Healing the Wounds of Trauma

Then suddenly his love turned to hate, and he hated her evenmore than he had loved her. He snarled at her, “Get out of here!” Tamar pleaded with him, “No, no! To reject me now would be worse than what you have already done to me.” But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her. He shouted for his servant and said, “Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!” So the servants put her out. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe. But now she tore her robe and put ashes on her head to show how sad she was. Then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying. When her brother Absalom heard what had happened, he tried to calm her down by saying, “Since he’s your brother, don’t tell any- one what happened. Try not to think about it.” Absalom took her to his house. She lived there the rest of her life as an abandoned and desolate woman. When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry, but he did not do anything to punish Amnon because Amnon was his favorite son. Absalom hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done and decided he would kill him. Two years later, he was able to trick Amnon and kill him. Afterward, he had to run for his life to another country to escape his father’s anger. He stayed there for three years. Finally, David called for him to come back to Jerusalem. But even then, David refused to see him. Absalom became bitter against David and tried to take the throne from him. He died in the attempt. This made King David even sadder. (This story is a summary of 2 Samuel 13ff.) ❂❂ SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION What effects did this rape have on Tamar? On Amnon? On the family? 2. What is rape? Rape is when a person forces themselves sexually on another person without their consent. Most often, it happens to a woman or girl, but it can also happen to a boy or man. Rape may include an element of lust, but it is always an act of violence. Rape may be committed by a family member, a trusted friend, or a total stranger.

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How Can We Help Someone Who Has Been Raped?