Here we have a very distressing story that results in making the children of Israel of bad reputation among the nations around them.

Gen 34:1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bore unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

This was not wrong in itself but we must remember that the nations around them was heathen. Most served idols and lived according to the flesh. Israel should have been strong in the Lord and could have become an example of people who knew God and could have shown other nations the way to God.  They could have been an example of holy living. If Dinah was curious to learn the ways of the heathens then this was a sign of compromising and weakness.

Gen 34:2 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.

This was the thinking of people who do not know the Lord. Women are considered to be second class citizens and not revered and respected. This man did wrong but at least he tried to make it right later. Had Dinah not been beautiful though, would he been that determined to marry her?

Gen 34:3 And his soul cleaved unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spoke kindly unto the damsel.

Those in authority like princes and kings assumed that they had a right to lay claim to virgins. What they wanted they got. Women had very little rights to say yes or no. It could be that Dinah gave her consent because nothing is said of rape but she may have been innocent and not a woman of the world so to speak.
At least this man loved Dinah and wanted to marry her. As we saw in the story of Isaac though marrying heathen daughters was a grief to them. The reason is not because they thought they were better but because of the idolatry and lack of the knowledge of God among the heathen. This is why the Canaanites were later driven out because of their wickedness. They were not yet at the point of no return and that is why God did not allow Israel to take their land at this present time. If we truly love God, love His word and want to follow in the ways of God, we must not marry those that do not feel the way we do. It is not because we are superior but because the two do not mix. We can't serve God with all our hearts if we marry those that do not love Him. They will usually influence us the wrong way. We do not spread the gospel by marrying the ungodly. We are to spread the gospel by preaching, teaching and living godly among them, not by being unequally yoked by joining together in marriage.

Gen 34:4 And Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.
Gen 34:5 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.

Jacob should have handled this himself or consulted the Lord instead of telling his sons.

Gen 34:6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.
Gen 34:7 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.

They were right in how they felt about this. However, did they also treat women the same way themselves? We can't have a double standard. Still the daughters of Israel or in fact anyone else should not be treated like a harlot.

Gen 34:8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
Gen 34:9 And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

Intermarriage with heathens was not advisable to even consider.

Gen 34:10 And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.
Gen 34:11 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.
Gen 34:12 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.
Gen 34:13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
Gen 34:14 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:

They were right in what they said. Dinah should not have been given to heathens in marriage but they were wrong in this deception.

Gen 34:15 But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;
Gen 34:16 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.

Here are people so willing to have fellowship with Israel that they would consent to circumcision and the pain that accompanied it. Here Israel had a chance to win the heathen to the ways of God but they missed this chance by their anger. They were right about what they stood for (Respect for women) but wrong in the way this was done.

Gen 34:17 But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
Gen 34:18 And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

Whether or not these men were consenting to a covenant with God and not just outward circumcision is not known here but this could have been a real conversion to the Lord. Religion is vain though if it just involves outward ordinances and rituals and the heart is not changed toward God.
Water baptism is another ritual that is vain if one is not truly born again by God's spirit. Water baptism in itself has no power to save. It is an outward show of our confession of faith in Jesus Christ. If we do not really have faith in Christ and are changed by the spirit of God, water baptism has no value.

Gen 34:19 And the young man 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.

Dinah must have been really been beautiful to cause the men to undergo this ritual in order to intermarry with the children of Israel.

Gen 34:20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
Gen 34:21 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.
Gen 34:22 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.
Gen 34:23 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.

It could be also that covetness entered the picture and made them consent to undergo circumcision. So it was not a spiritual conversion to the Lord. Like I have said before though outward religious observances is vain if the heart is not changed toward God.

Gen 34:24 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.
Gen 34:25 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.

This is not God's way. To deceive and do things this way was not a good example of people who believe in God. They waited until they were weak. Had this been of God they would have openly confronted them for their sin against Dinah and rebuked them openly.

Gen 34:26 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.
Gen 34:27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Gen 34:28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
Gen 34:29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

This was not necessary at all. I know they should not have left wives and children with no fathers to support them but this was totally wrong. If they had to take vengeance, why not deal just with Shechem and not the whole city?

Gen 34:30 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.
Gen 34:31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

This whole incident was handled very badly. While we can't excuse the sin involved with Shechem thinking he can just lie with someone he desires because she is beautiful, there is also no excuse for the way Simeon and Levi acted out their vengeance by slaying all the males in that way.

When it came time for Jacob to die, we see that he gave a prophecy concerning these two that affected their descendants.

Here is that prophecy:

Gen 49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
Gen 49:6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall.
Gen 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

We must remember that Jacob once was a deceiver and his children may have inherited that tendency. Simeon and Levi also were a party to selling Joseph as a slave into Egypt. Our children are harmed by our sins. They will follow after us. We need to be a godly example to our children so they can live in the fear of God and teach their children also. The choice is ours to live righteous or give into the weaknesses of the flesh. The bible was written for us to learn from their mistakes, not copy after them and do the same things. It is not written for us to gloat and think we are better but so that we can see the results of evil decisions and not choose the same way. It was also written so that we can see the sinful traits we have inherited and to see our need for a savior. We can't live righteous on our own. We need help. This is the sole reason Jesus came and died for our sins. He came to give us a new nature and a new way of life. We can be come a new creature and walk in the spirit of God and not in our own weaknesses of the flesh. The way is provided for us. We can't save ourselves. We need Jesus Christ, the Son of God as Lord of our lives.

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
 

Genesis 35