Genesis 34:25

One wrong step away from our true position before the Lord leads to many a sin, scandal, and sorrow. That is what we find here, and it came from Jacob buying the land of the Hivite and building himself a house. His stay at Succoth and Shechem covers some ten years.

Then Jacob's sons stepped in with a trick: every male must be circumcised. They had not the slightest thought or wish of bringing the men of Shechem into the covenant. It was treachery of the lowest kind, meant to trap them and massacre them. Jacob had nothing to do with the cruel secret. Their pride and revenge ignored God just as it ignored their father.

Then the cruel treachery of Jacob's sons comes to the surface. Only Simeon and Levi are mentioned here, brothers of Dinah, though Reuben and Judah were also her brothers. The two, however, attack the unarmed city, killing every male while they were still sore from surgery. This came as a complete surprise, and the men had no defence. No men were left to organize a counter attack.

Jacob's sons, however, only answered defiantly, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" That was not fair-mindedness. Shechem had not dealt with her that way. Even if he had, did that justify Simeon and Levi in killing all the men of that city and plundering their houses? What they did to the city was far worse than Shechem's sin.

The anger came to a head in the terrible violence of Simeon and Levi. Jacob never forgot it, and neither did God. At the end of his life Jacob spoke as a prophet about his sons. He foretold the future of the tribes and gave certain blessings. But he condemned these two sons and cursed their anger, as recorded in Genesis 49:5-7.

It is worth noting that later on the tribe of Levi acted in such a way that they gained a special blessing. So we are allowed to see how God can turn what began as a curse into a blessing. The word had been, "I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel" (49:7). They were divided. But Levi's division came through a call to special service, which scattered him among all the tribes.

It is true that here too we see him with his sword at his side. But oh, for what a different purpose, and in what a different cause! He is not now killing a man in anger and self-will. He acts in holy jealousy and care for the honour of the Lord God of Israel, and in simple obedience to His command… And Levi is no longer seen "joined" with his brother Simeon. He might join with him in the days of his wickedness for deeds of blood. But here a new scene opens, and so he is seen "joined" with the Lord and His servant Moses, to carry out righteous judgement on idolatry.

Here is a truly humbling view of human nature seen in the light of God's holiness. It is as if the Lord would say to us: Look here! Look at a man dressed in nature's blackest clothing… Look closely, so that you may see what man is when stripped of all the false clothing that ignorance or empty self-righteousness would put on him — and so may know the rich abundance of My grace.