There is an epidemic of sexual abuse in our world and the headlines of the past several months make it very clear.
- Sexual assault occurs in 10-14% of all marriages
- Every two minutes someone in the US is sexually assaulted
- 17% of men and 25% of women are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime
- 80% of victims are under 30
- Only 5-20% of sexual assaults are actually reported
We need the Word of God to speak to these situations.
Pastor Colin Smith preached on the Bible’s story of Amnon’s rape of Tamar in his series on the Life of David. What follows is the opening lines of his sermon and the video courtesy of UnlockingtheBible.org.
Please open your Bible at 2 Samuel 13. There are some stories in the Bible that should make us weep. This is one of them.
It is the story of a woman who was horribly abused and violated. She suffered at the hands of a member of her own family, and it happened in the king’s household.
This is a story that speaks directly to an issue that continues to dominate our news. It is much on my mind, that many among us will have been violated in one way or another. My prayer is that God will bring help, hope and healing into many lives through his Word today.
God’s Word speaks to every area of life. Why would this story be preserved in the Scripture if it were not for the purpose of ministry to those who need help, hope, and healing today?
If the issues before us today are painfully personal for you, I want to recommend a book entitled Rid of My Disgrace. It is written by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb, a pastor and wife with extensive ministry experience in this area. It includes stories of people who have been abused and who have found help and healing through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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