CHIPS OFF THE OLD BLOCK (41 OF 54)
by Keith Krell
Scripture: Genesis 34:1, Genesis 34:11-29
This content is part of a series.
Chips off the Old Block (41 of 54)
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 34:1-31
Ever since I was a little boy, I have been plagued by canker sores. Much to my chagrin, I typically get a number of large sores at a time. This past week, I had a terrible time with several canker sores lining my throat. Talk about ruining your week! To make matters worse, on Monday I woke up with two, small cuts on the corners of my mouth. I had no idea what had happened. I wondered if maybe I had opened my mouth too wide, the morning before when I was preaching, or if I had cut myself with my razor, shaving too close to my mouth. I didn't know what was going on. Over the course of the week, these cuts turned into cold sores that grew in size. As the week progressed, I found myself battling both canker sores and cold sores. The painful lesson that the Lord has been teaching me is this: Compromise is like cold sores. Both start small and can grow rather large. Furthermore, compromise and cold sores can bring a whole lot of pain. Through his own compromise, Jacob discovered this stark reality.
In Genesis 34, we come to an awful chapter-not only in the book of Genesis-but also in the history of mankind. Now, we know that the Bible was not written as chapters. Rather, chapters were added later for ease of use. But we do know that in this entire account (which makes up this chapter), God's name is absent. It is made worse by being the only chapter in the Bible, outside the book of Esther, where the name of God is not even mentioned. However, throughout the book of Esther we see the fingerprints of God. This is not the case in Genesis 34. In this passage, we do not see God's name or His influence. This is a passage filled with sin, excess, and godlessness. Yet, this story serves to warn us of the high price of compromise. The tragedies that take place in this chapter are the result of Jacob's failure to be obedient to God's command to return to Bethel (28:21; 31:3, ...
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 34:1-31
Ever since I was a little boy, I have been plagued by canker sores. Much to my chagrin, I typically get a number of large sores at a time. This past week, I had a terrible time with several canker sores lining my throat. Talk about ruining your week! To make matters worse, on Monday I woke up with two, small cuts on the corners of my mouth. I had no idea what had happened. I wondered if maybe I had opened my mouth too wide, the morning before when I was preaching, or if I had cut myself with my razor, shaving too close to my mouth. I didn't know what was going on. Over the course of the week, these cuts turned into cold sores that grew in size. As the week progressed, I found myself battling both canker sores and cold sores. The painful lesson that the Lord has been teaching me is this: Compromise is like cold sores. Both start small and can grow rather large. Furthermore, compromise and cold sores can bring a whole lot of pain. Through his own compromise, Jacob discovered this stark reality.
In Genesis 34, we come to an awful chapter-not only in the book of Genesis-but also in the history of mankind. Now, we know that the Bible was not written as chapters. Rather, chapters were added later for ease of use. But we do know that in this entire account (which makes up this chapter), God's name is absent. It is made worse by being the only chapter in the Bible, outside the book of Esther, where the name of God is not even mentioned. However, throughout the book of Esther we see the fingerprints of God. This is not the case in Genesis 34. In this passage, we do not see God's name or His influence. This is a passage filled with sin, excess, and godlessness. Yet, this story serves to warn us of the high price of compromise. The tragedies that take place in this chapter are the result of Jacob's failure to be obedient to God's command to return to Bethel (28:21; 31:3, ...
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