Jacob had a life changing experience at Penuel and his name was changed from Jacob (deceiver or heel) to Israel (Prince with God) but it took much longer for his nature to change. The old Jacob kept reappearing - for example Genesis 33:14b where he said to Esau that he would do one thing and then he did the opposite. Yet at other times we see evidence of his new nature - for example Genesis 33:20 where he built an altar to the Lord - making a declaration that - Mighty God is his God.
Dinah - is not protected.
In Genesis 33:18-19 Jacob moves his family towards Shechem and actually buys land there. As a result in Genesis 34:1 his daughter Dinah (possibly about 15 or 16 yrs old) is in a precarious and unprotected position. Jacob would have been wiser to have moved on to Bethel.
Dinah - what happened.
The ancient Jewish Historian Josephus says that “Dinah went to the annual Canaanite festival of nature worship and this was forbidden for an Israelite.”
However, is there a Dinah in each of us? Suspicious that God is withholding fun and happiness from us - we go to the party either in our heads or in actual fact - just to see what the world has to offer - and to see if its really as bad a some “narrow-minded” Christians say it is. Such curiosity often ends up bringing trouble on ourselves and others and disgrace to God.
Remember Dinah belonged to a family under covenant blessing - and not only did her curiosity lead her into disaster but her little escapade caused suffering and death to many. Dinah, so young and naïve probably roamed around the festival awestruck by the town girls with their oriental garments. Quote from Jill Briscoe Women’s study bible.
Prince Shechem “saw her” or “lusted after her” and raped her. (The Amplified Bible says he seized her, lay with her, humbled, defiled and disgraced her.) His acted from lust - thenhe became strongly attracted to her and tried to win Dinah’s affection. (Amp says in v3 that “his soul longed and clung to her” and in v8 “he craved her!” So he asked his father to “get him” Dinah for his wife! This young man had already “got her” but now he wanted it to be legal. There was no romance or courtship - although he did speak to her heart and was tender towards her - after the event!!
The danger of soul ties and the possibility of transference of spirits.
This is a scriptural example of a negative “soul tie” which is a “connection between two people - that Satan can use to hurt or damage us!” Sex outside of marriage is not under Gods covering and Satan uses it against us! BUT there is power in the blood of Jesus to break such ties!
Note that sexual union is not just a physical union - it brings much more than this to the individuals involved. Remember pagan worship always involved sexual acts because Satan has always known that spirits are easily passed around in this manner - so if you have sex with someone who has opened themselves up to ungodly stuff or even to the demonic - and if they have had multiple sexual partners who have done even worse things - the enemy can pass on ALL of this to you.
Dinah - The pain of being raped. - notes from the Women’s Study Bible.
The pain of being raped while on a date evokes strong emotions such as shock, denial, shame, guilt, anger, and depression. The woman may ask herself how she could have allowed such a situation to occur or why her judgment of character was not better, or what she did that might have caused the man to rape her. She may feel dirty or sinful as a result of the abuse she has experienced. She may also feel hostility and anger, wanting the individual to suffer as she has suffered. The victim of rape needs the comfort of believers 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and after the initial period of shock as she begins to accept what has happened to her. The victim must not take upon herself responsibility for the perpetrator’s behaviour. The emotional healing process nearly always include
1. Asking for God’s cleansing for the guilt she feels, even as the innocent party. Psalm 51:7-13
2. Forgiving the rapist for his actions so she won’t hold anger that might lead to bitterness or some other destructive behaviour. Galations 5:19-21 & 1 Thess 5:15 & Hebrews 12:14--15
3. Renewing her commitment to the Lord, knowing that He does not will evil upon her and that when He allows a tragedy, He is ever working to bring restoration and growth . Romans 8:28
4. Moving forward with her life with a determination to grow through this experience.
Jacob - trying to cope with the aftermath!
After the rape had taken place Jacob appears passive or else he was so angry that he couldn’t trust himself to speak!! It was up to Jacob to seek God & take the lead - instead his sons took matters into their own hands!
