27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”
Without question, Shechem had sinned against Jacob and his family when he violated Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. Now Jacob’s sons put a scheme into action to exact revenge. The result—Jacob’s sons plundered the city and took the families and possessions of all of Shechem’s men. A victory? Probably not.
When we take matters into our own hands, we often find ways to make things work. Whenever we are hurt or offended, we can feel justified in whatever actions we choose to take, but find ourselves responding in ways that prove even more damaging. Just because we can “get even” doesn’t mean wisdom would allow us to do that.
Throughout Scripture, God asks us to trust Him to bring justice to our hurts. He knows there’s no healing in our actions of retribution. He heals wounded hearts if we will learn to trust Him to stand on our side. God is just and he will balance the scales in His time and in His perfect way.
– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.
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