Warning: At Hosanna we teach verse by verse through the Bible and believe that God will work through the good and the bad. This study is not graphic but does discuss sensitive topics that may not be suitable for children. Parental discretion is advised.

Isn't it enough to do most of what God says? Jacob followed the command of the Lord to return to the Promised Land, where he reconciled with his brother Esau and settled in the plains near the city of Shechem. Even though God had told Jacob to go back to Bethel, Jacob purchased land 20 miles away from Bethel and built a new altar to the Lord there. But this seemingly small act of partial obedience from Jacob would lead his whole family down a road of pain and destruction Jacob could never have foreseen.

This week we return to our study through Genesis with chapter 34, where Jacob's daughter Dinah will become the victim of lust and violence. We'll see Jacob's failure to protect his family lead to vengeful violence from his sons and the destruction of an entire city. And then we'll ask ourselves if we have been following God with whole-hearted obedience or if we have let passivity and partial obedience lead to our assimilation into the ways of the world around us.