How God Still Works Through Terrible People (Genesis 34-36)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Have you ever wondered why God works through someone who doesn't seem like a good person?

In Genesis 34, we have this powerful sequel to the previous two chapters. Gordon Wenham writes,

There we learned how the fearful and alienated Jacob was changed into the new Israel, who boldly returned to Canaan and made peace with his brother Esau, whom he had struggled with and cheated since birth. But this story shows Jacob's old nature reasserting itself, a man whose moral principles are weak, who is fearful of standing up for right when it may cost him dearly, who doubts God's power to protect, and who allows hatred to divide him from his children just as it had divided him from his brother.^[1]

To summarize, Jacob has two wives, Leah and Rachel. He loves Rachel, but not Leah. Leah has a daughter named Dinah, and the structure of Genesis 34:1 tells us Jacob thinks little of his girl. Just as his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac failed to protect the women in their lives, Jacob does the same. While the phrase "went out to see some of the young women of the area" in verse 1 sounds innocent, "the terms used may suggest Dinah's imprudence, if not impropriety."^[2]

Regardless of her motives, nothing justifies what comes next. Dinah is raped and shamed by a man called Shechem. But instead of hating her, as other Biblical characters like Amnon did to those they raped, Shechem "became infatuated" with her and wanted to make Dinah his wife. Jacob's family isn't so keen and demands that the Shechemites be circumcised to form this alliance. On the surface, this sounds noble, and in an odd way, they're extending the promise God made to Abraham (confirmed through circumcision) to outsiders. But that's not what's going on. Instead, it's a trap, and Jacob's two sons, Simeon and Levi, wait until the pain of circumcision is so intense and the Shechemites are defenseless before going in with a sword and slaughtering all of them and retrieving their sister.

If you read the story closely, you realize that the main culprit is Jacob. Verse 5 tells us that after he heard his daughter had been raped, he remained silent until his sons returned from tending the livestock. "It was Jacob's failure to act that provoked them to behave in such an extreme way. He had not loved Leah, or her daughter Dinah, but they did."^[3]

After Jacob learns what his sons have done, notice his response in Genesis 34:30. Wenham writes,

"He does not condemn them for the massacre, for abusing the rite of circumcision, or even for breach of contract. Rather, he protests that the consequences of their action have made him unpopular. Nor does he seem worried by his daughter's rape or the prospect of intermarriage with the Canaanites. He is only concerned for his own skin."^[4]

Genesis 35 shows God's response. It's evident Jacob's household is a mess and that his family has embraced idol worship. So, God tells Jacob to go to Bethel, the site of his first encounter with God, and cleanse his household and bury all their foreign gods. En route to this, God protects Jacob from the nations that now hate him.

Genesis 34-35 teaches us that God's decision to work through us is not rooted in personal merit. It's based on his overarching plan for humanity.

A Meditation to PRAY

Praise | I praise you for being a God who is not limited by man’s goodness. You use even the corrupt to achieve your purpose and plan.

Release | I release my desire to appear “good” to other people. Help my concern for righteousness to come from a heart like yours, not a heart consumed by what others think.

Ask | Give me your eyes and heart. Help me to channel your love and grace to others.

Yield | I surrender my idea of what your will is. Show me what you desire, and help me obey you.

A Challenge to Act Like Christ  

Genesis 34 is an extreme example of what happens when humans ignore God's means of extending his covenant to humanity. Genesis 35 shows why God must intervene and the ultimate need for Christ.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were deeply flawed individuals, yet God still accomplished his purposes through them. The same holds true for us today. When we try to operate apart from God, we'll make devastating decisions that will cost us and our families. But when we obey God and rid our lives of idols competing with him, we position ourselves to channel God's love and grace to others.

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^[1] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 318.

^[2] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 310.

^[3] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 315.

^[4] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 316.