The Christian Family: Children, Fatherhood, and Generational Faithfulness: The Family

Family Sins Part 1 of 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Family Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-02-02

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver examines Genesis 34 to explore the concept of 'family sins,' emphasizing that while each person is accountable for their own sin, individual sins inevitably affect the entire family. He focuses on the sins of Jacob and his daughter Dinah, showing how Jacob's disobedience in settling in Shechem instead of returning to his kindred set the stage for Dinah's defilement, and how Dinah's own curiosity and disregard for parental authority led to tragedy. The message underscores the interconnectedness of family members and the importance of obedience, godly example, and parental authority.

[John Weaver] I'm not preaching the normal message today. So open your Bibles to Genesis 34. I'm preaching what the Lord gave me. So here we go. Genesis 34. And I want us to read as far as I can, because I'm going to begin a message today, which I have entitled family sins. I will actually finish the message next Sunday, but I think the subject is vitally important. So look in Genesis 34, if you would, and begin there with verse one.

[John Weaver] And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she bared to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her. And his soul claimed to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel and spake kindly into the damsel. And Shechem spake into his father, Hamor, saying, get me this damsel to wife. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Don his daughter. Now his sons were with this cattle in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they were come. And Hammer, the father of Shechem, went out of Jacob to commune with him. And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it. And the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done. And Hammer communed with them, saying, the soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter.

[John Weaver] I pray you give her to him to wife and make you marriages with us and give your daughters unto us and take our daughters unto you and you shall dwell with us and the land shall be before you dwell and trade you therein and get you possessions therein and Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren let me find grace in your eyes and what you shall say to me I will give ask me never so much dowry and gift and I will give according as you shall say to me but give me the damsel to wife and Jacob And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamer's father deceitfully and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said unto them, we cannot do this thing to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised for that were a reproach unto us.

[John Weaver] But in this will we consent unto you. If you will be as we be that every male of you be circumcised, then will we give our daughters unto you and we will take your daughters unto us and we will dwell with you and we will become one people. But if you will not hearken unto us to be circumcised. Then we will take our daughter and we will be gone.'

[John Weaver] And their words pleased Hamer and Shechem, Hamer's son. And the young men deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he was more honorable than all the house of his father. And Hamer and Shechem, his son, came into the gate of their city and communed with the men of their city, saying, These men are peaceable with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade therein. For the land, behold, it is large enough for them Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? Only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us. And unto Amor and unto Shechem his son hearken to all that went out of the gate of the city. And every male will circumcise all that went out of the gate of his city.

[John Weaver] came to pass on the third day when they were sore that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword and came upon the city boldly and slew all the males. And they slew Hammer and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and spoiled the city because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep and their ox and their asses and that which was in the city and that which was in the field.

[John Weaver] And all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives. And they took captive and spoiled even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, you have troubled me to make me distinct among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and parasites. And I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me and slay me. And I shall be destroyed. I, in my house.

[John Weaver] And they said, should he deal with our sister as with a harlot. I can imagine the surprise in each one's mind as I announce the title of this message, Family Sins. The title sounds almost like a TV drama or soap opera series. Unhappily, we do not need to turn to Hollywood for direction in this message. We have been given ample material in the Bible. If we were to examine our personal lives and our family lives, I'm sure that we could find an additional wealth of material on the subject.

[John Weaver] Now you have been taught and you have understood. I hope biblically and correctly. So that each man, each individual is responsible for his own sin. Let me just tell you, the Bible says in the book of Ezekiel 18 in verse 20, Listen to what God says. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.

[John Weaver] The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Notice he said, every man shall die for his own sin. Father shall not die for the son, son shall not die for the father, each one is responsible and accountable. When you get to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 24 and verse 16, God says it like this, the father shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin. Each of us understand, or at least we should understand, that we are answerable and accountable for our own sins. Our sins are our own and we must face.

[John Weaver] The consequences for our attitudes and our actions. However, there is another principle in scripture. I want you to hold Genesis 34, but I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 14 and verse seven, Romans 14 and verse seven. Watch carefully. Romans 14 and verse 7 the Bible just simply says this for none of us liveth to himself and No man Died to himself Now it is true that we're each responsible for our own sins But here is another verse that says no man liveth into himself and no man dieth into himself Do

[John Weaver] you realize there are such things as learned behavior patterns? There are such things as learned sins. In fact, many children learn their sins from their parents. Greediness, selfishness, anger, rebellion, lustfulness, even idolatry can be learned. Let me just very quickly Give you some verses that demonstrate this in second Chronicles 30 in verse eight. You don't have to turn there. Let me just quote it. Second Chronicles chapter 30 verse eight.

[John Weaver] God says, now be ye not stiff necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord and enter into his sanctuary, which he had sanctified forever. and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you."

[John Weaver] Now listen to what he said. Now, be ye not stiff-necked as your fathers were. In other words, don't imitate them, don't emulate them, don't take their sins for your sins. And then in Zechariah chapter 1 in verse 4, he said it like this, be not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn you now from your evil ways and from your evil doings. But they did not hear or hearken unto me, saith the Lord."

[John Weaver] Now, what did God say to these children? Don't be like your fathers. Don't copy their sins. Don't follow them in their wickedness in a rebellion. But God said they wouldn't listen. They wouldn't hearken. Stephen, their first martyr, In Acts chapter 7 in verse 51, when he was speaking to the people, he said this, You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did. So do you. I hope you understand that what Stephen is saying, what Zachariah is saying, that here are these children that have learned their sins from their parents. So sins then are not only oftentimes based upon our own lusts, but they are oftentimes learned behavior patterns. It should be an eye-opening concept to most parents to understand that in all probabilities In all probability, your children will turn out to be a carbon copy of you.

[John Weaver] Stop and think about that. They will embrace our attitudes. They will embrace our actions. They will follow our conduct. And sometimes they will go beyond us in our sin and in our rebellion. For instance, in the book of Judges, chapter 2 and verse 19, the Bible says this concerning the children of Israel. And it came to pass when the judge was dead that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them.

[John Weaver] They ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way. But notice what he said. They corrupted themselves more than their fathers. In other words, their rebellion, their wickedness exceeded that which they learned from their parents.

[John Weaver] Now, let me say something else in light of this. It is not always the case, but usually so, and generally so, that if the children are taught biblically and are given a godly example, they will turn out to be responsible godly children. Now I said generally so and usually so because I don't want to presume upon the grace of God. It is true based upon the scripture that God normally, usually sets his elect in families.

[John Weaver] That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 22 and verse 6, train up a child in the way that he should go and when he's old he will not depart from it. However, I'm sure you have known and I have known there have been absolute corrupt and wicked families that all of a sudden here is a godly individual. Read the Bible. You will find many times a wicked ungodly father produced a godly son, especially in the kingship line. Read about Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a good king. He was a godly king. His father was a wicked king. His son turned out wicked. His wicked son's son turned out godly. But the point I'm trying to make, as a general rule, God normally places His elect in families, and as a general rule, if we train up the children in the way that they should go, when we live a godly example in front of them, and teach them godly ways, generally, they turn out to be godly individuals. Now I just read to you Genesis chapter 34.

[John Weaver] The question we have to ask is, what happened in Dinah's case? I mean, Jacob is known as the father of Israel. In fact, his name was changed to Israel. He produced the 12 sons, the 12 tribes. So what happened in Dinah's case? The answer is, what usually happens today. We could also answer that with this, what has happened in times past and continues to happen down through the ages.

[John Weaver] What we have forgotten is this, our sin or our sins always affect others. Not only do our sins affect others, but sin will beget sin.

[John Weaver] Now before you begin to argue that what happened to Dinah was not Dinah's fault, you need to consider all the facts. So what I want to do today is I want you to consider with me first of all the sin of Jacob, secondly the sin of Dinah, and then next week we're going to look at some more family sins. But let's consider the sin of Jacob first. If you will look in your Bibles, in Genesis chapter 28, turn there if you would, and let me ask you a question. We know that Jacob is in Shechem. So here's my question. What in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem?

[John Weaver] Now he had been sent by his father and his mother to Paddan Aram, which is Syria, to get a wife for himself. And if you'll look in Genesis 28 in verse 5, and Isaac sent away Jacob and he went to Paddan Aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother. And of course he went there to get a wife. Now, you remember how he served Laban 14 years for Rachel and for Leah, and then he served another period of time for all the sheep that he got. So if you look in Genesis chapter 33 now, notice verse 17, Jacob is on his way back. The Bible says, and Jacob journeyed to Succoth and built him a house and made booths for his cattle. Therefore, the name of that place is called Succoth. But now he did not stay in Succoth. Skip down to verse 18. And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram and pitched his tent before the city.

[John Weaver] And he bought a parcel of a field where he had sprayed his tent at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money. And he erected there an altar and he called it El Elohi Israel. So, the question that I have to ask again is this, what in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem? Let me ask it another way. Was there anything wrong with living in Shechem? Undoubtedly, there was and could not be anything wrong with living in Shechem if that was where the Lord wanted Jacob to live. Why in the world did Jacob stop in Shechem and buy a parcel of land.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Genesis 31 and verses 2 and 3. Genesis 31, beginning there in verse 2.

[John Weaver] Now, Laban's countenance has changed against Jacob because he sees that God is giving him all of his cattle. And the Bible says this, Jacob is speaking now, Genesis 31 verse 2, and Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban Behold, it was not toward him as before. And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto thy land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, and to his flock. And he said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before, but the God of my father hath been with me. And then, of course, here Jacob says, he's called on me to leave. But I want you to know what God told him. In verse 3, he tells Jacob to return to the land of his father and to his kindred. His kindred did not live in Shechem. If you look in Genesis 32 and verse 9, Jacob understood this. Genesis 32 and verse 9, and Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said unto me, Return to thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee.

[John Weaver] So twice now, it has been told to Jacob, and Jacob understood it, that he was to return to his country, and he was returned to his kindred. Now, you know the story, how Jacob is coming back into the land, And Esau hears about it. And Esau is coming to meet Jacob with 400 men. And Jacob is afraid. And you remember how he divides his family into companies and how he sends presents to Esau to try to pacify him. Well, of course, Esau comes and he and Jacob hugs and Jacob encourages him to keep the gifts and keep the presents that he sent.

[John Weaver] He says, I have plenty. And Esau now is asking Jacob to come with him to Mount Seir. So I want you to notice, if you would please, in Genesis 33 and verse 14, here is what Jacob tells Esau. Look at it. Let my Lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant, and I will lead on softly according as the cattle that goeth before me, and the children be able to endure until I come unto my Lord unto Mount Seir.

[John Weaver] Seer oh Now wait a minute. God had told him returned to Canaan and to his kindred if you look in Genesis chapter 36 Genesis 36 verses 8 and 9 Watch this Genesis 36 verse 8 thus dwelt Esau and Mount Seir Esau is Eden. These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites and Mount Seir These are the names of Esau's son. Note if you would, Esau lived in Mount Seir. Esau as Edom. Edom was not Jacob's country. Esau may have been his kin, but it was not his country. Ah, now what did God tell Jacob to do? He told him to go to his country and to his kindred. Where did his kindred live? His father was still alive and his father lived in Hebron. Look in your Bibles to Genesis 35. Notice if you would beginning there in verse 27. This is later.

[John Weaver] Now this is after Shechem. Okay. This is after his time in Shechem in Genesis 34. So here you have Genesis 35. Verse 27, And Jacob came unto Isaac his father, unto Mamre, unto the city of Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. And the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years. And Isaac gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. I want you to think about this. Why in the world did Jacob stop in Shechem, when his elderly father was in Hebron and evidently dying. And remember, he hadn't seen him now in about 20 years. Why in the world would he stop in Shechem? Do you remember when Jacob left his parents to go to Paddan Aram to seek a wife? There was a place there, on his way, after he left Isaac and Rebekah, there was a place that he went to sleep. And God revealed himself to Jacob.

[John Weaver] Look back in your Bibles to Genesis 28. Here Jacob is, now he is leaving his family, he's leaving his country, and he's going into Paddan Aram. And notice if you would, in Genesis 28, beginning there with verse 16, Jacob is sleeping not far from where his parents lived. Notice, and Jacob awaked out of his sleep and he said, surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, how dreadful is this place.

[John Weaver] This is none other but the house of God. This is the gate of heaven. Jacob arose up early in the morning and took the stone that he'd put for his pillows. and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city was called Luz at first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God, and this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house, and all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. Now, notice God has particularly and peculiarly revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel. Jacob says, this is the house of God. What did God tell Jacob?

[John Weaver] He said, arise and go back to your country and to your kindred. Now, note if you would, the incident with Dinah happens in Genesis 34. The incident with Simeon Levi happened in Genesis 34. Now look in Genesis chapter 35 and verse 1. We're going to come back to Genesis 34, but look at verse 1 of Genesis 35. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel. That's where God appeared to him in the beginning. Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar unto God that appeared unto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Now wait a minute, Jacob is in Shechem. After the incident with Dinah, after the incident with Simeon and Levi, now God says, go back to Bethel. That's where I reveal myself to you. That's the house of God. Do you realize, had Jacob obeyed God to begin with, and returned to his country and to his kindred, Hebron was only 30 miles from Bethel. So my question is, what in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem?

[John Weaver] Why did he not go to his country and to his kindred? Had he gone there initially The incident Genesis 34 would never happened. But I want to show you something. Go back to Genesis 33 and look at verse 19. Remember now God had told Jacob to go back to his country and to his kingdom and to his kindred. Watch if you would please. In verse 19, he gets to Shechem and he bought a parcel of a field where he had spread his tent at the hand of the children of Amor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money."

