While the story of the Dinah incident is chilling and puzzling, the main thought I see emerging from this account is the trip back to Bethel that Jacob made with his entire household. But let us begin with the Dinah incident. Dinah was the daughter of Leah, who went out to visit other young ladies and was raped by Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite. Hamor was obsessed with Dinah and asked his father to arrange a marriage with her. They approached Jacob about this arrangement, and he was reluctant, but consented on the condition that they all be circumcised as he and his household were. They agreed, and a treaty had been struck. The Hivites thought that they would have the possessions of Jacob as their own, and the sons of Jacob were plotting revenge for Dinah. While all the men of the Hivites were in pain after the circumcision, Simeon and Levi, sons of Jacob, went into their town, killed all the men with the sword, and liberated Dinah.They took all of their possessions and left them lying in the streets. Jacob was mortified, and told the boys that they had made him “obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land. (v. 30)” Talk about vigilante justice! While I can sympathize with the men in their feelings of rage and vengeance, I also know that the nature of their vengeance was extreme and not in unity with the wishes of their father. The deceit was the real issue that distressed Jacob.
Then we see Jacob do what men of God do: He answered the call of God to go and worship. The first act of business was to call all his household to put away foreign gods. While in the land of Canaan, they had picked up a few idols and items that were not honoring the true God. Jacob said, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you…” and they did. He also told them to purify themselves and to change their garments. Sanctifying oneself is very important in worship. We cannot approach the presence of God with the impurities of the world hanging on us. If we put away idols, and change our spiritual garments, we can then first ask God for the blood to be applied anew and afresh to make us holy in His sight. Then true worship can occur. God, forgive me for the sins I have committed this week, that I may enter Your presence with none of the residue of this world in my way! Then Jacob said, let us go up to Bethel, and make an altar. As discussed in a previous blog, if Jacob was good at anything, it was making altars and seeking the face of God. Again, Bethel means “House of God.” Jacob saw the need to go to the house of God and worship. He traveled to Bethel (Luz), and God caused terror to come upon all the nations around them. He called out to El Bethel, or the God of the House of God, and God appeared to Him again. He reiterated that Jacob would now be called Israel, and that the covenant of Abraham was extended to him as well. Jacob set up a pillar of stone, poured a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. The oil often signifies the anointing, and the wine often signifies healing. We should expect and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit and the miracle-working power of God when we come together to worship the true and living God! Help us as individuals, families, and nations to GO BACK TO BETHEL!
Devoted To You 