Reasons for Adversity
23 August, 1998
INTRODUCTION
Why is all this happening to me? Maybe you have found yourself asking that question at some point in your life. Maybe its seems like everytime you turn around, you are faced with some kind of crisis. Like that song they use to sing on Hee Haw:
Gloom, despair and agony on me,
Deep dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all.
Gloom despair and agony on me.
Just nothing but trouble. It's always something. One ordeal after another. One disaster after another.
I kind of get the impression that Jacob could have been one to sing that song. Everytime he turned around, something was going wrong. Everytime he turned around, he was faced with some kind of crisis. Trouble seemed to follow this man. It seems that Jacob went from one crisis to the next. Just about the time he came through one ordeal, he was faced with another one.
And as we come to Genesis 33:18-34:31, we find Jacob faced with yet another crisis. This time it was pertaining to his daughter. And this one is as bad as a crisis can be, apart from death - the rape of his daughter, Dinah. He had just come through that ordeal with his brother Esau. What he thought was going to be the end of his life turned into being a blessing as he was reconciled with his brother. And now, with the sweat of his brow barely wiped off, he comes face to face with another crisis in his life.
The answer to the question that I start out with is a difficult one. It is a question that had been asked before - even within my own heart. Why is all this happening to me?
There are many issues in this narrative that we could consider, but it is this issue of reasons for adversity that seems to stand out to me. I cannot help but see the human side of what is going on Jacob's life and the fact that he and his family seem to be making the same mistakes over and over again. I would like to offer some answers to that question from this particular chapter in the life of Jacob. We may not like some of these answers that I see here in this narrative but I believe them to be completely true.
1. LIVING IN A LAND OF UNGODLINESS - 33:18-20
God had brought Jacob safely to the land of Canaan as He had promised. Some believe that because he stopped there in the city of Shechem rather than moving on to Bethel that he was being disobedient. But the writer of the narrative does not make that clear. There is no mention that Jacob was out of the will of God. It does mention that God had brought him safely to the land of Canaan, which is what God had promised and it mentions that Jacob erected an altar there and worshipped God - declaring his allegiance to God by calling that place, "God, the God of Israel."
But whether Jacob was dwelling there in disobedience or not, he was still in the land of Canaan. He was now dwelling among a people that he was not meant to intermingle with. It was forbidden for Jacob and all his clan to intermingle or marry the Canaanites so in a sense Jacob and his family was living in a hostile territory. They were living in a land of ungodliness. Even though God had promised him this land and had brought him safely there, he was still living in an environment filled with all kinds of potential dangers. The people of that land were and would be a threat to what their purpose was. Jacob and his clan were strangers in a strange land. It would be a land that God would give to them but it would have to taken with a great amount of adversity.
Some of what we experience is this life is due to the fact that we live in a fallen world - we are living in a land of ungodliness. People become the victims of evil simply because we are living in the enemies territory. This may be our Father's world, but it is certainly the devil's playground. And because we live here, there is always that possibility that we can fall victim to those who totally ignore the ways and Word of God and even to the injustices that surround us in this world. It sometimes seems unfair but - then again, the world we live in can sometimes be that way. God has certainly promised to be our shield and our defender but we would be naive and maybe presumptuous to think that we will go through this world without ever having to suffer any kind of adversity. And just because we do, does not mean that we are necessarily living in disobedience but simply because we live in a land of ungodliness.
2. VENTURING INTO FORBIDDEN TERRITORY - 34:1
Even though we live in a land of ungodliness, we can often save ourselves a lot of grief if we will remember the adage that says, "If you play with fire, you get burned." Someone has said that "if you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles in the backside, you wouldn't be able to sit down for two weeks. (Bits and Pieces, December 1990)
Many times we get ourselves in trouble simply because we venture into forbidden territory - we put ourselves in circumstances where we ought not to be. This was the case with Dinah. The narrative tells us that Dinah was the daughter of Leah, whom she had born to Jacob. And the narrative tells us that Dinah's curiosity got away with her and resulted in a tragic circumstance. She fell victim to one of the men of the land, by the name of Shechem. Though he said, he loved, he took advantage of her and violated her.
