This morning's lesson on Lament and Hope, the Bible, and Sexual Assault
was not recorded due to a technical error,
so I am re-recording the lesson, which is summarized in the handout
that's also available on the website.
We had a testimony as well, but the testimony will not be recorded on the website.
It was only for the actual class.
But we have come to the last of our difficult topics concerning gender and sexuality.
We've considered homosexuality, we've considered transgender identity,
we've considered pornography, and today we will consider the topic of sexual assault.
These are different topics and yet all relate in some way to God's design for our bodies
and gender and sexuality and the ways that we experience the fallenness and brokenness of this world
and there are issues that Scripture speaks to, that Scripture has something to say about,
and that the redemptive story that is centered in Christ can help us to unravel and understand
and seek healing and grace from God.
This lesson includes material that may be disturbing.
It should be disturbing.
This is a difficult topic about something that is grievous and harmful.
But let us pray as we jump in, Lord, we pray that this session would be useful for all who hear.
We pray that you would equip us for every good work.
We pray that you would bind up those who are brokenhearted,
and we pray that you would give us your wisdom and clarity.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
So I want to start briefly with some current definitions and statistics.
Definitions of terms.
There are three terms that are used in different ways.
The first term, sexual assault, is the most general term.
It refers to various kinds of unwanted or non-consensual sexual behavior or contact.
Sexual abuse is the second term.
That usually refers to the sexual assault of a child, of a minor, or a person under 18.
The third term is rape, which is a more specific term.
Now, there is some debate about how broadly or narrowly to define sexual assault, the most general term.
There are legal questions.
The term is defined differently in different U.S. states.
And there's a variety of legal concerns surrounding that.
Different researchers define the term in different ways,
which is why there are a variety of different statistics out there.
Some larger and some smaller numbers.
Some of that depends on definitions.
And also, most sexual assaults are not reported to authorities or, at the very least, are reported many years later.
Particularly in the case of childhood, sexual abuse is often not uncovered at the time.
So, there's a variety of statistics out there for that reason.
Now, regardless of how terms are officially defined,
I think we should remember that many people have been wronged and harmed,
even if their experience doesn't fit a particular researcher's definition
or doesn't meet a criminal standard within their legal jurisdiction.
Now, how prevalent is sexual assault?
A commonly cited statistic is that one in four women and one in six men have been or will be sexually assaulted within their lifetime.
And that statistic seems well-founded.
If anything, the number, particularly for women, may be too low rather than too high.
So, according to a survey in 2010 by the federal government, the Centers of Disease Control,
18% of women, that's about 22 million women in the United States, had been raped.
So, 12% of women reported that they had experienced completed rape.
Another 5% of women reported that they had experienced attempted rape.
And others reported rape while being under the influence of alcohol or drugs and unable to consent.
So, that's a high number of women who reported that they had been raped.
There were also, as for men, there were five different studies in the 1990s and early 2000s,
which all concluded that between 14% and 18% of boys had been sexually abused before they turned 18.
So, this is a widespread phenomenon and a problem.
Now, there have been some controversies regarding accusations,
the question of how common are false accusations of rape or sexual assault.
I've included a detailed footnote in the handout.
I'm not going to go through that in detail right now.
There's a relatively small number of reports of sexual assault that are demonstrated to be untrue,
that are just completely fabricated.
There is a more significant number of situations where something happened
and the victim clearly has suffered some harm,
but it may not be clear to the rest of us exactly what happened.
Who did what when?
And there may not be enough evidence to convict the defendant of a crime.
So, just...
There's more that could be said about that question,
but I don't want to get caught in that debate right now,
but just want to acknowledge that.
And you can read the more detailed footnote on the handout
if you want more information on that.
Now, there is some good news.
From 1994 to 2010,
the prevalence of sexual assault and rape in the U.S. decreased by more than half.
So, it can...
This can be addressed.
It is not something that must be exactly the way it is now.
The rate has remained fairly steady since 2010.
Now, many people think of victims being raped by strangers at gunpoint.
That's actually very rare.
80% of victims were sexually assaulted by someone they previously knew.
In many cases, a relative,
occasionally a spouse or a friend,
a dating partner,
a pastor, a religious leader,
a coach, teacher, boss, therapist, doctor.
Most victims were sexually assaulted by someone in one of those categories,
rather than by a stranger.
Among child sexual abuse victims,
over 90% knew the person who abused them.
