(50)
Sermon Text: Genesis 33; Genesis 34
Sermon Title:
Scripture Reading: Genesis 34
Introduction
Jacob and Rachel escape almost certain death from Laban, only to face the certain inevitability of meeting his brother, who was to be dreaded immensely more. It was the threat of Esau that causes him to flee twenty years earlier. Now Jacob returns to a possibly worse situation, with Esau prospering and bitterness brewing.
Read Genesis 32:31 Jacob was exhausted, without sleep, and crippled
Being this way before God: (Genesis 32:9-12) leads to being this way before man: (33:1-4).
“Through his Peniel experience, Jacob has been reborn as Israel. Courage replaces cowardice as Jacob himself strides ahead of his family to meet Esau. Humility takes the place of arrogance as he bows down seven times before his brother. And penitence prompts him to attempt to give back the blessing out of which he had cheated Esau (Genesis 33:10-11)” (Gordon Wenham).
Jacob attempts to give Esau a gift, Esau refuses, Jacob presses Esau and Esau accepts (33:9-111).
Genesis 33:10 – Jacob is not comparing Esau to God. Jacob expresses the fact that, as with God, he came face to face with what should have rightfully been justice, but received mercy instead.
Esau offered to escort Jacob into the Promised Land and Jacob declined due to his weary livestock (33:12-14). Esau offered to leave men with Jacob to assist him, but Jacob declined (33:15-17).
Genesis 33:18-20 – Many scholars liken this account to that of Abraham and Lot. Jacob should have gone to Bethel, yet settled in the lucrative land of Shechem. Jacob bought land in Shechem, erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel (pronounced: ale) meaning The Mighty God of Nations.
Genesis 34
Dinah was raped (34:2, 13, 27, 31)
Shechem wanted to marry Dinah. Hamor and Shechem wanted much more than Dinah (34:23).
Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers from Leah, were outraged and out for revenge.
Two observations from Genesis 34
First, do not miss the significance of Simeon and Levi’s request for circumcision. Circumcision was similar in significance to Israel (yet very different in many ways) as baptism and the Lord’s Supper are to the Church. Foundational to circumcision was God’s covenantal commitment and affection for His people. To be circumcised was to, by faith, commit to the covenant community and vow love and allegiance to the LORD. The outward act of circumcision was a shadow of God’s future promise to circumcise the heart (the eradication of the old man).
Genesis 34:20-24 Hamor and Shechem persuaded their people to participate in outward conformity by motivating them with the promise of selfish gain.
As John Bunyan so beautifully illustrates in the Pilgrim’s Progress (pp. 190-194):
HOLDTHEWORLD: I like that religion best that will stand with the security of God’s blessings to us. Abraham and Solomon grew rich in religion; and Job says, that a good man shall lay up gold as dust.
BY-ENDS: Give me leave to propound unto you this question: Suppose a man, a minister, or a tradesman should have an advantage lie before him to get the good blessings of this life, yet so as that he can by no means come by them, except, in appearance at least, he becomes extraordinary zealous in some points of religion that he meddled not with before; may he not use this means to attain his end, and yet be a right honest man.
MONEY: If his desire for gain makes the preacher more studious, more zealous, and so makes him a better man, and helps people - this cannot be contradicted. And the tradesman: by becoming religious he may mend his market, perhaps get a rich wife, or more and far better customers to his shop – for my part, I see no reason but this may be lawfully done. Besides, the man that gets these by becoming religious gets that which is good of them that are good and becomes good himself.
CHRISTIAN: For if it be unlawful to follow Christ for loaves (John 6:26), how much more abominable is it to make of him and religion a stalking-horse to get and enjoy the world?
1) Heathens: for when Hamor and Shechem had a mind to the daughter and cattle of Jacob, and saw that there was no way to come at them but by being circumcised, they said to their companions, If every male of us be circumcised, as they are circumcised, shall not their cattle, and their substance, and every beat of their be ours?
2) The hypocritical Pharisees were also of this religion: long prayers were their pretense, but to get widows’ houses were their intent; and greater damnation was from God their judgment (Luke 20:46-47).
3) Judas the devil was also of this religion: he was religious for the bag, that he might be possessed of what was put therein; but he was lost, cast away, and the very son of perdition.
4) Simon the wizard was of this religion too; for he would have had the Holy Ghost, that he might have got money therewith (Acts 8:19-22).
5) Neither will it out of my mind, but that man who takes up religion for the world, will throw religion for the world; for surely as Judas designed the world in becoming religious, surely did he also sell religion and his Master for the same.
If you any promise appeals to you more than satisfaction in Christ, you will leave for the very same reason you came. Why are you disgruntled? Why are you frustrated? Are you losing influence, significance? Are you still single? Do you have an illness? When someone else is blessed, you are secretly envious. When preachers hold out the promise of anything above that of Christ, it is false religion – it is idolatry starring Jesus as your errand boy. Hyper-Charismatics preach a “look what Jesus can do for you” religion. Legalists preach a “look what you can do for Jesus” religion. The Gospel is a proclamation of what has been done. The Gospel is an announcement of what has already been done. When the Gospel is proclaimed as good advice or a good example, people strive to respond by works (following an example) rather than resting and being moved by what has been done, apart from works. Only then can striving be done in freedom, because we understand we are not God's debtor, nor can God be in our debt.
What you are won with is what you are kept with. The shallowness and busyness of program-based ministries are fueled by guilt and sustained by pride. The heresy of the Word of Faith movement and Roman Catholicism takes Scripture, twists it, and says, “Do this for God” with an underlying assumption “To get Him to serve your selfish desires.”
Secondly, notice the lasting impact of Simeon and Levi’s decision:
Genesis 34:30-31
Genesis 49:5-12
Deuteronomy 33 – Simeon is not included in Moses’ final blessing on Israel
Joshua 13:14, “To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him.”
Joshua 19:1, 9; 21:4
Judges 1:1-7
No comments:
Post a Comment