Except for a few children, none of us should have been born and raised here. As most of us are strangers here, it is inevitable to go back to our hometown to visit relatives. I want to know how you feel when you think of your hometown. Is it gone? Is it worrying? Still no feeling?
Last week, we learned that Jacob, who had been away from home for 20 years, was coming back. Jacob came back with a new identity-Israel. When Israel sent his brother Esau away to face his long-lost hometown, did he go straight to his hometown with uncontrollable excitement? Let's take a look at how Israel, which has been a teenager for half its life, reacts to its close home. Why is there such a reaction? What serious consequences did this lead to? What is God's purpose behind this series of things?
Chapter 33, section 18-34, chapter 35, section 27.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your great love and praise your power. You loved Jacob when he was still in his mother's womb. You led him back to the promised land with great strength, and nothing can stop your good intentions from being realized. However, we also see that the world has never stopped seducing and attacking the church of voters' families. If we don't wake up, we will be hurt like Dana. Please love your church, love your children, polish our eyes, awaken our souls, illuminate us, let us see ourselves, see the true face of the world, and see that you have been in power in everyone, every family and every church since ancient times. Be with us in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen!
We have just read chapters 33 and 34 and 35 of 18. We learned 32 chapters last week. If we read all these four chapters, we can't help but feel that there are so many things in Yajia. Once Gang Po calmed down, the waves started again. Do we think Jacob returned to his father from Padanaram? Why do so many things happen to Jacob? What is God going to do?
If we take away the whole chapter 34, will it be much better for Jacob, his family and the whole city of Shechem? But God allowed the tragedy of Chapter 34 to happen. We can see God's intervention in chapters 33 and 35, but in chapter 34, God seems to be busy with other things. How can God ignore this great tragedy?
Our focus today is Chapter 34, but in order to better understand the significance of the events in Chapter 34, we also read Chapter 35 together.
Chapter 35: 9- 12: When Jacob came back from Bataaram, God appeared to him again, blessed him and said to him, "Your name was Jacob, and you will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel." So he changed his name to Israel. God said to him, "I am the Almighty God; Be fruitful and multiply, and a nation and many people will come out of you, and kings will come out of you. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac will be given to you and your descendants. 」
(Genesis 35:9- 12 and NIV)
Are the four verses we have just read necessarily related to what happened in chapter 34? At first glance, it seems irrelevant. Isn't it more blessed without tragedy? In fact, it is precisely because of this series of troubles, tribulations and tragedies that we are driven to the blessing.
Jacob has lived in Bataan Aram for twenty years, and the purpose of his escape has been achieved: one purpose is to avoid his brother's pursuit, and he will be angry after twenty years; The second is to get married and have children. He knew that his parents would not let him marry a Canaanite woman. After Rachel gave birth to Yue Se, he thought it was a waste of time to stay one more day. It's just that God's time is up. First, Jacob used his own way to catch happiness, cheated his father and brother, and received 20 years of labor reform in Laban. When the time is right, he should be released from prison. Secondly, the establishment of Jacob's family was also completed; At this time, the situation also changed: Jacob saw Laban's face was not as good as before. (Genesis 3 1:2 NASB) Therefore, at this time, God called Jacob back to his hometown.
And the Lord said to Jacob, Go back to the land of your fathers and your relatives, and I will be with you.
(Genesis 3 1:3 and KJV)
Jacob got up, put his son and his wife on camels, and went to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan with all the livestock and goods he had acquired in Padanaram.
(Genesis 3 1: 17- 18 and joint edition)
? But Jacob's road to return is not only uneven, but also full of dangers. Jacob left Padanaram quietly, and Laban and his men followed him. Laban would have made Jacob lose his money if God hadn't intervened himself.
When he got rid of the pursuers, he met his brother who led 400 people and didn't know whether he was an enemy or a friend. When he was ready to retreat and escape at any time, it was the powerful hand of God that made Jacob face his brother Esau and frightened him.
