Observation: Of all the history in Genesis I think this event to be the saddest. Jacob had one daughter; one daughter among 12 sons. I know the love I have for my only daughter - that I would protect her from anything and everything that seeks to harm her. My greatest concern comes not from the physical dangers, though.
Dinah was raped, but that, like so many other things in life, was avoidable if she would have made different decisions. That doesn't mean she was at fault for Shechem's actions. It means that she was at fault for being in that place at the time. We should not live life so naively that we don't recognize the impact that our decisions have on the experiences we have.
Dinah had some draw to visit the other women of "the land" of Canaan. The purpose of her visit isn't clearly stated but in light of the rest of the Bible, and the Torah especially, I can clearly see there was a drawing of the heart toward the way the "daughters of the land" lived, acted, worshipped, talked, played, mothered, married, dressed, and prioritized their lives. Genesis 34:1 serves no other purpose than to establish the context of the remained of the narrative.
So, Dinah had a heart issue that led her into danger and eventually into heart ache for her, her whole family, and to death for the men of an entire city. She was drawn to fill her heart with either something novel, something relational, or something spiritual. She, like the rest of us, sought to fill that hole in her heart with something other than the Lord.
Application: My concern for Nori is that her heart be totally defended against the draw of the world. People generally do what the people of their environment do. There are few exceptions. The application for me is to:
1. Continue to date Nori so that she values the treatment that godly men give.
2. Continue to encourage her to fill her mind and heart with the mind of Christ by carefully chosing that activities and books that she takes in.
3. Encourage her to love the Lord will all her heart.
4. Encourage her and bless her daily.
5. Help her find her true joy and complete satisfaction in God even while the world around her tells her that it is a waste of time and energy to live solely for His love and glory.
6. Love and support her so well that she will be able to clearly recognize true love when she sees it and so that she can spot fake, self-centered, worldly, sinfully driven emotion and affections from a mile away; and to reject it on the spot.
Prayer: God, my Lord, I cannot pray strongly enough or more passionately that You teach me to love Nori to the highest degree and to model Your love for her. Please strengthen our relationship so that I can meet her relational needs and so that I would be her knight in armor until the day that she leaves according to Your will to marry according to Your will. I love You. Amen.
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