up and come against them. He had no word for his victim daughter Dinah. His concern was very self-oriented. He was thinking of saving his own skin and what others would think of him. His sons were not concerned about what he had just said, so they retorted him saying, “Should he (Shechem) treat our sister as a harlot?”

What a mess! What went wrong? Everything was going well for him after he had reconciled with Esau. But he chose to indulge a little in deceit to ward off his brother’s generous offer to guide him to Canaan. Besides when he finally came to the land, he should have had kept up with his obedience by going straight to Bethel. But the little indulgence in Succoth, and finally settling in Shechem, made him too comfortable to move ahead with the plan God had for his life. What a tragic moment when he chose to move only half way with God in His plan. The experience of Jacob leaves us with a lesson to go all the way with God. We should learn to be careful about taking detours in our journey with Him. Let’s take a counsel from the Apostle Paul, he said, “God is not mocked. What a man sows, he shall also reap!”