Note there is no mention of God in this chapter - no one asked Him what they should do - and no one seems to be ministering to Dinah.
The Canaanites and the sons of Jacob were all deceitful.
Genesis 34:23 & Genesis 34:25-29
The sign of the Covenant with God - is used for evil.
Circumcision was the mark of their covenant with God and instead of using this to bless the community and win others to the God of Israel they used it to trick and murder the men in Shechem! How often do we do the same thing? Claiming the name of Christ yet behaving in disgraceful ways!
How does our behaviour effect our children?
It was Simeon and Levi (Leah’s second and third son) who carried out the slaughter. (We will later see in Genesis 35:22 that Leah’s oldest son Reuben also behaved very badly!) Had the first three sons of Jacob and Leah - seen too much during their childhood for their own good?
The result of it all was a massacre.
No further mention of Dinah - she was robbed of her spiritual destiny!
It cost Simeon and Levi the blessing. Genesis 49:5-7.
They left a terrible testimony in the community so that their name stank.
Jacob was full of fear.
Yet God protected them and gave Jacob another chance - God told him to go to Bethel! In other words - get back into your place of safety!
Lessons for life
Becoming a child of God happens instantly but learning to live as a child of God is a lifetime job. Keep going even if you fail again and again.
Sexual abuse has desperate consequences for both the perpetrator and the victim. If you have suffered in this area - God can bring healing.
Is there a negative soul tie that God wants broken off your life?
Jacob started off badly - and it influenced his children badly - but God kept working with him and his family - so as to eventually turn things around. Don’t give up if your family is in a mess - God has ways of turning things around.
Remember Satan always has a hidden agenda! Imagine what would have happened had the Israelites inter married with the Canaanites? There would have been no Messianic line and no redeemer. When Satan tries to get you off course know that he is trying to stop you from completing the plans and purposes of God for your life! Don’t let him do it!
Dinah goes to town! Genesis 34:1-31 & 35:1.
E Gals no 31.
Jacob - is still making mistakes!
Jacob had a life changing experience at Penuel and his name was changed from Jacob (deceiver or heel) to Israel (Prince with God) but it took much longer for his nature to change. The old Jacob kept reappearing - for example Genesis 33:14b where he said to Esau that he would do one thing and then he did the opposite. Yet at other times we see evidence of his new nature - for example Genesis 33:20 where he built an altar to the Lord - making a declaration that - Mighty God is his God.
Dinah - is not protected.
In Genesis 33:18-19 Jacob moves his family towards Shechem and actually buys land there. As a result in Genesis 34:1 his daughter Dinah (possibly about 15 or 16 yrs old) is in a precarious and unprotected position. Jacob would have been wiser to have moved on to Bethel.
Dinah - what happened.
The ancient Jewish Historian Josephus says that “Dinah went to the annual Canaanite festival of nature worship and this was forbidden for an Israelite.” However, is there a Dinah in each of us? Suspicious that God is withholding fun and happiness from us - we go to the party either in our heads or in actual fact - just to see what the world has to offer - and to see if its really as bad a some “narrow-minded” Christians say it is. Such curiosity often ends up bringing trouble on ourselves and others and disgrace to God.
Remember Dinah belonged to a family under covenant blessing - and not only did her curiosity lead her into disaster but her little escapade caused suffering and death to many. Dinah, so young and naïve probably roamed around the festival awestruck by the town girls with their oriental garments. Quote from Jill Briscoe Women’s study bible.
Prince Shechem “saw her” or “lusted after her” and raped her. (The Amplified Bible says he seized her, lay with her, humbled, defiled and disgraced her.) His acted from lust - then he became strongly attracted to her and tried to win Dinah’s affection. (Amp says in v3 that “his soul longed and clung to her” and in v8 “he craved her!” So he asked his father to “get him” Dinah for his wife! This young man had already “got her” but now he wanted it to be legal. There was no romance or courtship - although he did speak to her heart and was tender towards her - after the event!!
