Life Lessons From Josiah, Mary And DinahSample

DINAH

Genesis 34 How often have we thought that we can take care of ourselves and have miserably failed! The life of young Dinah recorded in Genesis 34 is one such time. We need to know that foolish choices in life can lead to gigantic spiritual struggles. For sure, we cannot take care of ourselves in our acquaintance with a God-minus individual or community! The Scripture rightly admonishes us in this regard: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ( 2 Cor 6:14) To choose right, we need wisdom and discernment, which can be given to us by God only. For God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8). 

After violating Dinah, Shechem opted to marry her! It would have sounded fair to Dinah’s ears. But poor Dinah! Genesis 34:23 says that this guy had a malicious intention to grab the livestock and all of the property of Dinah’s father Jacob, for himself and for his family! Dinah’s brothers got wild and devised a hidden plan which also was not right! They agreed to the marriage contract with a condition that the male members of the city had to undergo circumcision. When the men were all still in pain incurred from their circumcision rite, the brothers of Leah massacred all of them. Violence and abuse caused to a woman and malicious intentions led Shechem and his family to be wiped out!
 

Have I been abusive? Have I had violent behaviors and evil intentions in my life? We need to be non-violent in our behaviors and honest in our contacts and contracts. For this we need an attitudinal change. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.’ (Ephesians 4:22-24). Only Jesus can make us truly righteous and just in places where we would otherwise tend to be violent! 

We cannot take care of ourselves. We need God. We cannot be abusive either. Jesus helps in our struggles.