Protecting Our Daughters

Introduction:

1. All unmarried women and girls of any age in this assembly please stand, because tonight’s study is about you.
2. For those following the simplified Bible reading program for 2004, you read Genesis 34 on Tuesday.

OBSERVATIONS ON GENESIS 34

1. The whole problem began with Dinah going out to the meet the worldly Hivite girls of Canaan (1).
2. It is a common temptation for girls to want to socialize with other girls they see or hear about (1).
3. Her father and brothers should have had more protection in place to shelter her from seducers (1).
4. A desirable young man, prince of the country, took advantage of her, for he had no scruples (2).
5. To what extent Dinah resisted we do not know, but she put herself in a defenseless situation (2).
6. Fornication (intimate sex) with a man without marriage defiles, or humbles, girls (2; Deut 22:29).
7. He thought he loved her (lust), though he had no clue of her soul, father, family, religion, etc. (3).
8. He used “sweet-talking” to seduce Dinah, which means parents must guard email and phone (3).
9. Shechem did have enough character and morality to pursue Dinah in marriage with his father (4).
10. Jacob got news of his daughter being defiled by this pagan, but he did not tell her brothers yet (5).
11. Hamor took the next step to help his son Shechem get Dinah by going to talk to Jacob about it (6).
12. Dinah’s brothers were very grieved and very angry for the personal offence against the family (7).
13. Fornication is not just a little sin, even though it may be popular in America and glamorized (7).
14. Fornication, even if they like each other, is folly among God’s people and should not be done (7).
15. Virginity is very important and may rightly be inquired about, verified, or disclosed by saints (7).
16. Hamor gets to the point, asking the father and brothers of Dinah for her marriage to Shechem (8).
17. It is a shame pagan Hivites had more nobility than Americans in the father-to-father request (8).
18. Hamor, believing love can cover any little differences, suggests intermarriage of everyone (9-10).
19. The world uses inane sayings like “we’re all going to the same place” to make compromise (9-10).
20. Shechem finally speaks up and offers to pay whatever dowry Jacob and his sons might ask (11-12).
21. Because they were furious at Shechem, the sons lied to him and his father in the deal (13-17).
22. For the sake of learning, consider the agreement even pagans would consider for marriage (14-15).
23. Hamor and Shechem, being noble for their pagan race, were delighted she came so cheaply (18).
24. Shechem was willing to do such a personal thing for a pagan, because he was hot for Dinah (19).
25. This little test, only for murderous reasons, proved nothing; most guys will do most anything (19).
26. Hamor and Shechem convince their city to get circumcised by describing economic gain (20-24).
27. Simeon and Levi, Jacob’s sons #2 and #3, killed the city, recovered Dinah, and stripped it (25-29).
28. There is no need to implicate other brothers by the language here (27 cp 25 cp 30 cp Gen 49:5-7).
29. Jacob was rightly indignant at their cruel anger, which later brought them a curse (30; Gen 49:5-7).
30. Their zeal having gone way too far, they defended themselves by the sin against their sister (31).

CONCLUSIONS FROM GENESIS 34 AND ELSEWHERE

1. Girls and women, weak and vulnerable to the advances of men, do not stand a chance unless protected (Gen 3:1-6; Prov 30:19; I Pet 3:7; I Tim 2:14; II Tim 3:6).
2. Fathers and brothers should be very involved in qualifying men for marriage (24:50-51; 34:11-12).
3. Though the cure and remedy for fornication is marriage, fathers may rightly deny (Ex 22:16-17).
4. Even in the New Testament, fathers had extreme authority in approving marriage (I Cor 7:36-38).
5. Girls cannot have opportunity for temptation or trouble to which they are vulnerable, and they must understand why (Matt 6:13; Mark 9:43; Rom 13:14; James 4:4; I Pet 2:11; I John 2:15-17).
6. Even worse than fornication, which is trouble enough, is the loss of a girl’s heart to a boy or man.
7. Boys and men of this world will desire our girls, for gracious and sweet spirits are rare (Pr 11:16).
8. All activities and communications of girls should be monitored by parents and brothers, so they do not lose their hearts without knowing it to some smooth talking, morally depraved young man.
9. Every biological father has the duty to know, protect, shelter, teach, and provide for his daughters.
10. Every biological brother has the duty to know, protect, shelter, teach, and provide for his sisters.
11. Fathers and brothers must explore, know, and guide the hearts of daughters and sisters (Pr 23:26).
12. All church members, as being members in the body, must look out for all the daughters and sisters.
13. No one claiming the name of Jesus Christ is allowed to marry outside the Lord (I Cor 7:39; 11:11).
14. Consider the care and value of marrying in the Lord (Genesis 20:12; 24:1-4; 28:1-2; I Cor 9:5).
15. Consider the danger and loss of marrying out of the Lord (Gen 6:1-4; I Kgs 11:1-8; Neh 13:23-31).
16. The goal is spiritual young men fearing God, demanding truth, and loving Jesus Christ, nothing less.
17. Practice promoting good young men at an early age to keep girl’s minds from wandering to fools.
18. The goal is glorious – godly marriages in the fear of the Lord with the prospect of godly families!

Conclusion:

1. Let me see the committed fathers, grandfathers, and brothers of the women and girls that stood moments ago.
2. We want to pray for the Lord to: (a) get all our girls’ hearts, (b) provide husbands, and (c) recover the lost.

For further study:

1. Sermon Outline: Marriage Only in the Lord
2. Sermon Outline: Biblical Separation