Title: SIMEON’S FURY—GOD’S REPROACH

Focus: Simeon’s fanatical way of life is the way of the flesh; God’s way leads to the cross and is the way of the Spirit of Christ.

Function: To warn the congregation of the danger of self-righteous and religious fanaticism, and to turn the people to God’s way of the cross and the Spirit.

Texts: Genesis 29:31-33; 49:1,2, 5-7

In 1572 a small band of militant Protestant freedom fighters (called “water beggars”) liberated the Dutch town of Den Briel from Spanish, (Roman Catholic) occupation. As part of their fight for freedom, these militant Protestant freedom fighters held a short campaign into the country site; they found a monastery and a number of monks. And in the name of freedom and the Protestant religion, these freedom fighters martyred the unarmed monks.

Such acts of violence have occurred all throughout history. Protestants and Catholics and many other religious groups have justified violent acts against each other under the cloak of religion. Religious-inspired violence occurs around the clock and around the globe even today. Such violence is often sanctioned by calling upon God’s name. How dangerous!

I say that in light of God’s reproach upon Simeon’s fury and fanaticism. You see, Simeon’s fanatical way of life is the way of the sinful human nature; God’s way for us, however, leads to the cross and is the way of the Spirit of Christ. Tonight, the Scriptures warn us of the danger of self-righteousness and religious fanaticism. And the Word of God points us to God’s way of the cross and the Spirit.

“Apples don’t fall far from the tree,” they say. Or, “so father, so son.” How about “so mother, so son”? We all know that a parent’s characteristics and temperament often show up in the personality and characters of their offspring. That is certainly the case with Leah and her son Simeon.

For example, Leah is involved in a wicked battle against her rival, Rachel. Leah and Rachel are married to Jacob. It turns out that Jacob loves Rachel, and seems to spurn Leah’s love. Leah is envious of Rachel. Leah is deeply hurt by Jacob’s favoritism and love for Rachel. So much so, that Leah fights back with the only weapon she has: her fertility. And she uses her fertility to get back at Rachel—to hurt Rachel, for Rachel is infertile. She is unable to conceive and give birth to a child.

Now note that Leah calls upon God in this battle of the sexes; she fights Rachel and seeks to hurt Rachel by invoking God’s help. She believes that God sanctions her battle for Jacob’s love and Rachel’s barrenness. So, when she gives birth to her second son, she says: “’Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.’” And that’s why Leah named her son “Simeon,” which means “God hears.”

Leah believes that Simeon is God’s gift to her—a weapon to fight Rachel and to win over Jacob’s love. Simeon is like salt. His mother rubs him in Rachel’s wound of barrenness, so to speak. And Leah fights her battle against Rachel under the cloak of her religious faith: “Simeon”—the Lord hears! “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this (child) too.” Her rivalry and envy, however, is “killing” Rachel. Leah’s rivalry is sinful; yet she sanctions her sin or justifies her envy and hurt by praying and calling upon God’s approval and blessings.

Poor Simeon! His contentious, love-less conception in Leah’s womb, and his birth into Jacob’s love-less home with its sickening rivalry between Leah and Rachel—mark the beginning of Simeon’s own life history, so much so that Jacob can say on his deathbed: “Simeon and Levi are brothers--their swords are weapons of violence.” Now there is a story!

Simeon grows up with a spirit of fanaticism and self-righteousness. Whenever someone deals unjustly with Simeon he is quick to get revenge. As Simeon grows up, he develops grudges against those whom he thinks have wronged him. And Simeon is prone to take quick action to get even, or to rub salt into the wounds of others. Fanaticism and self-righteousness and hubris—a pride of great self-worth—make up Simeon’s vices as his life unfolds. There is a smoldering fury simmering in Simeon’s heart. When someone steps on Simeon’s sense of dignity and self-worth, that fury explodes.

For example, when Shechem, a Hivite, impregnates Simeon’s sister Dinah out of wedlock, Simeon is furious. How dare this uncircumcised Gentile dishonor his sister, Dinah!

Shechem, however, wants to make things right with Jacob and his household. He wants to marry Dinah. And so, the father of Shechem offers Jacob the bond of peace between his clan and Jacob’s clan: “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.” That sounds reasonable and conciliatory, does not it?

Love-smitten Shechem warms up to the whole idea and says to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the girl as my wife.”

It’s at this point that Dinah’s brothers live up to their father’s inherited deceitfulness. They see an opportunity to take advantages of these pagan Hivites. Demanding that the Hivites become like them, the brothers require that Shechem and the members of his clan become circumcised. Circumcision will open the way to friendship and family ties.

But note: the sacred sign of circumcision—the sign of God’s covenant with the house of Jacob—is used as a religious pretense to take revenge upon Shechem and his clan. For on the third day, while Shechem and his clan members are still in pain, recovering from the act of circumcision, the brothers Simeon and Levi take up their sword and kill them all.