Perpetrators are rarely armed.
Only 7% possessed a weapon during the assault.
The vast majority of perpetrators are male,
over 95%.
The vast majority of victims,
about 90% are female.
However, male victims of sexual assault should not be overlooked.
They are much less likely to disclose information regarding their experiences.
And on trauma symptom inventory tests,
they reported higher levels of distress.
Now, what are some of the effects of sexual assault?
Well, victims of sexual assault in general,
and rape in particular,
were found to suffer disproportionately from depression,
suicidal thoughts,
post-traumatic stress disorder,
and alcohol and drug abuse.
Common emotional responses to sexual assault include denial,
shame, guilt,
anger,
distorted self-image,
and despair.
So,
this is a widespread problem with deep wounds that result.
Sexual abuse of children,
once again,
public statistics vary.
According to one researcher,
one in five girls and one in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse.
I, you know,
I've listed the best statistics I could come up with,
but I can't quite reconcile them all,
especially the male-female ratios don't quite line up.
But,
this,
it's a,
it's a significant problem.
In,
in society as a whole,
over the last two decades,
the problem of sexual abuse within religious communities has received increased attention.
This past week,
Rabbi Daniel Greer,
a prominent Orthodox Jewish rabbi in New Haven,
was sentenced to 20 years in jail
for repeatedly sexually abusing a teenage boy
who was enrolled in his Orthodox Jewish Yeshiva boarding school
for high school age students in the early 2000s.
Last January,
the Hartford Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church
released a report listing a total of 48 priests
and official leaders who had been credibly accused
of sexually abusing minors in the diocese since its founding in 1953.
Um,
uh,
but this is also a problem in Protestant,
uh,
churches.
This past February,
the Houston Chronicle reported that since 1998,
roughly 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers
have faced allegations of sexual misconduct involving over 700 victims.
About 220 offenders have been convicted
or took plea deals and dozens of cases are pending.
So this past June,
uh,
the Southern Baptist Convention devoted much of its annual meeting
to the topic of preventing sexual abuse
and caring well for survivors of abuse in the church.
There's an extensive report.
There's a website,
uh,
that's,
uh,
caringwell.com
that also includes a curriculum for local churches,
um,
and various initiatives towards preventing further sexual abuse
and caring well for abuse survivors in the church.
Now,
as for our church,
uh,
we have had Trinity Baptist church has had a sexual abuse policy
and procedures in place for several years
within our children's and youth ministries in particular.
Uh,
but policies and procedures in themselves are not sufficient.
And some of the big picture gospel principles
that we believe are important
is,
uh,
that the gospel calls us to cultivate a church culture
that's more concerned with reality
than with appearances.
Sometimes when abuse has been covered up in the church,
it's because we are more concerned with appearances than with reality.
And we think that the gospel calls us to the reverse.
Uh,
uh,
Jesus is brutally honest about our sin
and the suffering it causes.
And at the same time,
Jesus is amazingly gracious
towards both sinners
and
sufferers.
And so we want to follow Christ's example
and walk with Christ.
We want to be honest
and deal seriously with sin,
not deny or minimize or excuse
or pretend it's not there,
but to confront sin
when we find it in ourselves
and in each other
and to acknowledge that none of us
are categorically immune
to the deceitfulness of sin.
We cannot simply say,
that's a horrible thing.
I would never do something like that
because sin is deceitful.
And if you ask someone
who has,
has perpetrated sexual abuse,
if you ask them
10 years ago
or 20 years ago
or when they were 10 years old,
would you ever do that?
Many of them would have said,
no,
that's horrible.
I would never do that.
So we want to face sin honestly,
uh,
and,
and recognize its deceitfulness.
But we also want to walk
with each other in suffering.
Um,
we want to,
we acknowledge that sin
continues to have effects,
uh,
various effects
throughout the world.
And so we don't hold out
the false hope
of an easy,
comfortable,
and superficially happy life
in Christ,
but we want to lament.
The Bible calls us
to lament
the persistent
and deep
and widespread effects
of sin
in us
and in our world.
But even more than all this,
even more than taking sin
and suffering
seriously,
we want to be a people
who take Jesus
even more seriously,
who look to Jesus
and find his grace
is greater than all
of our sin.
And his grace
is greater than all
the ways that we have
been sinned against.