[John Weaver] Let me ask you a question. Since God had told Jacob to go back to his country and to his kingdom, he wanted him back around Hebron and Bethel, why did Jacob buy a parcel of ground in Shechem? Why do you buy land when you're traveling? We just came back from Indiana. I didn't stop on the way up or on the way back and buy a parcel of ground. I haven't lost anything in Indiana or any of the other states I passed through.

[John Weaver] The point I'm trying to make is this. Did he do like Lot? You remember Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the well-watered plains of Sodom and Gomorrah. Did Jacob just lift up his eyes and say, man, look at the pasture here. I've got cattle. I've got sheep. This is a wonderful place to raise cattle and sheep. Sodom and Gomorrah was a wonderful place to raise cattle and sheep too. Wasn't fit for children. Wasn't fit for families. Wonderful place for cows. Is that what Jacob did? Or maybe Jacob said, I'm just tired. I've wrestled with God.

[John Weaver] I faced my brother Esau. I'm just going to give in and give up and give out and rest a while. I don't know. But he bought a piece of land and God had told him, return to your country and to your kindred. Now Shechem, that land was true in the country. But it wasn't anywhere near his kindred.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to watch something else he did. Look in Genesis 33 and verse 20. When he got to Shechem, the Bible says he erected there an altar and called it El Elohi Israel. Now let me tell you something about building an altar unto God. I don't care if you follow it through Abraham or Isaac. or anyone else. Do you know where altars were built? Altars were only built to God where God had peculiarly and particularly manifested himself. God had never manifested himself to Jacob in Shechem. He had manifested himself in Bethel. That's when he anointed that pillar with oil and he said this is none other than the house of God. So if God did not manifest himself to Jacob in Shechem, why did Jacob build an altar there? Well, Jacob just simply took it upon himself to erect an altar. Let me tell you something, folks. An altar is meaningless if you're out of the will of God. What good is it to try to worship God if you're in rebellion to God.

[John Weaver] You know, our Lord said it like this. He said, if you come to the altar to worship God, and there remember that your brother hath ought against you, what's he saying? Leave your gift at the altar, go and be reconciled to thy brother, and then come back and offer your gift. What good would it do to offer a gift when you're harboring hatred and malice and ill will and unforgiving attitudes in your heart. It's not. It's worthless. You know what Jacob was doing, I believe? Jacob was doing what so many people do.

[John Weaver] They were erecting a front. They were erecting a facade. They were pretending, Jacob was pretending, like others, that he was really right with God and really wanted to do that which was right and at the same time he was living in rebellion to God's plain command. God had told him, return to your country and your kindred and Jacob had refused to do that.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you something. Had Jacob obeyed God Dinah would have never been in Shechem. If Dinah had never been in Shechem, then Shechem, the son of Hamor, would have never defiled her. The point I want you to make, I want to make is this. Our sins affect every member of our family. Our sins affect our church. Our sins affect other people. No man liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself. We cannot harbor even secret sins and not expect them to ultimately influence our children. I want you to see that Jacob's sin is connected to Dinah's sin. It is true Dinah is responsible for her sins. Jacob's responsible for his sins, but the sins are connected. They're family sins. And you're going to see that the sin of one affects the lives of others. I want you to look secondly today with me and consider the sin of Dinah. Look in Genesis chapter 34 and verse one. And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she barren to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land."

[John Weaver] Now the word Dinah is the feminine of Dan, which the name actually means judged or avenged. And I want you to note as you look at verse 1 of Genesis 34, how casually and apparently innocently Her actions are stated and Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she barren to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask a question. What could possibly be wrong for a young girl to go out and visit other girls? What could possibly be wrong with visiting the daughters of the land? Well first, let me tell you, without me going through all the chronology and the genealogy, Dinah was at this time between the ages of 13 and 15. That was a marriageable age back at that particular time. But here is a young girl between 13 and 15 and she goes out to visit the daughters of the land. Secondly, the daughters of the land that she went out to see and visit were Canaanites. The Canaanites in the Bible were some of the most wicked and vile people that ever lived. When you look at Genesis 34 verse 1, and Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she barren to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

[John Weaver] The word see in the Hebrew actually means to see to perceive, to comprehend, to gaze, and to regard. In other words, there was something about the daughters of the land that attracted Dinah. Basically, she went out to see the manners and the customs and the fashions of the women, and according to the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the word actually means she went out to learn. the fashions of the land.

[John Weaver] Now Josephus, the Jewish historian, says that there was a festival going on and she knew that there'd be plenty of young women there and we'd give her an opportunity to see and regard how they lived and how they dressed and how they conducted themselves. There are other commentators who suggest that Shechem had previously seen Dinah and that he himself had put on this festival just to get her away from her parents. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. But regardless of how it came about, in all probability, Dinah left home without her parents' permission. and certainly without their protection and authority.

[John Weaver] You and I have heard the expression curiosity kill the cat. Curiosity may not only kill cats, but curiosity will get us all into trouble. And especially when we're curious about things that God has forbidden, let me just spell it to you very Plainly. When God forbids something, we do not need to be curious about it or interested in it. Period. I have no desire to know how tarot cards work. I have no desire to know how fortune tellers cook up their lies. I don't want to know. God has forbidden that. When God forbids anything, You and I should never ever be curious about it. God had certainly for bad young women to go out without the parents permission and protection.

[John Weaver] Let me read you the comment of John Calvin on this section. He says this, listen carefully. Dinah is ravished because having left her father's house, she wandered about more freely than was proper. she ought to remain quietly at home as both the apostle teaches and nature itself dictates for to girls the virtue is suitable which the proverb applies to women that they should be keepers of the house therefore fathers of families are taught to keep their daughters under strict discipline if they desire to preserve

[John Weaver] them free of all dishonor for if a vain curiosity was so heavily punished in the daughter of holy Jacob Not less danger hangs over weak virgins at this day if they go too boldly and eagerly into public assemblies and excite the passions of youth toward themselves. For it is not to be doubted that Moses in part cast the blame of the offense upon Dinah herself when he says she went out to see the daughters of the land whereas she ought to have remained under a mother's eyes in the tent. In other words, what he's saying is Her place was at home. Her place should not have been out wandering around without parental permission and without parental protection. Now, let me just cover some lessons that we need to learn from Dinah's sin.

[John Weaver] Look, if you would, at verse one again. Notice how apparently innocently this is stated, and Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she bared to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. First, we need to be concerned about what we see and hear. The eyes and the ears are direct channels to the soul. When we behold or even desire to behold that which is forbidden, we're setting ourselves up as a horrible fall.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles, whole Genesis 34, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2. Let me show you a passage, 2 Peter 2. And look if you would please at verses 7 and 8. I've often made this statement, if the Bible had not told me That lot was a righteous man. I would have said that loss was as lost as a lot. That lot was as lost as a hound dog. But look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] Second Peter two, verse seven, talking about God and delivered just lot. So he was a just man vexed, vexed. vexed with the filthy conversation or conduct of the wicked. How did Lot vex himself with the filthy conduct of the wicked? Look at verse 8. For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. You've got to remember that the eyes and the ears are the channels to the soul. Lot vexed his righteous soul in seeing and hearing.

[John Weaver] I want to tell you something. It is true that TV has become an absolute plague in our homes today most of the time. But if I know in advance that a program is going to be or have involved in it, sodomy or adultery, I refuse to watch it. I am not going to watch anything like that. I'm just not going to do it. I don't even, if, if, if I, if I see, well, here's a movie, this sounds good. And I click on the little thing that'll tell me what it's about.

[John Weaver] And it talks about women having affairs and men having affairs. I'm not watching it. I don't want to see it. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to hear it. And the Bible says, here just Lot dwelt with the wicked and vexed his righteous soul every day. How? In seeing and hearing. There are certain things we ought not to be seeing and we ought not to be hearing.

[John Weaver] You know what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 6 verses 22 and 23. Listen to what he said. The light of the body is the eye. If therefore the eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness. What's he saying? We should have an eye that is single.

[John Weaver] We're not going to be watching and looking and listening to that which is contrary to His Word and His truth. We need to learn to pray like David. David in Psalm 119 in verse 37 prayed this. Listen. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in the way. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, Do you realize what the New Testament tells us in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 2? We're commanded there to set our affection on things above and not on things of the earth. Colossians 3, 2. Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth. After we set Our affection on things above after we refuse to behold vanity. We need the determination that David had. And Psalm 101 in verse three, when David said this, listen carefully, I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside.

[John Weaver] It shall not cleave unto me. What did you hear him? I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate, I hate, he says, the work of them that turn aside, those who turn aside from God and God's love. I hate that. I will not have it. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. We have to learn, folks, that we cannot dabble with sin and escape. Our eyes and our ears have to be guarded equally as our tongues are guarded. And as we guard our eyes, our ears, and our tongues, we basically guard our minds. And we need to remember a certain principle of Scripture, and that is this, when God forbids any sin at the same time, He forbids any and every action that would lead up to that sin.

[John Weaver] So we have to understand, when Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, It was not just a casual glimpse. Had Dinah not wanted to see the daughters of the land, it never would have happened. Secondly, Dinah did not properly regard or understand the role of her parents. Let me tell you, God did not give parents to hinder their children God gave parents to help their children. God gave parents to lead, guide, direct, teach, educate, provide, and protect. And I know when you get to be about 18, you think your parents are the dumbest people in the entire world.

[John Weaver] That all they're trying to do is keep you from having fun. And it's amazing. When you hit 30 and 40, you begin to think, you know, my parents weren't so dumb after all. They knew exactly what they were talking about. You see, when Dinah undertook to be her own authority, well, I'll do what I want to do. She sinned. And she got herself into trouble. I want you to understand that scripture is very explicit on the role of children. And when I say children, I don't care if you're 25 years of age, if you were still home, if you're still under your parents authority. God still says, children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.

[John Weaver] Honor thy father and thy mother which is the first commandment of the promise that your days may be long upon the earth which is given thee. How few children understand these principles and fewer yet obey them. But they disobey them to their own detriment. Now why did God give parents to children? There are three reasons. God gave parents. so that the parents could be, to the children, a prophet, a priest, and a king. As a prophet, we're to declare under our children the word of God. As a priest, we're to make intercession, praying for our children. As a king, we're to rule over our children.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. When a child disregards the authority of the father and the mother, at the same time, he's disregarding the authority of God. It's God who placed the parents in the role of prophet, priest, and king. It's God who gave the parents. And when a child or children deliberately and maliciously depart from God's standard and God's ordained plan, they bring upon themselves destruction and heartache.

[John Weaver] That's exactly what happened to Dinah. She disregarded her parents' authority and she fell into heartache and trouble. You know what should be the hardest thing for a child? Now, listen to me. The hardest thing a child should ever face is leaving home and leaving their parents. Grown children who leave home and leave their parents must know that there is a proper biblical way to do that. You try to leave apart from God's orderly way and you're going to end up in trouble. It is good for children to love home and to love their parents. It is the parent's wisdom to make that home lovable and themselves lovable. So the children should rejoice in their duty to their parents and to their home.

[John Weaver] Now let me just tell you, in one sense of the word, the sin that I'm talking about could be on either party, the children or the parents. If a father refuses to rule his home in love, it is his sin. If the children refuse to submit to a loving and godly father and mother, it is their sin. That's why I said the shoe could be on either foot.

[John Weaver] Things never go well when the authority of a parent runs low in a family. Scripture admonishes us Let every man bear rule in his own house and have his children in subjection with all gravity." So what was Dinah saying? She was curious about that which God had forbidden. And she evidently had no regard for her parents' authority and protection.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, let me point out. That it is a sin as well as a shame. When children dishonor their parents. There are many ways to dishonor your parents. Let me give you some examples and let me go from what I'm going to call from the general to the specific look in your Bibles. If you would to the book of Proverbs chapter 17 and verse two, watch this carefully. Proverbs 17. And verse two, look what the Bible says. Proverbs 17, verse two, a wise son, a wise servant shall have rule over a son that causes shame and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren. A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causes shame. In other words, the son is such a disgrace. that the parents elevate the servant above the son.

[John Weaver] Now interestingly the word shame here would include any and every form of shame and any and every form of shame is condemned. The Hebrew word for shamed could also be translated as confounded or disappointed. So he could say A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causes disappointment. One that doesn't amount to anything.

[John Weaver] Now listen, shame may either be general or specific. Let me show you. Look in Proverbs 19 and verse 26. Proverbs 19 verse 26. Look at this. He that wasteth his father and chasteth away his mother is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to stop and think about this. Proverbs 17.2 is very general.

[John Weaver] Now we're getting a little more specific. He that wasteth his father. What are we talking about? We're talking about spin thrift. We're talking about someone who tears up property, who maliciously destroys property. He has no concern for his father, his father's work, his father's savings. Watch. He that wastes his father and chases away his mother. In other words, here's a son that has no respect for his mother.

[John Weaver] He's only willing to harm her and hurt her. He's willing to chase her down to do it. You and I could sit here all day and talk about children that are drunkards, dopeheads, gamblers, whoremongers. They've destroyed their families. They've wasted their father's earnings, have no respect from up. God says, here's a shame. I want to point something out. Do you realize for a child to call shame and dishonor on a family, he doesn't have to be a drunkard or a whoremonger or a dopehead.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to Proverbs 10. Proverbs 10 and verse 5. Proverbs 10 and verse 5. The Bible says, he that gathereth in summer is a wise son, but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. What's a wise son? Someone that has learned a biblical work ethic. What's a son that causeth shame? Someone that's a lazy, sluggard, he's worthless, or as we say in South Georgia, he wouldn't hit a lick at a snake. You know, The Hebrews had a saying, he that does not teach his son the law and a trade, teaches him to be a crook and a thief. That's exactly what this word is saying right here. So the son or the child is just a pure sluggard, brings dishonor and shame upon his family. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 29 and verse 15. Proverbs 29, verse 15. Now, you know, I told you earlier that the sin could be on the parador of the child. The shoe could be on either foot. But look in Proverbs 29, verse 15, the Bible says this.

