Genesis: Lesson 12

Overview

The Spiral of Violence and the God Who Will Not Abandon Us

Genesis 34 is unflinching. Dinah is raped by Shechem, and her brothers respond with a deceitful plan—proposing that the men of the city be circumcised so that intermarriage might appear spiritually acceptable. Outward circumcision, of course, accomplishes nothing of the sort. As Paul later writes, "real circumcision is a matter of the heart" Romans 2:28-29. The men of the city, motivated by greed, agree—and on the third day Simeon and Levi take their swords and slaughter them, with the other brothers plundering the city. Jacob's response is striking for what it lacks: no rebuke of the evil itself, only fear that the surrounding peoples will retaliate against him. Years later, on his deathbed, he will name what happened for what it was: "Weapons of violence are their swords… cursed be their anger, for it is fierce" Genesis 49:5-7.

Scripture does not edit out this brutality, and we should not edit out its diagnosis: the root of violence is sin, and we are not exempt. The temptation when reading a chapter like this is to point away from ourselves at "those terrible people," when the law of God presses us to see the anger and vengeance that can rise in our own hearts. The Christian's calling is clear: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil… never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God… overcome evil with good" Romans 12:17-21. At the heart of forgiveness is the refusal to hurt back. This does not mean justice goes unpursued—God has given the governing authorities the sword for that purpose—but justice and vengeance are not the same thing. Vengeance belongs to the Lord.

Genesis 35 turns from violence to renewal. God calls Jacob back to Bethel, the place of his earlier vow Genesis 28:20-22, and Jacob calls his household to put away foreign gods, purify themselves, and change their garments—an outward sign of an inward turning. This is the same call Isaiah would later sound to a people whose hands were stained: "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean… though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" Isaiah 1:15-18. As the family journeys, a terror from God falls on the surrounding cities so that no one pursues them—a foreshadowing of the protection later given to Israel at the Jordan Joshua 5:1. Jacob, whose habitual sin was fear, is reassured again of God's presence, his new name, and the promises given to Abraham and Isaac. He builds an altar. Worship is restored. By the chapter's end, Rachel has died in childbirth, Isaac is buried, and Jacob and Esau—once bitterly divided—stand together at their father's grave.

Two pastoral applications press in on us. First, godly leadership in the home matters; its absence reverberates through generations, as it did in Jacob's family. Second, violence begets violence, and the church witnesses most powerfully when it refuses to feed that cycle—when it names sin honestly, pursues justice rightly, forgives genuinely, and points to the Savior. May God deliver us from violence done to us and from violence rising in us; from forgetfulness of his benefits and from neglect of worship; from hopelessness in grief. The good news of these chapters is that God does not abandon a violent world. He kept walking with Jacob, and through Christ he keeps walking with us.

Transcript

Good morning. Let's pray, please. 2s

Grace the Seventh-day Father, we greet today in the confidence that is ours for the 4s

cross of Christ. We thank you, Lord, for the richness of your promises and for the truth 9s

that we bear, born of your word and your actions. 16s

Bless we pray now, this time of study, use it to strengthen us for your service in Jesus' 21s

name. Amen. Well, we studied last week Genesis chapter 32 and we saw how Genesis chapter 32 28s

was a preparation for a family reunion, a family reunion of Jacob and Esau and what would 37s

be the outcome of that family reunion? How would Esau react to Jacob, his brother that had 47s

deceived him? And we saw a beautiful, beautiful prayer uttered by Jacob. As we see in Scripture, 54s

we can pray through Scripture. We've studied that in the past. We can see also in Scripture 63s

various outlines for prayer that we can follow those outlines and there was a gorgeous outline 71s

that Jacob but used. We then saw how Jacob met a mysterious man and we know the identity of that 78s

man that is a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ. Jacob came to understand that his real strength 87s

came from the Lord's gracious hand. His name was changed to Israel. Esau and Jacob when they met, 95s

there was a glorious embrace of the two brothers as Esau surprised Jacob with the embraced. We studied 103s

how God runs to embrace us, how he remains with us, how he sent his son to the cross for us. We also 110s

saw the blessings upon the sinful human being of Jacob and how God comes to us with his wonderful 119s

blessings upon us sinful humans. Well today we're going to take a look at chapters 34 and 35 of the book of Genesis. 127s

