Lessons Learned: Dinah

Genesis 34

Dinah was a young woman who had everything a girl could want and was protected by her parents and brothers.  However, she wanted to see what the world was like outside of her protected home.  This led her to get in lots of trouble and led to the death of many.  Below is her story written as if she were telling it.  Any scripture in the story is in italics and copied from the New Living Translation.

My Home and Family

My father’s name is Jacob, and my mother is Leah.  My father has two wives and two other women who have given my father children.  My four brothers, by my mother Leah, are Simeon, Judah, Issachar, and Levi.  They are very protective of me and I am not allowed to go out without one of them going with me.  What a pain!  Afterall I am fourteen years old I do not need a babysitter. 

I live in a large tent near the city of Shechem.  I live with my mother and her children.  We have everything we need.  We are shepherds and have a vast number of flocks of sheep and goats.  All the brothers work together to take care of the flocks except Joseph who is still a young boy.  I help with the cooking and baking but the servants do most of the hard work.  Most of my time is my own.  I get bored a lot with not much to do.  I wonder what the girls in Shechem do for fun?

Sneaking Out

One day I could not take the boredom anymore and when everyone was out caring for the flocks. I carefully took a large jar pretending I was going to get water from the well near Shechem, I went out to see what it was like in Shechem.  I left the jar by the well and went into the city.  I was careful to keep to myself and just watch.  Not much was going on except merchants selling their wares.  I was disappointed and thought I would have to come back after dark to see some excitement.  I went back to the well and filled the jar and went home.

A few days later, after the evening meal, I snuck out of the tent and headed for Shechem.  As I neared the center of town, I saw a celebration going on where people were dancing and drinking in the street.  The young women of the town seemed to be dancing for the men.  I never seen this kind of dancing.  It was as if the girls were enticing the men to sleep with them by their dance.  Yet, when one of the men approached a girl she would laugh and say no.  I watched with amazement until I realized it was late.  I did overhear someone say this happened every night.  I wanted to see more, to know more about this town.  It was exciting compared to my life in the tent outside the city.

Every few nights I would sneak out of the tent and go to the city to watch.  I wanted to learn the dances and learn how to flirt without any fear of having to sleep with a man.  God forbid I should do that before marriage.  I just wanted to have fun.

One night I was noticed by one of the girls and she invited me to try the dancing.  It was fun.  We all drank wine and danced until late.  It seemed so harmless.  I said I would be back again as soon as I could when towards the end of the night.  I headed home.  I could not wait to do this again.

A few nights later I went to Shechem again.  I drank and I danced and enjoyed myself.  One man asked me to dance just for him, so I did.  I laughed when he invited me to his house and said no.  He seemed to take my no well and I went on dancing.  I did ask another girl who the man was because he seemed someone of importance.  She said he was Shechem, son of Hamor the ruler of the city.  Wow, I got noticed by the ruler’s son. 

Later, I headed for home like I had done in the past.  I did not know Shechem had followed me.  He snuck up behind me and grabbed me by the arm.  His gripped was strong as he pulled me towards him.  I was a little drunk and could not fight him.  He pushed me to the ground and laid on top of me.  He started kissing me so forcefully I thought I would have bruising on my lips.  This could not be happening I thought.  I tried to cry for help, but we were already away from the city enough for no one to hear and yet not close enough to my father’s tents for them to come to my rescue.  Then he raped me.

Afterwards, he left saying this is what happens when you dance so seductively.  I pulled my ripped clothes together and cried all the way home.  I am ruined!  My life is over.  What will my parents do or my brothers?  I will be confined to my father’s tents the rest of my life with no chance of marriage.

When I got home my mother was waiting for me.  Somehow one of the servants saw me leave and reported it to my mother.  I rushed into her arms crying.  “Oh, mama, I have been such a fool and now I am ruined.”  I could tell my mother wanted to be strict with me, but she hugged me closely and smoothed my hair.  “It will be okay” she said over and over but we both knew it would not be okay.  I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning my mother told my father after my brothers had left to tend the flocks for the day.  My father wanted to know who did this to me.  He also wanted to know how it happened the ruler’s son would know I existed.  I told my father how I was bored at home and wanted to see what it was like in the city.  My father looked so sad when he told me I would never be allowed out of the tents again.  I did not want to leave any more.

The Marriage Proposal 

I stayed in my room wonder what would happen to me.  Just before noon Hamor and Shechem arrived at my father’s tent.  I saw them and wondered what they were doing here.  Why is my father even talking to them after what Shechem did to me?  I went and hid outside of my father’s tent as soon as I saw them and listened.  “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her. In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”  Then I heard Shechem speak “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask. No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.” 

