A dangerous setup
The next in line were Simeon and Levi, two brothers who always stayed together and their sister was Dinah. Being always together, separated from the rest, as Simeon and Levi lived is a dangerous setup, it develops own ideas produced by their feelings and senses.
Injustice
They were sons of Leah, a wife Israel did not respect or loved, he treated her unfairly. Israel preferred Rachel and her sons. Simeon and Levi hated Rachel and her sons because they, like their mother were suffering injustice.
No place for other opinions
Simeon and Levi had no one to counsel them, always staying alone, developing their own conclusions and stirring up hate. In their dark minds, there was no room for God, no place for other opinions than their own, this was dangerous and the same is dangerous even today.
It was hating without limit
In Shechem, the prince of the city, also named Shechem raped Dinah, Simeon and Levi’s sister. None in the Israel family accepted it, they were all angry, however, the anger of the two close brothers was different, it was hating without limit. They made a deal with all the people in the city that if they circumcised their male population, the Israelites would accept that they intermarried to become one people.
Treason
Israel participated in these negotiations and he didn’t oppose it, even though he knew it wouldn’t happen. Why didn’t Israel resist this treacherous behavior? He didn’t dare to go against those two hateful warriors, their eyes radiated revenge and death.
A deal
Shechem and his father accepted the deal and persuaded all in the city to be circumcised and it happened on the same day, as a result, they were all affected by it, not able to defend themselves.
The slaughter
Simeon and Levi knew that the men of Shechem were feeble after being circumcised, and the two vengeful brothers came with their swords and slaughtered all the men in the city, every single one of them leaving wives and children behind.
No other options
Israel and the rest of his sons decided to take all the women and children captive, Simeon and Levi didn’t leave them with other options, the women and children could not survive without the men. In addition, they also took the animals of the city with them except the oxen which Simeon and Levi hamstrung, an act of pure evil.
Dark and evil
The minds of Simeon and Levi were so dark and evil and their conversations so terrible that Israel didn’t even want to listen to them, “O my soul, do not come into their secret council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly, because in their anger they killed men, and in their self-will they lamed oxen”
Stood by Moses
This deadly behavior of the brothers also affected their future genealogy, the tribe of Simeon turned out to be small and insignificant. The tribe of Levi could have suffered the same; however, they went to prominence when they stood by Moses in the golden calf incident.
Stay open and listen more
What we do in life reflects what we are thinking about, what is influencing our mind, stay open to criticism and opinions from others, talk less and listen more.
Questions
- Do like to be criticized?
- When do we stop learning?
- Have you felt hate?
- What should we do if hate hits us?
asvnotesBible 