One thing I have learned from trips to Israel, and especially to Mt. Gerizim National Park, is the nature of the Samaritan religion. The Samaritans, to this day, believe that Shechem was to be the capital of Israel, and that the “Mountain of the LORD” was not Mt. Moriah but Mt. Gerizim. They believe Abraham took Isaac to Mt. Gerizim to offer him as a sacrifice. They note that Abraham, upon arriving in the promised land, first worshiped the LORD at Shechem. It also turns out that there is a town called “Salem” in the area of Shechem. In Gen. 33:18, when it says that Jacob came “safely” to the city of Shechem, the term is “Shalom” and can be translated as “Salem, a city of Shechem” (cf. the KJV, World English Bible and Young’s Literal Translation).
Let’s be clear. For the Samaritan religion to stand, they
must and they do reject all the OT except for the Pentateuch. And their version of the Pentateuch has thousands
of differences with the typical English Bible based on the Jewish Masoretic
text. The Samaritan leadership claims to
have the oldest copy of the Pentateuch, although they have never submitted it
for authentication.
The point here is that it might be that the area
where Jacob settled, around Shechem, was called Salem or Shalem. For Jacob, to whom God promised to give the
land of Canaan, it was the first land he possessed. He bought a parcel of land from the locals,
and he an altar and called it El Elohe Israel, God the God of Israel.
Jacob arrived safely. But the time in this area was anything but “safe.” It was here that the terrible incident
involving Jacob and Leah’s daughter Dinah took place. Contrary to the Samaritans, this was not the
place the LORD had in mind for Jacob to live.
Jacob did something normal, I suppose we could say. He got to a city and attempted to settle
down. In some ways it reminds me of Lot’s
situation in Sodom and Gomorrah. God
promised the land to Jacob. Hamor and
his son, the king, Shechem offered the blessing of the land to Jacob, but on
their very generous terms (34:8-12).
Jacob could enjoy the land by sacrificing his unique relationship with
God. In reality, as the two Hivites
explained it to the citizens of Shechem, there would be peace between the two;
they would dwell together (34:18-24).
It also reminds me of the way Satan tempted
Jesus, offering Him all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for being worshiped
by Jesus (Matt. 4:8-10). Jacob found out
what Lot found out and what Jesus knew and avoided: there cannot be oneness
between the people of God and the people of the world. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and
the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of
demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1 Cor.
10:21-22).
Let us again be clear. The people of the world cannot “become as we
are” by mere religiosity. That’s the way
Levi and Simeon put it: But on this condition we will consent to you: if you
will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised (34:15). Religion was never the essence of God’s
people, even Israel in the OT. The
essence of Israel is their birth; they are descendents of Jacob. The essence of the Church is the second birth;
they are sons of God (John 1:12-13).
Let us not be deceived. It is not uncommon for people of the world to
long to be connected with the people of God.
They admire us for many good reasons.
It’s like Shechem who longed to have the daughter of Jacob (34:8). Do not be unequally yoked together with
unbelievers. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with
darkness? … And what agreement has the
temple of God with idols? For you are
the temple of the living God. … Therefore come out from among them and be
separate, says the Lord (2 Cor. 6:14-18).
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