Under the cloak of the sacred sign and seal of circumcision, the Shechemites die at the hand of Simeon (and Levi) and their religious fury and fanaticism. Their fury rages hotly. They loot the city of Shechem; they hamstring the oxen; they seize their flocks and herds and donkeys; and they “carried off all their wealth and all their women and children taking as plunder everything in the houses.” (Gen.34:29)

Leah’s seed of fanaticism and fury to get even with Rachel is now fully displayed in Simeon’s vengeance upon Shechem and his clan. Simeon’s fanatical way of life, his self-righteousness, his revengeful deceit as a way of life--is the way of the sinful human nature; it’s not God’s way. For God’s way leads to the cross and is the way of the Spirit of Christ.

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As we stand by Jacob’s deathbed, overhearing Jacob speaking to his 12 sons, we observe two things:

1) God speaks a word of reproach through Jacob: “Simeon and Levi are brothers—their swords are weapons of violence.” Here Jacob expresses his dismay with Simeon’s and Levi’s fanatical temperament and self-righteous spirit that lead to violence in Shechem. But these words of Jacob are inspired words. God speaks through Jacob.

These words, then, are prophetic in nature. For example, when Jacob says: “Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased,” Jacob is not only looking back. With the eyes of faith, he is looking forward as well. Jacob—the prophet—foresees the Messiah, who would come from his house, the house of Israel. Jacob foresees that members of his own household, members from the clan of Simeon and Levi—would put their heads together. They would form a council and plot to kill the Savior of the world. “Let me not enter their council,” says Jacob, “let me not join their assembly….”

Here, on his deathbed, Jacob foresees Jesus’ betrayal by the Sanhedrin. Ask yourself, who are the members of the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ days? They are scribes and members of the high priesthood. They are from the tribes of Simeon and Levi—scribes, legal scholars, Pharisees, and members of the priesthood. Jacob’s words to Simeon (and Levi) are God’s word of reproach.

2) God’s reproach leads to the scattering and diminishing of Simeon’s tribe: “Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.” Here the Lord speaks through Jacob and tells Jacob’s sons how he will deal with them and their offspring. Simeon will never take on a significant role in the life of the nation of Israel.

In fact, Simeon’s offspring would be absorbed by the tribe or clan of Judah. When Simeon’s tribe marched out of Egypt with Moses and the other Israelites, they numbered 59,300 men (Numbers 2:12). Forty years later, just before they entered the Promised Land, Simeon’s tribe had diminished to 22,200 men (Numbers 26:14). And history tells us that the tribe of Judah absorbed the Simeonites, giving them a few cities to claim as their own.

God reproaches Simeon and his fanatical zeal to take revenge. God does not approve of Simeon’s way of life, wrapping his actions in the sacred cloak of God’s covenant sign of circumcision. God leads us away from the flesh to the way of the cross and the Spirit of Christ.

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So, as we ponder the story of Simeon’s fury and God’s reproach, I wish to emphasize two things:

1) Revenge is not for us to seek. God is the avenger. God will settle the accounts of human history. God will deal with all our wrongs. God will take care of all those who sin against us.

For example, in Gen. 15:16 we learn that God told Abraham that God himself would judge the nations in the land of Canaan. Speaking in the context of Moses and the exodus, God said to Abraham: “In the fourth generation (that is, after 400 years) your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” When Simeon judged Shechem and his clan by unleashing his fury upon them, Simeon was “jumping the gun of God’s judgment.” God is the avenger.

God’s judgment upon his enemies comes by way of the cross of Jesus. When the Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, it was Simon Peter who drew his sword. Simon thought that his way out was the way of the sword. And thus Simon hacked off the ear of the servant of the high priest. But Jesus rebuked his disciples. He said: “Put your sword back in its place for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matth. 26:52) Simon Peter’s way, and Simeon’s way is not Jesus’ way. Jesus’ way leads to the cross.

There, at Golgotha, God judges us. And through the shed blood of Christ, God will judge all humanity when Christ comes again. Thus the apostle Paul can write to the church in Rome: (Romans 14:10-11) You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’” God will avenge; God will be our judge.

2) As God’s way leads us to the cross of Jesus, we must learn to practice the way of Christ’s Spirit. Simeon turned to deadly force—his sword—to avenge his perceived wrongdoers. Simon Peter did the same thing. But Jesus has gone to the cross; and now the Spirit of Jesus teaches us to live by the weapons or full armor of God. We must stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around our waist and with the breastplate of righteousness in place. Christians approach their neighbors with the gospel of peace. And we must take up the shield of faith. That’s the way of Christ’s Spirit.

Simeon’s fanatical way of life is the way of the flesh. God’s way, however, leads us to the cross of Jesus. He will be our judge and avenger. We must learn to live by the way of Christ’s Spirit. And that’s the way of faith, and love, and peace, and kindness, and joy, and a deep, quiet trust that God will reconcile all things to himself, including those who have wronged us.

Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and always will be—world without end. Amen.