[John Weaver] The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself bringing his mother to shame. What's a child left to himself? It's one who's undisciplined, uninstructed, left to his own devices. You want to know how to turn out a sorry child? Just let him do what he wants to do. That's the way to do it. Let him have his way. You can turn one out. But the Bible says the rod and reproof give wisdom.

[John Weaver] We're talking about family sins. Now, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know if Dinah was raped or seduced. She may have been consenting. Who knows? I'm just simply pointing out the fact that Dinah is responsible for her own sin If she was seduced, if she gave in, that's her sin. But she would have never been put in that place had Jacob gone where God had told him to go. And she would have never been put in that place had she respected the authority of her parents. And I understand this. The Bible is talking about the rod and her proof given wisdom. I understand that fathers oftentimes are far more willing to correct a son, far more ready to correct your son than they are daughter. And I know that daughters have special places in father's hearts. I understand that the sin could be the child's or the sin could be the parents, family sins work both ways. Was Jacob wrong? Yes. Was Dinah wrong? Yes. Jacob sinned and Dinah sinned. But I want you to understand that Jacob's sin affected Dinah and his family.

[John Weaver] And you're going to find out next week that Dinah's sin affected her brothers and her family. as well. No one lives to himself and no one dies to himself. We have to consider that whatever we do reflects upon our family, affects our family, reflects upon our church, affects our church, it even affects our state and our nation. And I can show you the scripture on that. We do not live to ourselves nor do we die to ourselves.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Before I ask it, I want you to turn to Genesis 46. Genesis 46. Just turn there and get ready, because I want to show you a verse. I want to ask you a question.

[John Weaver] Would you like to know what eventually happened to Dinah? Did she marry? Later on? Did she have children? Was there a happy ending? No one knows the answers to those questions. But if you look in Genesis 46 and verse 15, When Jacob goes down into Egypt, verse 15, these be the sons of Leah, which she barren to Jacob in Paddan Aram with his daughter, Dinah, all the souls of his sons and his daughters were 30 and three. Dinah did go in to Egypt with Jacob. Was she married? I don't know. Did she ever marry? I don't know. Do you ever have children? I don't know. Are you listening?

[John Weaver] I find it interesting and informative that when we live disobedient, disrespectful and dishonorable lives. Our lives have no meaning and basically are not worth mentioning. This is the last we read of Dinah. She went into Egypt and that's it. What a sad ending. Let me make some implications. It was wrong and wicked for Dinah to go without her parents' permission, and it was certainly wrong and wicked for Dinah to remove herself from under her father's protection.

[John Weaver] When young men and young women assume and presume that they may do as they please, go where they please, whenever they please, they're dishonoring God and dishonoring and respecting their parents. Period. Children, even grown children, have to learn that God does have an orderly way of leaving home, of marrying and starting a new home. One does not end up in the right place unless he starts off on the right road. Parents, now listen. If we want our children to be right and do right, It's important that we be right and do right. How can we expect our children to turn out right if we are unwilling to be their instructors and their examples?

[John Weaver] We cannot take the attitude, do as I say, not do as I do. No, we don't have to instruct them. We have to lead them and expect them to do as we do. And that's exactly what they're going to do. So if we want them to turn out to be obedient and godly, we must be obedient and godly. The third application is this. If we want our lives to count, we have to learn to be obedient to God and His Word.

[John Weaver] Otherwise, we like Dinah will drift into obscurity.

[John Weaver] You say my sins are my own. Yes, they are. But what you do. Affects your family. Your brothers, your sisters, your father, your mother, your children. And a multitude of others that you may not even know. For no man lived to himself. And no man died. to himself. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ today that you would help us speak to our hearts, teach us, build us up in the most holy faith and help us to see Lord these two truths that we are answerable and accountable and responsible for our own sins. But our sins also affect others. Make us holy, make us obedient, make us godly. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

Family Sins Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	3P9a0De5LYM
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Children, Fatherhood, and Generational Faithfulness: The Family
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 034: Family Sins — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	81

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Reality of Family Sins

Weaver introduces the topic of family sins, noting that while each person is responsible for their own sin, sins are often learned and affect others.

I'm not preaching the normal message today. So open your Bibles to Genesis 34. I'm preaching what the Lord gave me. So here we go. Genesis 34. And I want us to read as far as I can, because I'm going to begin a message today, which I have entitled "Family Sins." I will actually finish the message next Sunday, but I think the subject is vitally important. So look in Genesis 34, if you would, and begin there with verse one.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 34:1-31

And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she bare to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her. And his soul clave unto Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel and spake kindly unto the damsel. And Shechem spake unto his father, Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they were come. And Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out unto Jacob to commune with him. And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it. And the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done. And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter. I pray you give her to him to wife, and make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you. And ye shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein. And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife. And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us. But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone. And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father. And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying, These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us. And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field. And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

I can imagine the surprise in each one's mind as I announce the title of this message, "Family Sins." The title sounds almost like a TV drama or soap opera series. Unhappily, we do not need to turn to Hollywood for direction in this message. We have been given ample material in the Bible. If we were to examine our personal lives and our family lives, I'm sure that we could find an additional wealth of material on the subject.

Individual Responsibility vs. Corporate Influence

Scripture teaches individual accountability (Ezekiel 18:20), but also that no one lives or dies to himself (Romans 14:7); sins can be learned behaviors.

Now you have been taught and you have understood, I hope, biblically and correctly, so that each man, each individual is responsible for his own sin. Let me just tell you, the Bible says in the book of Ezekiel 18 and verse 20, listen to what God says: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son." "The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Notice he said, every man shall die for his own sin. Father shall not die for the son, son shall not die for the father, each one is responsible and accountable. When you get to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 24 and verse 16, God says it like this:

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 24:16

"The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin."

Each of us understand, or at least we should understand, that we are answerable and accountable for our own sins. Our sins are our own and we must face the consequences for our attitudes and our actions.

However, there is another principle in scripture. I want you to hold Genesis 34, but I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 14 and verse 7, Romans 14 and verse 7. Watch carefully. Romans 14 and verse 7, the Bible just simply says this:

Scripture Reading — Romans 14:7

"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself."

Now it is true that we're each responsible for our own sins, but here is another verse that says no man liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself. Do you realize there are such things as learned behavior patterns? There are such things as learned sins. In fact, many children learn their sins from their parents. Greediness, selfishness, anger, rebellion, lustfulness, even idolatry can be learned. Let me just very quickly give you some verses that demonstrate this. In 2 Chronicles 30 and verse 8, you don't have to turn there. Let me just quote it. 2 Chronicles chapter 30 verse 8.

God says, "Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you." Now listen to what he said. "Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were." In other words, don't imitate them, don't emulate them, don't take their sins for your sins. And then in Zechariah chapter 1 and verse 4, he said it like this:

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 1:4

"Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD."

Now, what did God say to these children? Don't be like your fathers. Don't copy their sins. Don't follow them in their wickedness and rebellion. But God said they wouldn't listen. They wouldn't hearken. Stephen, the first martyr, in Acts chapter 7 and verse 51, when he was speaking to the people, he said this:

Scripture Reading — Acts 7:51

"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."

I hope you understand that what Stephen is saying, what Zechariah is saying, that here are these children that have learned their sins from their parents. So sins then are not only oftentimes based upon our own lusts, but they are oftentimes learned behavior patterns. It should be an eye-opening concept to most parents to understand that in all probability, your children will turn out to be a carbon copy of you.

The Sin of Jacob: Disobedience in Location

Jacob disobeyed God's command to return to his country and kindred by settling in Shechem, buying land, and building an unauthorized altar, which set the stage for Dinah's defilement.

Now before you begin to argue that what happened to Dinah was not Dinah's fault, you need to consider all the facts. So what I want to do today is I want you to consider with me first of all the sin of Jacob, secondly the sin of Dinah, and then next week we're going to look at some more family sins. But let's consider the sin of Jacob first. If you will look in your Bibles, in Genesis chapter 28, turn there if you would, and let me ask you a question. We know that Jacob is in Shechem. So here's my question. What in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem?

Now he had been sent by his father and his mother to Paddan-aram, which is Syria, to get a wife for himself. And if you'll look in Genesis 28 in verse 5,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 28:5, 16-22

"And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother."

And of course he went there to get a wife. Now, you remember how he served Laban 14 years for Rachel and for Leah, and then he served another period of time for all the sheep that he got. So if you look in Genesis chapter 33 now, notice verse 17, Jacob is on his way back. The Bible says, "And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth." But now he did not stay in Succoth. Skip down to verse 18. "And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city."

"And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel." So, the question that I have to ask again is this, what in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem? Let me ask it another way. Was there anything wrong with living in Shechem? Undoubtedly, there was and could not be anything wrong with living in Shechem if that was where the Lord wanted Jacob to live. Why in the world did Jacob stop in Shechem and buy a parcel of land?

Scripture Reading — Genesis 28:5, 16-22

Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Genesis 31 and verses 2 and 3. Genesis 31, beginning there in verse 2. Now, Laban's countenance has changed against Jacob because he sees that God is giving him all of his cattle. And the Bible says this, Jacob is speaking now, Genesis 31 verse 2, "And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock. And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me." And then, of course, here Jacob says, he's called on me to leave. But I want you to know what God told him. In verse 3, he tells Jacob to return to the land of his father and to his kindred. His kindred did not live in Shechem. If you look in Genesis 32 and verse 9, Jacob understood this. Genesis 32 and verse 9, "And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee." So twice now, it has been told to Jacob, and Jacob understood it, that he was to return to his country, and he was to return to his kindred. Now, you know the story, how Jacob is coming back into the land, and Esau hears about it. And Esau is coming to meet Jacob with 400 men. And Jacob is afraid. And you remember how he divides his family into companies and how he sends presents to Esau to try to pacify him. Well, of course, Esau comes and he and Jacob hug and Jacob encourages him to keep the gifts and keep the presents that he sent. He says, I have plenty. And Esau now is asking Jacob to come with him to Mount Seir. So I want you to notice, if you would please, in Genesis 33 and verse 14, here is what Jacob tells Esau. Look at it. "Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir." Now wait a minute. God had told him return to Canaan and to his kindred. If you look in Genesis chapter 36, Genesis 36 verses 8 and 9, watch this. Genesis 36 verse 8, "Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom." These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir: these are the names of Esau's sons. Note if you would, Esau lived in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom. Edom was not Jacob's country. Esau may have been his kin, but it was not his country. Ah, now what did God tell Jacob to do? He told him to go to his country and to his kindred. Where did his kindred live? His father was still alive and his father lived in Hebron. Look in your Bibles to Genesis 35. Notice if you would beginning there in verse 27. This is later. Now this is after Shechem. Okay. This is after his time in Shechem in Genesis 34. So here you have Genesis 35. Verse 27, "And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him."

Now let me ask you a question. I want you to think about this. Why in the world did Jacob stop in Shechem, when his elderly father was in Hebron and evidently dying. And remember, he hadn't seen him now in about 20 years. Why in the world would he stop in Shechem? Do you remember when Jacob left his parents to go to Paddan-aram to seek a wife? There was a place there, on his way, after he left Isaac and Rebekah, there was a place that he went to sleep. And God revealed himself to Jacob.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 28:5, 16-22

Look back in your Bibles to Genesis 28. Here Jacob is, now he is leaving his family, he's leaving his country, and he's going into Paddan-aram. And notice if you would, in Genesis 28, beginning there with verse 16, Jacob is sleeping not far from where his parents lived. Notice, "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!" "This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Now, notice God has particularly and peculiarly revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel. Jacob says, this is the house of God. What did God tell Jacob?

He said, arise and go back to your country and to your kindred. Now, note if you would, the incident with Dinah happens in Genesis 34. The incident with Simeon and Levi happened in Genesis 34. Now look in Genesis chapter 35 and verse 1. We're going to come back to Genesis 34, but look at verse 1 of Genesis 35.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:1

"And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother."

Now wait a minute, Jacob is in Shechem. After the incident with Dinah, after the incident with Simeon and Levi, now God says, go back to Bethel. That's where I reveal myself to you. That's the house of God. Do you realize, had Jacob obeyed God to begin with, and returned to his country and to his kindred, Hebron was only 30 miles from Bethel. So my question is, what in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem?

Why did he not go to his country and to his kindred? Had he gone there initially, the incident in Genesis 34 would never have happened. But I want to show you something. Go back to Genesis 33 and look at verse 19. Remember now God had told Jacob to go back to his country and to his kindred. Watch if you would please. In verse 19, he gets to Shechem "and he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money."

Let me ask you a question. Since God had told Jacob to go back to his country and to his kindred, he wanted him back around Hebron and Bethel, why did Jacob buy a parcel of ground in Shechem? Why do you buy land when you're traveling? We just came back from Indiana. I didn't stop on the way up or on the way back and buy a parcel of ground. I haven't lost anything in Indiana or any of the other states I passed through. The point I'm trying to make is this. Did he do like Lot? You remember Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the well-watered plains of Sodom and Gomorrah. Did Jacob just lift up his eyes and say, man, look at the pasture here. I've got cattle. I've got sheep. This is a wonderful place to raise cattle and sheep. Sodom and Gomorrah was a wonderful place to raise cattle and sheep too. Wasn't fit for children. Wasn't fit for families. Wonderful place for cows. Is that what Jacob did? Or maybe Jacob said, I'm just tired. I've wrestled with God.

