“And it came to pass on the third day, when
they were sore…Dinah’s brethren took each man his sword, and came upon the city
boldly, and slew all the males.” Gen 34:25
As far as we know, Dinah was
Jacob's only daughter. She lived among ten older and two younger brothers. She
grew up in a family rocked by struggle between two sisters married to the same
man; Dinah's mother, Leah, and her sister and rival Rachel. While the bible
does not illustrate how the bitterness and jealousy between these women
affected the only girl-child in the family, we have to assume a sense of
dysfunction about it. Yet, we are told that
Dinah was eventually placed in a greater affliction of being raped by Shechem,
the ruler of the city. In this tragedy
Dinah’s brothers sought revenge and even prospered from it (vss 26-27) which brought about anger, but no action
from their father Jacob. In all this,
the victim was overlooked and even used in haste by her brothers without regard
to Dinah herself. Often revenge/retribution
can bring about a greater destruction for the victim as well as those involved.
We must be cautious in our response to evil, knowing God sees and God cares
when all others appear to forget. Dinah
needed ministering love, not menacing actions from those around her. The greatest
response that can be offered one, who is damage, is God’s great love for them.
Man that studies revenge only
keeps his own wounds from healing!
HSAY…Todd
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