The word that is used to describe what he did to here literally means "to force or try to force submission" and it is applied here to the forcing of a woman into premarital relations. And it all began by her "going out to look at or inspect" the daughters of the land. She was curious to see how life was lived on the other side of the fence and it resulted in her being abducted and raped. This was certainly a tragedy. What happened to her should not happen to anyone. But one has to wonder, if she had not ventured into forbidden territory, would she have been the victim of such a tragedy. God had explicitly forbidden his people to intermingle and or marry with the Canaanites. And Dinah's ignoring that warning resulted in her falling victim to the Canaanites.
Sometimes we think that we can live life on the edge and not have to suffer any consequences. But often the opposite is true.
Dr. Andrew Bonar tell how, in the Highlands of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they couldn't get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet, and then they can't jump back again, and the shepherd hears them bleating in distress. They may be there for days, until they have eaten all the grass. The shepherd will wait until they are so faint they cannot stand, and then they will put a rope around him, and he will go over and pull that sheep up out of the jaws of death. "Why don't they go down there when the sheep first gets there?" I asked. "Ah!" He said, "they are so very foolish they would dash right over the precipice and be killed if they did!" (Joseph Stowell, Through The Fire, Victor Books, 1988, p. 80FF)
If we would just be more careful in this world, we might not get into some of the predicaments we get into. If we would just exercise a little wisdom and discretion, we might save ourselves from some unnecessary suffering. Again, not all that we go through is a result of a some unwise move, but the truth is, sometimes that is the very reason.
Listen to the words of the wise father speaking to his son, as recorded in Proverbs 4:14-27 "Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."
One has to wonder if Dinah and her family would have been spared this tragic ordeal if she had not ventured right into the enemy's camp. Is she had not allowed her curiosity get away with her, she might not have had to go through such a crisis. And maybe if you and I would be careful how we involves ourselves into the affairs of this world, maybe we would be spared from some of the tragedy's that many Christians find themselves in.
3. MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON OUR EMOTIONS - 34:7
I made this point when we considered how Esau became so angry at Jacob for cheating him out of the inheritance. And now this problem of anger crops up again in, what would seem to be under understandable circumstances. It is certainly understandable that Jacob and his sons were all churned up as a result of this tragedy. The narrative uses two words to describe the emotional state of Jacob's sons and probably Jacob himself - the men were grieved and very angry.
The word grieve relates to physical pain as well as to emotional sorrow. And the word angry is a strong word related to a rare Aramaic word meaning "to cause fire to burn" and related to an Arabic root meaning "burning sensation in the throat." The Hebrew verb is always used in reference to anger and it emphasizes the kindling of anger like the kindling of a fire or the heat of anger once started.
In other words, they were all churned up inside. They were very upset, and rightly so. And being so emotional, they were prone to handling this situation unwisely. And when you make decisions when you are in such a condition without thinking through every aspect and fact of the situation, you are prone to making decisions that are not a better part of wisdom.
Many years ago a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. John D. Rockefeller was then running the firm. On the day the news leaked out most of the executives of the company were finding various ingenious ways of avoiding Mr. Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads. There was one exception, however; he was Edward T. Bedford, a partner in the company. Bedford was scheduled to see Rockefeller that day and he kept the appointment, even though he was prepared to listen to a long harangue against the man who made the error in judgment. When he entered the office the powerful head of the gigantic Standard Oil empire was bent over his desk busily writing with a pencil on a pad of paper. Bedford stood silently, not wishing to interrupt. After a few minutes Rockefeller looked up. "Oh, it's you, Bedford," he said calmly. "I suppose you've heard about our loss?" Bedford said that he had. "I've been thinking it over," Rockefeller said, "and before I ask the man in to discuss the matter, I've been making some notes." Bedford later told the story this way: "Across the top of the page was written, 'Points in favor of Mr. _______.' There followed a long list of the man's virtues, including a brief description of how he had helped the company make the right decision on three separate occasions that had earned many times the cost of his recent error. "I never forgot that lesson. In later years, whenever I was tempted to rip into anyone, I forced myself first to sit down and thoughtfully compile as long a list of good points as I possibly could. Invariably, by the time I finished my inventory, I would see the matter in its true perspective and keep my temper under control. There is no telling how many times this habit has prevented me from committing one of the costliest mistakes any executive can make -- losing his temper. "I commend it to anyone who must deal with people." (Bits & Pieces, September 15, 1994, Page 11-13)
It is suggested that the anger and resentment of Jacob's son was influenced by jealousy for the honor of their family than by a sense of virtue. That they were more concerned about the shame it would bring on their family more than by the fact that their sister had been violated. Whatever their motive for being upset, the mistake they made, was letting their emotions get away with them and making decisions in that state of mind. From the perspective of this preacher, they were wrong to have acted so impulsively. And it was that anger that led them to crossing a line they should have never crossed.