The danger of soul ties and the possibility of transference of spirits.
This is a scriptural example of a negative “soul tie” which is a “connection between two people - that Satan can use to hurt or damage us!” Sex outside of marriage is not under Gods covering and Satan uses it against us! BUT there is power in the blood of Jesus to break such ties!
Note that sexual union is not just a physical union - it brings much more than this to the individuals involved. Remember pagan worship always involved sexual acts because Satan has always known that spirits are easily passed around in this manner - so if you have sex with someone who has opened themselves up to ungodly stuff or even to the demonic - and if they have had multiple sexual partners who have done even worse things - the enemy can pass on ALL of this to you.
Dinah - The pain of being raped. - notes from the Women’s Study Bible.
The pain of being raped while on a date evokes strong emotions such as shock, denial, shame, guilt, anger, and depression. The woman may ask herself how she could have allowed such a situation to occur or why her judgment of character was not better, or what she did that might have caused the man to rape her. She may feel dirty or sinful as a result of the abuse she has experienced. She may also feel hostility and anger, wanting the individual to suffer as she has suffered. The victim of rape needs the comfort of believers 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and after the initial period of shock as she begins to accept what has happened to her. The victim must not take upon herself responsibility for the perpetrator’s behaviour. The emotional healing process nearly always include
1. Asking for God’s cleansing for the guilt she feels, even as the innocent party. Psalm 51:7-13 2. Forgiving the rapist for his actions so she won’t hold anger that might lead to bitterness or some other destructive behaviour. Galations 5:19-21 & 1 Thess 5:15 & Hebrews 12:14--15 3. Renewing her commitment to the Lord, knowing that He does not will evil upon her and that when He allows a tragedy, He is ever working to bring restoration and growth . Romans 8:284. Moving forward with her life with a determination to grow through this experience.
Jacob - trying to cope with the aftermath!
After the rape had taken place Jacob appears passive or else he was so angry that he couldn’t trust himself to speak!! It was up to Jacob to seek God & take the lead - instead his sons took matters into their own hands! Note there is no mention of God in this chapter - no one asked Him what they should do - and no one seems to be ministering to Dinah.
The Canaanites and the sons of Jacob were all deceitful.
Genesis 34:23 & Genesis 34:25-29
The sign of the Covenant with God - is used for evil.
Circumcision was the mark of their covenant with God and instead of using this to bless the community and win others to the God of Israel they used it to trick and murder the men in Shechem! How often do we do the same thing? Claiming the name of Christ yet behaving in disgraceful ways!
How does our behaviour effect our children?
It was Simeon and Levi (Leah’s second and third son) who carried out the slaughter. (We will later see in Genesis 35:22 that Leah’s oldest son Reuben also behaved very badly!) Had the first three sons of Jacob and Leah - seen too much during their childhood for their own good?
The result of it all was a massacre.
No further mention of Dinah - she was robbed of her spiritual destiny!
It cost Simeon and Levi the blessing. Genesis 49:5-7.
They left a terrible testimony in the community so that their name stank.
Jacob was full of fear.Yet God protected them and gave Jacob another chance - God told him to go to Bethel! In other words - get back into your place of safety!
Lessons for life
Becoming a child of God happens instantly but learning to live as a child of God is a lifetime job. Keep going even if you fail again and again.Sexual abuse has desperate consequences for both the perpetrator and the victim. If you have suffered in this area - God can bring healing.
Is there a negative soul tie that God wants broken off your life?Jacob started off badly - and it influenced his children badly - but God kept working with him and his family - so as to eventually turn things around. Don’t give up if your family is in a mess - God has ways of turning things around.
Remember Satan always has a hidden agenda! Imagine what would have happened had the Israelites inter married with the Canaanites? There would have been no Messianic line and no redeemer. When Satan tries to get you off course know that he is trying to stop you from completing the plans and purposes of God for your life! Don’t let him do it!