Jacob—finally free from the despotism of Laban and peacefully reacquainted with his brother Esau —confidently moved his huge convoy of family, servants, livestock and camels onward, south toward Bethel.
Two decades of stress—hard labor shepherding Laban’s flocks, 10 days of strenuous travel to escape the clutches of his father-in-law and Mesopotamia, his negotiations with Laban at Mount Gilead to prevent armed conflict, wrestling with God all night to extract a blessing from Him, and his extreme fear of meeting Esau with his 400 men—had taken a toll on the patriarch approaching 100 years of age. He ached for real, soul-restoring rest.
Stops at Succoth and Shechem
Jacob was exhausted both mentally and physically. The tough rigor of hasty travel put his children and livestock in danger of physical collapse (Genesis 33:13). The whole company needed to stop and regain their strength. Jacob knew the perfect resting place. He led his weary band of people and animals to a spacious, green, well-watered valley where the flocks and herds could graze peacefully (Joshua 13:27). Standing still in the lush grass, he breathed in deeply—the cool air pushed new life into his blood and rejuvenated his soul.
Needing to stay awhile, he built a house for his family and temporary stalls for his animals. The place was eventually named Succoth, or booths. Jacob, a true shepherd of animals and people, provided all under his care and direction the right environment to regain strength and vigorous health. Freedom from Mesopotamia opened the way for him and his household to make a new start (Genesis 33:17).
After regaining his mental focus and physical strength, Jacob again moved his growing clan to a location just outside the city of Shechem. Both Succoth and Shechem figure prominently in the history of Israel. Solomon established the foundries for the temple’s metalwork near Succoth (1 Kings 7:46). Shechem, nestled in a valley of surpassing beauty, was Abraham’s first abode in Canaan as he made his faithful, obedient journey for God (Genesis 12:6). Moses tells us that he stayed for a time in “the plain of Moreh,” a place well known for the huge oak trees that grew there. God made His first promise to Abraham in this location, and the “father of the faithful” built an altar to God in the plain (verse 7).
Shechem was geographically located in the center of ancient Israel. Three major travel routes passed through Shechem—one of the main reasons this ancient city shows up quite often in Bible narratives. For example, Joshua carried out the blessing and cursing ceremony on Mounts Gerizim and Ebal at Shechem (Deuteronomy 27; Joshua 8). Joseph is buried there (Joshua 24:32). Jacob dug a well at Shechem that still exists today. Christ met the woman of Samaria at this site (John 4:6-12). It is likely that Jacob wanted to spend time and to teach his sons lessons at the place that carried a lot of spiritual meaning for his family.
Desiring to maintain peaceful relations with the inhabitants of Shechem, Jacob bought land from Hamor, ruler of Shechem, for “a hundred pieces of money.” Now that they were so near to a Canaanite city, to ensure his family’s spiritual vision, he built an altar on his land and called it El-elohe-Israel, meaning God, the God of Israel (Genesis 33:19-20). Jacob set his heart to honor the God who would establish his family as the greatest nations on Earth. He intended that his sons and daughters learn to do the same.
Family Trials Begin
As with any newly converted person, Jacob was exhilarated to receive God’s Holy Spirit. He began to see and understand many things differently. However, new trials—personal problems with his maturing sons and daughters—began to hound him. While Jacob and his family physically escaped the covetous influence and oppression of Laban and Mesopotamia, they still had to deal with the Mesopotamia inside each one of them.
“And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land,” recorded Moses (Genesis 34:1). Here is a jarring interruption in the story flow of Jacob’s journey back home. There are several important lessons God wants His Church to get from Genesis 34 (1 Corinthians 10:6-11). They apply specifically to our time. We must learn from this history, or we are doomed to repeat it.
Dinah was a teenager when these events took place. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary states: “[S]he may have been 16—certainly not older.” While the lessons laid out for us here apply to all in God’s Church, Dinah’s history should be most important to the teens and young adults attending the Philadelphia Church of God. What is your attitude toward the pcg? Are you positive, happy and thrilled to be involved with God’s one true Church? Or, are you negative—do you feel like you are missing out on the things this world has to offer? Every person in the Church must examine himself with these two questions.
