Dinah v Tamar

19 January 2025

Gen 34 v 2 Sam 13.

Both young ladies were raped. Dinah by a stranger.  Tamar by a half brother. Dinah's father Judah was concerned about his reputation.  Tamar's father, David,  was not concerned about Dinah,  his daughter either. Two daughter's raped. Two fathers not expressing feelings  re their daughters. But what really struck me, was the behaviour of the brothers. Dinah's brothers were very angry and fought and killed many men due to what happened to their sister. Whether half sister or full sister, they loved and defended her. On the other hand, only Tamar's full brother, Absalom loved and protected her and killed her rapist, his half brother, Amnon. Such different family reactions to the same circumstances.  What can we learn here? For one thing, you can't pick the family you are born into. Your family is  either close or not at all close. Not all members of the family will help you in times of difficulty.  Some will stand up for you. Others do not see your problem as theirs. What is really sad, is the attitude of the 2 fathers here, and also the Levite who gave his concubine to be raped as well as Lot offering his  daughters to be raped. In preference to his male guests. Three fathers, Judah, David, Lot  and one husband,  the Levite, just don't seem to care about the women. It seems so difficult for me to understand.  It is truly that women were really not treated with dignity. Jesus, especially in the gospel of Luke, really tried to lift up the dignity of women. Somehow,  they were really down trodden. It is really that women are a precious gift. To be loved. Protected. Cared for. We all look forward one day, to doing our best for the woman we love. Protect our loved women. A wonderful privilege when the LORD will give this. We can see in the Bible, especially  the OT, such extremes of how women are treated. From raped, pregnant women's stomachs ripped open, to the other extreme of the pure beauty  of the Shulamite.  If you are privileged in your Eve, treasure her.