The grace of Christ
gives us hope
even in the darkest valleys
for he has gone before us
and his spirit
walks with us.
The grace of Christ
empowers us
to genuinely change
because his death
has freed us
not only from the penalty,
but also from the power
of sin.
And we see those
as some of the big picture
gospel foundations
for a healthy church culture
that will help us
going forward.
Now,
let me step back
for a minute
and just ask the question,
why does our secularized culture
care so much
about sexual assault?
And why should Christians
care about sexual assault?
I think we agree
that this is a significant concern,
but as our secularized culture
approaches it
from a slightly different
perspective
than the biblical one.
So the dominant view
of our secular culture
is that sexual assault
is evil
because it's a violation
of an individual's autonomy.
In other words,
it's a violation
of an individual's
personal freedom
to choose
whatever they want
to do with their own body
because your own body
belongs to you
and to nobody else.
Also,
our culture idolizes
sexual activity
and sexual expression
and sees it as
inherent
to human flourishing
and to
being a human being.
So,
I think our culture
is particularly sensitive
to sexual assault
because it seems
to threaten
an individual's freedom
to pursue
sexual activity
and sexual expression
unhindered.
Unfortunately,
I think there are
several weaknesses
of our culture's
dominant framework
for understanding
this issue.
So a few weaknesses
of our culture's
approach
to the issue
of sexual assault.
First of all,
in our culture's view,
everything
ultimately rests
upon
the consent
of individuals.
and so
this notion
of consent,
affirmative consent,
the notion
of consent
keeps getting
defined
and redefined,
but people
are grappling
with it
because it's
sort of
the only
absolute
we have left.
It's the only
sort of
strong moral
standard
that
everyone
is sort of
leaning on.
But here's
the problem
with individual
consent.
Do we always
know what
we really want?
Do we always
say what
we really
feel?
Even our
own hearts
can deceive
us and our
desires are
easily swayed
and often
change over
time.
And our
culture,
I think,
contributes to
this sort of
confusion.
Our culture
celebrates
unfettered
sexual expression,
unlimited
sexual expression.
It says,
sex can
mean whatever
we want
it to
mean.
It gives
us no
moral
boundaries
to guide
us and
then leaves
us to
ourselves
to decide
what we
want to
do and
says we
can change
our decision
at any
moment and
then we
struggle to
define what
consent is.
And many
people who
consented at
the time
later feel
awful.
So even
many people
outside the
church are
questioning
whether the
principle of
consent by
itself is
sufficient to
guide the
sexual relations
of human
beings.
another way
to put
this sort
of
contradiction
is that
our culture
simultaneously
expects and
pressures us
to be
sexually active.
One example
of this
sort of
cultural
pressure to
be sexually
active is
recently I
was talking
to a
20-something
year old
guy who
went to
see a
doctor and
in the
course of
the medical
checkup the
doctor asked
are you
sexually
active?
And the
guy said
no and
the doctor
said well
okay you
mean not
now.
And the
guy said
no actually
I've never
been sexually
active.
And the
doctor was
incredulous and
just needed
to be
persuaded and
sort of
couldn't
really believe
what the
guy was
saying.
You know
a 20-something
year old who
hasn't had
sex.
Our
culture
expects and
pressures us
to be
sexually
active.
And at
the same
time our
culture tells
us we
should never
be expected
or pressured
no matter
how slightly
into any
form of
sexual intimacy
by any
other
individual.
But isn't
that a
contradiction?
Right?
There's this
general expectation
and pressure
to be sexually
active and
then there's
everyone saying
but no,
no,
you shouldn't
let any
other individual
ever pressure
you.
So I think
there's a
problem here.
The other
main problem
with our
culture's
dominant view
is that
healing is
ultimately
self-generated.
So there's
a lot of
emphasis on
self-love,
self-protection,
self-affirmation,
self-reliance,
but that can
be a crushing
burden to
bear.
When someone
is emotionally
fragile,
anxious,
depressed,
self-hating,
filled with
shame,
common emotions
that people
are feeling
after sexual
assault.
So that's
it.
And the
believing that
healing ultimately
comes from
ourselves can
lead us to
other places,
other desires
to ways of
seeking to be
in control of
the unpredictable
world around
us.
Those I think
are some
weaknesses of
our cultures
approach to
this issue,
but the
biblical worldview
I think gives
us a deeper
foundation and
offers more
enduring hope.
