February 2004

“HAVING BEGUN IN THE SPIRIT”

“Not by MIGHT, nor by power, but
by My Spirit, says the Lord!” (Zec 4:6)

Part 2

            Heb 2428 translates the word,“might”, as “wealth” 10 times in the OT! Several dark events attend its first appearance soon after Jacob and his brother, Esau, had reconciled after many years. History might have recorded a different chapter in the lives of Jacob’s family if he had accepted Esau’s hospitality to journey to his homeland; instead of agreeing to join him but, instead, went in the opposite direction. Scripture does not offer any explanation for this, so we are left to conjecture if Jacob didn’t trust his brother’s offer of reconciliation; or he felt the leading of the Lord; but he went to Shalem [Heb 8003, “Peace, well being, perfection, completeness of mind, body or estate; wholeness, to be at rest and quiet..” This is the root for the traditional Jewish greeting, “Shalom!”] Shalem was a city in Shechem [Heb 7927 “ridge or shoulder” from 7925 “incline a shoulder to a burden; load the back of man or beast; arise, start early in the morning.”] Shechem was in the land of Canaan [Heb 3667, “be (forcibly) humiliated; vanquished and subdued; or to (voluntarily) bend the knee, humble self, and bring self low into subjection.”]
             Someone once coined the phrase, “peace at any price”; but would Jacob have still taken his family to live in that city of “peace and well being” if he knew his only daughter- and himself- would have to pay a steep price of humiliation! For when Dinah went out to befriend the local girls in that new land, she, unwittingly, aroused the lustful eye of its prince, also named Shechem, who took her to a secret place and caused her to suffer the brutality of rape! Now when her father, Jacob, learned of this outrage, he “held his peace” till his sons came in from the field wherein they toiled. But Jacob still made no response even when the rapist’s father, by way of their only apology, came to beg for Dinah’s hand in marriage to his love-smitten son. Rather he allowed his sons to answer in his stead; and they surprisingly agreed to such an alliance. Imagine poor Dinah’s feelings! First, her father does not rush to defend her honor against an alien attacker; but then all her brothers agree to hand her over to be wedded to her violator! She must have felt completely betrayed and forsaken as she was led away to her rapist’s house! But what she, nor Jacob, knew was that her brothers were actually plotting the utmost avenging of their sister's assault. They convinced all the local men that before their tribes could unite in marriage, they would have to undergo the rite of circumcision. But then while they all lay infirmed from these wounds, Simeon and Levi fell upon them unawares with swords and slew them all- and at the same time, retrieved Dinah from the house of Shechem! The other brothers then plundered the city of its wealth; and took captive all the wives and children. Then at last, Jacob speaks---but not to condemn the disgraceful defilement of his daughter; nor to commend the retribution his sons accomplished upon her attackers--- but in fear and dread of what might be done to HIM when the surrounding inhabitants of Canaan heard of the liquidation of Shechem; and how neither their men nor their wealth (might) had prevented their destruction by Dinah’s cunning brothers whose only justification to their fearful father was, “Should Shechem be allowed to treat our sister as a whore?!” Now for the first time since the awful incident took place, Jacob sought the Lord!! [Why do men always make God the “Court of last appeal”, instead of the “Court of first appeal”? Selah!] The Lord told Jacob to go up to Bethel- where he first fled long ago from the vengeance of his brother, Esau; and build a second altar to God. So Jacob told his entire entourage (now including the women and children of Shechem) to put away any strange gods, then to put on a change of garments! When they brought these things to Jacob, he buried them under an oak tree in Shechem; then they left for Bethel. Now Jacob was a very wealthy man in his own right; but his wealth did not protect them on their trek through this foreign land! Rather, “The terror of God was on the cities all around, to prevent them from pursuing Jacob’s sons!” And once Jacob had built an altar at their destination, God established his new name of “Israel”!!
             Earthly affluence cannot protect man against destruction! Wealth provides “instruments of destruction”, but GOD ORDERS THE DESTROYER TO DESTROY! (Jer 22:7) If you do not know that the interplay of all good and evil is under the direct supervision of God, it is because you do not yet understand His Omnipotent Nature! This series will show the vast disparity between the works of natural man and the Works of God’s Holy Spirit!

[TO BE CONTINUED]