While Jacob‘s sons use the sign of God‘s covenant as a means to enacttheir vengeance, the Shechemites see in it a way of satisfying their owngreed. - P84
God, the author ofthe covenant, has nothing to do with this decision. They are all misus-ing religion for personal gain. - P84
This is worldly wisdom at its worst. OurLord Jesus Christ teaches us that true spirituality is not self-centered.
- P84
To follow Him, we must be willing to leave lands, families, and wealth.
- P84
But by losing our lives for His sake, Jesus promises that we will findtrue, everlasting blessing. - P84
Wives, livestock, and property are their primary incentives foragreeing to the condition that they be circumcised. - P84
Simeon and Levi slaughter every male in the city, and their brothers plunder it, carrying off women, children, and property. - P84
While Shechem‘s rape of Dinah
was horrendous, Jacob‘s sons are no better.
- P84
They deceive an entire city of men and then annihilate them when they are at their
most vulnerable. - P84
By taking justice into their own hands and
behaving with such treachery, they have put their entire family at risk.
- P84
Vengeance belongs to God alone. - P84
When we indulge in it or seek to profit from it, we bring great harm to ourselves and the body of Christ. - P84
Let us never endorse hostility or violence
toward others as this will provoke animosity upon ourselves and
our fellow brothers and sisters. - P84
the Lordtaught me what it means to follow Him. I began to understand whatJesus meant when He said we must be willing to leave lands, homes, and families for the gospel. - P85
At the same time, I experienced the joy ofHis promise that those who do so will receive these things back manytimes over. - P85
Lord, through the empowering of Your Spirit, I ask that You enable me to layaside all worldly desires and impulses. - P85
Help me to live as You lived, lovingmy enemies and willing to sacrifice everything for Your kingdom. In Yourname, amen. - P85
[NIV] 1 Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel andsettle there, and build an altar there to God, whoapeared to you when you were brotherwere fleeing from fleeing from your Esau." - P86
2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who werewith him, "Get rid of the foreign gods you have withyou, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.
3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will buildan altar to God, who answered me in the day of my dis-tress and who has been with me wherever I havegone.
- P86
5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on thetowns all around them so that no one pursued them. - P86
7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Beth-el, because it was there that God revealed himself to himwhen he was fleeing from his brother. - P86
9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and
blessed him. 10 God said tohim, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer becalled Jacob; your name will be Israel." So he namedhim Israel. - P87
11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruit-ful and increase in number. A nation and a communityof nations will come from you, and kings will be amongyour descendants. 12 The land I gave to Abraham andIsaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to yourdescendants after you." - P87
13 Then God went up from him at the place where hehad talked with him. 14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at theplace where God had talked with him, and he pouredout a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.
15 Jacob called the place where God had talked withhim Bethel. - P87
Now that he is forced to leave Shechem, Jacob is open to receivingGod‘s guidance once more. - P88
God instructs him to return to Bethel, theplace where he first encountered the Lord. It is a reminder of God‘scall on Jacob‘s life. - P88
For this reason, he is instructed not only to settle inBethel but to also build an altar to God in that place. - P88
To prepare for thejourney, Jacob‘s family put away idols, purify themselves, and changetheir clothes. - P88
In these things, we see God‘s call on our own lives. Jesuscalls us to follow Him. To answer His call, we must be willing to putaway anything that would hinder our obedience and our new life inChrist. - P88
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