Violence. That is a word and a reality that is very much present in the day in which we live and we hear of it 140s

much, much too often don't we? Back in Genesis the fourth chapter we see Cain killing his brother. We see violence in our world 151s

and we see violence also in Scripture. When we come to chapter 34, chapter 34 describes an act of violence. That being rape. 163s

The rape of of Dina. Let's go to chapter 34 verse 1 please. Genesis 34 verse 1. Now Dina, the daughter of Leah whom she had born to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the region. 177s

When Shechem son of Hemore the hemit prince of the region saw her. He seized her and lay with her by force. He raped her. He then wants his father, Hamor, to get her to be his wife. 202s

Dina's brothers when they hear of what happened they are absolutely enraged. Of course they would be enraged. 227s

In Hamor spoke with Jacob and his sons and he said, I'll give you wives from the Canaanites. I'll give you free access to the land. Shechem, the one that had raped Dina, 237s

tells the brothers, I'll give you a blank check, a blank check here for the bridal gift. So access to the land, wives, blank check, generous no remorse from what had happened. 253s

Look at chapter 34 picking up in verse 13. The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father, Hamor, deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister, Dina. They said to them, we cannot do this thing to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised for that would be disgrace to us. 275s

Only on this condition will we consent to you. That you will become as we are and every male among you be circumcised. Then we will give our daughters to you and we will take your daughters for ourselves and we will live among you and become one people. 300s

But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone. 318s

What they do here is they deceitfully imply that this mass circumcision here will make them spiritually acceptable for intermarriage. 326s

That would solve absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. 341s

Let's go to Romans the second chapter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans. Romans chapter 2, verse 28. 346s

Romans 2, 28. 356s

Paul writes this. 364s

For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical, rather. 367s

A person is a Jew who is one inwardly and real circumcision is a matter of the heart. It is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God. 377s

So the plan here of the brothers is one of deceit. They say, if there is mass circumcision, then they will be spiritually able to have this intermarriage. 393s

That does absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. Well, the men of the city are persuaded. 409s

They know that they will gain Israel's livestock, property, and other animals. 415s

So the motive here for their acceptance of this plan is greed. And every male in the city is circumcised. 422s

Let's go to chapter 34 now of Genesis again. Genesis 34, verse 25. 436s

On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of the sons of Jacob, Symmian and Levi, Dynas brothers, took their swords and came against the city unaware. 449s

And killed all the males. They killed Hamar and his son Shechem with a sword and took Dynas out of Shechem's house and went away. 462s

And the other sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city because their sister had been defiled. 474s

They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. 482s

And their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses they captured and made their prey. 488s

Then Jacob said to Symmian, and Levi, you have bought trouble on me by making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Parasites. 498s

My numbers are few. And if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed both I and my household. 510s

But they said, should our sister be treated like a whore? 519s

What reaction does God expect from us when we experience grief or fury of disgraceful and traumatic situations? 527s

What reaction does God expect from us? 540s

Because here the reaction was deceitful plan, right? And then they killed. They killed. 545s

So what is God's expectation of us? Let's go to Romans the 12th chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 556s

Romans chapter 12, we'll pick up in verse 17. 566s

Verapol says, do not repay anyone evil for evil. But take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 582s

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peacefully with all. Be loveth never avenge yourselves. 595s

But leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written. Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. 606s

Know if your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. 615s

For by doing this you will keep burning coals on their heads. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 622s

The challenge for every believer is not to return evil for evil, but to forgive. 635s

Knowing that vengeance should be left in the hands of God. And so we are called then to be a people that forgive. 647s

