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This article is from Today's
Native Father, issue #108, March/April, 2000. Related articles from this
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Children of an Unloved
Mother A letter to mothers by Ilva Hertzler |
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Dear Moms, Not long ago I was telling the story of Dinah to a group of Creek and Choctaw people at a church conference. Dinah was the only daughter in a family of thirteen children. Her father, the patriarch Jacob, had planned to marry Rachel, a young beauty he had met. However, Rachel’s father tricked Jacob into marrying both Rachel and her unattractive sister Leah. The results were predictable: Jacob loved Rachel but did not love Leah. Although Leah was not pretty, she could get pregnant easily and she began having sons. She thought that having sons would make her husband love her. Besides, it would add to his prosperity. All the names she gave her sons revealed her deep anguish of heart about not being loved by her husband. When Dinah was born, Leah gave her a name which means “judgment.” Rachel and Leah were constantly competing for Jacob’s attention, even using their servant girls to “score points” with him. Leah’s sons would bring her mandrake roots from which she would make a love potion. Rachel would bargain away her bedtime privileges to get some of the mandrakes. Finally Rachel had a son, Joseph, which Jacob immediately picked as his favourite. Rachel died in her second childbirth, and Leah also died before her husband did. But Leah’s sons grew up to become violent and immoral young men. Dinah, too, went looking for love in the wrong places and was sexually molested by a neighbouring tribesman. In revenge, two of her brothers slaughtered all the men in that peaceful tribe. Later they attacked their father’s favourite son Joseph. They sold him as a slave and tricked their father into believing that he was dead. As I identified with the pain of Dinah’s family, my own tears began to flow. Some of my audience complimented me later on “the good act.” But I wasn’t acting. The tears were real. It is a painful thing not to be loved. I am happy to say that Dinah’s story doesn’t end with pain. God in his grace rescued that family from self-destruction and from death in a great famine. He turned their hearts back to each other and kept the family together. He changed Jacob’s name from “deceiver” to Israel, “Prince of God.” He appointed the descendants of Levi, one of Leah’s violent sons, to be the priests of Israel. He appointed the descendants of Judah, one of Leah’s immoral sons, to be the kings of Israel. From Judah’s family came Jesus, the Saviour of the world and King of Kings. I hear many painful stories of dysfunctional families. Dinah’s story gives me hope which I can offer to these families. If God could straighten out a family as messed up as Dinah’s, what could he do for any family who puts their trust in Him? You can read the incredible story of Dinah’s family for yourself in the Bible, Genesis 29-50. I wonder if Dinah ever had her name changed by God. It would be just like God to do it. Go with God, Ilva |
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