Sin Has Consequences!

             Dinah is a woman of the Bible that we seldom hear about.  She was the only daughter of Jacob and Leah. While Jacob’s sons became known as the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, Dinah is known only for the attack by the son of the local ruler.  He first violated her and then claimed his undying love for her.  Ultimately, Dinah’s brothers took their revenge on the man and his entire community.  Scripture doesn’t tell us what happened to Dinah.

            Unfortunately, it was an act of disobedience by Dinah’s father that led to this terrifying attack on his daughter.  In Genesis 31: 13, as Jacob was told to leave his father-in-law, Laban, God said, “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me.  Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land” (NIV84).  Before this, God had appeared to Jacob at Bethel, and it was there that Jacob pledged that the Lord would be his God (Genesis 28: 20, 21).  Now, God was commanding Jacob to return to Bethel.

            As Jacob and his family started that journey back to Bethel, he encountered his brother, Esau, and they had a tenuous reconciliation.  Jacob was eager to move on, so they parted ways.  In Genesis 33: 18, we see that Jacob arrived in the city of Shechem, in Canaan.  There, he purchased a plot of land, pitched his tent, and built an altar to God (Genesis 33: 19, 20).  He was approximately 31 miles or just a few days’ walk from Bethel. 

            At first look, Jacob’s disobedience may seem trivial.  After all, he set up an altar.  He still worshipped Jehovah God, and he was headed in the right direction.  He just stopped a little short of the destination, but that decision placed his family right in the midst of the pagan Canaanites.  That decision resulted in the defilement of his daughter.

            God is mentioned in the last verse of chapter 33 and the first verse of chapter 35, but He is not mentioned anywhere in chapter 34.  I don’t think that was a coincidence.  Chapter 34 is a reminder that when we step out of God’s will or flagrantly disobey His commands, He may allow us to experience the consequences of our bad decisions.  Unfortunately, those consequences may also affect the ones we love, just as it did Dinah. 

            The good news is that God didn’t give up on Jacob and He won’t give up on us.  In chapter 35, God again told Jacob to go to Bethel (vs. 1).  Jacob got a second chance to obey.  Thankfully, because of the blood of Christ, we also get second, third, and often more, chances.  Every one of us has sinned (Romans 3:23) but God is merciful and full of grace.  Paul went on to explain that even as Christians, our sinful nature often causes us to do things we don’t want to do.  “So, I find this law at work:  When I want to do good, evil is right there with me” (Romand 7:21 NIV84). 

            When we sin, there is only one answer, repentance.  I John 1: 9 says it this way, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all righteousness” (NIV84).  God’s grace is waiting for everyone who accepts Christ and turns from their sins.  II Peter 3: 9 makes it clear that He desires that everyone come to repentance because sin has consequences.  Jacob learned that lesson the hard way and his daughter suffered because of it. 

            Don’t lose heart!  Repent and seek God’s forgiveness.  When we approach Him with a sincere heart, we’ll find Him waiting to forgive and move us forward in our journey.

I John 1: 5 – 10

II Peter 3: 8 - 14