At the heart of forgiveness, it is refusing to hurt back. 658s

Does that mean then that one does not pursue justice through the courts? No, not at all. 664s

Remember God establishes the church. He establishes the government. The government's role here is to execute the sword. 675s

It is the execution of justice. Should justice be sought? Certainly. 683s

One then pursues then justice. One never as the Christian pursues vengeance. Never. 691s

That is always against the will of God. Have you heard the phrase, don't forgive, get even? 702s

Hear what is wrong with that? When we see here in the example of Jacob here, the recipient of an act of violence, certainly. 714s

One does not want to minimize that at all. It is a terrible act of violence. 727s

But then you have a deceitful plan and vengeance done by the brothers. 732s

And look at verse 30, once again, of chapter 34 of Genesis. 742s

Genesis chapter 34. 748s

Verse 30. 754s

Then Jacob said to Simion and Levi, you have brought trouble on me by making me odious to the inhabitants of the land. 756s

The Canaanites and the Parasites, my numbers are few and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed both I and my household. 763s

But notice what's absent there, right? Jacob expresses no regret. 775s

Does he? No regret at what the brothers, his sons, had done here. 781s

There's no regret. He's just worried that the people around him will retaliate against him. 788s

That's his concern. And the spiral of violence just keeps going. 797s

Just keeps going. We see the violent act against Dina and now the brothers with their violent act. 808s

Jacob, as he prepares to die, spoke a blessing upon his sons. 817s

We're going to peek ahead a few chapters. 823s

Let's go to Genesis chapter 49, verse 5. 825s

Genesis 49, verse 5. 834s

And this is the blessing now that he's speaking, as he prepares to die. 842s

And Jacob says, Simion and Levi are brothers. 848s

Weapons of violence are their swords. 852s

May I never come into their counsel. 856s

May I not be joined to their company. 859s

For in their anger they killed men. 862s

And at their whim they hemstrung oxen. 865s

Curse it be their anger for his fierce and their wrath for his cruel. 871s

I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. 876s

In speaking these blessings, he's really giving a word of prophecy under the direction here of the Holy Spirit with regard to these two. 881s

This chapter gives us many lessons. 890s

One of the lessons I think is the need for godly leadership in the home. 894s

With mothers and fathers, with grandfathers, with grandmothers, there needs to be godly leadership that is expressed. 901s

You see here an absence of godly leadership with regard to Jacob. 911s

There's just an absence of that. 918s

And that's expressed, isn't it, within the family. 920s

And secondly, the trouble and the heartbreak that violence and vengeance can bring. 927s

Violence begets violence. 937s

Violence begets violence. 942s

And we see it once again in this chapter. 945s

Genesis really tells it like it is, doesn't it? 949s

There is no sugar coating here, the situation that is going on. 953s

You have a rape, you have a treacherous plan, you have a city-wide massacre, and you have violence. 961s

And there's no editing out of this in God's word. 970s

There's no editing out of the story of this. 975s

And what is put on display is the violence of the world. 980s

And where is the root of the violence but sin? 989s

You see when people say, what is the matter with the world? 994s

What is the matter with the world? 999s

It's the same problem that has always been going all the way back to the Book of Genesis. 1002s

And the church has the answer. 1007s

The church has the answer. 1009s

And that's sin. 1012s

It's sin. 1014s

That's what the problem with the world is. 1017s

That's it's sin. 1019s

And we see it expressed here in Genesis 34 in this act of violence and then the spiral of violence that goes on. 1023s

Here's the good news. 1034s

God does not abandon such a violent world. 1037s

There's the good news. 1043s

That amidst the expression of sin, amidst the violence that is rampant, born out of sin itself, 1046s

he does not abandon his world period. 1055s

And there is the good news. 1062s

There is the glorious news of the church that as we say, when people say, what's the matter with the world? 1066s

And the church says sin and let me tell you about the Savior. 1076s

And the Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ. 1083s

Let me tell you about a world that God will not abandon and does not abandon. 1085s

