May the mumbling commence!
What does it mean to take the Lord’s name in vain… to misuse God’s covenants? Read Genesis chapter thirty-four and see one example:
One day Dinah, Leah's daughter, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw her, he took her and raped her. But Shechem's love for Dinah was strong, and he tried to win her affection. He even spoke to his father about it. "Get this girl for me," he demanded. "I want to marry her."
Word soon reached Jacob that his daughter had been defiled, but his sons were out in the fields herding cattle so he did nothing until they returned. Meanwhile, Hamor, Shechem's father, came out to discuss the matter with Jacob. He arrived just as Jacob's sons were coming in from the fields. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob's family, a thing that should never have been done.
Hamor told Jacob and his sons, "My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter, and he longs for her to be his wife. Please let him marry her. We invite you to let your daughters marry our sons, and we will give our daughters as wives for your young men. And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. You are free to acquire property among us."
Then Shechem addressed Dinah's father and brothers. "Please be kind to me, and let me have her as my wife," he begged. "I will give whatever you require. No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will pay it – only give me the girl as my wife."
But Dinah's brothers deceived Shechem and Hamor because of what Shechem had done to their sister. They said to them, "We couldn't possibly allow this, because you aren't circumcised. It would be a disgrace for her to marry a man like you! But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, we will intermarry with you and live here and unite with you to become one people. Otherwise we will take her and be on our way."
Hamor and Shechem gladly agreed, and Shechem lost no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Dinah desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family, and he appeared with his father before the town leaders to present this proposal. "Those men are our friends," they said. "Let's invite them to live here among us and ply their trade. For the land is large enough to hold them, and we can intermarry with them. But they will consider staying here only on one condition. Every one of us men must be circumcised, just as they are. But if we do this, all their flocks and possessions will become ours. Come, let's agree to this so they will settle here among us."
So all the men agreed and were circumcised. But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, took their swords, entered the town without opposition, and slaughtered every man there, including Hamor and Shechem. They rescued Dinah from Shechem's house and returned to their camp. Then all of Jacob's sons plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys – everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. They also took all the women and children and wealth of every kind.
Afterward Jacob said to Levi and Simeon, "You have made me stink among all the people of this land – among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will come and crush us. We will all be killed!"
"Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" they retorted angrily.
Anger drove Dinah’s brothers to abuse the sign of the covenant with the Lord. They only asked the men of Shechem to be circumcised so that they could attack them in their weakness. And the revenge they exacted was well beyond proportional to the offender.
When I read stories like this one, there is no wonder that God set the Law of “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” as a way of limiting revenge taken – not necessarily as a rule to guide our behavior. Instead, let’s seek to be meek like Jesus. Read from Matthew chapter twelve:
[Jesus] healed all the sick among them, but he warned them not to say who he was. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: "Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. / He is my Beloved, and I am very pleased with him. / I will put my Spirit upon him, / and he will proclaim justice to the nations. / He will not fight or shout; / he will not raise his voice in public. / He will not crush those who are weak, or quench the smallest hope, / until he brings full justice with his final victory. / And his name will be the hope of all the world." (12:15b-21)
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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