When we react to circumstances based on our emotions or let our emotions get out of hand, we will often cross a line that we would not normally cross
4. TAKING MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS - 34:13
We often makes matters worse by taking matters into our own hands - especially when our purpose is to get even. Wanting revenge for anything will cause us to act irrationally and wrongfully in any matter. This seems to be the case with Jacob's sons. And this was the exact same way that Esau reacted when he was wronged by Jacob. And even though it appears that justice was done here in the case of Dinah being violated, they did it all wrong.
a. They responded at the exclusion of seeking and trusting God.
They once again attempted to do things according to their own plans and schemes. At least when Jacob responded to some of his circumstances, he prayed first (32:9- 12). But here, there is no attempt whatsoever of looking to God's in this matter. They completely took matters into their own hands.
b. They responded by stooping to ungodly tactics.
Simeon and Levi acted with deception just like their dad did. And the fact that they were so deceptive made them wrong. Maybe a physical confrontation was the only way to deal with this matter but the way they brought it about was wrong. And not only were they but worst of all they used and abused the rite of circumcision as a ploy. This, to me, is a classic example of the end not justifying the means. Surely their statement at the end of the narrative, "Should he treat our sister like a harlot?" is a reasonable response to the tragedy. I would have probably said the same thing. But my response to them would be, "No, she should not be treated as a harlot but that does not give you the right to take matters into your own hands and act in such a dishonest way"
c. They looted and plundered that place where their sister had been defiled.
And from the sound of the first part of chapter 35, part of that which they plundered was the false gods these Canaanites worshipped. This was payback time. They really took out all their anger on this place. It's almost like they were out of control.
I don't have to tell you that we are living in a very revenge-seeking society. If you wrong someone, you will pay. And if you are wronged, you have this part of you inside that wants to say, "You're not going to get away with this." And if you take that to the extreme, and let your emotions take over, you may end up taking matters into your own hands instead of allowing God to take care of the matter in His own way. I think we all have this natural tendency to want to see justice done and maybe even to the point of taking revenge when it is in our power to do so, even when it is not the right way to go about it.
In Judith Viorst's children's book, I'll Fix Anthony, the younger brother complains about the way his older brother Anthony treats him:
"My brother Anthony can read books now, but he won't read any books to me. He plays checkers with Bruce from his school. But when I want to play he says, "Go away or I'll clobber you." I let him wear my Snoopy sweatshirt, but he never lets me borrow his sword. Mother says deep down in his heart Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep down in his heart he thinks I stink. Mother says deep deep down in his heart, where he doesn't even know it, Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep deep down in his heart he still thinks I stink. When I'm six I'll fix Anthony...When I'm six I'll float, but Anthony will sink to the bottom. I'll dive off the board, but Anthony will change his mind. I'll breathe in and out when I should, but Anthony will only go glug, glug...When I'm six my teeth will fall out, and I'll put them under the bed, and the tooth fairy will take them away and leave dimes. Anthony's teeth won't fall out. He'll wiggle and wiggle them, but they won't fall out. I might sell him one of my teeth, but I might not...Anthony is chasing me out of the playroom. He says I stink. He says he is going to clobber me. I have to run now, but I won't have to run when I'm six. When I'm six, I'll fix Anthony."
