Page 9 - March 2026 - Truth & Tidings

and that Canaan would be their posses- simple errand and meets a man of moral
sion. Jacob then vowed to the Lord that character. This Man was a giver, not a
he would return to worship in that same taker. This Man was a cleanser, not a de-
place, the one he called the house of God filer. This Man was different.
(Gen 28:19-22). He also promised to give But the humbling of Dinah wasn’t the
God one-tenth of all that God would only traumatic event that took place that
bless him with. That vow, however, was week. Within three days, Simeon and Levi
contingent upon God preserving Jacob were in the city, killing every male. Under
in his travels, “so that I come again to my the guise of religious purity, they deceived
father’s house in peace” (Gen 28:21). the men of the town into compromising
Throughout Jacob’s tumultuous episode their strength, making them ripe victims
in Padan-Aram, the Lord proved faithful for revenge and murder. Before leaving
in preserving and materially prosper- for Bethel, Jacob summarized the effect
ing him, leading into chapter 33 (v18), of their conduct: “Ye have troubled me to
where we are explicitly told that the Lord make me to stink among the inhabitants
fulfilled His promise and brought Jacob of the land” (Gen 34:30). Their behaviour
back in peace (RV). But in an apparent was a poor representation of their father,
act of compromise, Jacob stops short of causing the people of the land to view him
fulfilling his vow. Was it the family idols as cruel and vengeful. In Shechem, the
holding him back? Or was it the hesitancy father’s reputation was damaged by their
to part with so much money in tithing self-serving actions done in the name of
from his God-given wealth? Either way, Jehovah-serving religion (49:5-7).
he decided to buy a field near Shechem Jacob would eventually settle in He-
that would one day become a part of Jo- bron, where his family continued their
seph’s inheritance (48:22). But sadly, as he shepherding lifestyle, moving from pas-
pitched his tent toward the city that would ture to pasture, protecting and growing
become known as Sychar, he was about their flocks. It’s at this point in the book
to experience a period of heartbreaking of Genesis that Joseph becomes the main
family trials. character. After being marked out as the
Joseph was an impressionable young heir with the coat of many colours and
lad at the time of the family drama of Di- receiving the word of the Lord concerning
nah’s defilement (Gen 34). The daughter a future glory, there comes a time when his
of Jacob left her home that day on an inno- father sees fit to send him to his brethren.
cent trip to see what the daughters of the From the vale of Hebron, the father sends
land were like, and instead she met a man the son. While in the long view, Joseph
who humiliated, degraded and assaulted would eventually become the saviour
her. A pure young lady who called Jacob of the whole world, his first stop in that
her father went out in Shechem and met journey would be Shechem.
a man who defiled her. As this unique son persisted in his mis-
Remember, the Samaritan woman in sion, the response of the hostile brothers
John 4 also called Jacob her father (Joh would be to spurn him, strip him and sell
4:12). But she was far from innocent. Her him. But before that, in Shechem, he was
history was full of immoral activity. Here, received by a man who helped him on
a guilty daughter of Jacob goes out on a his way. We wonder what the Shechemite
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