Genesis 34:13

Genesis 34:13 says, And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:  Diana's brothers answered Shechem and Hamor, but they hadn't forgotten what Shechem did to her.  Sometimes our answers may be influenced by the auctions of others.  Verse fourteen states, 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:  The brothers said that they could not give Dinah to someone who wasn't circumcised, since that would be a reproach to them.  Circumcision was a sign that someone was a one of God's people.  As Christians, we today might say that we didn't want our sister to marry a non Christian, but it takes more than some physical act to make someone a Christian.  Verse fifteen declares, But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;  This could have been seen as a good thing, since it would show Sechem's and Hamor's willingness to be identified with God's people.  Still, the motivation of everyone involved was wrong.  We cannot attempt to get someone to identify as a follower of Christ for our own purposes, nor can someone claim to be a follower of Christ simply for their own benefit and make it true.  Verse sixteen adds, 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.  The brothers of Dinah told Sechem and Hamor if they would be circumcised, then they would give Dinah to Senechem as a wife.  Once more, we cannot use becoming a follower of Christ as a means to attain an earthly goal.  Verse seventeen continues,  But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.  The brothers of Dinah, even though they identified her as their sister, said do this or we will take her and be gone.  We can never use becoming a follower of Christ as a means to an earthly end, though it was never the intention of the brothers that Sechem and Hamor become a part of God's family.  Verse eighteen states, And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son.  This sounded good to Sechem and Hamor, but the act had no spiritual meaning to them.  Some people today are willing to claim to be followers of Christ simply to achieve an earthly goal.  Verse nineteen declares, 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.  Shechem was willing to go along with this demand.  Verse twenty adds, And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,  Then verse twenty-one continues, 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.  Sechem and Hamor basically told their people that they would benefit from this agreement as well.  Verse twenty-two states,  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.  Sechem and Hamor said that only by being circumcised could they become one people.  Even if we demanded that everyone today be baptized, that would not make us all a part of God's family just as being circumcised without faith would not make these people a part of God's family.  Verse twenty-three asks, 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.   Sechem and Hamor told the people that they would all benefit from this.  They said what was Jacob's would become theirs.  Verse twenty-four declares, 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.  All the males agreed to this demand and were circumcised.  No one involved was really seeking God's will in this.  We cannot use Christianity as a means to physically or materially take advantage of others if we are followers of Christ.