The situation of the world and the violence around us is an opportunity then for the church to speak the truth, 1094s

to give the correct diagnosis and also the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. 1106s

Let's go to chapter 35 now, verse 1. 1116s

Chapter 35, verse 1. 1122s

God said to Jacob, arise, go up to Bethel and settle there, make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau. 1128s

When we move into 35, an appropriate description perhaps of the people might be Isaiah the first chapter. 1140s

Isaiah chapter 1. 1148s

Let's turn there, please. 1149s

Go to find Isaiah, Old Testament. 1151s

Just open up to the middle, you'll wind up in the Psalms, then Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. 1154s

And then you bump into Isaiah. 1161s

Isaiah chapter 1, verse 15. 1163s

Isaiah 1, beginning in verse 15, might be an appropriate description for Jacob and his clan here at this point. 1169s

There we read in verse 15 of chapter 1. 1179s

When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. 1184s

Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen. 1188s

Your hands are full of blood. 1190s

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. 1194s

Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord. 1211s

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. 1215s

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land, but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 1223s

They had bloodied their hands from the slaughter of Shechem and the city, and their right for spiritual cleansing and renewal. 1235s

As Jacob returns to Bethel, that becomes a sign of God who has sustained him, and it reminds him of his vow to worship. 1249s

Let us go back to Genesis chapter 28, verse 20. 1262s

Then Jacob made a vow saying, if God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 1277s

And this stone which I have set up for a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that you give me, I will surely give one tenth to you. 1294s

As Jacob comes back to Bethel, there is the reminder of the vow to worship. 1309s

Let's go now to 35, Genesis, verse 1 again. 1314s

God said to Jacob, arise, go up to Bethel, settle there, make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau. 1325s

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your clothes, then come, let us go up to Bethel. 1335s

But I may make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me wherever I have gone. 1348s

So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had had, and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak that was near. 1357s

He's reminded here of his vow to worship, and there's a recommitment now of himself and his family to the Lord. 1369s

Look again at verse 2 of chapter 35, so Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 1379s

What that is is it's reflective of an internal change, an internal change of the heart. When he's calling him to change their clothes here, he's calling for the change of heart, and in verse 5 of chapter 35, 1397s

as they journeyed a terror from God, fell upon the cities all around them so that no one pursued them. 1416s

Jacob came to Luz that is Bethel, which is in the land of Cana. He and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. 1424s

And Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died and was buried under an oak below Bethel, so it was called Ellen Backoff. 1441s

So here then is the renewal here to worship, a call to change the clothes that change eternally with regard to the heart. 1451s

And what do we see, but do we see those around him terror falling upon the cities so that people are protected? 1464s

Take a look, please, at Joshua, chapter 5. Genesis, Exodus, the Vitticus, Numbers, the Deirotomy, Joshua, Joshua, chapter 5, verse 1. 1474s

When all the kings of the Emirates, beyond the Jordan to the West, and all the kings of the Canaanites, by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the Israelites. 1496s

Here you see the act of God protecting the nation, and now you see the act of God here freezing those around the people so that the people would be protected. 1517s

Jacob's habitual problem was fear. It was fear, and here God comes to them and says that he watches over them, revealing once again to Jacob that the lost time with regard to fear, that it was a waste of precious time in his life. 1531s

God does the same thing for us. He keeps coming back to us, reassuring us of who he is and what he has done amidst all of the fear in our life. 1556s

Jacob constructs an altar, he worships, worship is central to everything here. It's the central to our lives. 1570s

God reassuring Jacob of his presence and what's the backdrop of all of this? The backdrop is Jacob saying, what really scares me here, boys, from what you've done here, what really scares me here, is that the people around me could attack me. 1581s

Not get on your knees and repent for what you've done here because you have just fed into a circle of violence and violence begets violence. 1604s

That's the backdrop to God's recommitting to Jacob, continuing to walk with Jacob and his family as the sinners that they are. 1617s