I faced my brother Esau. I'm just going to give in and give up and give out and rest a while. I don't know. But he bought a piece of land and God had told him, return to your country and to your kindred. Now Shechem, that land was true in the country. But it wasn't anywhere near his kindred.

Now I want you to watch something else he did. Look in Genesis 33 and verse 20. When he got to Shechem, the Bible says he erected there an altar and called it El-elohe-Israel. Now let me tell you something about building an altar unto God. I don't care if you follow it through Abraham or Isaac or anyone else. Do you know where altars were built? Altars were only built to God where God had peculiarly and particularly manifested himself. God had never manifested himself to Jacob in Shechem. He had manifested himself in Bethel. That's when he anointed that pillar with oil and he said this is none other than the house of God. So if God did not manifest himself to Jacob in Shechem, why did Jacob build an altar there? Well, Jacob just simply took it upon himself to erect an altar. Let me tell you something, folks. An altar is meaningless if you're out of the will of God. What good is it to try to worship God if you're in rebellion to God.

You know, our Lord said it like this. He said, if you come to the altar to worship God, and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee, what's he saying? Leave your gift at the altar, go and be reconciled to thy brother, and then come back and offer your gift. What good would it do to offer a gift when you're harboring hatred and malice and ill will and unforgiving attitudes in your heart. It's not. It's worthless. You know what Jacob was doing, I believe? Jacob was doing what so many people do.

They were erecting a front. They were erecting a facade. They were pretending, Jacob was pretending, like others, that he was really right with God and really wanted to do that which was right and at the same time he was living in rebellion to God's plain command. God had told him, return to your country and your kindred and Jacob had refused to do that.

The Sin of Dinah: Curiosity and Disregard for Authority

Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, likely without parental permission, exposing herself to danger and dishonoring her parents.

Now the word Dinah is the feminine of Dan, which the name actually means judged or avenged. And I want you to note as you look at verse 1 of Genesis 34, how casually and apparently innocently her actions are stated: "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land." Now, let me ask a question. What could possibly be wrong for a young girl to go out and visit other girls? What could possibly be wrong with visiting the daughters of the land? Well first, let me tell you, without me going through all the chronology and the genealogy, Dinah was at this time between the ages of 13 and 15. That was a marriageable age back at that particular time. But here is a young girl between 13 and 15 and she goes out to visit the daughters of the land. Secondly, the daughters of the land that she went out to see and visit were Canaanites. The Canaanites in the Bible were some of the most wicked and vile people that ever lived. When you look at Genesis 34 verse 1, "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land."

The word "see" in the Hebrew actually means to see, to perceive, to comprehend, to gaze, and to regard. In other words, there was something about the daughters of the land that attracted Dinah. Basically, she went out to see the manners and the customs and the fashions of the women, and according to the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the word actually means she went out to learn the fashions of the land. Now Josephus, the Jewish historian, says that there was a festival going on and she knew that there'd be plenty of young women there and it'd give her an opportunity to see and regard how they lived and how they dressed and how they conducted themselves. There are other commentators who suggest that Shechem had previously seen Dinah and that he himself had put on this festival just to get her away from her parents. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. But regardless of how it came about, in all probability, Dinah left home without her parents' permission and certainly without their protection and authority.

You and I have heard the expression "curiosity killed the cat." Curiosity may not only kill cats, but curiosity will get us all into trouble. And especially when we're curious about things that God has forbidden, let me just spell it to you very plainly. When God forbids something, we do not need to be curious about it or interested in it. Period. I have no desire to know how tarot cards work. I have no desire to know how fortune tellers cook up their lies. I don't want to know. God has forbidden that. When God forbids anything, you and I should never ever be curious about it. God had certainly forbidden young women to go out without the parents' permission and protection.

Let me read you the comment of John Calvin on this section. He says this, listen carefully. "Dinah is ravished because, having left her father's house, she wandered about more freely than was proper. She ought to remain quietly at home, as both the apostle teaches and nature itself dictates; for to girls the virtue is suitable which the proverb applies to women, that they should be keepers of the house. Therefore fathers of families are taught to keep their daughters under strict discipline, if they desire to preserve them free of all dishonor." "For if a vain curiosity was so heavily punished in the daughter of holy Jacob, not less danger hangs over weak virgins at this day, if they go too boldly and eagerly into public assemblies, and excite the passions of youth toward themselves. For it is not to be doubted that Moses in part cast the blame of the offense upon Dinah herself, when he says she went out to see the daughters of the land; whereas she ought to have remained under a mother's eyes in the tent." In other words, what he's saying is her place was at home. Her place should not have been out wandering around without parental permission and without parental protection. Now, let me just cover some lessons that we need to learn from Dinah's sin.

Look, if you would, at verse one again. Notice how apparently innocently this is stated, "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land." First, we need to be concerned about what we see and hear. The eyes and the ears are direct channels to the soul. When we behold or even desire to behold that which is forbidden, we're setting ourselves up for a horrible fall.

Guarding the Eyes and Ears

We must guard what we see and hear, as they are channels to the soul; curiosity about forbidden things leads to sin.

I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Genesis 34, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2. Let me show you a passage, 2 Peter 2. And look if you would please at verses 7 and 8. I've often made this statement, if the Bible had not told me that Lot was a righteous man, I would have said that Lot was as lost as a hound dog. But look what the Bible says. 2 Peter 2, verse 7, talking about God

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:7-8

"and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked."

How did Lot vex himself with the filthy conduct of the wicked? Look at verse 8.

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:7-8

"For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds."

You've got to remember that the eyes and the ears are the channels to the soul. Lot vexed his righteous soul in seeing and hearing.

I want to tell you something. It is true that TV has become an absolute plague in our homes today most of the time. But if I know in advance that a program is going to be or have involved in it, sodomy or adultery, I refuse to watch it. I am not going to watch anything like that. I'm just not going to do it. I don't even, if I see, well, here's a movie, this sounds good. And I click on the little thing that'll tell me what it's about.

And it talks about women having affairs and men having affairs. I'm not watching it. I don't want to see it. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to hear it. And the Bible says, here just Lot dwelt with the wicked and vexed his righteous soul every day. How? In seeing and hearing. There are certain things we ought not to be seeing and we ought not to be hearing.

You know what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 6 verses 22 and 23. Listen to what he said. "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" What's he saying? We should have an eye that is single. We're not going to be watching and looking and listening to that which is contrary to His Word and His truth. We need to learn to pray like David. David in Psalm 119 in verse 37 prayed this. Listen.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 119:37

"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way."

Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. Do you realize what the New Testament tells us in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 2? We're commanded there to set our affection on things above and not on things of the earth. Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." After we set our affection on things above, after we refuse to behold vanity, we need the determination that David had. And Psalm 101 in verse 3, when David said this, listen carefully, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."

What did you hear him? "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate," he says, "the work of them that turn aside," those who turn aside from God and God's law. I hate that. I will not have it. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. We have to learn, folks, that we cannot dabble with sin and escape. Our eyes and our ears have to be guarded equally as our tongues are guarded. And as we guard our eyes, our ears, and our tongues, we basically guard our minds. And we need to remember a certain principle of Scripture, and that is this, when God forbids any sin at the same time, He forbids any and every action that would lead up to that sin.

The Role of Parents and Children

Parents are to be prophets, priests, and kings to their children; children must honor and obey parental authority, and leaving home should be done biblically.

So we have to understand, when Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, it was not just a casual glimpse. Had Dinah not wanted to see the daughters of the land, it never would have happened. Secondly, Dinah did not properly regard or understand the role of her parents. Let me tell you, God did not give parents to hinder their children. God gave parents to help their children. God gave parents to lead, guide, direct, teach, educate, provide, and protect. And I know when you get to be about 18, you think your parents are the dumbest people in the entire world.

That all they're trying to do is keep you from having fun. And it's amazing. When you hit 30 and 40, you begin to think, you know, my parents weren't so dumb after all. They knew exactly what they were talking about. You see, when Dinah undertook to be her own authority, well, I'll do what I want to do. She sinned. And she got herself into trouble. I want you to understand that scripture is very explicit on the role of children. And when I say children, I don't care if you're 25 years of age, if you're still home, if you're still under your parents' authority. God still says, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right."

"Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." How few children understand these principles and fewer yet obey them. But they disobey them to their own detriment. Now why did God give parents to children? There are three reasons. God gave parents so that the parents could be, to the children, a prophet, a priest, and a king. As a prophet, we're to declare unto our children the word of God. As a priest, we're to make intercession, praying for our children. As a king, we're to rule over our children.

Let me tell you something. When a child disregards the authority of the father and the mother, at the same time, he's disregarding the authority of God. It's God who placed the parents in the role of prophet, priest, and king. It's God who gave the parents. And when a child or children deliberately and maliciously depart from God's standard and God's ordained plan, they bring upon themselves destruction and heartache. That's exactly what happened to Dinah. She disregarded her parents' authority and she fell into heartache and trouble. You know what should be the hardest thing for a child? Now, listen to me. The hardest thing a child should ever face is leaving home and leaving their parents. Grown children who leave home and leave their parents must know that there is a proper biblical way to do that. You try to leave apart from God's orderly way and you're going to end up in trouble. It is good for children to love home and to love their parents. It is the parent's wisdom to make that home lovable and themselves lovable. So the children should rejoice in their duty to their parents and to their home.

Now let me just tell you, in one sense of the word, the sin that I'm talking about could be on either party, the children or the parents. If a father refuses to rule his home in love, it is his sin. If the children refuse to submit to a loving and godly father and mother, it is their sin. That's why I said the shoe could be on either foot. Things never go well when the authority of a parent runs low in a family. Scripture admonishes us, "Let every man bear rule in his own house, and have his children in subjection with all gravity." So what was Dinah saying? She was curious about that which God had forbidden. And she evidently had no regard for her parents' authority and protection.

Dishonoring Parents Brings Shame

Various forms of shameful behavior—wastefulness, laziness, lack of discipline—dishonor parents and bring reproach.

Thirdly, let me point out that it is a sin as well as a shame when children dishonor their parents. There are many ways to dishonor your parents. Let me give you some examples and let me go from what I'm going to call from the general to the specific. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs chapter 17 and verse 2, watch this carefully. Proverbs 17 and verse 2, look what the Bible says. Proverbs 17, verse 2, "A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren." A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame. In other words, the son is such a disgrace that the parents elevate the servant above the son.

Now interestingly the word shame here would include any and every form of shame and any and every form of shame is condemned. The Hebrew word for shame could also be translated as confounded or disappointed. So he could say, "A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth disappointment." One that doesn't amount to anything. Now listen, shame may either be general or specific. Let me show you. Look in Proverbs 19 and verse 26. Proverbs 19 verse 26. Look at this. "He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach."

Now I want you to stop and think about this. Proverbs 17:2 is very general. Now we're getting a little more specific. "He that wasteth his father." What are we talking about? We're talking about a spendthrift. We're talking about someone who tears up property, who maliciously destroys property. He has no concern for his father, his father's work, his father's savings. Watch. "He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother." In other words, here's a son that has no respect for his mother.

He's only willing to harm her and hurt her. He's willing to chase her down to do it. You and I could sit here all day and talk about children that are drunkards, dopeheads, gamblers, whoremongers. They've destroyed their families. They've wasted their father's earnings, have no respect for him. God says, here's a shame. I want to point something out. Do you realize for a child to call shame and dishonor on a family, he doesn't have to be a drunkard or a whoremonger or a dopehead.

Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to Proverbs 10. Proverbs 10 and verse 5. Proverbs 10 and verse 5. The Bible says, "He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame." What's a wise son? Someone that has learned a biblical work ethic. What's a son that causeth shame? Someone that's a lazy, sluggard, he's worthless, or as we say in South Georgia, he wouldn't hit a lick at a snake. You know, the Hebrews had a saying, "He that does not teach his son the law and a trade, teaches him to be a crook and a thief." That's exactly what this word is saying right here. So the son or the child is just a pure sluggard, brings dishonor and shame upon his family. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 29 and verse 15. Proverbs 29, verse 15. Now, you know, I told you earlier that the sin could be on the parent or the child. The shoe could be on either foot. But look in Proverbs 29, verse 15, the Bible says this.

"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." What's a child left to himself? It's one who's undisciplined, uninstructed, left to his own devices. You want to know how to turn out a sorry child? Just let him do what he wants to do. That's the way to do it. Let him have his way. You can turn one out. But the Bible says the rod and reproof give wisdom.

Conclusion: The Interconnectedness of Sin and Obedience

Jacob's and Dinah's sins were connected and affected the whole family; obedience to God and parental authority is essential for a life that counts.

And you're going to find out next week that Dinah's sin affected her brothers and her family as well. No one lives to himself and no one dies to himself. We have to consider that whatever we do reflects upon our family, affects our family, reflects upon our church, affects our church, it even affects our state and our nation. And I can show you the scripture on that. We do not live to ourselves nor do we die to ourselves.

Now, let me ask you a question. Before I ask it, I want you to turn to Genesis 46. Genesis 46. Just turn there and get ready, because I want to show you a verse. I want to ask you a question.

Would you like to know what eventually happened to Dinah? Did she marry later on? Did she have children? Was there a happy ending? No one knows the answers to those questions. But if you look in Genesis 46 and verse 15, when Jacob goes down into Egypt, verse 15, "These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three." Dinah did go into Egypt with Jacob. Was she married? I don't know. Did she ever marry? I don't know. Did she ever have children? I don't know. Are you listening?

