Bible Reading: Genesis 34:2-31
Key Verse: Verse 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.”
Key Words: the Hivite
The name Hivite means villager. The Hivites are descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham (Genesis 10:17, I Chronicles 1:15).
The Hivites were one of the seven main groups that occupied the land of Canaan (the Promised Land).
As you read the story found in our text in Genesis 34, you find the Hivites to be that of diplomacy rather than war (Genesis 34:21-23). This is also seen in their worship of the god, Baal-berith, which means god of the league. They would rather talk than fight, negotiate than go to war. In our day, I guess you would call them Democrats. Now, while there is nothing wrong with negotiating, one can best negotiate from strength, not weakness.
Reminds me of the story of the man walking through an alley at night. A robber approached him and said, “Give me your money,” to which the man replied, “I will not.” So the robber hit him across the neck and said, “That’s Karate from Japan. Now, give me your money!” Again the man refused, so again the robber hit the man and said, “That’s Kung-Fu from China. Now, give me your money!” The man refused so the robber hit him again and said, “That’s Jujitsu from Asia, give me your money.” The man finally conceded and gave the robber his billfold. As he was walking away, the man who was robbed hit the robber across the head, and the thug went flying to the ground, out cold. The man picked up his billfold and said to a passer-by, “Tell him when he wakes up that it was a crow-bar from Sears & Roebuck.”
You best negotiate from strength, spiritual strength.
What to do:
✞ Remember, our strength is not in a crow-bar but in Christ. Negotiate from strength.
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