A Party Girl
The word see in Genesis 34:1 gives us profound insight into Dinah’s thoughts and attitude at the time. The Hebrew word translated as see is ra’a. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament states that ra’a, in a literal sense, means to see with the eyes. Yet, in its extended and metaphorical senses, its definition includes: to regard, perceive, feel, understand, learn, enjoy. So Dinah did not simply go into Shechem to look at the daughters of the land (girls her own age)—she got deeply involved with the Shechemite teenage girls in order to get to know them well. Dinah wanted to learn about their culture—their music, sports and celebrations. The word ra’a indicates that Dinah was definitely enjoying spending time with these pagan people.
“Now as the Shechemites were keeping a festival, [Dinah] … went into the city to see the finery of the women of that country,” wrote Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews, Book 1, Chapter 21. This credible historian indicates that what we are about to read concerning Dinah took place because she attended a pagan festival. That doesn’t necessarily mean she attended only one festival; it is likely she attended more than one. You could say that Dinah was a typical “party girl.”
“And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her” (verse 2). We should not overlook the detail Moses gives us here. He says specifically that Shechem saw Dinah. Saw is translated from the same word ra’a. Shechem then had the opportunity to: regard, perceive, understand, learn and enjoy the company of Dinah. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary states, “[I]t is highly probable that she had been often and freely mixing in the society of the place, and that being a simple, inexperienced and vain young woman, had been flattered by the attention of the ruler’s son.” Do we see the cold, hard reality God wants us to understand here?
We live in a dangerous world. It is so difficult for teenagers, young adults and even some of our more mature members to understand this fully. If we entangle ourselves in the spirit of this world, or with the people of this world, we will be defiled—often physically and always spiritually. Jacob’s lovely daughter Dinah had to learn this bitter lesson. None of us in God’s Church need to repeat Dinah’s grave mistake. This is the specific reason God saw fit to record this history.
Corrupted by Lust
Israel tried to get his household to look to God by building an altar (Genesis 33:20). He wanted his family to remember what God had done to bring them out of Chaldea.
How well do we see what God is and has been doing for the people attending His Church, whether teens, young adults, singles, prospective members or members? “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust,”Peter wrote to the Church (2 Peter 1:4). This is a verse we could meditate on daily. Do we see who we are and the glorious future just ahead of us?
God promises us rule of the world and universe as His own sons. We cannot attain that opportunity unless we are urgently laboring to build and live by God’s holy, righteous character—His divine nature. God wants us to become perfect, just as He is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Through the power of His Holy Spirit, God has opened the way for us to escape the lust-driven corruption that is in the world. How thankful are we for this? Dinah could not see the corruption in the world. Can we? We live in a world that is totally cut off from God.
Shechem’s attention blinded Dinah to the reality of the evil human nature lurking inside his mind. “And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel” (Genesis 34:3). It is clear that Dinah spent enough time with Shechem to clear the way for him to be attracted to her. Yet, she fell into his trap because he spoke kindly to her. Hamor’s son, like the majority of all the young sons and daughters of the world today, held little regard for God’s Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” It was a light thing for Shechem to date-rape Dinah.
Today’s world is far more corrupted by lust than at any time prior to this. Satan and his demons influence people to lust for all the scintillating pleasures of the flesh (Ephesians 2:2). These angelic rebels are using the liberal and immoral leadership—which is fast gaining full control of America, Britain and the other Israelite nations—and the media to promote adultery, fornication and perverted sex practices as normal. Like sheep, millions just go along with such a heinous self-destructive stream. We cannot afford to do that.
How wary are we of Satan’s broadcasts? He can speak softly—even loudly—to children, teens and adults through the Internet, magazines, movies and television. Are we listening to Satan as Dinah did to Shechem? Tragically, some of God’s sons and daughters fall into Satan’s snare.
Entangled Again
There isn’t one minister in God’s Church who hasn’t had to deal with a teenager, young single, or even a more mature adult who got involved with a person from the world. The fruits are never good—no matter how sweetly the person in the world acts or talks. Those who do this either leave the Church or are severely damaged by the experience. Such situations are always tragic for the member and God’s minister.
God has been warning His Church a lot lately that Satan has been cast down and is now imprisoned on Earth (Revelation 12:9,12). That evil being is full of wrath and directs much of his attention against God’s people. He wants to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). Do we really believe God?
Satan has designed his world to have a powerful, downward pull on us. He knows that he can overthrow God’s people—take away our eternal life—if only he can get us to set our hearts on the physical issues of this life—dating, finding a mate, making money, attaining status or having unlawful sex. We must uncover and conquer our own lusts! Satan has a well-developed plan to get you! Let’s not be ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Peter warned the brethren of the first century: “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning” (2 Peter 2:20). This verse clearly reveals that it is possible for members of God’s Church to become entangled and overcome by the world—after they have escaped its many pollutions! Do we allow ourselves to become a person like that? If we do, a horrible fate awaits us.