I find it interesting and informative that when we live disobedient, disrespectful and dishonorable lives, our lives have no meaning and basically are not worth mentioning. This is the last we read of Dinah. She went into Egypt and that's it. What a sad ending. Let me make some implications. It was wrong and wicked for Dinah to go without her parents' permission, and it was certainly wrong and wicked for Dinah to remove herself from under her father's protection.

When young men and young women assume and presume that they may do as they please, go where they please, whenever they please, they're dishonoring God and dishonoring and disrespecting their parents. Period. Children, even grown children, have to learn that God does have an orderly way of leaving home, of marrying and starting a new home. One does not end up in the right place unless he starts off on the right road. Parents, now listen. If we want our children to be right and do right, it's important that we be right and do right. How can we expect our children to turn out right if we are unwilling to be their instructors and their examples?

We cannot take the attitude, do as I say, not do as I do. No, we don't have to instruct them. We have to lead them and expect them to do as we do. And that's exactly what they're going to do. So if we want them to turn out to be obedient and godly, we must be obedient and godly. The third application is this. If we want our lives to count, we have to learn to be obedient to God and His Word.

Otherwise, we like Dinah will drift into obscurity.

You say my sins are my own. Yes, they are. But what you do affects your family. Your brothers, your sisters, your father, your mother, your children. And a multitude of others that you may not even know. For no man liveth to himself. And no man dieth to himself. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ today that you would help us, speak to our hearts, teach us, build us up in the most holy faith and help us to see, Lord, these two truths: that we are answerable and accountable and responsible for our own sins. But our sins also affect others. Make us holy, make us obedient, make us godly. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Individual Accountability for Sin

Summary: Each person is responsible for their own sin and will face consequences personally.

Evidence: Weaver cites Ezekiel 18:20 and Deuteronomy 24:16 to establish that the soul that sins shall die and each is put to death for his own sin.

Corporate Influence of Sin

Summary: No one lives or dies to himself; sins affect family members and others.

Evidence: Romans 14:7 is quoted to show that our actions impact others, and the story of Jacob and Dinah illustrates how one's sin leads to another's suffering.

Learned Sin Patterns

Summary: Children often learn sins from their parents, such as greed, anger, and rebellion.

Evidence: Weaver references 2 Chronicles 30:8, Zechariah 1:4, and Acts 7:51 to show that children can imitate their fathers' sins.

Obedience to God's Commands

Summary: Disobedience to God's clear instructions leads to negative consequences for oneself and one's family.

Evidence: Jacob's failure to return to his kindred as God commanded resulted in his family being in Shechem where Dinah was defiled.

Parental Authority and Protection

Summary: God gave parents to lead, guide, and protect children; disregarding parental authority is sin.

Evidence: Dinah went out without permission, and Weaver emphasizes that children must obey parents and that parents must rule their homes.

Guarding the Senses

Summary: The eyes and ears are channels to the soul; we must avoid seeing and hearing wicked things.

Evidence: Weaver cites 2 Peter 2:7-8, Matthew 6:22-23, Psalm 119:37, and Psalm 101:3 to urge guarding against vanity and wickedness.

Honoring Parents

Summary: Children must honor and obey parents; failure to do so brings shame and dishonor.

Evidence: Proverbs 17:2, 19:26, 10:5, and 29:15 are used to show various ways children bring shame, including wastefulness and laziness.

The Consequences of Disobedience

Summary: Disobedient lives often end in obscurity and lack of lasting significance.

Evidence: Dinah's story ends with her merely being mentioned as going to Egypt; her life had no notable legacy.

Key Arguments

Jacob's sin of disobedience set the stage for Dinah's defilement.

Summary: Had Jacob obeyed God and gone to his kindred, Dinah would never have been in Shechem to be defiled.

Evidence: Weaver traces Jacob's journey and God's command to return to his country and kindred, showing Jacob stopped in Shechem, bought land, and built an altar contrary to God's direction.

Dinah's sin was her curiosity and disregard for parental authority.

Summary: Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, likely without permission, exposing herself to danger.

Evidence: Weaver analyzes the Hebrew word for 'see' and cites commentators like Calvin to argue Dinah's action was sinful curiosity and rebellion.

Sins are often learned from parents.

Summary: Children imitate the attitudes and actions of their parents, sometimes exceeding their parents' wickedness.

Evidence: Weaver cites Judges 2:19 and other passages to show that children can become more corrupt than their fathers.

No one's sin is isolated; it affects the entire family.

Summary: Jacob's sin affected Dinah, and Dinah's sin affected her brothers and the whole family.

Evidence: The narrative of Genesis 34 shows the chain of events from Jacob's settlement to the massacre by Simeon and Levi.

Parents must provide godly example and instruction.

Summary: Children will likely become carbon copies of their parents; therefore, parents must live obediently.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'in all probability, your children will turn out to be a carbon copy of you' and emphasizes the need for parents to be prophets, priests, and kings.

Guarding eyes and ears is essential to avoiding sin.

Summary: What we see and hear can vex the soul and lead to darkness; we must set no wicked thing before our eyes.

Evidence: Weaver uses Lot's example and David's prayers to argue for intentional avoidance of sinful sights and sounds.

Dishonoring parents takes many forms, including laziness.

Summary: Shame is not only from gross sins but also from a lack of work ethic and discipline.

Evidence: Proverbs 10:5 and 29:15 are cited to show that a lazy son brings shame.

Disobedience leads to an insignificant legacy.

Summary: Dinah's life ended in obscurity, mentioned only in a genealogy, as a result of her and her father's sins.

Evidence: Weaver points to Genesis 46:15 as the last mention of Dinah, noting the lack of any happy ending or notable legacy.

Scripture References

Genesis 34:1-31

Context: The entire chapter is read as the foundational text for the sermon, detailing Dinah's defilement and the revenge of Simeon and Levi.

Ezekiel 18:20

Context: Quoted to establish individual responsibility for sin: 'The soul that sinneth, it shall die.'

Deuteronomy 24:16

Context: Cited to reinforce that each person is put to death for his own sin, not for the sins of parents or children.

Romans 14:7

Context: Used to show that no one lives or dies to himself, emphasizing the corporate impact of sin.

2 Chronicles 30:8

Context: Quoted to warn against being stiffnecked like one's fathers, illustrating learned sin patterns.

Zechariah 1:4

Context: Cited to show God's call not to be like one's fathers who did not hearken.

Acts 7:51

Context: Stephen's rebuke that the people resist the Holy Ghost as their fathers did, demonstrating inherited rebellion.

Judges 2:19

Context: Used to show that children can become more corrupt than their fathers.

Proverbs 22:6

Context: Cited to support the general principle that training a child in the right way leads to godly outcomes.

Genesis 28:5, 16-22

Context: Referenced to show Jacob's original journey and his vow at Bethel, where God revealed Himself.

Genesis 33:17-20

Context: Shows Jacob's journey to Succoth and then Shechem, where he bought land and built an altar.

Genesis 31:2-3

Context: God's command to Jacob to return to his country and kindred.

Genesis 32:9

Context: Jacob's prayer recalling God's command to return to his country and kindred.

Genesis 33:14

Context: Jacob's deceptive statement to Esau about coming to Seir, instead of going to his kindred.

Genesis 36:8-9

Context: Shows Esau dwelt in Mount Seir, which was not Jacob's country.

Genesis 35:27-29

Context: Later, Jacob comes to Isaac in Hebron, showing where his kindred actually lived.

Genesis 35:1

Context: God's command to Jacob after the Shechem incident to go to Bethel, highlighting his earlier disobedience.

2 Peter 2:7-8

Context: Lot's righteous soul was vexed by seeing and hearing the wickedness around him, illustrating the danger of unguarded senses.

Matthew 6:22-23

Context: Jesus' teaching on the eye as the light of the body; an evil eye leads to darkness.

Psalm 119:37

Context: David's prayer to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity.

Historical References

John Calvin's commentary on Genesis 34

Context: Weaver quotes Calvin's view that Dinah's curiosity and leaving her father's house led to her ravishment, and that fathers must keep daughters under strict discipline.

Josephus on a festival in Shechem

Context: Weaver mentions the Jewish historian Josephus's suggestion that there was a festival, possibly arranged by Shechem to lure Dinah.

Septuagint translation of 'see'

Context: Weaver notes that the Greek Old Testament translates Dinah's 'went out to see' as 'went out to learn the fashions of the land.'

Important Quotes

The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.

Significance: Establishes the foundational principle of individual accountability for sin.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

Significance: Introduces the counterbalancing truth that our actions affect others, key to the sermon's theme.

in all probability, your children will turn out to be a carbon copy of you.

Significance: Highlights the importance of parental example in shaping children's behavior.

Dinah is ravished because, having left her father's house, she wandered about more freely than was proper.

Significance: Calvin's commentary reinforces the sermon's point about Dinah's culpability and the need for parental protection.

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Significance: David's resolution models the proper guarding of the senses against sin.

A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

Significance: Illustrates the severe consequences of a child bringing dishonor to the family.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

Significance: Shows that even laziness is a form of shameful behavior that dishonors parents.

The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Significance: Emphasizes the necessity of parental discipline to prevent shame.

Discussion Questions

How do we balance the biblical truth of individual accountability for sin with the reality that our sins affect our families?

Context: Weaver presents both Ezekiel 18:20 and Romans 14:7, showing tension between personal responsibility and corporate influence.

In what ways have you seen sinful patterns passed down in families, and how can they be broken?

Context: The sermon discusses learned sins from parents, citing examples like greed and rebellion.

What are some modern examples of 'going out to see the daughters of the land' that might seem innocent but lead to spiritual danger?

Context: Dinah's curiosity about the Canaanite women is compared to contemporary temptations to explore forbidden things.

How can parents practically fulfill their roles as prophet, priest, and king in their homes today?

Context: Weaver describes the parental roles of declaring God's Word, interceding, and ruling.

What does it look like to guard our eyes and ears in a media-saturated culture?

Context: The sermon warns against seeing and hearing wickedness, referencing Lot's vexation and David's prayers.

How can adult children honor their parents while still establishing their own households?

Context: Weaver mentions that there is a biblical way to leave home and that disregarding parental authority leads to trouble.

Why is laziness considered a form of dishonoring parents, and how can a strong work ethic be cultivated in families?

Context: Proverbs 10:5 is used to show that a son who sleeps in harvest causes shame.

What can we learn from Dinah's obscure ending about the long-term consequences of disobedience?

Context: The sermon notes that after Genesis 46:15, Dinah disappears from the biblical record with no legacy.

Applications

Examine your obedience to God's clear commands.

Summary: Just as Jacob was told to return to his kindred, believers must follow God's directives without deviation, recognizing that disobedience can harm their families.

Evidence: Weaver repeatedly asks why Jacob stopped in Shechem when God said to go to his kindred, implying that partial obedience is disobedience.

Guard what you and your family see and hear.

Summary: Be intentional about avoiding media and environments that expose you to wickedness, as the eyes and ears are gateways to the soul.

Evidence: Weaver shares his personal practice of refusing to watch programs with adultery and cites David's commitment to set no wicked thing before his eyes.

Parents must provide a godly example and instruction.

Summary: Children will imitate their parents; therefore, parents must live obediently and teach their children God's ways.

Evidence: Weaver states that children will be carbon copies and that parents must be prophets, priests, and kings.

Children and youth must honor parental authority.

Summary: Even grown children should respect their parents' guidance and not remove themselves from their protection without biblical warrant.

Evidence: Dinah's failure to seek permission and protection led to her defilement; Weaver applies this to modern young people.

Cultivate a biblical work ethic to avoid bringing shame.

Summary: Laziness is a form of dishonoring parents; children should learn diligence and responsibility.

Evidence: Proverbs 10:5 and 29:15 are applied to show that a sluggard brings shame.

Recognize that your sins affect your entire family and community.

Summary: No sin is private; it impacts spouses, children, church, and even the nation.

Evidence: Weaver concludes that Jacob's sin affected Dinah, and Dinah's sin affected her brothers, illustrating the ripple effect.

Seek to live a life of lasting significance through obedience.

Summary: Disobedience leads to obscurity, as seen in Dinah's unremarkable end; obedience leads to a legacy that honors God.

Evidence: The final mention of Dinah in Genesis 46:15 is contrasted with the potential for a meaningful life.

Do not be curious about things God has forbidden.

Summary: When God forbids something, we should not explore it or be interested in it; curiosity can lead to sin.