When I first read this I laughed, but truth is that we are not much different than Anthony's little brother - maybe even much like Jacob's sons. We have this part of us that wants to see a those who have wronged us to pay. And it is that revenge-seeking attitude that we need to guard.
Bill Hybels tells the story of when he and a member of his church's vocal team were invited by a Christian leader named Yesu to go to southern India. There they joined a team of people from various parts of the US. He tells the story like this: "We were told that God would use us to reach Muslims and Hindus and non-religious people for Christ. We all felt called by God to go, but none of us knew what to expect. When we arrived, Yesu met us and invited us to his home. Over the course of the next few days, he told us about his ministry. Yesu's father, a dynamic leader and speaker, had started the mission in a Hindu-dominated area. One day a Hindu leader came to Yesu's father and asked for prayer. Eager to pray with him, hoping he would lead him to Christ, he took him into a private room, knelt down with him, closed his eyes and began to pray. While he was praying, the Hindu man reached into his robe, pulled out a knife and stabbed him repeatedly. Yesu, hearing his father's screams, ran to help him. He held him in his arms as blood poured out onto the floor of the hut. Three days later, his father died. On his deathbed he said to his son, 'Please tell that man that he is forgiven. Care for your mother and carry on this ministry. Do whatever it takes to win people to Christ." (Too Busy Not To Pray, Bill Hybels, IVP, p. 62)
Yes, there does come a point that some kind of action needs to be taken in a matter. I am a firm believer in seeing justice being done where justice is due. If a person does the crime, he must do the time.
But when we take any kind of action at the exclusion of God, we run a great risk of making matters worse.
When we take matters into our own hands, we also miss out on seeing God accomplish what we never thought could be accomplished in a way that makes us stand back in awe. God was more than able to take them through this crisis in a much more God honoring way than they did. And if they had allowed God to do it His way, they could have had assurance that it was done right and that it was all God.
We need to remember what the Apostle John wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Revelations 22:11-12 "Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy. Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."
CONCLUSION
Now the good news about this whole thing is that God's purpose for Jacob and his family was accomplished in spite of how they dealt with this matter. I think it is safe to say that God certainly did not condone Jacob's sons using deceit and their own plans and schemes to handle this matter. But in spite of it all, God's ultimate purpose was accomplished. It was God's purpose for Jacob to settle in Bethel. And as we will see in Genesis 35, God moves Jacob to Bethel. Jacob had many concerns and fears that the Canaanites would destroy them because they put Hamor and Shechem to the sword. But God used that to put enough fear in the hearts of the Canaanites that Jacob could make his journey in safety.
And as we make our way on our journey to heaven, we need to remember that God is God and always will be. We need to remember that He is able to conquer what we cannot. We need to follow Him in obedience - not to earn points with Him but because it is the safest way to travel this journey through life. We need to be responsible and men and women of faith.
There are no guarantees that we will make home to the promised land unscathed but we certainly stand a better chance than those who ignore His Word. Yes, bad things happen to those who follow Jesus but if we follow Him, we can know that whatever comes our way is because of His divine providence and not because of our own stupidity.
J.I. Packer says it well in his book, Your Father Loves You:
"Grace is God drawing sinners closer and closer to him. How does God in grace prosecute this purpose? Not by shielding us from assault by the work, the flesh, and the devil, nor by protecting us from burdensome and frustrating circumstance, not yet by shielding us from troubles created by our own temperament and psychology, but rather by exposing us to all these things, so as to overwhelm us with a sense of our own inadequacy, and to drive us to cling to him more closely. This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another -- it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold him fast. The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defense, and a sure refuge and help for the weak is that God spends so much of his time showing us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find or follow the right road. When we walk along a clear road feeling fine, and someone takes our arm to help us, likely we would impatiently shake him off; but when we are caught in rough country in the dark, with a storm brewing and our strength spent, and someone takes our arm to help us, we would thankfully lean on him. And God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn to lean on him thankfully. Therefore he takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in himself, to -- in the classic scriptural phrase for the secret of the godly man's life - - "wait on the Lord." (Your Father Loves You by James Packer, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986)