A couple Sundays ago Jacob’s sons gave us a crash course on how not to respond to injustice and evil. Their sister had been raped by the young man Shechem, so in a rage-filled fury over one man’s wrong they slaughtered every man in the town, captured the women and children as slaves, seized their goods as plunder, and hamstrung their oxen (Gen 34; 49:6).
While we rightly condemn their violent, indiscriminate rampage, doing nothing hardly seems right, either. Something God-given within us wells up and requires justice to be done.
I’ve found myself asking what the God-approved response to Dinah’s violation would have been. After all, He hates rape and every form of injustice more than we ever will. How might God have responded if they had cried out to Him about the evil committed against Dinah and hadn’t just rushed in to seek their own revenge?
The story of Nabal comes to mind. His crime was much less egregious than Shechem’s. Apparently, God’s retribution to the man began with a stroke: “his heart died within him and he became like a stone. About ten days later the LORD struck Nabal and he died” (2 Sam 25:37-38). It was clear to David that, because he had refrained from taking matters into his own hands, God had avenged the contemptuous insult he had received from Nabal (1 Sam 25:39).
And then there’s Laban. Jacob testified that though Laban had cheated him repeatedly:
- “God did not allow him to hurt me” (Gen 31:7).
- “God has taken away [Laban’s] livestock and given them to me” (Gen 31:9).
- God Himself “rendered judgment” against Laban last night (Gen 31:42).
Since the brothers didn’t even give God a chance, I guess we’ll never know what God would have done to right the wrong against Dinah. But I have a hunch it would’ve been stunning. Earth-shaking. Jaw-dropping. Notice how He fended for Sarah against Pharaoh and Abimelech (Gen 12:17; 20:3, 7, 16-18) and restored her honor.
Injustices are very real—painfully, mind-numbingly real. You may be suffering one right now. If not, you surely will before too long. But, friend, “leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Rom 12:19). By administering retribution yourself, you thwart, limit, or distort true justice. And you will surely amplify pain and consequences to yourself and those you love.