Evidence: Weaver explicitly states, 'When God forbids something, we do not need to be curious about it or interested in it. Period.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:39:22Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T17:44:09Z

Clean Transcript

Family Sins Part 1 of 2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I'm not preaching the normal message today. So open your Bibles to Genesis 34. I'm preaching what the Lord gave me. So here we go. Genesis 34. And I want us to read as far as I can, because I'm going to begin a message today, which I have entitled "Family Sins." I will actually finish the message next Sunday, but I think the subject is vitally important. So look in Genesis 34, if you would, and begin there with verse one.
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And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she bare to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her. And his soul clave unto Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel and spake kindly unto the damsel. And Shechem spake unto his father, Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they were come. And Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out unto Jacob to commune with him. And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it. And the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done. And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter.
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I pray you give her to him to wife, and make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you. And ye shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein. And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife. And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us.
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But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
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And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father. And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying, These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us. And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
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And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field.
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And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
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And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot? I can imagine the surprise in each one's mind as I announce the title of this message, "Family Sins." The title sounds almost like a TV drama or soap opera series. Unhappily, we do not need to turn to Hollywood for direction in this message. We have been given ample material in the Bible. If we were to examine our personal lives and our family lives, I'm sure that we could find an additional wealth of material on the subject.
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Now you have been taught and you have understood, I hope, biblically and correctly, so that each man, each individual is responsible for his own sin. Let me just tell you, the Bible says in the book of Ezekiel 18 and verse 20, listen to what God says: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son."
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"The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Notice he said, every man shall die for his own sin. Father shall not die for the son, son shall not die for the father, each one is responsible and accountable. When you get to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 24 and verse 16, God says it like this: "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin." Each of us understand, or at least we should understand, that we are answerable and accountable for our own sins. Our sins are our own and we must face the consequences for our attitudes and our actions.
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However, there is another principle in scripture. I want you to hold Genesis 34, but I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 14 and verse 7, Romans 14 and verse 7. Watch carefully. Romans 14 and verse 7, the Bible just simply says this: "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Now it is true that we're each responsible for our own sins, but here is another verse that says no man liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself.
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Do you realize there are such things as learned behavior patterns? There are such things as learned sins. In fact, many children learn their sins from their parents. Greediness, selfishness, anger, rebellion, lustfulness, even idolatry can be learned. Let me just very quickly give you some verses that demonstrate this. In 2 Chronicles 30 and verse 8, you don't have to turn there. Let me just quote it. 2 Chronicles chapter 30 verse 8.
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God says, "Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you."
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Now listen to what he said. "Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were." In other words, don't imitate them, don't emulate them, don't take their sins for your sins. And then in Zechariah chapter 1 and verse 4, he said it like this: "Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD."
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Now, what did God say to these children? Don't be like your fathers. Don't copy their sins. Don't follow them in their wickedness and rebellion. But God said they wouldn't listen. They wouldn't hearken. Stephen, the first martyr, in Acts chapter 7 and verse 51, when he was speaking to the people, he said this: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." I hope you understand that what Stephen is saying, what Zechariah is saying, that here are these children that have learned their sins from their parents. So sins then are not only oftentimes based upon our own lusts, but they are oftentimes learned behavior patterns. It should be an eye-opening concept to most parents to understand that in all probability, your children will turn out to be a carbon copy of you.
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Stop and think about that. They will embrace our attitudes. They will embrace our actions. They will follow our conduct. And sometimes they will go beyond us in our sin and in our rebellion. For instance, in the book of Judges, chapter 2 and verse 19, the Bible says this concerning the children of Israel: "And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way." But notice what he said. They corrupted themselves more than their fathers. In other words, their rebellion, their wickedness exceeded that which they learned from their parents.
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They ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way. But notice what he said. They corrupted themselves more than their fathers. In other words, their rebellion, their wickedness exceeded that which they learned from their parents.
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Now, let me say something else in light of this. It is not always the case, but usually so, and generally so, that if the children are taught biblically and are given a godly example, they will turn out to be responsible godly children. Now I said generally so and usually so because I don't want to presume upon the grace of God. It is true based upon the scripture that God normally, usually sets his elect in families.
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That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 22 and verse 6, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." However, I'm sure you have known and I have known there have been absolute corrupt and wicked families that all of a sudden here is a godly individual. Read the Bible. You will find many times a wicked ungodly father produced a godly son, especially in the kingship line. Read about Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a good king. He was a godly king. His father was a wicked king. His son turned out wicked. His wicked son's son turned out godly. But the point I'm trying to make, as a general rule, God normally places His elect in families, and as a general rule, if we train up the children in the way that they should go, when we live a godly example in front of them, and teach them godly ways, generally, they turn out to be godly individuals. Now I just read to you Genesis chapter 34.
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The question we have to ask is, what happened in Dinah's case? I mean, Jacob is known as the father of Israel. In fact, his name was changed to Israel. He produced the 12 sons, the 12 tribes. So what happened in Dinah's case? The answer is, what usually happens today. We could also answer that with this, what has happened in times past and continues to happen down through the ages.
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What we have forgotten is this, our sin or our sins always affect others. Not only do our sins affect others, but sin will beget sin.
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Now before you begin to argue that what happened to Dinah was not Dinah's fault, you need to consider all the facts. So what I want to do today is I want you to consider with me first of all the sin of Jacob, secondly the sin of Dinah, and then next week we're going to look at some more family sins. But let's consider the sin of Jacob first. If you will look in your Bibles, in Genesis chapter 28, turn there if you would, and let me ask you a question. We know that Jacob is in Shechem. So here's my question. What in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem?
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Now he had been sent by his father and his mother to Paddan-aram, which is Syria, to get a wife for himself. And if you'll look in Genesis 28 in verse 5, "And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother." And of course he went there to get a wife. Now, you remember how he served Laban 14 years for Rachel and for Leah, and then he served another period of time for all the sheep that he got. So if you look in Genesis chapter 33 now, notice verse 17, Jacob is on his way back. The Bible says, "And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth." But now he did not stay in Succoth. Skip down to verse 18. "And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city."
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"And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel." So, the question that I have to ask again is this, what in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem? Let me ask it another way. Was there anything wrong with living in Shechem? Undoubtedly, there was and could not be anything wrong with living in Shechem if that was where the Lord wanted Jacob to live. Why in the world did Jacob stop in Shechem and buy a parcel of land?
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Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Genesis 31 and verses 2 and 3. Genesis 31, beginning there in verse 2.
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Now, Laban's countenance has changed against Jacob because he sees that God is giving him all of his cattle. And the Bible says this, Jacob is speaking now, Genesis 31 verse 2, "And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock. And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me." And then, of course, here Jacob says, he's called on me to leave. But I want you to know what God told him. In verse 3, he tells Jacob to return to the land of his father and to his kindred. His kindred did not live in Shechem. If you look in Genesis 32 and verse 9, Jacob understood this. Genesis 32 and verse 9, "And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee."
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So twice now, it has been told to Jacob, and Jacob understood it, that he was to return to his country, and he was to return to his kindred. Now, you know the story, how Jacob is coming back into the land, and Esau hears about it. And Esau is coming to meet Jacob with 400 men. And Jacob is afraid. And you remember how he divides his family into companies and how he sends presents to Esau to try to pacify him. Well, of course, Esau comes and he and Jacob hug and Jacob encourages him to keep the gifts and keep the presents that he sent.
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He says, I have plenty. And Esau now is asking Jacob to come with him to Mount Seir. So I want you to notice, if you would please, in Genesis 33 and verse 14, here is what Jacob tells Esau. Look at it. "Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir."
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Now wait a minute. God had told him return to Canaan and to his kindred. If you look in Genesis chapter 36, Genesis 36 verses 8 and 9, watch this. Genesis 36 verse 8, "Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom." These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir: these are the names of Esau's sons. Note if you would, Esau lived in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom. Edom was not Jacob's country. Esau may have been his kin, but it was not his country. Ah, now what did God tell Jacob to do? He told him to go to his country and to his kindred. Where did his kindred live? His father was still alive and his father lived in Hebron. Look in your Bibles to Genesis 35. Notice if you would beginning there in verse 27. This is later.
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Now this is after Shechem. Okay. This is after his time in Shechem in Genesis 34. So here you have Genesis 35. Verse 27, "And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him."
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Now let me ask you a question. I want you to think about this. Why in the world did Jacob stop in Shechem, when his elderly father was in Hebron and evidently dying. And remember, he hadn't seen him now in about 20 years. Why in the world would he stop in Shechem? Do you remember when Jacob left his parents to go to Paddan-aram to seek a wife? There was a place there, on his way, after he left Isaac and Rebekah, there was a place that he went to sleep. And God revealed himself to Jacob.
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Look back in your Bibles to Genesis 28. Here Jacob is, now he is leaving his family, he's leaving his country, and he's going into Paddan-aram. And notice if you would, in Genesis 28, beginning there with verse 16, Jacob is sleeping not far from where his parents lived. Notice, "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!"
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"This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Now, notice God has particularly and peculiarly revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel. Jacob says, this is the house of God. What did God tell Jacob?
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He said, arise and go back to your country and to your kindred. Now, note if you would, the incident with Dinah happens in Genesis 34. The incident with Simeon and Levi happened in Genesis 34. Now look in Genesis chapter 35 and verse 1. We're going to come back to Genesis 34, but look at verse 1 of Genesis 35. "And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother." Now wait a minute, Jacob is in Shechem. After the incident with Dinah, after the incident with Simeon and Levi, now God says, go back to Bethel. That's where I reveal myself to you. That's the house of God. Do you realize, had Jacob obeyed God to begin with, and returned to his country and to his kindred, Hebron was only 30 miles from Bethel. So my question is, what in the world was Jacob doing in Shechem?
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Why did he not go to his country and to his kindred? Had he gone there initially, the incident in Genesis 34 would never have happened. But I want to show you something. Go back to Genesis 33 and look at verse 19. Remember now God had told Jacob to go back to his country and to his kindred. Watch if you would please. In verse 19, he gets to Shechem "and he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money."
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Let me ask you a question. Since God had told Jacob to go back to his country and to his kindred, he wanted him back around Hebron and Bethel, why did Jacob buy a parcel of ground in Shechem? Why do you buy land when you're traveling? We just came back from Indiana. I didn't stop on the way up or on the way back and buy a parcel of ground. I haven't lost anything in Indiana or any of the other states I passed through.
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The point I'm trying to make is this. Did he do like Lot? You remember Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the well-watered plains of Sodom and Gomorrah. Did Jacob just lift up his eyes and say, man, look at the pasture here. I've got cattle. I've got sheep. This is a wonderful place to raise cattle and sheep. Sodom and Gomorrah was a wonderful place to raise cattle and sheep too. Wasn't fit for children. Wasn't fit for families. Wonderful place for cows. Is that what Jacob did? Or maybe Jacob said, I'm just tired. I've wrestled with God.
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I faced my brother Esau. I'm just going to give in and give up and give out and rest a while. I don't know. But he bought a piece of land and God had told him, return to your country and to your kindred. Now Shechem, that land was true in the country. But it wasn't anywhere near his kindred.
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Now I want you to watch something else he did. Look in Genesis 33 and verse 20. When he got to Shechem, the Bible says he erected there an altar and called it El-elohe-Israel. Now let me tell you something about building an altar unto God. I don't care if you follow it through Abraham or Isaac or anyone else. Do you know where altars were built? Altars were only built to God where God had peculiarly and particularly manifested himself. God had never manifested himself to Jacob in Shechem. He had manifested himself in Bethel. That's when he anointed that pillar with oil and he said this is none other than the house of God. So if God did not manifest himself to Jacob in Shechem, why did Jacob build an altar there? Well, Jacob just simply took it upon himself to erect an altar. Let me tell you something, folks. An altar is meaningless if you're out of the will of God. What good is it to try to worship God if you're in rebellion to God.
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You know, our Lord said it like this. He said, if you come to the altar to worship God, and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee, what's he saying? Leave your gift at the altar, go and be reconciled to thy brother, and then come back and offer your gift. What good would it do to offer a gift when you're harboring hatred and malice and ill will and unforgiving attitudes in your heart. It's not. It's worthless. You know what Jacob was doing, I believe? Jacob was doing what so many people do.
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They were erecting a front. They were erecting a facade. They were pretending, Jacob was pretending, like others, that he was really right with God and really wanted to do that which was right and at the same time he was living in rebellion to God's plain command. God had told him, return to your country and your kindred and Jacob had refused to do that.
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Now let me show you something. Had Jacob obeyed God, Dinah would have never been in Shechem. If Dinah had never been in Shechem, then Shechem, the son of Hamor, would have never defiled her. The point I want you to make, I want to make is this. Our sins affect every member of our family. Our sins affect our church. Our sins affect other people. No man liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself. We cannot harbor even secret sins and not expect them to ultimately influence our children. I want you to see that Jacob's sin is connected to Dinah's sin. It is true Dinah is responsible for her sins. Jacob's responsible for his sins, but the sins are connected. They're family sins. And you're going to see that the sin of one affects the lives of others. I want you to look secondly today with me and consider the sin of Dinah. Look in Genesis chapter 34 and verse one. "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land."
