Godward Thoughts

Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and lost his daughters, and Jacob moved too close to Shechem and lost Dinah. Why did Dinah go out? Ignorance? Defiance? Whatever the cause, the result was tragedy. Note the twofold attempt at deception in the aftermath: Simeon and Levi deceived Hamor, and Hamor thought he deceived them. Jacob’s sons had learned much from watching their father! When the men of the city were unable to fight, Simeon and Levi killed all the men and took everything for spoils. Sadly, in the end, Jacob was more concerned about his safety and his reputation than he was the character and conduct of his ruthless sons.

“And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.” At this call, Jacob decided it was time to clean up his act. The household is ordered to remove all their gods and cleanse themselves to worship the Lord. Three deaths are recorded in chapter 35, for death is one of the facts of life. Jacob’s obedience to God did not prevent him from experiencing trials. He lost a friend, Deborah; a favorite wife, Rachel; and then his beloved father. (In spite of what he said in Genesis 27:2, Isaac lived for forty-three years after that!) Perhaps the greatest sorrow of all was the sin of his firstborn son Reuben. Sin is expensive, and this one cost Reuben the birthright (Genesis 49:3–4; 1 Chronicles 5:1).