The biblical
worldview fully
agrees that
sexual abuse
and assault are
violations of
human dignity,
but in the
biblical view,
the reason for
that is that
God has
created us
in his
image.
Sexual assault
and abuse are
violations of a
body that God
has made.
Our body is a
temple, a
sacred space,
a precious gift
because God
has fashioned
it for himself.
And so sexual
abuse and
assault is not
just a sin
against another
individual and
their will, but
it is ultimately
a sin against
God the
creator.
Further, sexual
assault and
abuse are
violations of
God's good
design for
humanity.
God designed
human beings to
fulfill our
calling by
exercising
self-giving
love in a
variety of
ways, in
friendship, in
neighborhoods, in
the world, in
nations.
But one
expression of
this self-giving
love is the
union of
male and
female bodies,
lives, and
resources within
the promise of
marriage.
In marriage, the
bodies of
husband and
wife belong to
one another.
Paul says that
in 1 Corinthians
7.
And so, in
the biblical
worldview, marriage
provides the
safe context for
sexual intimacy,
that free,
self-giving
love, expressed
within the
context of a
total life
union.
And I think
that positive
understanding of
God's purpose
for us makes
sense of why
sexual assault is
such a violation
of human
dignity.
Because it
is the
opposite of
self-giving
love.
Now, the
Bible also
offers a
better hope for
significant healing
from a source
beyond ourselves.
I think that's
another thing the
Bible offers that
our culture doesn't
really.
Now, the
Bible doesn't
take away our
human responsibility,
it doesn't make
us resign to
fatalism, but it
tells us that
through Christ we
are beloved
children of
God.
And that we
can lean on
God in our
weakest and
darkest hours,
and that He
is compassionate
and gracious.
And that alone
can be a deeply
restorative
truth.
Now, let's
go on to
consider what
does the
Bible actually
say about
sexual assault?
Well, the
first thing we
notice is that
the Bible is
not silent
about sexual
assault.
It doesn't
pretend that
such things
don't happen
or don't
matter to
God's people.
The Old
Testament is
full of
stories, and
some of
these stories
include episodes
that would
fall into the
category of
sexual assault
broadly defined.
So here are
a few examples
with some
brief comments.
So first
example we
see of this
is Lamech
threatens his
wives.
He boasts
to them,
I've killed
a man for
wounding me,
a young man
for striking
me.
Now, he's
not explicitly
threatening to
sexually assault
them, but
what might his
threat, his
boast of his
vengeful deeds,
what might
that indicate
about Lamech's
ongoing
relationship
with his
wives?
Would they
ever want to
express any
disagreement with
him if he's
boasting about
killing a
young man for
striking him?
Well, another
example, voyeurism.
Voyeurism means
sort of looking
upon someone's
sexual intimacy
or nakedness
without their
consent or
without their
knowledge or
insisting that
they expose
themselves in
some inappropriate
way to others.
So, there's the
incident with
Ham who saw
the nakedness of
his father,
told his two
brothers, it's
not entirely
clear what was
going on there.
More clear would
be David looking
upon Bathsheba
from the roof
of his palace.
Another example
is in the book
of Esther, the
king of Persia
commands his
officials to,
the king of
Persia throws
this drunken
party and the
rule is it's
an open bar
and you don't
say no and
the king had a
party for all
the men in the
palace.
And so they're
all drunk, the
king's drunk, and
he commands his
officials, bring
the queen so that
she can show the
peoples and the
princes her
beauty for she
was lovely to
look at.
Now, it's not
clear exactly what
the king was
requesting Queen
Vashti to do,
but Queen Vashti
refused, surprisingly
in that context,
she refused to
show her beauty
to an audience
of drunken males
and the king
was furious.
Now, the
narrator implicitly
presents Vashti
as a woman of
courage.
Queen Esther,
later on, will
need to muster
the same kind of
courage to come
before the king
and the narrator
presents the
Persian king's
behavior as
dishonorable and
foolish.
Now, the
narrator doesn't
come out and
say that, but
if you look at
how the narrator
frames the story,
you can sort of
see it's painted
in a negative
light.
Another example
of sexual
assault, a
different kind,
would be
incapacitation,
that is,
deliberately getting
someone drunk
so that they're
not aware of
what they're
doing.
So, Lot's
daughters are
desperate, they're
living in the
middle of nowhere,
and they scheme
to get their
father drunk,
and then they
sleep with him
while he is
unaware in
order to
continue their
family line.