When Esau left Jacob and went to the land of Seir, Laban, his father-in-law, was a thousand kilometers away. Now the roads are clear and the world is at peace. Can you go directly to his father's house?
However, Jacob did not go south directly, but pitched a tent in Succoth. Later, he set up a tent and an altar in Shechem and lived there for a long time. How did Jacob make such a decision? Let's try to analyze it together. Let's take a look at it first. What kind of city is Shejian on the edge of the city where smart Jacob buys land and builds a shed to settle down?
? The geographical location of the city of the tip of the tongue: it runs through the road from west to east between Mount Ibaru and Mount Kilixin, and it is the throat of the western plain.
? The city should have been a prosperous city at that time, with gates. Girls in the city must be dressed in fashion, otherwise, how can they attract a foreign girl to go deep into the city alone?
In addition, Mount Kilising, south of Shegen, should also be a good place for grazing.
In other words, Jacob moved to the east of Shejian and bought land to build a shed, which was a thoughtful move after some consideration. Then we will ask, Jacob won't go home, will he? He lived behind Shechem. Why didn't he leave? When Jacob's uncle Lot moved his tent to Soroma, Shechem might be as prosperous as Soroma, and the nearby grassland might be like the Jordan Plain. If you make a decision by vision, it is a good decision to settle near Shejian.
However, we know that any decision made by vision can bring you some convenience at that time, but in the end, it will definitely bring irreparable losses. In those days, Lot discovered the Jordan Plain, left his uncle Abraham, moved to the dilapidated city of Sodom, and finally lost money and people.
Unfortunately, Jacob didn't learn the lessons of his predecessors. He was attracted by Shechem before he reached his destination and stayed in Shechem for a long time.
As the saying goes, the people of Shechem are Canaanites (Genesis 12: 6), and they are waiting for the people to be tried after their sins are full. Jacob's family, God's chosen people, lived not in Abraham and Isaac, but near the Canaanites in Shechem, which was to be judged in the future, which laid the groundwork for the later tragedy.
? Perhaps Dinah, Jacob's daughter, was deeply attracted by the clothes of young women who came in to show their swords. Maybe Dana thinks life is too boring. She can't go out to graze like her brothers. Maybe just curious. In short, Dana went out without telling her parents. She wants to see the local women and how these foreign women live. She may make friends if possible. I didn't feel like I was being targeted like a prey when I took it out to meet others. The devil never takes a rest and never takes a nap. The devil marches around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to swallow, which finally gives the devil a chance. Shechem, the son of the leader of Shechem City, forcibly defiled Dinah in broad daylight, and then Shechem's father asked Jacob about their marriage. Here, we can't see that Shechem and his father Hamor have any remorse or introspection for Shechem's crime, and they don't mean to apologize. Therefore, Jacob's sons were very angry. But these angry sons of Jacob did not consult with their father, let alone pray for the righteousness of the Lord. They used a cunning method-using circumcision-a symbol of God's Covenant with voters-as a secret weapon to induce Shechem people to be circumcised. On the third day of Shejian's most painful life, they slaughtered Shejian before they could strike back. From this, we can see the mental state of Jacob's sons. They neither respect the authority of God nor value their relationship with God, and they can retaliate with anything.
Where's Shejian? Although she Jian is guilty, he should not be punished, not to mention many innocent people. By our standards today, it is. She Jian was convicted of rape and sentenced to seven or eight years at most. Coupled with the identity of the second generation of officials, the sentence was halved and suspended, and this matter was over. As for a great leader like Hamor, Shechem's father, he didn't offer three glasses of wine at most, and everyone else was innocent. But when we look back at the results of Shejian, the consequences are terrible. The whole city was slaughtered and looted. Did Shechem suffer more than they deserved? Is God's judgment unfair?