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Now the word Dinah is the feminine of Dan, which the name actually means judged or avenged. And I want you to note as you look at verse 1 of Genesis 34, how casually and apparently innocently her actions are stated: "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land."
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Now, let me ask a question. What could possibly be wrong for a young girl to go out and visit other girls? What could possibly be wrong with visiting the daughters of the land? Well first, let me tell you, without me going through all the chronology and the genealogy, Dinah was at this time between the ages of 13 and 15. That was a marriageable age back at that particular time. But here is a young girl between 13 and 15 and she goes out to visit the daughters of the land. Secondly, the daughters of the land that she went out to see and visit were Canaanites. The Canaanites in the Bible were some of the most wicked and vile people that ever lived. When you look at Genesis 34 verse 1, "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land."
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The word "see" in the Hebrew actually means to see, to perceive, to comprehend, to gaze, and to regard. In other words, there was something about the daughters of the land that attracted Dinah. Basically, she went out to see the manners and the customs and the fashions of the women, and according to the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the word actually means she went out to learn the fashions of the land.
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Now Josephus, the Jewish historian, says that there was a festival going on and she knew that there'd be plenty of young women there and it'd give her an opportunity to see and regard how they lived and how they dressed and how they conducted themselves. There are other commentators who suggest that Shechem had previously seen Dinah and that he himself had put on this festival just to get her away from her parents. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. But regardless of how it came about, in all probability, Dinah left home without her parents' permission and certainly without their protection and authority.
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You and I have heard the expression "curiosity killed the cat." Curiosity may not only kill cats, but curiosity will get us all into trouble. And especially when we're curious about things that God has forbidden, let me just spell it to you very plainly. When God forbids something, we do not need to be curious about it or interested in it. Period. I have no desire to know how tarot cards work. I have no desire to know how fortune tellers cook up their lies. I don't want to know. God has forbidden that. When God forbids anything, you and I should never ever be curious about it. God had certainly forbidden young women to go out without the parents' permission and protection.
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Let me read you the comment of John Calvin on this section. He says this, listen carefully. "Dinah is ravished because, having left her father's house, she wandered about more freely than was proper. She ought to remain quietly at home, as both the apostle teaches and nature itself dictates; for to girls the virtue is suitable which the proverb applies to women, that they should be keepers of the house. Therefore fathers of families are taught to keep their daughters under strict discipline, if they desire to preserve them free of all dishonor."
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"For if a vain curiosity was so heavily punished in the daughter of holy Jacob, not less danger hangs over weak virgins at this day, if they go too boldly and eagerly into public assemblies, and excite the passions of youth toward themselves. For it is not to be doubted that Moses in part cast the blame of the offense upon Dinah herself, when he says she went out to see the daughters of the land; whereas she ought to have remained under a mother's eyes in the tent." In other words, what he's saying is her place was at home. Her place should not have been out wandering around without parental permission and without parental protection. Now, let me just cover some lessons that we need to learn from Dinah's sin.
#49 | 38:30 to 39:24 | cleaned
Look, if you would, at verse one again. Notice how apparently innocently this is stated, "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land." First, we need to be concerned about what we see and hear. The eyes and the ears are direct channels to the soul. When we behold or even desire to behold that which is forbidden, we're setting ourselves up for a horrible fall.
#50 | 39:26 to 40:06 | cleaned
I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Genesis 34, but turn in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2. Let me show you a passage, 2 Peter 2. And look if you would please at verses 7 and 8. I've often made this statement, if the Bible had not told me that Lot was a righteous man, I would have said that Lot was as lost as a hound dog. But look what the Bible says.
#51 | 40:09 to 40:49 | cleaned
2 Peter 2, verse 7, talking about God "and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked." How did Lot vex himself with the filthy conduct of the wicked? Look at verse 8. "For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds." You've got to remember that the eyes and the ears are the channels to the soul. Lot vexed his righteous soul in seeing and hearing.
#52 | 40:50 to 41:35 | cleaned
I want to tell you something. It is true that TV has become an absolute plague in our homes today most of the time. But if I know in advance that a program is going to be or have involved in it, sodomy or adultery, I refuse to watch it. I am not going to watch anything like that. I'm just not going to do it. I don't even, if I see, well, here's a movie, this sounds good. And I click on the little thing that'll tell me what it's about.
#53 | 41:36 to 42:19 | cleaned
And it talks about women having affairs and men having affairs. I'm not watching it. I don't want to see it. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to hear it. And the Bible says, here just Lot dwelt with the wicked and vexed his righteous soul every day. How? In seeing and hearing. There are certain things we ought not to be seeing and we ought not to be hearing.
#54 | 42:20 to 42:43 | cleaned
You know what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 6 verses 22 and 23. Listen to what he said. "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" What's he saying? We should have an eye that is single.
#55 | 42:44 to 43:10 | cleaned
We're not going to be watching and looking and listening to that which is contrary to His Word and His truth. We need to learn to pray like David. David in Psalm 119 in verse 37 prayed this. Listen. "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way." Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. Do you realize what the New Testament tells us in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 2? We're commanded there to set our affection on things above and not on things of the earth. Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." After we set our affection on things above, after we refuse to behold vanity, we need the determination that David had. And Psalm 101 in verse 3, when David said this, listen carefully, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."
#56 | 43:10 to 44:32 | cleaned
What did you hear him? "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate," he says, "the work of them that turn aside," those who turn aside from God and God's law. I hate that. I will not have it. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. We have to learn, folks, that we cannot dabble with sin and escape. Our eyes and our ears have to be guarded equally as our tongues are guarded. And as we guard our eyes, our ears, and our tongues, we basically guard our minds. And we need to remember a certain principle of Scripture, and that is this, when God forbids any sin at the same time, He forbids any and every action that would lead up to that sin.
#57 | 44:32 to 45:26 | cleaned
So we have to understand, when Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, it was not just a casual glimpse. Had Dinah not wanted to see the daughters of the land, it never would have happened. Secondly, Dinah did not properly regard or understand the role of her parents. Let me tell you, God did not give parents to hinder their children. God gave parents to help their children. God gave parents to lead, guide, direct, teach, educate, provide, and protect. And I know when you get to be about 18, you think your parents are the dumbest people in the entire world.
#58 | 45:30 to 46:33 | cleaned
That all they're trying to do is keep you from having fun. And it's amazing. When you hit 30 and 40, you begin to think, you know, my parents weren't so dumb after all. They knew exactly what they were talking about. You see, when Dinah undertook to be her own authority, well, I'll do what I want to do. She sinned. And she got herself into trouble. I want you to understand that scripture is very explicit on the role of children. And when I say children, I don't care if you're 25 years of age, if you're still home, if you're still under your parents' authority. God still says, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right."
#59 | 46:35 to 47:27 | cleaned
"Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." How few children understand these principles and fewer yet obey them. But they disobey them to their own detriment. Now why did God give parents to children? There are three reasons. God gave parents so that the parents could be, to the children, a prophet, a priest, and a king. As a prophet, we're to declare unto our children the word of God. As a priest, we're to make intercession, praying for our children. As a king, we're to rule over our children.
#60 | 47:27 to 48:16 | cleaned
Let me tell you something. When a child disregards the authority of the father and the mother, at the same time, he's disregarding the authority of God. It's God who placed the parents in the role of prophet, priest, and king. It's God who gave the parents. And when a child or children deliberately and maliciously depart from God's standard and God's ordained plan, they bring upon themselves destruction and heartache.
#61 | 48:21 to 48:59 | cleaned
That's exactly what happened to Dinah. She disregarded her parents' authority and she fell into heartache and trouble. You know what should be the hardest thing for a child? Now, listen to me. The hardest thing a child should ever face is leaving home and leaving their parents. Grown children who leave home and leave their parents must know that there is a proper biblical way to do that. You try to leave apart from God's orderly way and you're going to end up in trouble. It is good for children to love home and to love their parents. It is the parent's wisdom to make that home lovable and themselves lovable. So the children should rejoice in their duty to their parents and to their home.
#62 | 48:59 to 50:22 | cleaned
Now let me just tell you, in one sense of the word, the sin that I'm talking about could be on either party, the children or the parents. If a father refuses to rule his home in love, it is his sin. If the children refuse to submit to a loving and godly father and mother, it is their sin. That's why I said the shoe could be on either foot.
#63 | 50:22 to 50:55 | cleaned
Things never go well when the authority of a parent runs low in a family. Scripture admonishes us, "Let every man bear rule in his own house, and have his children in subjection with all gravity." So what was Dinah saying? She was curious about that which God had forbidden. And she evidently had no regard for her parents' authority and protection.
#64 | 50:55 to 51:33 | cleaned
Thirdly, let me point out that it is a sin as well as a shame when children dishonor their parents. There are many ways to dishonor your parents. Let me give you some examples and let me go from what I'm going to call from the general to the specific. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs chapter 17 and verse 2, watch this carefully. Proverbs 17 and verse 2, look what the Bible says. Proverbs 17, verse 2, "A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren." A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame. In other words, the son is such a disgrace that the parents elevate the servant above the son.
#65 | 51:35 to 52:43 | cleaned
Now interestingly the word shame here would include any and every form of shame and any and every form of shame is condemned. The Hebrew word for shame could also be translated as confounded or disappointed. So he could say, "A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth disappointment." One that doesn't amount to anything.
#66 | 52:45 to 53:21 | cleaned
Now listen, shame may either be general or specific. Let me show you. Look in Proverbs 19 and verse 26. Proverbs 19 verse 26. Look at this. "He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach."
#67 | 53:22 to 53:48 | cleaned
Now I want you to stop and think about this. Proverbs 17:2 is very general.
#68 | 53:51 to 53:57 | cleaned
Now we're getting a little more specific. "He that wasteth his father." What are we talking about? We're talking about a spendthrift. We're talking about someone who tears up property, who maliciously destroys property. He has no concern for his father, his father's work, his father's savings. Watch. "He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother." In other words, here's a son that has no respect for his mother.
#69 | 53:57 to 54:31 | cleaned
He's only willing to harm her and hurt her. He's willing to chase her down to do it. You and I could sit here all day and talk about children that are drunkards, dopeheads, gamblers, whoremongers. They've destroyed their families. They've wasted their father's earnings, have no respect for him. God says, here's a shame. I want to point something out. Do you realize for a child to call shame and dishonor on a family, he doesn't have to be a drunkard or a whoremonger or a dopehead.
#70 | 54:31 to 55:21 | cleaned
Look in your Bibles, if you would please, to Proverbs 10. Proverbs 10 and verse 5. Proverbs 10 and verse 5. The Bible says, "He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame." What's a wise son? Someone that has learned a biblical work ethic. What's a son that causeth shame? Someone that's a lazy, sluggard, he's worthless, or as we say in South Georgia, he wouldn't hit a lick at a snake. You know, the Hebrews had a saying, "He that does not teach his son the law and a trade, teaches him to be a crook and a thief." That's exactly what this word is saying right here. So the son or the child is just a pure sluggard, brings dishonor and shame upon his family. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 29 and verse 15. Proverbs 29, verse 15. Now, you know, I told you earlier that the sin could be on the parent or the child. The shoe could be on either foot. But look in Proverbs 29, verse 15, the Bible says this.
#71 | 55:22 to 57:02 | cleaned
"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." What's a child left to himself? It's one who's undisciplined, uninstructed, left to his own devices. You want to know how to turn out a sorry child? Just let him do what he wants to do. That's the way to do it. Let him have his way. You can turn one out. But the Bible says the rod and reproof give wisdom.
#72 | 57:03 to 57:38 | cleaned
We're talking about family sins. Now, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know if Dinah was raped or seduced. She may have been consenting. Who knows? I'm just simply pointing out the fact that Dinah is responsible for her own sin. If she was seduced, if she gave in, that's her sin. But she would have never been put in that place had Jacob gone where God had told him to go. And she would have never been put in that place had she respected the authority of her parents. And I understand this. The Bible is talking about the rod and reproof give wisdom. I understand that fathers oftentimes are far more willing to correct a son, far more ready to correct your son than they are daughter. And I know that daughters have special places in father's hearts. I understand that the sin could be the child's or the sin could be the parents, family sins work both ways. Was Jacob wrong? Yes. Was Dinah wrong? Yes. Jacob sinned and Dinah sinned. But I want you to understand that Jacob's sin affected Dinah and his family.
#73 | 57:41 to 59:34 | cleaned
And you're going to find out next week that Dinah's sin affected her brothers and her family as well. No one lives to himself and no one dies to himself. We have to consider that whatever we do reflects upon our family, affects our family, reflects upon our church, affects our church, it even affects our state and our nation. And I can show you the scripture on that. We do not live to ourselves nor do we die to ourselves.
#74 | 59:35 to 1:00:12 | cleaned
Now, let me ask you a question. Before I ask it, I want you to turn to Genesis 46. Genesis 46. Just turn there and get ready, because I want to show you a verse. I want to ask you a question.
#75 | 1:00:12 to 1:00:30 | cleaned
Would you like to know what eventually happened to Dinah? Did she marry later on? Did she have children? Was there a happy ending? No one knows the answers to those questions. But if you look in Genesis 46 and verse 15, when Jacob goes down into Egypt, verse 15, "These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three." Dinah did go into Egypt with Jacob. Was she married? I don't know. Did she ever marry? I don't know. Did she ever have children? I don't know. Are you listening?
#76 | 1:00:38 to 1:01:54 | cleaned
I find it interesting and informative that when we live disobedient, disrespectful and dishonorable lives, our lives have no meaning and basically are not worth mentioning. This is the last we read of Dinah. She went into Egypt and that's it. What a sad ending. Let me make some implications. It was wrong and wicked for Dinah to go without her parents' permission, and it was certainly wrong and wicked for Dinah to remove herself from under her father's protection.
#77 | 1:01:58 to 1:02:58 | cleaned
When young men and young women assume and presume that they may do as they please, go where they please, whenever they please, they're dishonoring God and dishonoring and disrespecting their parents. Period. Children, even grown children, have to learn that God does have an orderly way of leaving home, of marrying and starting a new home. One does not end up in the right place unless he starts off on the right road. Parents, now listen. If we want our children to be right and do right, it's important that we be right and do right. How can we expect our children to turn out right if we are unwilling to be their instructors and their examples?
#78 | 1:03:00 to 1:04:02 | cleaned
We cannot take the attitude, do as I say, not do as I do. No, we don't have to instruct them. We have to lead them and expect them to do as we do. And that's exactly what they're going to do. So if we want them to turn out to be obedient and godly, we must be obedient and godly. The third application is this. If we want our lives to count, we have to learn to be obedient to God and His Word.
#79 | 1:04:03 to 1:04:36 | cleaned
Otherwise, we like Dinah will drift into obscurity.
#80 | 1:04:37 to 1:04:43 | cleaned
You say my sins are my own. Yes, they are. But what you do affects your family. Your brothers, your sisters, your father, your mother, your children. And a multitude of others that you may not even know. For no man liveth to himself. And no man dieth to himself. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ today that you would help us, speak to our hearts, teach us, build us up in the most holy faith and help us to see, Lord, these two truths: that we are answerable and accountable and responsible for our own sins. But our sins also affect others. Make us holy, make us obedient, make us godly. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.
#81 | 1:04:52 to 1:05:57 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:39:22Z

