Genesis 34 & 2Sam 13 When we come across stories like these two chapters we would like to avoid them because they “stink to high heaven.” Yet God has placed these here to remind us that His inspired word is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and training in righteousness.
God taught both Jacob and David to be strong men of God but they chose to waffle between the world and God. God reproved both men for their lack of strength of character and to guide their children in the truth just as Proverbs teaches.
Dinah and Tamar were not daddy’s girls. They lived in homes of all men and distant fathers in their upbringing. Instead of teaching their daughters, they failed parenting 101 and chose to favor sons over them. We want to scream and cry for these daughters and for their absentee fathers because they failed to set boundaries and teach trust. They ignored the violation when their daughters were raped. Both fathers let their sons handle the violation but then cried foul because his—not her—reputation was tarnished.
Studies have proven that fathers set the course of their daughters for their self-esteem and strength of character. Girls need the affirmation of a father to be strong in character. “Train up a child in the way he/she should go and when he/she is old he/she will not turn from it.” Prov 22