Dinah: When God Brings Healing After Brokenness

Anchor Scripture 'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.'— Psalm 34:18 (NIV) Her Story This week in our Women of the Bible series, we are taking a look at Dinah. In the past few weeks we learned about Jacob and Leah. What we didn't cover was that they had one daughter according to scripture. Her name was Dinah. The Hebrew name Dinah is דִּינָה (Dînāh / Dina) comes from the Hebrew root דִּין (din), meaning: to judge, judgment, justice, to vindicate So Dinah (דִּינָה) is commonly understood to mean: 'Judgment,' 'Justice,' or 'Vindicated.' The -ah (ָה) ending is a feminine form, so the name carries the sense of a woman associated with judgment or justice. Scripture only speaks of her briefly, but to me her story feels like one of the saddest ones in the Bible. We find her in Genesis 34 at a time when she went to visit a women of the land. While she was there, she was assaulted by Shechem. Shechem was the son of a ruler. Scripture clearly says that she was wronged by him. But what occurred after only added insult to injury. After the assault, scripture shifts to the actions of her attacker, her father, and her brothers. There was deception, revenge, and violence. Yet during all of the chaos, God never forgot Dinah. We don't know any details about her later in life. But her story shows us that God sees those whose voices have been silenced. Her life was never outside of the gaze of God. He didn't let her get too far away. Her Struggle Dinah endured the deep pain from the injustice done to her. No one should have to face the brokenness that she experienced. Yet, some of us do. After the assault, she was pulled into a conflict that was created by others. There was no peace for her. No one consoled her or cared about her. Some of us know what it feels like to have experiences, especially painful ones, that cause others to define us a certain way. Eventually, we may even come into agreement with them and we begin to define ourselves that way as well. Our shame can silence us. These are not circumstances we created. They are circumstances outside of control. Dinah is a great reminder to us that being wounded is not a reason to feel worthless or unworthy. God never saw Dinah the way others did. He saw her for who He created her to be. What happened to her was not the end of her story. Her Turning Point Because there is so little written about her, we don't really see a dramatic turning point in Dinah's life. But her story points us beyond her or her circumstances to the heart of God. Even though scripture leaves a lot of unanswered questions about her, we see firsthand how God heals what has been broken. And I've found that even the seemingly insignificant people in the Bible have a story to tell. They are written for a reason. But sometimes we have to ask God to show us why they are in there. We see the Lord drawing near to the brokenhearted throughout scripture. He restores dignity to the wounded and brings hope where the pain seemed to have get the final word. When Dinah's life felt ruined, God wasn't done with her and He was still writing her story. His grace is so often found beyond our stories… and certainly beyond what we can see with our eyes My Story One of the hardest lessons I've had to learn in my life, is that not every wound is immediately vindicated. Some things are never resolved this side of heaven and that can be hard on the soul. We want justice. We thing that can help us heal. There are moments when life leaves us questioning and the answers never come. But I've learned that I don't always need to understand or see justice in order to heal. My healing has to do with me. Not with my offender. Healing is found in the presence of God because He has a way of restoring us. He doesn't erase the pain of our past, but He redeems it. We must learn to trust Him… to lay it down and leave it with the One that specializes in these things. Our Story Many people carry hidden wounds that impact their lives in big or small ways. It could have been from abuse or betrayal or from other circumstances completely beyond their control. The enemy will whisper that your brokenness is your identity. But God gets the final say and He is still writing your story. You are not defined and will never be defined by what happened to you. THE living God, THE God of the universe who created you and loves you defines you first and foremost as a son of God. The good thing about your scars and perhaps the only good thing is that they can become part of your testimony… nothing more… because they never become who you are. There is healing and hope in Christ. This is a hope that is beyond heartbreak. There is life after loss… trust me, I am a living example of it… so is Dinah and you are no exception. Reflection Am I allowing my past wounds to define my who I am? Have I asked the Lord to come into the places that still need to be healed? Have I forgiven my offender even though it's difficult? Forgiveness is freedom. It's never about your offender. It is rarely once and done. It is a process. When you think about the offender or the offense, you must forgive again until your heart follows and you are no longer triggered by either of them. Do I believe that God can redeem even the most painful chapters of my life? His Faithfulness Scripture shows us that God is always near to the brokenhearted. He never overlooks those that have been wounded and His compassion reaches into the very depths of our pain. He will vindicate us… He won't ignore injustice. The fact the He redeems us, writes a story about Him and what He is willing to do for us. Our pain could never do that. The same God that heals our hearts all through Scripture is still bringing restoration to us today. Your wound is not too deep for His love and your life is not too broken to receive His redemptive power. We cannot use up all the grace He has for us. Prayer Father, Thank You for being close to my broken heart. I know You see every hurt. Thank You that my identity is in You. Who I am is not determined by what has happened to me. Lord, please bring healing to every wounded place in my heart and restore what has been broken. Help me to release shame, fear, or bitterness into Your hands and give me the peace that only You can give. Thank You that You are still writing my story, and that no chapter of my life is beyond Your reach. In Jesus' name, Amen.