Lust, Sin and Death

Continuing in the series on Surprising grace we come to the difficult passage found in Genesis 34. What we find are examples of the deceitfulness of the human heart. Schecum rapes Dinah followed by the irate response of Diana's brothers. That is followed by a deceitful response by the brothers to the town's people to require circumcision prior to any agreement between the two groups. Schecum's people are willing to enter into the agreement because they think they will gain Jacob's possessions. We have, in this chapter, an example of Lex talionis: The law of retribution and vengeance. We see the effects of lust that brings sin that then brings death. See James 1:16.