In a time when parents are perplexed as to how to raise their boys and girls, here is a story of a girl child, whose life throws light as to how Christian culture counters the surrounding ones. The Bible tells us about Dinah in Genesis 34. She was a young girl who went for sight-seeing "women" in a foreign city called Shechem on a lonesome trip. A city cannot be with a "women" population only. Shechem was also a culturally and religiously foreign place to this girl, who belonged to a Yahweh worshiping family. She was the great-grand daughter of Abraham, a man of supreme obedience to God. As a reward to the obedient act of Abraham, his descendants were blessed of God which has been recorded in Genesis 12:1-3. It says that the Abrahamic generation would be a blessing to all peoples on earth and also the people who bless them would be blessed.
The Abrahamic descendants were nomadic. Their moving around was also the plan of God! He wanted this nomadic group to be “Yahweh-carriers.” They were supposed to bless people whom they came in contact with, with the fragrance of their one God-Yahweh. Dinah brought up in such a Yahweh-centered background chose to go around a city of non-Yahweh culture. A young man, Shechem of that city saw her and violated her. Dinah never expected that because she thought that she could take care of herself!
Choices and Struggles
How often we have thought that we can take care of ourselves and have miserably failed! We need to know that foolish choices in life can lead to gigantic spiritual struggles. For sure, we cannot take care of ourselves in our acquaintance with a Yahweh-minus individual or a community! The Scripture rightly admonishes us in this regard: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ( 2 Cor 6:14) To choose right, we need wisdom and discernment in us which can be given to us by God only. For God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8).
After violating Dinah, the young man opted to marry her! It would have sounded fair to Dinah’s ears. But poor Dinah! Genesis 34:23 says that Shechem had a malicious intention for the marriage proposal. He thought that through this marriage, he could grab the livestock and all of the property of Dinah’s father, Jacob for him and his family!
Dinah’s brothers got wild with the way their sister was violated by Shechem. In turn they devised a hidden plan which also was not right! They agreed to the marriage contract with a condition that the male members of the city had to undergo circumcision. This they said was as an identification rite for the family of Shechem to identify with the Yahweh worshipers. When the men of Shechem did that, the brothers of Dinah went ahead with their plan. When the men were all still in pain incurred from their circumcision rite, the brothers of Leah massacred all of them. Violence and abuse caused to a woman and malicious intentions led Shechem and his family to be wiped off!
Behaviours and Attitudes
Have I been abusive to women? Have I had violent behaviours and evil intentions in my life? We need to be non-violent in our behaviours and honest in our contacts and contracts. For this we need an attitudinal change. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.’ (Ephesians 4:22-24). Only Jesus can make us truly righteous and just, in places where we would otherwise need to be violent! He helps men not to abuse women.
Fragrance or Foul
Dinah had to lead the rest of her life as a victim of lust and violence. Looking at Dinah and the stench of blood-shed in the city, Jacob, father of Dinah lamented to his children: “You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.” (Genesis 34:30) A family which ought to have blessed others and be a fragrance became a stench to the people!
How can we lead a life of fragrance? The Bible gives some hints here: Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2). But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through usspreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).
I take this opportunity to warn our young generation through the life of Dinah. Following the Biblical norms helps a young person to be fragrant. The psalmist says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” (Psalm 119:9) Christian parents and communities also need to live a life of love and have to spread the knowledge of Christ to children and others. This way we smell fragrant to people and to God. As a spiritual descendant of Abraham and as a recipient of the Abrahamic blessing, do we smell fragrant? “May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace” (Psalm 144:12) be our prayer for children in our families and communities.
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