Another
example, Potiphar's
wife attempts to
compel her servant
Joseph to sleep
with her in
Genesis 39.
Joseph runs away,
and he is then
falsely accused.
Now, statistically
speaking, this is
not the most
common scenario,
but the Bible
knows that women
can also be
sexual aggressors,
and men are
sometimes falsely
accused.
And that's
an important
thing to remember.
Now, in
Joseph's case, he
was fired from
his job and
put in prison.
He was later
released, but
Potiphar's wife
was never
punished.
I think the
story of Joseph
may provide
comfort to those
who are falsely
accused or whose
abusers are never
brought to justice
in earthly courts.
last example, a
fear of sexual
assault.
We see this in
the book of
Ruth.
So, Naomi says
to Ruth, it's
good for you to
work in Boaz's
field, lest in
another field you
be assaulted.
And likely, Naomi's
concern is not only
that Ruth would be
beaten up, but that
she might be
sexually assaulted
because Boaz says
he has charged the
young men, that is
his field workers,
not to touch
Ruth.
He has seen
her and he has
specifically taken
measures to protect
her.
The word touch is
sort of a word that
indicates sexual
relations in the
book of Ruth.
A couple of
reflections on
Ruth, Boaz, or the
book of Ruth, Boaz is
a godly man.
He's someone who
watches out for the
well-being of women
in the midst of a
world where women
are often unprotected
and dishonored.
So, Boaz in many
ways is a godly
example of manhood
who's a good model
to follow after.
Ruth is also a
godly example of
womanhood.
She lives
courageously.
She goes out, she
works hard from early
morning, works from
early morning to late
at night in an
unfamiliar place
despite the dangers
in order to support
herself and her
mother-in-law.
She also lives
wisely.
She pursues marriage
to Boaz, a man who
will protect and
honor her, a man
whose character, moral
character and godliness
is evident and she
avoids getting involved
or entangled with men
of less honorable
character.
So, Boaz and Ruth
are both godly
examples of manhood
and womanhood to
emulate.
Now, those are some
examples of sort of
sexual assault or
even some could be
classified as sexual
harassment more broadly
categorized, but the
Old Testament also
includes four extended
narratives of
forcible rape, the
most flagrant and
violent form of
sexual assault.
Now, note again,
biblical narrators
rarely make explicit
statements about the
character's intentions
or about the
righteousness or
wickedness of their
actions.
In most cases, they
show us rather than
tell us what we need
to know.
So, I want to look at
each of these four
extended narratives and
make some reflections on
each.
First, Genesis chapter
19.
This is the story of
Sodom and Gomorrah.
Basically, the leaders
of Sodom threaten to
gang rape God's
messengers.
They surround Lot's
house, all the men of
Sodom, both young and
old, to the last man.
They surround Lot's
house.
They demand that he
send out the two
visitors who are God's
messengers that he had
received.
Now, they're prevented
from carrying out their
intentions.
They're struck blind.
But this is a sign of
Sodom's utter moral
corruption and injustice
which cries out for
God's active judgment
twice.
The text talks about
the outcry against
Sodom and Gomorrah is
great and their sin is
very grave.
What conclusions might
we draw?
Well, a nation that is
characterized like
Sodom by unrestrained
sexual violence
perpetrated by its
leaders is wicked and
dishonorable and crying
out for God's judgment
to call upon it.
It's not just one or
two of the leaders who
are then held to
account by others
and rightly held
accountable and
punished.
It is one that where
sexual violence has
become characteristic
and unrestrained.
Now, Lot is foolish to
bargain with such
wicked people.
Lot bargains with
them.
He offers to send out
his two virgin
daughters instead of
the men.
But this is foolish.
Lot is a believer but
he does not exert a
godly influence in
Sodom and instead he
is gradually drawn into
Sodom's corruption and
himself needs to be
rescued.
He needs to be literally
dragged out of the town
before it burns.
Lot would be wise to
flee.
And sometimes believers
need to ask themselves,
am I exerting a godly
influence or do I need to
walk away from
wickedness?
Third reflection.
In this episode,
rape is portrayed as an
expression of power and
dominance, not the
product of an excessive
or uncontrolled sexual
desire.
The men of Sodom
threaten to rape the male
visitors to dishonor and
humiliate them, not because
they are sexually attracted
to them.
