Day 11 · Part 2: Abraham’s Family
Dinah
In the Story
In context
Genesis 34 is a hard chapter: Shechem, the son of the local prince, forces himself on Jacob’s daughter Dinah, and her brothers Simeon and Levi take revenge by killing the men of his town, which Jacob’s sons then plunder. Jacob fears what the peoples around will do (Genesis 34:30), and at the end of his life he still speaks of Simeon and Levi’s anger (Genesis 49:5–7).
God sends Jacob back to Bethel, where he had dreamed of the stairway. Jacob has his household put away their foreign gods, and there he builds an altar to the God “who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went” (Genesis 35:3). At Bethel God confirms his new name, Israel (Genesis 35:10).
On the road to Ephrath, also called Bethlehem, Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin (Genesis 35:16–19). Bethlehem will later be King David’s town and the town where Jesus was born (1 Samuel 17:12; Matthew 2:1). Reuben sleeps with Bilhah, his father’s concubine (Genesis 35:22). The reading ends with the family of Esau, the people of Edom, who lived in the hill country of Seir, south-east of the Salt Sea, and had kings “before any king reigned over the children of Israel” (Genesis 36:8, 31).
May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high, send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion,
Psalms 20:1–2 · Jacob speaks of God “who answered me in the day of my distress”; this psalm prays, “May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble.”
For families
Rachel died giving birth to her second son. With her last breath she named him Benoni, “son of my trouble,” but his father named him Benjamin, “son of my right hand” (Genesis 35:18). Jacob set up a pillar on her grave, and later he and Esau buried their father Isaac together (Genesis 35:20, 29).
Jacob marked Rachel’s grave with a pillar. How does your family remember the people you miss?
In the Bible
World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).
Genesis 34
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Genesis 35
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Genesis 36
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A hymn for today
What a Friend We Have in Jesus · words by Joseph M. Scriven
- What a Friend we have in Jesus,All our sins and griefs to bear!What a privilege to carryEverything to God in prayer!O what peace we often forfeit,O what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carryEverything to God in prayer!
- Have we trials and temptations?Is there trouble anywhere?We should never be discouraged;Take it to the Lord in prayer.Can we find a friend so faithfulWho will all our sorrows share?Jesus knows our every weakness;Take it to the Lord in prayer.
- Are we weak and heavy laden,Cumbered with a load of care?Precious Savior, still our refuge—Take it to the Lord in prayer.Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?Take it to the Lord in prayer;In His arms He'll take and shield thee,Thou wilt find a solace there.