“Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.” 34:27-29

I’m not sure what to make of this story. It’s brokenness on top of brokenness, on top of brokenness. It starts and ends with women being deeply mistreated at the hands of men with power. Narratives like this in the Bible can be hard to stomach. What does God think of this? What happened afterwards? What should have happened? I can’t say I disagree with the question at the end of chapter 34, but why should we let them do this?

Looting, plundering and kidnapping is not how God wants us to respond to sin. He knows we are sinful even in our justified anger. Which is why the Word says:

“Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12:19

-Carly