Sexual assault of a male
victim damages this man's
sense of his masculinity in
particular ways.
The second story is similar
to Sodom.
It happens in Judges 19,
but in this case it happens
within the nation of
Israel.
And in some ways that's the
sort of part of the story
that's most hideous is that
God's own people have become
just as morally corrupt as
the people of Sodom.
So once again, an old man
takes in two visitors for
the night in the city of
Gibeah.
It's a Levite and his
servant, the men of the
city, surround the house,
demand to have the Levite
come out.
The host begs them not to
act so wickedly.
He offers them two women
instead and says violate
them, do with them what
seems good to you.
The Levite sends out his
concubine and the men knew
her and abused her all night
until the morning and in the
morning the woman is found
dead on the front doorstep of
the house.
It's a gruesome story.
It's probably the lowest,
one of the lowest points that
the people of Israel sink to in
the entire Old Testament.
The Levite cuts his concubine's
dead body into twelve pieces
and sends them throughout the
land of Israel.
The rest of the Israelites are
outraged.
They say such a thing has never
happened.
They all gather together.
They agree that the worthless
fellows of Gibeah must be
punished.
The tribe of Benjamin, to which
Gibeah belonged, refuses to hand
them over, so they attack the
tribe of Benjamin.
And a civil war results.
Reflections on this passage.
When members, or I think this
passage particularly speaks to
God's church because it's God's
people, Israel in the Old
Testament, who are called to be
distinct in the world and to bear
witness to God's character.
And instead it's become the
reverse.
So when members or leaders of
God's church sexually abuse or
violate others, the entire
community of God's people will be
judged.
Unless it courageously holds those
people to account, removes them
from their positions of leadership,
and excommunicates them from the
church if they remain unrepentant.
Next passage is Genesis 34.
In this passage, we're talking
about Jacob's daughter Dinah.
She goes out to visit the women of
the land and she, during her travels,
is raped by Shechem, the son of a
local prince.
Dinah's brothers are furious and they
respond by plotting.
And their plot is successful.
They kill every male in Shechem's
city.
Well, what do we see here?
In the face of sexual assault and
abuse, anger is justified.
The men, Dinah's brothers, were
indignant and very angry because
Shechem had done an outrageous thing
by lying with Jacob's daughter, for
such a thing must not be done.
Genesis 34.7.
Again, the author of Genesis makes a
very strong statement, being very
explicit that we wouldn't miss the
point that this was way off the map.
This was an outrageous and terrible
thing that he, as the text says,
seized her and lay with her and
humiliated her.
Dinah has brothers who stand up for her,
who are angry on her behalf and who
insist on seeing justice done.
She is not left alone to wear, to
bear the weight of being violated.
And the brother's solidarity with
Dinah is a good thing, though it is
sadly too rare.
Many female victims of sexual assault
only find support from other women.
But we also see in this story that
righteous anger can boil over into
ungodly rage.
Now, Jacob is initially unhappy that his
sons massacre all the males of the city
and his protest seems a little bit
cowardly.
You've brought trouble on me by making
me stink to the inhabitants of the land.
But he does have a point that they've
gone overboard.
Later, Jacob says of Simeon and Levi,
cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
and their wrath, for it is cruel.
The other thing we see in this story is
we see a twisted combination of
humiliating sexual violence followed by
intense romantic attraction and tender
expression.
So after Shechem raped Dinah, it says,
then his soul was drawn to Dinah.
He loved her and spoke tenderly to her
and proposed to marry her.
And that combination of humiliation and
violence combined with intense romanticism
and tenderness can be deeply confusing
for victims of sexual assault when a
perpetrator expresses no repentance
or only superficial repentance for
violence or deception or manipulation,
but nevertheless continues to lavish
words of kindness and expressions of
care on the victim in an effort to
regain the victim's approval and trust.
The last episode is 2 Samuel 13.
King David's daughter Tamar is raped
and then cast away by her half-brother,
Amnon.
King David had several children by several
different wives.
David's oldest son was Amnon.
Amnon became infatuated with his beautiful
half-sister Tamar.
And we can see the twisted nature of Amnon's
attraction from the beginning.
Amnon's friend hatches the plot with him.
Amnon pretends to be ill.
He stays in bed.
He asks his father, King David,
send Tamar to my house so she can make
dinner for me.
Tamar does so.
