Day 18: Reconciliation, Violation, and Vengeance

Today we read Genesis 33-34, Job 23-24, and Proverbs 3:13-18. It’s a rollercoaster reading today that starts with a high and ends with dark low. This reading contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children and it pertains to sexual violence. The story starts with the reconciliation of Esau and Jacob. This is something special to savor. Then it takes a startling turn away from forgiveness and reconciliation to a neighboring prince taking and violating Jacob and Leah’s daughter, Dinah. The neighboring king and prince try to negotiate with Jacob to marry Dinah, but Jacob and his sons devised a plan to get the king, prince, and all their men to agree to circumcision in order to allow the marriage but after the agreement, Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s 12 brothers kill all of the neighboring men when they are healing from circumcision and take their sister back. Then all of the brothers take all of the neighboring women, children, animals, and wealth. Wow, the high is the forgiveness and reconciliation of Esau and Jacob. The low is violating the innocent, taking, followed by deceiving, murder, and presumably more violation at a larger scale - vengeance.

Resources:

Dr. Timothy Kelly. (2008). Prodigal God, Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

Father Mike Schmitz. The Bible in a Year. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/day-17-jacob-meets-esau-2023/id1539568321?i=1000594827356 

Marty Solomon. BEMA Discipleship Podcast. Character Study - Jacob Part I, https://www.bemadiscipleship.com/212 

 

Credits:

Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.