Day 2 of Week 7 The Patriarchs

October 24, 2008
Day Two of Week Seven
Nightmare in Shechem
 
Today's Treasure: Genesis 34: 2
When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her.
 
Principal Question of Today's Lesson:
What was Dinah's intention as she "went out", and what happened instead?
 
Today's lesson is a tough one. Its topic the reaction Jacob's family had to their sister being raped. Because this is such an intimate subject to discuss, I am only going to give you the fact from Scripture and answer the questions Beth has put forth. Beth even suggests that you consider not doing today's lesson if you have been a victim of rape. It may be too personal for you to handle if you have not sought godly counsel and healing for yourself. Everything in my e-mail comes from Beth. So, I will be using her words quite a bit.
 
Read Genesis Chapter 34
In this chapter, Dinah goes out from her encampment to visit with the women of the land. Scholars have estimated that she was a young adolescent at this time. While she was out, Shechem (the son of the ruler) saw Dinah and felt like he had to have her. So he took her and raped her. Then Scripture says that he spoke lovingly to her and told his father that he must "Get me this girl as my wife". Hamor, the father, went to Jacob's family and asked them to allow Dinah to marry his son. Jacob's family was already aware of the rape that took place, and her brothers were filled with grief and fury. Hamor pleads with them to intermarry with the Hivites and live among the Hivites to trade and acquire land. The brothers refuse this offer unless all of the men of the Hivites agree to be circumcised. Hamor feels this is a great business move; therefore, he goes into the land of the Hivites and "sells" all of the men on the idea. You need to remember that Jacob was very wealthy, and this decision had to have been motivated by greed. All the men go out to be circumcised immediately. Dinah's brothers are fully aware of what is going on. They did not intend to fulfill the agreement they made with Hamor. It was actually a plan they created to get revenge on the Hivites for raping their sister. On the third day after all of the men were circumcised, the brothers knew that the men would be unable to protect themselves. They went into the land and killed all of the men, including Hamor and Shechem. After they killed Hamor and Shechem, they removed Dinah from their house. Dinah was being held there by Shechem against her will. The brothers proceeded to take all of the flocks and herds, along with the women and children to their houses. When Jacob heard of all that took place, he said to the boys, "You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed." The brothers simply replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?" And so the chapter ends….
 
 
What was Dinah's intention as she "went out", and what happened instead?
She went out to visit with the women of the land
Search the chapter carefully. Does Scripture record Dinah's response to the trauma and, if so, what was it?
There is no record of her response to the rape
 
What emotions did Jacob's sons feel in reaction to the news of Dinah's rape?
They experienced grief and fury
 
What did Hamor, Shechem's father, suggest to Jacob and his sons in verses 8 – 10?
He wanted Jacob to give Dinah to Shechem as his wife. He also wanted them to become part of the Hivite community where they could intermarry, trade and acquire land with the Hivites.
 
How did Hamor's reaction fail to take seriously the violent crime of rape?
Hamor justified the rape with the fact that Shechem was in love with Dinah and wanted to marry her
 
How did Jacob's sons deceive Hamor and Shechem, exacting revenge?
They promised to enter the city and do business and intermarry if all of the men of the land agreed to be circumcised. While they were unable to defend themselves due to the procedure, they went in and killed all of the Hivite men.
 
How did Jacob respond to his son's act of revenge?
He responded with fear and anger
 
What do you think Dinah needed from those around her once they brought her home from She hem's house?
She needed compassion and love. She also needed reassurance that she was still a whole woman worthy of love.
 
What do the following verses tell you about God's response to the brokenhearted?
Psalm 34: 18
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit
Psalm 147: 3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds
 
According to 1 Thessalonians 5: 23, what are the three components of humans?
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
 
What does 1 Corinthians 6: 17 say about a believer's spirit?
He who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit
 
The following is directly spoken from Beth in her study. I feel that it is worth copying because she is so eloquent with her words. She was a victim of sexual violation and speaks compassionately about the topic.
"My body may have been violated and my soul, the seat of my emotions, may have been injured, but my spirit – the innermost part of my being, where the Spirit of Christ dwells – cannot be violated. Therefore, what defines me most has never been touched. In my own healing process, God taught me that the more I allowed the Spirit of truth dwelling in me to take authority over my body and soul, the more the wholeness of Christ would overtake every part of me. In other words, God taught me to live from the inside out. I seek to allow the strongest, most invincible part of me – the spirit- to have dominion over all else, thereby sanctifying them (setting them apart as holy) just as 1 Thessalonians 5: 23 suggests. Today I live most consciously out of my healthiest part: the spirit. Through the years, the health of my spirit has been gloriously contagious to my soul and even to my body. According to Scripture, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. In some ways broken temples can be rebuilt. The Spirit of God dwelling within me has so overtaken my whole being that even my body no longer feels violated. Dear one, God can rebuild shattered lives. Satan will do everything he can to tempt you not to trust God because he knows your willingness to place yourself in God's holy hands will lead to full redemption. What is full redemption? Redemption is when the pain is treated and turned around so thoroughly that it not only loses it power to do you harm but also gains the power to do some good."
 
I don't think I could do this lesson any justice with my own words. Beth is so amazing with these topics that are so critical in our lives. I love you all and pray that you have an amazing day.  
In Him,
Tiffany