Family Sins Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver examines Genesis 34 to explore the concept of 'family sins,' emphasizing that while each person is accountable for their own sin, individual sins inevitably affect the entire family. He focuses on the sins of Jacob and his daughter Dinah, showing how Jacob's disobedience in settling in Shechem instead of returning to his kindred set the stage for Dinah's defilement, and how Dinah's own curiosity and disregard for parental authority led to tragedy. The message underscores the interconnectedness of family members and the importance of obedience, godly example, and parental authority.

Introduction: The Reality of Family Sins

Weaver introduces the topic of family sins, noting that while each person is responsible for their own sin, sins are often learned and affect others.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 34:1-31

And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she bare to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her. And his soul clave unto Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel and spake kindly unto the damsel. And Shechem spake unto his father, Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they were come. And Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out unto Jacob to commune with him. And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it. And the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done. And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter. I pray you give her to him to wife, and make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you. And ye shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein. And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife. And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us. But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone. And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father. And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying, These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us. And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city. And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field. And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Individual Responsibility vs. Corporate Influence

Scripture teaches individual accountability (Ezekiel 18:20), but also that no one lives or dies to himself (Romans 14:7); sins can be learned behaviors.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 24:16

"The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin."

Scripture Reading — Romans 14:7

"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself."

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 1:4

"Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD."

Scripture Reading — Acts 7:51

"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."

The Sin of Jacob: Disobedience in Location

Jacob disobeyed God's command to return to his country and kindred by settling in Shechem, buying land, and building an unauthorized altar, which set the stage for Dinah's defilement.

Now he had been sent by his father and his mother to Paddan-aram, which is Syria, to get a wife for himself. And if you'll look in Genesis 28 in verse 5,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 28:5, 16-22

"And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother."

Scripture Reading — Genesis 28:5, 16-22

Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Genesis 31 and verses 2 and 3. Genesis 31, beginning there in verse 2. Now, Laban's countenance has changed against Jacob because he sees that God is giving him all of his cattle. And the Bible says this, Jacob is speaking now, Genesis 31 verse 2, "And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock. And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me." And then, of course, here Jacob says, he's called on me to leave. But I want you to know what God told him. In verse 3, he tells Jacob to return to the land of his father and to his kindred. His kindred did not live in Shechem. If you look in Genesis 32 and verse 9, Jacob understood this. Genesis 32 and verse 9, "And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee." So twice now, it has been told to Jacob, and Jacob understood it, that he was to return to his country, and he was to return to his kindred. Now, you know the story, how Jacob is coming back into the land, and Esau hears about it. And Esau is coming to meet Jacob with 400 men. And Jacob is afraid. And you remember how he divides his family into companies and how he sends presents to Esau to try to pacify him. Well, of course, Esau comes and he and Jacob hug and Jacob encourages him to keep the gifts and keep the presents that he sent. He says, I have plenty. And Esau now is asking Jacob to come with him to Mount Seir. So I want you to notice, if you would please, in Genesis 33 and verse 14, here is what Jacob tells Esau. Look at it. "Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir." Now wait a minute. God had told him return to Canaan and to his kindred. If you look in Genesis chapter 36, Genesis 36 verses 8 and 9, watch this. Genesis 36 verse 8, "Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom." These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir: these are the names of Esau's sons. Note if you would, Esau lived in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom. Edom was not Jacob's country. Esau may have been his kin, but it was not his country. Ah, now what did God tell Jacob to do? He told him to go to his country and to his kindred. Where did his kindred live? His father was still alive and his father lived in Hebron. Look in your Bibles to Genesis 35. Notice if you would beginning there in verse 27. This is later. Now this is after Shechem. Okay. This is after his time in Shechem in Genesis 34. So here you have Genesis 35. Verse 27, "And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him."

Scripture Reading — Genesis 28:5, 16-22

Look back in your Bibles to Genesis 28. Here Jacob is, now he is leaving his family, he's leaving his country, and he's going into Paddan-aram. And notice if you would, in Genesis 28, beginning there with verse 16, Jacob is sleeping not far from where his parents lived. Notice, "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!" "This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Now, notice God has particularly and peculiarly revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel. Jacob says, this is the house of God. What did God tell Jacob?

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:1

"And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother."

The Sin of Dinah: Curiosity and Disregard for Authority

Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, likely without parental permission, exposing herself to danger and dishonoring her parents.

Guarding the Eyes and Ears

We must guard what we see and hear, as they are channels to the soul; curiosity about forbidden things leads to sin.

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:7-8

"and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked."

How did Lot vex himself with the filthy conduct of the wicked? Look at verse 8.

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:7-8

"For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds."

You've got to remember that the eyes and the ears are the channels to the soul. Lot vexed his righteous soul in seeing and hearing.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 119:37

"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way."

The Role of Parents and Children

Parents are to be prophets, priests, and kings to their children; children must honor and obey parental authority, and leaving home should be done biblically.

Dishonoring Parents Brings Shame

Various forms of shameful behavior—wastefulness, laziness, lack of discipline—dishonor parents and bring reproach.

Conclusion: The Interconnectedness of Sin and Obedience

Jacob's and Dinah's sins were connected and affected the whole family; obedience to God and parental authority is essential for a life that counts.

Now, let me ask you a question. Before I ask it, I want you to turn to Genesis 46. Genesis 46. Just turn there and get ready, because I want to show you a verse. I want to ask you a question.

Otherwise, we like Dinah will drift into obscurity.

Family Sins Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	3P9a0De5LYM
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Children, Fatherhood, and Generational Faithfulness: The Family
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 034: Family Sins — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	81

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Reality of Family Sins: Weaver introduces the topic of family sins, noting that while each person is responsible for their own sin, sins are often learned and affect others.
Individual Responsibility vs. Corporate Influence: Scripture teaches individual accountability (Ezekiel 18:20), but also that no one lives or dies to himself (Romans 14:7); sins can be learned behaviors.
The Sin of Jacob: Disobedience in Location: Jacob disobeyed God's command to return to his country and kindred by settling in Shechem, buying land, and building an unauthorized altar, which set the stage for Dinah's defilement.
The Sin of Dinah: Curiosity and Disregard for Authority: Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, likely without parental permission, exposing herself to danger and dishonoring her parents.
Guarding the Eyes and Ears: We must guard what we see and hear, as they are channels to the soul; curiosity about forbidden things leads to sin.
The Role of Parents and Children: Parents are to be prophets, priests, and kings to their children; children must honor and obey parental authority, and leaving home should be done biblically.
Dishonoring Parents Brings Shame: Various forms of shameful behavior—wastefulness, laziness, lack of discipline—dishonor parents and bring reproach.
Conclusion: The Interconnectedness of Sin and Obedience: Jacob's and Dinah's sins were connected and affected the whole family; obedience to God and parental authority is essential for a life that counts.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Jacob's sin of disobedience set the stage for Dinah's defilement.

Had Jacob obeyed God and gone to his kindred, Dinah would never have been in Shechem to be defiled.

Weaver traces Jacob's journey and God's command to return to his country and kindred, showing Jacob stopped in Shechem, bought land, and built an altar contrary to God's direction.

Dinah's sin was her curiosity and disregard for parental authority.

Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, likely without permission, exposing herself to danger.

Weaver analyzes the Hebrew word for 'see' and cites commentators like Calvin to argue Dinah's action was sinful curiosity and rebellion.

Sins are often learned from parents.

Children imitate the attitudes and actions of their parents, sometimes exceeding their parents' wickedness.

Weaver cites Judges 2:19 and other passages to show that children can become more corrupt than their fathers.

No one's sin is isolated; it affects the entire family.

Jacob's sin affected Dinah, and Dinah's sin affected her brothers and the whole family.

The narrative of Genesis 34 shows the chain of events from Jacob's settlement to the massacre by Simeon and Levi.

Parents must provide godly example and instruction.

Children will likely become carbon copies of their parents; therefore, parents must live obediently.

Weaver states, 'in all probability, your children will turn out to be a carbon copy of you' and emphasizes the need for parents to be prophets, priests, and kings.

Guarding eyes and ears is essential to avoiding sin.

What we see and hear can vex the soul and lead to darkness; we must set no wicked thing before our eyes.

Weaver uses Lot's example and David's prayers to argue for intentional avoidance of sinful sights and sounds.

Dishonoring parents takes many forms, including laziness.

Shame is not only from gross sins but also from a lack of work ethic and discipline.

Proverbs 10:5 and 29:15 are cited to show that a lazy son brings shame.

Disobedience leads to an insignificant legacy.

Dinah's life ended in obscurity, mentioned only in a genealogy, as a result of her and her father's sins.

Weaver points to Genesis 46:15 as the last mention of Dinah, noting the lack of any happy ending or notable legacy.

Scripture References

Genesis 34:1-31: The entire chapter is read as the foundational text for the sermon, detailing Dinah's defilement and the revenge of Simeon and Levi.
Ezekiel 18:20: Quoted to establish individual responsibility for sin: 'The soul that sinneth, it shall die.'
Deuteronomy 24:16: Cited to reinforce that each person is put to death for his own sin, not for the sins of parents or children.
Romans 14:7: Used to show that no one lives or dies to himself, emphasizing the corporate impact of sin.
2 Chronicles 30:8: Quoted to warn against being stiffnecked like one's fathers, illustrating learned sin patterns.
Zechariah 1:4: Cited to show God's call not to be like one's fathers who did not hearken.
Acts 7:51: Stephen's rebuke that the people resist the Holy Ghost as their fathers did, demonstrating inherited rebellion.
Judges 2:19: Used to show that children can become more corrupt than their fathers.
Proverbs 22:6: Cited to support the general principle that training a child in the right way leads to godly outcomes.
Genesis 28:5, 16-22: Referenced to show Jacob's original journey and his vow at Bethel, where God revealed Himself.
Genesis 33:17-20: Shows Jacob's journey to Succoth and then Shechem, where he bought land and built an altar.
Genesis 31:2-3: God's command to Jacob to return to his country and kindred.
Genesis 32:9: Jacob's prayer recalling God's command to return to his country and kindred.
Genesis 33:14: Jacob's deceptive statement to Esau about coming to Seir, instead of going to his kindred.
Genesis 36:8-9: Shows Esau dwelt in Mount Seir, which was not Jacob's country.
Genesis 35:27-29: Later, Jacob comes to Isaac in Hebron, showing where his kindred actually lived.
Genesis 35:1: God's command to Jacob after the Shechem incident to go to Bethel, highlighting his earlier disobedience.
2 Peter 2:7-8: Lot's righteous soul was vexed by seeing and hearing the wickedness around him, illustrating the danger of unguarded senses.
Matthew 6:22-23: Jesus' teaching on the eye as the light of the body; an evil eye leads to darkness.
Psalm 119:37: David's prayer to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity.

Historical References

John Calvin's commentary on Genesis 34: Weaver quotes Calvin's view that Dinah's curiosity and leaving her father's house led to her ravishment, and that fathers must keep daughters under strict discipline.
Josephus on a festival in Shechem: Weaver mentions the Jewish historian Josephus's suggestion that there was a festival, possibly arranged by Shechem to lure Dinah.
Septuagint translation of 'see': Weaver notes that the Greek Old Testament translates Dinah's 'went out to see' as 'went out to learn the fashions of the land.'

Important Quotes

The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.

Establishes the foundational principle of individual accountability for sin.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

Introduces the counterbalancing truth that our actions affect others, key to the sermon's theme.

in all probability, your children will turn out to be a carbon copy of you.

Highlights the importance of parental example in shaping children's behavior.

Dinah is ravished because, having left her father's house, she wandered about more freely than was proper.

Calvin's commentary reinforces the sermon's point about Dinah's culpability and the need for parental protection.

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

David's resolution models the proper guarding of the senses against sin.

A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

Illustrates the severe consequences of a child bringing dishonor to the family.

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

Shows that even laziness is a form of shameful behavior that dishonors parents.

The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Emphasizes the necessity of parental discipline to prevent shame.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How do we balance the biblical truth of individual accountability for sin with the reality that our sins affect our families?

[Context]

Weaver presents both Ezekiel 18:20 and Romans 14:7, showing tension between personal responsibility and corporate influence.

[Question]

In what ways have you seen sinful patterns passed down in families, and how can they be broken?

[Context]

The sermon discusses learned sins from parents, citing examples like greed and rebellion.

[Question]

What are some modern examples of 'going out to see the daughters of the land' that might seem innocent but lead to spiritual danger?

[Context]

Dinah's curiosity about the Canaanite women is compared to contemporary temptations to explore forbidden things.

[Question]

How can parents practically fulfill their roles as prophet, priest, and king in their homes today?

[Context]

Weaver describes the parental roles of declaring God's Word, interceding, and ruling.

[Question]

What does it look like to guard our eyes and ears in a media-saturated culture?

[Context]

The sermon warns against seeing and hearing wickedness, referencing Lot's vexation and David's prayers.

[Question]

How can adult children honor their parents while still establishing their own households?

[Context]

Weaver mentions that there is a biblical way to leave home and that disregarding parental authority leads to trouble.

[Question]

Why is laziness considered a form of dishonoring parents, and how can a strong work ethic be cultivated in families?

[Context]

Proverbs 10:5 is used to show that a son who sleeps in harvest causes shame.

[Question]

What can we learn from Dinah's obscure ending about the long-term consequences of disobedience?

[Context]

The sermon notes that after Genesis 46:15, Dinah disappears from the biblical record with no legacy.

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