KEY VERSE:
“And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her” (GENESIS 34:2).

There are great consequences when we deviate from the moral compass guiding our lives. The world can only be a fair place if there is justice. Sometimes, the innocent suffers unjustly. However, the immoral shall not go unpunished.

Today’s text contains the account of four principal actors. First, Dinah, Leah’s daughter, who went out to see the daughters of the land and became a victim of rape. Her sauntering into and mixing with the daughters of the land turned out to be her undoing. Second, Shechem, the son of Hamor, who defiled Dinah and tried to appease her with a marriage proposal. Third, Hamor, the father of Shechem who, though heard of the abomination, did not condemn it; thereby failing in his parental responsibility. Fourth, the sons of Jacob who pretentiously agreed with Shechem and Hamor with the intent to avenge the defiling of their sister. The actions or inactions of each of these characters had grave consequences.

When a believer, like Dinah, chooses to wander away into the midst of unfriendly friends, such becomes a ready prey upon which the enemy of his soul prowls. When parents and leaders, like Hamor, decide to keep mute in the face of immoral behaviour of their children and followers, grave repercussion lies ahead. The actions of the sons of Jacob also had repercussion. Their deception and vengeance caused the death of many people and eventually led to the sudden evacuation of this family from that community.

We are warned against unequal yoke with unbelievers since light and darkness cannot dwell together. Failure to adhere to the biblical injunctions on separation from the world, transparent holy living, standing for the truth and non-retaliation, attract the wrath of God.

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