Meanwhile my brothers had come home for the noon meal.  When they heard what was going on, they were in shock and angry.  Levi came to me and said we have a plan.  We will tell Hamor and Shechem to be circumcised to let Shechem marry you.  Go ahead and go to Shechem’s house and pretend you want to marry him.  No doubt they will agree and go ahead and get circumcised right away.  While they are healing and still in a great deal of pain Shechem will not try to sleep with you.  Then we will come to your rescue and bring you home.  I cried when I heard this, but Levi has always been true to his word and has never let harm come to me when he could stop it.  I agreed.  So, Levi and his brothers went into our father’s tent and said “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people.  They agreed and I went with Hamor and Shechem back to their house in Shechem.

Circumcised

When we got back to Shechem Hamor and Shechem called all the men together and told them “These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.” 

How wicked of them, I thought, yet I knew my father and brothers would not really let this happen.  I wonder how my rescue will happen.  Now to avoid Shechem until my brothers come for me. 

Sure, enough all the men in Shechem got circumcised.  None of them ventured out of their homes due to the amount of pain they were in.  The women had to do everything for them.  I heard talk from the women I was staying with the men did not do much anyways but talk so this new thing was not much of a burden to the women.  For three days I waited for my rescue.  Surely my brothers would come before Shechem healed a claimed me for his wife.  I hate him so much but not as much as I hate myself for the mess I got myself into.

God dealt with me during those days.  I learned a lot about myself.  I learned God, like my father and brothers, know what is best for me.  I learned the ways of those who do not worship Jehovah only lead to destruction.  I learned God wants something better for me.  I found peace during those days knowing I was a child of God and He loves me.

The Rescue

On the third day my salvation came.  It came in a way I was not expecting, nor did I care for the violence I witnessed that day.  Simeon and Levi entered the city at dawn and went house to house killing all the adult males who were still in beds from their wounds.  None were able to defend themselves.  I was amazed none of the women defended them either.  They were too frightened as was I. 

Levi came and got me after he killed Hamor and Shechem with his sword.  He took me home to our mother’s tent.  I went to my room to pray for the women and children left behind.  I prayed for myself.  I asked God to show me how He wants me to live from this day forward.  God spoke to me to care for the women and children.  I later heard the rest of my brothers had gone to Shechem and plundered the city.  They brought back the women and children to our camp.  They would be our servants they said.  My heart broke for them, but I knew I was the one who would tell them of Jehovah’s love for them.

I heard my father was terribly upset with his sons Levi and Simeon that day.  He said “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”  “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.  I was glad they came to my rescue, but my father was right, we could no longer live here.

The next day my father declared we must get rid of all foreign gods.  All the camp brought their gods to my father and they pulled out their gold earrings, their symbols of their devotion to their gods, and gave them to my father.  My father then told everyone to purify themselves and to change their clothes.  My father took all the foreign gods and their devoted items and buried them under a large oak tree.  Many of the captives converted to the worship of Jehovah that day.

After that day we moved from place to place.  My father became more and more devoted to the Lord and he told me God changed my father’s name from Jacob to Israel.  I devoted my time to learning more and more about God and serving His people.  Gone was the pain and sorrow of my foolishness at Shechem.  I have found contentment.

Lessons Learned from Dinah

As I was writing this story, I was not sure how it would end or why God wanted ne to write it.  Like I wrote in Tamar, daughter of the king, I wanted a knight in shining armor to come marry her in spite of her being ruined by rape, but again, that was not the case.  Dinah ended up devoting her time in service.  Unlike Tamar, Dinah’s rape was the result of her wanting to live like the world.  She went away from the protection of her father and went looking for excitement.  How many of us have done just that?  How many of us have learned the lure of the worldly things only result in our ruin.  Yet, God will always welcome us back.

I wondered why God wanted me to write this story.  I was never raped yet many times in my past I have gone my own way and have suffered for it.  We all have our regrets.  But God FORGIVES!  That is right, God will forgive you if you sincerely ask Him.  He will also help you serve Him and find peace from your past.  Trust Him and seek Him daily so you do not fall into your past mistakes.  You will still have trials and will face the consequences of your past but God will give you what you need to live for Him.  Just ask!  Have you learned from your past and surrendered it to God?

Recommend books:

Below is some books I recommend from Christianbook.com Home If you click on a link and make a purchase I may earn a small percentage of the price at no extra cost to you. This helps with the costs of running this website. Thank you for your support.

Becoming His: Finding Your Place as a Daughter of God – eBook
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You Are a Daughter of the King: Embrace Who God Created You to Be – eBook
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