? In fact, when the rapist sat at the gate to persuade the people to circumcise, not only did no one accuse him of his crime, but everyone followed his advice. The second half of 19 also said that she Jian was the most respected in his father's family. Even if she Jian commits such a serious crime, it will not affect his continued respect and his speech will be obeyed. Here we can see the moral standard of the sword city from the side. All the land of Canaan is waiting for the sin to be thoroughly judged and given to the children of Jacob. In the fourth generation, they will return to this place, because the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Therefore, the men of Shechem were only tried earlier. After the Israelites left Egypt, all the land of Canaan, first Sodom and Gomorrah, and then Shechem, will be tested.
Then, since Jacob's sons have finished God's judgment and seem to be angry with justice, aren't they guilty before God? No, Genesis 49: 5- 17 sentenced Simeon and Levi, the masterminds of the Jacob Massacre:
"Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Their swords are cruel tools.
My soul, don't collude with them;
My heart, don't touch them;
Because they kill people in anger,
Cut the tendon of the calf at will.
Their anger is fierce and cursed;
Their resentment is cruel and cursed.
I'll separate them at Jacob's house,
Scattered on the land of Israel.
(Genesis 49:5-7, NASB) However, after this incident, God seems to be silent about these important events in Chapter 34. It was only when Jacob was afraid that the Canaanites around him would be besieged and destroyed that God ordered Jacob to go to Bethel. If it doesn't happen, I think Jacob's family will stay in Shechem. It was because Jacob was afraid that the Canaanites around him would besiege his family that Jacob's family was willing to leave Bethel in Shechem. Unfortunately, in the eyes of God, it is more important for voters to leave Shechem, go to Bethel and finally return to the promised land. Bethel means the temple of God or the home of God. When God called Jacob to Bethel, Jacob did something: he told his family to clean themselves and get rid of idols. That is to say, in those years when Jacob lived near Shejian, his family was deeply influenced by Shejian's idol worship culture, so that there were so many idols in the family that a unified idol removal operation was needed.
? Jacob's family purified their idols and themselves, so they got up and went to Bethel. God terrified the people there, and no one pursued Jacob. No other family in Canaan wants to unite with Jacob.
? After this incident, Jacob could not take the initiative to approach and integrate into the life of the local Canaanites. Jacob passively sanctified himself from the land of Canaan and passively returned to Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac lived, where he received the promised blessing from God.
The scriptures we read have brought us many lessons, and here are only some important points to share.
First of all, we can see that God's plans, goals and expectations for his children will not change. God changed Jacob's name to Israel and brought him back from Padanaram. He has plans, goals and expectations, that is, to let Jacob accept the blessing of Abraham's Covenant. Even though Jacob forgot the God of Bethel, the blessing of Yabo Ferry, and decades of care and conservatism, and just wanted to stay in Shechem, God used his immeasurable power to let Jacob leave Shechem and set foot on the promised land. Because God's plan is to make Jacob the heir of Abraham and Isaac, so that the promise of the Covenant can be realized through Jacob and the blessing of the Covenant can also come to Jacob. That's why God must bring Jacob back to the promised land.
Today, we are separated from the world by God, and we become his children. God also expects us to get all the blessings in the New Testament: the life of God's son and eternal reward. Just as Jacob first passed through Bethel and then returned to the promised land to receive blessings, we lived in Christ before receiving all these blessings.
After all kinds of difficulties, Jacob finally returned to the promised land given by God, and God will bring everyone in Christ to the final promised land.
Today, when we walk in the sky, it is easy to forget our final destination. When we are safe and secure, we often regard this world as our home, try to identify with it, and thus stagnate. When we encounter persecution, we will feel besieged on all sides and there is no way out. Secondly, we also see that the world has two strategies to treat God's children and the church: assimilation and destruction. Just as Shechem and Hamor not only wanted Dinah, but also wanted to make Jacob's family a part of them; When the assimilation strategy doesn't work, they will attack everywhere in an attempt to destroy God's children. From the above scripture, we know: on the one hand, we should be cautious and self-controlled, and not be tempted to enter the temptation of uniting with the world; On the other hand, we don't have to be afraid, as long as we believe in God's protection, take the road of faith and take ten narrow roads, we can reach the final promised land.