Amnon sends everybody else away,
calls Tamar into his bedroom.
He makes his intentions clear.
Tamar protests.
No!
Don't do this!
But Amnon wouldn't listen.
And being stronger than she,
he violated her and lay with her.
Amnon then hates her and sends her away.
Once again, despite her protests.
Tamar then put ashes on her head and tore the
long robe that she wore.
And she laid her hand on her head and went away,
crying aloud as she went.
The last we hear of Tamar is that she lived as a
desolate woman in her brother Absalom's house.
Tamar did not receive the kind of immediate support from
her male relatives that Dinah did.
Her father, King David, was very angry, but said and
did nothing.
David always appears to be relatively passive and
disengaged and indulgent toward his sons.
Tamar's brother Absalom's initial reaction was to say to
Tamar, hold your peace, my sister.
He is your brother.
Don't take this to heart.
Absalom also says nothing to Amnon initially, but two years
later, Absalom had Amnon murdered.
And that sets off another cycle of revenge within David's
family.
Reflections on this story.
First, sexual assault has lasting emotional and relational
consequences.
These are powerfully depicted.
Tamar adopts the posture of a grieving woman with ashes on her
head.
She weeps uncontrollably as she walks down the road.
Amnon has used and discarded her like an object.
So she tears her long robe, representing her dignity torn apart.
She's now seen as damaged goods unfit for marriage to another man in her society.
And even more, in the aftermath of her assault, she receives no sympathy from her brother or
her father, only platitudes and silence.
She lives the rest of her life as a desolate woman.
Her cry is echoed by many victims of sexual assault and abuse.
Where could I go to get rid of my disgrace?
Second, reflection, sexual assault is not the victim's fault.
Now, of course, there are some situations where a victim has acted unwisely or sinfully,
and it is appropriate and important to acknowledge this.
But the point remains that the victim is not to be blamed for the perpetrator's sin.
Tamar is the only character in this story who displays consistent integrity and godliness.
All the other characters in the story manifest serious character flaws.
Amnon, Absalom, David, Amnon's friend Jonadab, they're all deeply flawed.
By contrast, Tamar is hospitable toward Amnon cooking a meal for him when he's apparently
sick and confined to bed.
She's courageous.
She declares God's truth to Amnon.
She resists him rather than merely yielding to his ungodly desires, even though he's physically
stronger and more intimidating than she.
And at the end, her lament at the end of the story is a righteous response to evil and
injustice.
In the Psalms and in the book of Revelation, the righteous sufferers cry out,
O Lord, how long?
Tamar is among their company.
Now, the unresolved story of Tamar, the righteous sufferer whose life ended in seeming destillation,
points us to a fifth biblical example of humiliation, abuse, and violence.
This last biblical example is not one that we normally associate with the offense of sexual
assault.
But the New Testament Gospels culminate in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the righteous
one, which was undeniably an act of humiliation, abuse, and violence.
Consider some of what happened to Jesus on the way to the cross.
He was portrayed by a close friend with whom he had broke bread the night before.
He was abandoned by those who had promised to remain with him always.
He was stripped of his robe and violently beaten.
He was mocked and spit upon.
He was publicly humiliated and disgraced.
He was put on display before a hostile crowd, naked and exposed, except perhaps for a loincloth.
He was crucified outside the camp in the place of defilement.
His life ended in seeming desolation and disgrace.
And yet our great hope is that the story of Jesus, who is also the only entirely righteous
and godly character in all of scripture, does not end with crucifixion and disgrace.
Three days later, this same Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death and sin forever.
Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame for the joy set before him,
the joy of bringing us, many sons and daughters, with him,
bringing us from shame and despair to everlasting joy and glory.
So truly this Jesus is, for all victims of sexual assault who will turn to him,
a merciful and faithful high priest,
who is not unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but who in every respect has been tempted as we are and yet without sin.
There is even hope for perpetrators of sexual assault who will turn to Jesus,
for Jesus prayed from the cross even for those who were mocking him and who had crucified him.
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
From the cross he assured a criminal who was repentant,
who had been condemned to die for his crimes.
Today you will be with me in paradise.
Jesus Christ offers hope to sinners and to sufferers,
and in the end, we all belong to both groups.
In one way or another.
In light of what Christ has done, Hebrews invites us,
let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.
Sexual assault and abuse are deeply damaging,
but through Christ, significant redemption is possible.
Amen.