The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 17 August 2024 – TOPIC: THE UNRULY NATURE OF THE UNCIRCUMCISED HEART
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THE DAILY FOUNTAIN
DAILY DEVOTIONAL OF THE
CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2024
TOPIC: THE UNRULY NATURE OF THE UNCIRCUMCISED HEART
34:1. Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
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 violated her.
34:3. His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman.
34:4. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.”
34:5. And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came.
34:6. Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.
34:7. And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard [it;] and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done.
34:8. But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.
34:9. “And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves.
34:10. “So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.”
34:11. Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give.
34:12. “Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.”
34:13. But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
34:14. And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that [would be] a reproach to us.
34:15. “But on this [condition] we will consent to you: If you will become as we [are,] if every male of you is circumcised,
34:16. “then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
34:17. “But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone.”
34:18. And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.
34:19. So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He [was] more honorable than all the household of his father.
34:20. And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying:
34:21. “These men [are] at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land [is] large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters.
34:22. “Only on this [condition] will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they [are] circumcised.
34:23. “[Will] not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs [be] ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.”
34:24. And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
THE MESSAGE:
No matter the honour conferred on a man whose heart is yet to be circumcised, he will be stripped of it one day by the defiling nature of that which comes out of his uncircumcised heart (verses 2&14; Mark 7: 21-23). Though to protect his self-image, he may keep it secret, yet it is an empty honour that he possesses. Shechem violated Dinah against her will and when the sons of Jacob gave the condition for marital consent, Hamor and Shechem agreed and convinced their people to be circumcised.
Where was the honour of Shechem, the son of Hamor, the prince considered to be more honourable than all the house of his father (verses 3 & 19)? Where was his honour after raping and disgracing Dinah, the daughter of Jacob? Nothing was left! The reproachable marriage proposal in the euphoria of lust was just to protect his self image. Are you circumcised in your heart? Have you been to the cross where the Holy Spirit uses his surgeon scalpel – God’s word – to circumcise your heart? (Romans 6:6.8:16, Hebrews 4:12) Do it today and get a new heart
PRAYER: Father, I desire no honor until my heart is circumcised, circumcise me O Lord!Amen
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