Revenge Is Not Sweet

Revenge Is Not Sweet

Dinah

Read: Genesis 34:1-26

She slammed the front door, flipped the deadbolt, and peeked through the blinds. It must have been my imagination, she assured herself. Seven months had passed, and she still couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following her. Seven months, and the police still had no leads in the case. Feeling paranoid was bad enough, but the flashbacks were harder to deal with. Even worse were the thoughts that occasionally invaded her mind—fantasies of what she’d like to do if she could get her hands on the guy who had assaulted her as she left work that night.

Today’s Bible passage relates the story of another woman who was raped, although with a totally different outcome. When Dinah’s family moved to a new area and she went out to visit the women, a local prince raped her. Dinah’s brothers killed her rapist, his family, and all the males who lived in the area. Although the Bible focuses on how Dinah’s family responded to the crime, we can try to imagine how devastated she must have been personally. Not only did she suffer from the heinous crime committed against her, but her brothers’ bloody vengeance did damage to her own family as well.

When people hurt us deeply, it’s only natural to want to pay them back. We should do all we can to see that justice is done and that the perpetrators are held responsible for their actions according to the law. But there’s a difference between wanting justice and desiring revenge. God alone claims the right to avenge wrongdoing. Nurturing our hunger for revenge allows people to hurt us over and over again. God wants us to release that desire. He also wants us to remember that even if those who hurt others escape justice here on earth, they will eventually have to face his righteous anger and judgment.

Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.

Proverbs 20:22