Choosing God’s Path Over Comfortable Alternatives

Genesis 34:1-4

The Defiling of Dinah

^34:1Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. ²And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. ³And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. ⁴So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”

(ESV)

Thought:
Here we are introduced to the character of Dinah, and though this story is about her, she is more of a secondary character. It is what happens to her that is pivotal to this story. A local Canaanite by the name of Shechem, sees Dinah, kidnaps her and sexually assaults her.

This is one of those stories in the Bible that is hard to read. To imagine what Dinah has been through, and to see how plenty of people speak for her, but it doesn’t seem that many spoke to her. It is one of the saddest effects of a sinful world, is that the role and autonomy is limited and lowered from what God had intended. But now Shechem has gone even further, violating her like this, especially in a culture that prized virginity. Two options were now before her, marry her rapist or most likely spend the rest of her life in her father’s house never to be married.

Now remind yourself, that which drove Shechem to commit such an atrocity is the same desire in us. The desire for lust. We have just been restrained by many graces from God, our conscience, a culture that heavily penalises sexual crimes, being raised in a family that taught respect for women and self-control. Shechem was not blessed to have the graces which many of us may have had. Now plainly we should thank God for restraining graces which keep our sinful hearts from running off and committing any sinful desires that rises up in us.

But I wish for you most of all to see the immense evil that sexual sin is. The kind of destruction and especially objectification it causes of those whom we have been called to love and care for. Sexual sin destroys our souls and the souls of others. It makes us and other people to be nothing but objects for our pleasure and satisfaction, as though that is all we are made to be. Pieces of meat to be used. God has called us to sexual purity, but also to enjoy sexual pleasure in the context that it was made for. Anything else destroys its meaning, devalues others, and turns sex into just another exercise one does to keep fit.

Sexual sin is subtle, but destructive, pray to God that by his grace he would restrain its desire in your heart, and that you would flee from any improper use of your god-given desire.

Reflection:
As I go about my day, I need to recognise how subtle and destructive sinful desires can be. It’s easy to assume I’m far removed from the evil in this story, but the same impulses live in my own heart—only restrained by God’s grace. Today I need to apply this by asking God to guard my thoughts, purify my desires, and help me treat every person with dignity, honour, and love.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for restraining grace that keeps my heart from running toward sin. Purify my desires, guard my mind, and help me honour others as You intended. Teach me to flee from anything that distorts Your design and to pursue holiness with sincerity and dependence on You. Amen.