Genesis 34:8-31 Shechem's rape of Jacob's daughter, Dinah, triggered a sequence of events which helped shape the future of the nation of Israel, and which provide us with important spiritual lessons for our lives today. What was enticing about the offer Hamor made to Jacob? Why was it perilous to Jacob? What was wrong with the counter offer made by Jacob's sons? How is their abuse of circumcision paralleled in our modern day? Why does scripture censure the retribution of Simeon and Levi, yet clearly condones the wars involved in the conquest of Canaan? How did God turn these disastrous circumstances into good for His purposes? (59 min.)

Keywords Jacob, Dinah, Simeon, Levi

Genesis 34:1-12 Instead of stopping only briefly at Shechem, Jacob spends many years there, with tragic consequences for his family. When Dinah goes out to visit the daughters of the land, she is taken and raped by the prince Shechem. What happens when we fail to obey God and more forward in our relationship with HIm? What are the interpretive flags that help us to understand what God is teaching us in this passage? Why is so little said of Jacob's reaction to the rape of his daughter? Why is so little said about the actual rape, but so much more said about the events the rape precipitated? Why is Jacob's passivity so dangerous? (63 min.)

Keywords Jacob, Dinah, Leah