Sinful Self Justice

Genesis 34:18-31

18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. 19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father.  20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: 21 “These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
   25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. 26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went out. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.  30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”   31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

Shechem wanted Dinah so much that he allowed himself to be circumcised right away to gain her as wife.  He had at least that much honor as a man, the most of his family it appears, to marry the woman he violated and to be circumcised to try to fit in.  Ah, but circumcision without faith in Israel’s God did no good before Him.  We see this in Hamor again telling his people to accept Jacob’s family and intermarry with them, not understanding nor agreeing with God’s command to the contrary.  When all Hamor’s family was in pain from the circumcision after three days, Dinah’s brothers swooped in and killed Shechem, his father, and all the family’s males as revenge for the rape of Dinah their sister.  They further plundered the city who supported Shechem, but Jacob was fearful of retribution from others in that country.  The sons retorted that their sister should not have been abused as a harlot to justify taking justice in their own vengeful hands.  We see again how sin often brings out sinful reactions in others who do not allow God to take vengeance instead (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30).  When we see injustice, our anger must give way to the law of the land in whose hand government lies to deal with sin and crimes, knowing they are God’s ministers of justice (Romans 13:1-4).