Acting and Reacting on Impulse

UV 3480/10000 Acting and Reacting on Impulse
Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because Shechem had defiled and disgraced their sister Dinah.
Genesis 34 v 13

The serpent leader tempts people with sexual lust. Shechem, the son of Hamar, the chieftain of a walled city of Canaan succumbed to lust. He yielded to his impulse and raped Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. This led to a spiral of violence for the twelve brothers were deeply offended, angry and plotted against Hamor, Shechem and the people of their town. They visited terrible revenge upon the latter. They first agreed to give their sister in marriage but laid one condition that all the men do circumcision. After all the men underwent circumcision, they were attacked and killed by the sons of Jacob.

Jacob had to flee with his family from the land of Shechem, fearing the attack of the neighbouring people of the land. The Lord protected them with some supernatural intervention. The spiritual law of life that as one sows, so one reaps was operating. Shechem was killed along with his father and his people as a result of his succumbing to lust. The family of Jacob had to flee as they took the law into their own hands and acted treacherously. We need to exercise self control or allow the Holy Spirit to control and rule the different unruly members of our bodies. We need to honour our agreements and not act treacherously.

When people use force to get what they want and when they resort to bloodshed, there are terrible consequences for all. Scripture says that if we sow the wind, we will reap the whirlwind. We must be careful not to provoke the anger of people by acting unwisely, imprudently, impulsively. We must also learn to overlook offences and not try to wreak revenge on others. If we are in touch with the pulse of God and of people, we will not act and react on impulse.