Scripture Reading : Gen 34
Theme : Consequence of Loving the World
Defilement.
Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and lost his daughters (19:30ff.), and Jacob moved too close to Shechem and lost Dinah. She was the daughter of Leah (30:21), which explains why Simeon and Levi became so angry (35:23). Had nobody warned her? Was she out looking for opportunities to sin? Or was she completely overpowered by the prince? It may have been love at first sight, but that didn’t lessen the guilt or tragedy of the sin.
Deception.
Note the twofold attempt at deception: Simeon and Levi deceived Hamor, and Hamor thought he deceived them. Jacob’s sons had learned much from watching their father. Dinah’s two brothers were preparing for war while the men of Shechem were preparing for wealth. When the men of the city were unable to fight, Simeon and Levi killed all the men and took the spoils. It was another case of promoting a holy cause in an unholy way and being motivated by hatred of the enemy instead of love for the truth.
Disgrace.
Praying the Scripture
- Was Dinah naive, rebellious, or just plain ignorant of the ways of the world? Why was it so important that she gets to know the women of the land? For that matter, why was Jacob tarrying in this pagan neighborhood and deliberately endangering his family? He should have been at Bethel leading them closer to the Lord. When we disobey the Lord, we put ourselves and our loved ones in danger. Consider what happened to Abraham in Egypt (12:10–20) and Gerar (20:1ff), Lot in Sodom (19:1ff), Isaac in Gerar (26:6–16). Let’s pray that we do not love the world, the things of the world and be wise testimonies of the Lord in the world.
- The young prince claimed that he did it because he loved her and wanted her for his wife, but committing rape and keeping the girl confined in a house (v. 26) was a strange way to declare his love. But his actions and words bore witness only to the fact that God’s people and the people of world had different standards of conduct. Pre-marital sex is defilement in the eyes of the Lord. Note that three times in the narrative, the word “defiled” is used to describe Shechem’s wicked deed (vv. 5, 13, 27). Let’s pray that we do not follow the standard of the world but the Lord’s.
- When Jacob’s sons were told what had happened, they were grieved that their sister had been violated and angry with the man who did it. Both responses were normal and right. However, by their deception and ruthless destruction, they ruined their testimony before the people of the land. Let’s pray that we remember Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. (Eph 4:26)
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 34:1.
经文：创34章
主题：爱世界的后果
玷辱
罗得因把帐棚搭得非常靠近所多玛，所以失去了女儿（19:30）。雅各也因住得非常靠近示剑，所以失去女儿底拿。底拿是利亚所以生的（30:21），这就为什么西缅和利未如此愤怒（35:23）。难道没有人警告过底拿吗？还是她在寻找着犯罪的机会呢？还是她真的完全被王子制服了呢？这或许是一见钟情，但却不能减轻罪责或悲剧的发生。
诡诈
请注意这里的双重欺骗：西缅和利未欺骗了哈抹，哈抹也以为自己成功欺骗了西缅和利未。这些儿子们从雅各那里的确学到了不少本领。底拿的两兄弟为战争做准备，而示剑人却为财富做准备。当城里的人都无能反抗时，西缅和利未把所有的男丁都杀了并掳掠一切做为战利品。这又是一个不用爱和真理，而是由仇恨驱使以不义的方式来完成一项神圣的事的例子。
蒙羞
雅各关心的是自身安全和声誉，而不是自己孩子的品格和行为。虽然我们不能因他们所做的而完全责备雅各，但如果雅各不在示剑附近定居，这个悲剧就不会发生了。在他临终前，雅各又提起这件事（49:5-7）。虽然发生了这些事，神竟然还是把利未支派分别出来做祭司的侍奉祂。主是如此的满有恩典！ （罗马书5:20）。
用经文祷告
- 底拿真的这么天真无知吗？还是她真的对世道全完没有概念呢？为什么对她而言结识那地的女子们是如此重要呢？话说回来，为什么雅各要在这个异教环境逗留，使自己的家人陷入危境呢？他本应该回到伯特利而不是示剑。当我们不顺服主时，我们就是在把自己和亲人置于危险之中。想想亚伯拉罕在埃及（12:10-20）和基拉耳（20:1）、罗得在所多玛（19:1）、以撒在基拉耳（26:6-16）所发生的事。让我们祷告神使我们不要爱世界和世界的东西，而是要为主在这世界作美好的见证。
- 年轻的王子声称他这样做是因为他爱她，希望她能成为自己的妻子，但是通过强奸和把女孩反锁在一间房子里（26节）来示爱确实是很奇怪。但这言行也证实了神的子民和属世的人有着一个完全不同的行为标准。婚前性行为在主眼中是一种玷辱。请注意圣经在形容示剑的邪恶时，“玷辱”就用了三次（5，13，27）。让我们祈祷，我们遵循的是主的标准，而不是世界的标准。
- 当雅各的儿子知道发生了什么事时，他们因自己的妹妹被侵犯而感到十分悲痛，也对施暴的男子感到十分愤怒。这两种反应皆是正常和正确的。然而，因着他们的欺骗和无情的手段，他们在那地人的面前毁掉了自己的见证。让我们祈祷主使我们能记住以弗所书4:26，“生气却不要犯罪；不可含怒到日落。”
