Jacob, like many of us, struggled with completely obeying God. He made a stop in Succoth long enough to build permanent dwellings for himself and his animals and, once he finally made it into Canaan, he stopped short of Bethel and set up residence in close proximity to Shechem. He also failed to purge the idolatry from his own household (see 35:2). Are there any areas in your life where you are stopping short of fully obeying the Lord? What benefits do you hope to gain? Do you think your life will ultimately be more joyous and fulfilling if you obey or disobey the Lord?

What do you think motivated Dinah to go alone to see what was happening in the “big city”? What could Jacob have done to prevent this? What strong alluring temptations do our children face from the world today? As parents and as a church, what can we do to prepare our kids to interact with the world without being victimized by it?

Jacob seems overly passive in his response to Dinah’s situation while Simeon and Levi are overly aggressive in their vengeance (Deut. 22:28,29). How are we, as followers of Christ, called to respond when we are personally treated badly? How are we to respond when someone else is mistreated and abused?

 

 The Dangers of Halfhearted Obedience [42:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download