BURSTING OF BOTTLED ANGER
GENESIS 34
25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males.
26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went out.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled.
28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what [was] in the city and what [was] in the field,
29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that [was] in the houses (NKJV).
Jacob’s children were circumcised, were well taught and prayed for, and had very good examples set them; yet some of them proved very untoward. Levi and Simeon allowed the bottled anger became uncontrollable.
Proverbs 6:34 (KJV) For jealousy [is] the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
Proverbs 14
17(NKJV) A quick-tempered [man] acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.
29 (WEB) He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
Proverbs 27:4 (WEB) Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Proverbs 29:22 (WEB) An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.
Dinah’s brothers committed two criminal offences-they killed every man in the town (murder); they looted/stole everything in the town (armed robbery). Why? Because, someone defiled their sister. Tame your anger before it tames you. Because of anger, Moses could not enter the Promised Land. What have you done in anger? Ninety nine percent of things done in anger were never done right. Take heed.
Proverbs 19:11 (RSV) Good sense makes a man slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
UNFORGIVENESS
GENESIS 34
30 (BBE) And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have made trouble for me and given me a bad name among the people of this country, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and because we are small in number they will come together against me and make war on me; and it will be the end of me and all my people.
31 (ASV) And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?
There is no justifiable reason for us to commit sin. Simeon and Levi said, “Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?” Were they justified? No!
Proverbs 20:22 (RSV) Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and he will help you.
Two wrongs can never make right. If you were offended by somebody, go and meet the person and resolve the matter as soon as possible. Don’t allow it to ‘ferment.’ Don’t wait for an opportunity to revenge. Forgive and forget.
Proverbs 6
16 These six [things] the LORD hates, Yes, seven [are] an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness [who] speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. (NKJV)
Jacob failed to forgive Simeon and Levi for the role they played in the destruction of the people of Shalem. He only expressed his fears, no other disciplinary measures taken against them. They were proscribed from the blessings of the covenant, so that they barely retained a name among the tribes of Israel, being in general small, and ever disreputable, except merely in the service of the sanctuary, in which Levi was employed.
Genesis 49
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers; deceit and force are their secret designs.
6 Take no part in their secrets, O my soul; keep far away, O my heart, from their meetings; for in their wrath they put men to death, and for their pleasure even oxen were wounded.
7 A curse on their passion for it was bitter; and on their wrath for it was cruel. I will let their heritage in Jacob be broken up, driving them from their places in Israel. (BBE)
As parents, we should not hold anything against our children for whatever wrongs they committed against us. Let us discipline them and forget about it rather than keep quiet and later curse them and their descendants. Noah cursed Ham and his descendant as a result of beholding his father’s nakedness.(Genesis 9:18-25). A simple reprimand would have settled the issue rather than cursing him. Perhaps he was inexperienced because he was the youngest of his sons. Let us give no room to anger to destroy the lives of generation unborn.
Dear reader, do you know that Dinah lost her place in destiny. She was not reckoned with in the genealogy of the Israelites though she was numbered with them at the beginning. She failed to be keepers at home and hence lost her place (Titus 2:5).
Shechem had his kingdom destroyed for lack of self control and failure to respect the dignity of other people. The elders perished with him for their greed and lack of discernment.
Hamor is a disgrace to fatherhood. Sin should be exposed and judged. Hamor spared the rod and spoiled the Shechem.
Simeon and Levi were cursed because of their inability to control their anger which arose from unforgiveness.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man, Ecclesiastes 2:13 (MKJV).
A CHILD THAT IS LEFT TO HIMSELF / HERSELF SHALL BRING HIS/HER PARENTS SHAME.
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