DINAH


A. "AND DINAH THE DAUGHTER OF LEAH, WHICH SHE BARE UNTO 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" The story of Dinah the daughter of Leah and Jacob ought to become the basis of a hundred sermons to modern youth:
  1. Her tragic experience is duplicated in untold numbers of similar cases:
    1. Dinah's love of sightseeing set off a train of tragic consequences
    2. Consequences she had not planned on when she ventured on forbidden ground
  2. She fell victim to the three ensnaring soul destroyers: - I John 2:15-16
    1. The lust of the eye
    2. The pride of life
    3. The lust of the flesh
B. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE STORY OF DINAH
  1. She was brought up in a God-fearing home:
    1. Her home environment was a shield against the gross immorality practiced by the surrounding nations - Deut. 7:1-9
    2. Her home environment must have been similar to that of the prodigal son Luke 15:11-32
    3. But, as many other young people do, she saw no harm in taking a fling into the ways of the world - to see how other girls live
  2. the results were tragic:
    1. God forbidden associations will ever spell disaster; people will get burned; Dinah was raped; she was defiled by Shechem the prince of the land
    2. He fell in love with her and would have married her
    3. But Simeon and Levi connived to take revenge on the inhabitants which they did in a brutal way - Gen. 34:25-31
    4. Dinah, doubtless, learned the hard way that it never pays to stray away from the safeguards of the soul - Eve did make the same mistake.
C. WHAT A LESSON FOR THE YOUTH OF THE ADVENT MOVEMENT
  1. The Christian home is their only shelter against the ever increasing immorality that prevails in society today:
    1. Writes Paul, "This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come - 2 Tim. 3:1- 5
    2. To his spiritual son, he writes, "Flee also youthful lusts; but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" - 2 Tim. 2:22
    3. Said the Lord to His ancient people, "Neither shalt thou make marriage with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods" - Deut. 7:1-6
  2. There are many among our young people who find the precepts and regulations of the church too inconvenient:
    1. They believe the theory of the message; but they feel that making an excursion into the ways of the world is permissible; that was what Dinah thought and that was shat the prodigal son thought
    2. But, God knows the way I take, and if we fail to heed his instructions, we have to take the sinful consequences - Rom. 6:23; Gal. 6:6-8
  3. Our only safety is in the shelter God has provided for our safety:
    1. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed there to according to thy word" - Ps. 119:9
    2. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness" - 2 Cor. 6:14
    3. "Abide in me" is the counsel of the Lord Jesus to His children - John 15:1-11
  4. The blame does not lie with Dinah altogether:
    1. Jacob and Leah were lax in those days; they were influenced by the nations around them
    2. So that they did not warn Dinah against mixing with heathen children
    3. Parents have a solemn responsibility to guide their children lest they fall into sin


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