Happy Sabbath friends! The one thing I always hear amongst my family, especially my immediate family, is the saying “family first”. My family doesn’t believe family should be above God by any means, but I have been raised that our priorities should be God, family, career/education, friends, and so on, in that exact order.

I have mentioned in previous blogs that I am reading the Bible from front to back, and a chapter a day. This week I was reading Genesis 34, and it really caught my eye on the aspect of “family first”, and family looking out for one another when the world seems to be against us.

The story starts off by introducing Dinah, who was raped by Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite. The Hivites were a group of people descended from Canaan.

“Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭34‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The story goes on to explain how infatuated Shechem became towards Dinah. So much so, that he wanted to marry her.

“His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭34‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

But soon enough…Jacob, Dinah’s father, heard how his daughter was raped. He patiently waited for the rest of the family to arrive home. Believe it, or not, Hamor, Shechem’s father, confronted Jacob regarding Shechem wanting to marry Dinah.

“When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home. Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done. But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.” Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭34‬:‭5‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When I was reading the story of Dinah and the Shechemites, I was furious for the family of Jacob. I would be so angry if my daughter was defiled by someone, especially without their consent, and then they have the audacity to ask for their hand in marriage. The next part really stood out to me though because the concept of “family first” was truly displayed.

“Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.” Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city. “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.” All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses. Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.” But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭34‬:‭13‬-‭31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Dinah was treated so poorly by Shechem, and guess who was there for her? Guess who had her back? Yes, God, of course! But also her FAMILY! Jacob’s sons, and Dinah’s brothers, stood up for her and did not tolerate this disrespect that was brought upon their sister. This story really spoke to me because it’s something I was always told, that family sticks together. When one of us is knocked down, we help pick them back up. Family is a community. The most important thing for a successful “family first” mindset, should be that God should be the foundation that the family stands on. Without God in the center, the family will ultimately crumble. In the story of Jacob, God was in the center of Jacob’s family as I have a feeling God was enraged by what happened to Dinah as it states in the Word of God:

“Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭34‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“A thing that should not be done”. It is so boldly stated here that God does NOT tolerate rape. God does NOT tolerate sexual immorality, especially when there has been no consent. God does NOT tolerate this kind of disrespect towards a woman, nor a man. No one deserves to go through something as traumatic as such.

God was not only there for Dinah, but her family was there for her. They stood by her side, despite what Shechem did to her, and loved her still.

There has been many times in my life where I was at my lowest point. All my friends turned away from me, and I felt so alone. You want to know who did not turn away from me? God and my family. Even when I don’t deserve forgiveness, God and my family find it in their hearts to forgive me. Even when I don’t deserve love, God and my family still love me despite the wrongdoings of my past.

“Family first” as my folks always say, but keep in mind that God should be at the center of the family for it to truly prevail.

For those that may be reading this, and your family did turn away from you, I am truly sorry first off. Second off, our families are still human beings at the end of the day. They are not perfect by any means. But you want to know who is perfect AND is our family? Our Lord Christ Jesus. He is not only our Savior, but He is our Heavenly Father who died on the cross to save us from our sins.

That is why family may be first for some, but God is the foundation for us ALL. He should be above all else in our lives because He will never ever turn away from us. Our family may let us down. Our friends may let us down. But God’s love never fails. God’s love and truth remains the same, forever and always. You are not alone, just as Dinah wasn’t alone when she was at her lowest. She had not just her family, but God by her side.

“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Family first. God is our family, and He should be first in our hearts, souls, and minds. We are called the children of the Almighty God. Believe it, and allow the truth of our Heavenly Father transform your life. He will never turn His back on you. Even when the world may disrespect, or tear you down, God will always be right by your side.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.””
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Amen.