8/28/22 - Avenge Our Little Sister! - Genesis 34 - Pastor Jason Fritz

Genesis chapter 34 contains one of the darkest events recorded in the Bible. The Scriptures do not hide the fact that evil is real. The story goes like this...One day Jacob's daughter Dinah has gone to the city to socialize with the women in the nearby town of Shechem. A man named Hamor (a prince with great influence and wealth) has a son, also called Shechem. He sees Dinah, grabs her and sexually assaults her. The language of the text makes it clear this was not seduction or something consensual. Afterward and perversely, Shechem says he loves Dinah and wants her for his wife. He demands that his father Hamor make that happen. This guy is a spoiled brat and a textbook abuser.

This ignites a firestorm of events involving cruel revenge and murder brought by two of Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi. In the end, an entire tribe was no more.

Perhaps the thing that fueled the brother's rage in the first place was dad’s indifference to the crime. They fervently plead with Jacob, “Should they treat our sister like a prostitute?” Jacob shows little concern in this moment. Could it be that Jacob has lost his moral voice in the lives of his kids simply because he was known for his own manipulation? His compromise weakened the influence he had on his children. “Try talking to God about your own sin before you talk to us about ours, dad!” This event would hang over the entire family for the rest of their lives. On Jacob’s deathbed, he would denounce Simeon and Levi as cruel and angry men. Jacob dies before they are reconciled. What precipitated this downfall? 

Partial obedience. 

Earlier God told Jacob to go to Bethel, another 20 miles to the south. Instead, he stayed near the prosperous city of Shechem and this would be catastrophic, leading to sexual assault and genocide. We never fully see the consequences of our half obedience. This is why in God’s eyes, nothing is more important than full obedience.

Why is full obedience so hard for us and why is partial obedience so easy?

We live in the Valley. A sun-soaked, leisure-oriented, laid-back, low commitment, do what you want, luxurious culture. Do you think that culture might affect our Christianity? We attend church as long as it’s convenient. We even give money, as long as it doesn’t pinch our lifestyle too much. We serve when we have extra time. Can we ask ourselves - are these the hidden definitions of partial obedience in our lives? If so, let’s see it for what it is, confess and live fully.