Scripture Focus:
“And Jacob held his peace until they were come… And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have
troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land.” Genesis 34:5, 30
Jacob was a patriarch, a man God had chosen, renamed, and blessed, yet even he had major
parenting flaws. When his daughter Dinah was defiled, he said nothing. He remained passive,
silent, and absent in the moment his voice and leadership were most needed. His sons acted,
not out of righteousness, but out of rage and deceit, and Jacob, their father, only responded
afterward, focusing more on the consequences for himself than on the morality of their actions.
This is a warning to every parent and leader: do not be silent when you should speak. Your
children need your guidance, your voice, your correction. Passivity in the face of wrong allows
chaos to breed. God has not called parents to be observers. He has called us to train, to
instruct, to discipline, and to protect.
If Jacob had led well, corrected promptly, and modeled God’s justice, perhaps things would
have turned out differently. Don’t let your silence speak louder than your convictions.
Prayer:
Lord, help me never to be passive when You’ve called me to lead. Give me the courage to
speak truth, correct in love, and lead my home in Your ways. Amen.
Further Reading: Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4, Ezekiel 3:17–18