And birthing then, in Jacob's heart, the desire for worship, the desire here to call the clan and to say, get rid of these false gods here, get rid of them and change your clothes. 1632s

God speaks to Jacob once again, verse 9. God appeared to Jacob again when he came to Padam Haram and he blessed him. 1655s

God said to him, your name is Jacob, no longer shall you be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name. So he was called Israel, so he's reminding of his new name. 1666s

God said to him, I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply a nation and a company of nations shall come from you and kings shall spring from you. 1677s

The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you and I will give the land to your offspring after you. 1688s

Then God went up from him at that place where he had spoken with him. Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him. 1696s

A pillar of stone and he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 1704s

So Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel. 1710s

He assures him that God assures him that he had not forgotten his promises to him. 1717s

And where is the theme again? Here it is again. You hear it again? Grace. Grace of God. Grace of God. 1727s

Being shown once again to Jacob and his people. 1738s

Shortly after departing from Bethel, Rachel dies in childbirth. The text really doesn't give very many details. It doesn't delve into it much. 1744s

It does say that Jacob set up a pillar to mark Rachel's tomb. 1754s

And now jumping down into verse 27 of chapter 35. 1762s

Jacob came to his father Isaac at memory or Kayaara Thaaraaba, that is, Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had resided as aliens. 1770s

Now the days of Isaac were 180 years and Isaac breathed his last. 1784s

He died and was gathered to his people old and full of days. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him. 1791s

Jacob now comes full circle to Hebron and he joins his brother Esau in burying his father. 1804s

The flight is over. He's back in his own land. His fear is over. There is reconciliation with his brother. 1814s

Chapter 35 and 36 are a roller coaster, aren't they? In an absolute roller coaster. 1825s

Where you go from this incredible expression of violence and sinfulness to an awareness here of Jacob of a re-committal here, that there is indeed a problem here, a re-committal to God, all mighty. 1832s

And this beautiful picture here of the two brothers that were certainly at odds that had reconciled earlier, now varying their father. 1849s

May God deliver us from violence of others. 1863s

May God deliver us from any violence that erupts in ourselves. 1869s

May God deliver us from forgetfulness of His benefits. 1875s

May God deliver us from any neglect of worship. 1882s

May God deliver us from hopelessness in times of grief. 1888s

And may God use us as His church amidst a world of sin that manifests itself in a host of ways. 1895s

May God use us as a people that forgive and don't seek vengeance. 1906s

May God use us as a people that seek justice, but through appropriate means. 1917s

May we never be understood as a people that contribute to a cycle or an encouragement in any way of violence. 1927s

That is so antithetical to Christ's call upon the church. 1941s

Vengeance, that's up to God. 1952s

It doesn't belong to us. 1956s

And when we as the church continue by God's grace to be the church, it is a powerful witness in a world of violence. 1961s

When we can make the right diagnosis and also point to the Savior who doesn't give up on a world of violence, but continues to walk with us. 1975s

The danger when we read chapters like this about the deceit of the brothers and then killing the whole village is to say. 1992s

They are just such terrible people. 2007s

The danger is pointing away from ourselves instead of saying, and where does the law come to us to reveal our own sinfulness? 2013s

Perhaps our own thoughts of wanting to do violence. 2028s

The violence of anger that can rise up in us, you see, the scripture then comes to us with the law and we realize that we too are sinners in need of redemption. 2035s

We too are sinners apart of a violent sinful world. 2051s

We too are Jacob's. 2060s

We too, that God comes with His glorious gospel of the cross, saying to us, 2065s

I don't give up on you. 2076s

I have redeemed you and you are mine and you will be light in a sinful world that points to me, God says. 2081s

There's the call. 2104s

We are going to continue in the final section that we enter into of the book of Genesis next week. 2107s

We are going to see how Israel becomes a nation of people who wind up in Egypt. 2113s

We are going to spend some time with a person by the name of Joseph. 2121s

We will continue next week. 2128s

Thank you. 2137s