Christ’s chief apostle continued his letter with a ring of sincere soberness: “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them” (verse 21). It would be far better for us to have never known the truth than to get trapped again by this vile world. Be sure your name is not entered into the last-hour history book as another Dinah.
Love Not the World
In Genesis 34:3 the phrase “he … spake kindly unto the damsel” is translated as “to the heart of the damsel” in the marginal reference of the Oxford Press edition of the King James Version. Shechem was able to draw Dinah into his world because she desired to be a part of that world. It would be safe to say that she loved Shechem’s world. However, Dinah did a great disservice to the young prince.
“And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife” (verse 4). The young man did love Dinah. He greatly desired that she become his wife. But, according to God’s revealed truth, given directly to Abraham, the relationship should never have started. From the time Abraham stepped into Canaan, it was known that God did not want Abraham’s family to mingle and intermarry with Canaan’s inhabitants. “And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac” (Genesis 24:3-4). Abraham, who was deeply obedient to God’s will on this matter, fought hard to preserve this revealed truth.
He forbade Isaac from marrying a Canaanite. Isaac and Rebekah followed this same doctrine, even though their son Esau rejected their teaching (Genesis 26:34-35; 28:1-4). From Israel’s earliest beginnings, they were to remain separate from the Canaanites—a type of Satan’s world.
It is a fair question to ask: Where was Jacob while Dinah was trotting off to the city of Shechem? Surely he was aware of her actions and her thoughts. Surely he lovingly warned her to not go there. Maybe he did not?
When we meditate on the history of Jacob’s lack of love for Leah—Dinah’s mother—we could be led to believe he may have been guilty of being an absentee father. As we finish our study of Jacob’s history, it has become apparent that he had serious problems with child rearing. It is likely that Jacob did not teach and stress to his daughter the vital importance of what God had revealed about dating and marriage.
Every father (and mother) in God’s Church has the responsibility to teach his children God’s timeless principles on dating. Remember, God’s Church is the spiritual nation of Israel. Jesus Christ commands us not to be a part of this world (John 15:18-19; 17:9-18). If you as an adult have not come fully out of this world, if there are parts of this society you still love, it will be difficult to teach and help your child to forsake it. Come out of this world, and teach your children to do the same!
John, God’s apostle for the last hour of the first century, commanded the brethren to love not the world (1 John 2:15). His letter speaks loudly to us. We cannot let ourselves love this world and all its trappings and finery. Paul emphasized to the Galatians that God’s people were living in “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4). Ours is not God’s world—it is Satan’s. He is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). That is precisely why the world can look so good on the surface, yet do so much evil damage to human beings (2 Corinthians 11:14). Jesus Christ knew how bad it would be for God’s people just before His Second Coming. He diligently prayed that the Father would protect us from the evil one (John 17:15; Matthew 13:19). God cannot, and will not, protect us from the devil if we do not make the effort to stay out of Satan’s world. God could not protect Dinah because she put herself in harm’s way.
Saints to Judge the World
“Jesus came as the second Adam. He started an entire, new … different civilization. Not reforming, not healing up this sick world; but starting a new world altogether—from start to finish built on a new, separate foundation,” stated Mr. Armstrong in a sermon on Dec. 31, 1983. He also said that God’s Church is not just a church; it’s a new world. Do we realize we are the foundation of the wonderful World Tomorrow?
“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” Paul prodded the brethren in Corinth (1 Corinthians 6:2). How will we ever be able to judge this world if we have not fully proven how evil and worthless its values, purposes and goals are?
Jesus Christ never desired to be a part of this world, let alone save this world as it is. He greatly desired to build a totally different world that is fully founded on God’s law, His way of living. God’s Ten Commandments are so magnificent that they, when obeyed, build a fantastic society filled with true knowledge, high culture, art, music, literature, sterling cities, robust health, stable families and solid nations.
We, God’s little children, are the tiny beginning—the pacesetters—of that world. Nothing in this life could be more exciting! However, God is not going to just hand us that opportunity, unless we are willing to labor and even fight for it (Matthew 11:12). We must set our affection, all our heart’s desire, on attaining the Kingdom of God (Colossians 3:1-2). The short history of Dinah’s life tells us to stay out of Satan’s world!