Genesis 34:25 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Genesis 34:25

Comments

On the third day when the discomfort was expected to reach its maximum and the men would be unable to pick up a sword and fight back, the two brothers came to the city. The men were all resting at home.Were two brothers able to take whole city? All the commentators say, ‘No, probably not, but these two were ringleaders with servants accompanying them. In a way it was a brilliant scheme, shrewd, and well executed. The sons of Jacob read them like a book and dealt with them ruthlessly. There was only one problem: except for the grace of God, the surrounding tribes would have wiped them out, but their anger did not allow them to think clearly about that. Sin allows us to be brilliant in some areas and complete fools in others. All the men are now resting at home. Simeon and Levi arm themselves with swords? What are they doing with swords? God had promised to protect them. The people of God didn't have need of swords. Before these sons of Jacob, they never had swords. How little faith there is in those sons, that they've gone over to swords now to look after themselves. ‘And came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males’, including Hamor and Shechem, and rescued Dinah. Once the grisly work of execution has been carried out, the sons of Jacob – all the others – come upon the slain, and spoil the city and take captive the survivors, the women, and the children, for their servants, and all the livestock.

Application

All started from righteous anger. Maybe we notice a sin in another: laziness perhaps. What do we do? Become infinitely worse in our reaction? Is our reaction godless, wicked? Does it perpetuate feuds? Do we react in a wholly wrong way? It may be that you have a pet hate: one sin you avoid, and notice it in everyone else. Such is the trick of the devil.

Once grisly work was done, the other brothers join in with the wholesale looting. How quickly those who claim to be different are led astray by an evil example. Perhaps they did not want to get involved in the initial murder, but they were ready to help with the looting. Bad examples test resolve. Some who only kept apart from some evil practice for the sake of appearance will soon give way when that practice becomes the norm. One person’s sin infects another, in the family and in the church. It doesn't seem to take them long.

Christendom offers all sorts of ways of promoting church growth – it has become a boon trade. Make a science of it; observe rapid growth, and analyse and draw up schemes to encourage it, but do not bother about the Spirit of God! These schemes lead to disaster, minimise Bible study, and produce churches not worth having.

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Genesis 34:25 Commentary and Bible Study