This is a must read for anyone who has been abused and tossed away by their uncaring attackers and suffered from the indifference of those who should have cared. I highly recommend this sister’s blog. Thank you Tiffany Clark of Scotland.
Pleading hands stretch out on a wooden doorframe. Crimson blood stains its lintel. A woman’s life slips silently away as the members of the household sleep in peace, safe on the other side of the door. Do they not care that she has spent the night in indescribable torture? Does it not matter to them that she has been raped and beaten beyond recognition? But they sleep on, undisturbed by her plight. And she breathes her last, voiceless in life as in death.
In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father’s house in Bethlehem, Judah.
Judges 19:1-2
What voice did she have in leaving home and becoming a concubine? Bethlehem was her birthplace, and…
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A Wilderness Voice 
we are born in a mess but as birthed ones into Gods realm we will die in a bless–meanwhile we live our lives between the mess and the bless–with which we must learn to rest in the bless and forget about the mess.
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I couldn’t have said it better. I am sure glad that Jesus has His fan in His hand and is thoroughly purging our chaff from His threshing floor.
Thanks Kenneth
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IN READING ALL THE MESSAGES FROM THOSE WHO HAVE WON OVER ADVERSITIES,
REMINDS ME OF A SONG MY MOM TAUGHT ME> “ROSES HAVE THORNS BUT DON’T
FORGET: THORNS HAVE SOME ROSES TO!”
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The biblical story of Judges 19 that Tiffany so perfectly brought back to life was one of my stumbling blocks in the Bible. Indeed, I was hurting extremely while reading it over and over again. I could not understand why God allowed it that his “servants” were so ruthless; sometimes I even thought it had been His will that men were so cruel toward women (patriarchy, you know). I guess my own painful experiences with abusive men distorted my picture of God back then.
Thanks for sharing, Michael.
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Dear Susanne, When I read Tiffany’s article it made her suffering from abuse come alive for I could feel her pain as she related Tamar’s story. I am so sorry that my posting this has caused you any pain, my friend. In Tamar’s and so many other O.T. women’s stories we can see the vast difference between a nation that lived before and under the law and the message of the New Testament Christ. In it Jesus had the utmost respect for women and even forgave them and saved their lives from the legal religionists of that day who seemed to enjoy killing the weak and defenseless… and they finally had to kill Him. But they could not kill His message or His unifying Spirit, that in Christ there is neither, Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free or male nor female, but a New Creation. And I thank Him for healing us and making us ALL one IN HIS LOVE.
Your brother in His wonderful love,
Michael
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Sorry for the misunderstanding, my dear brother. Your posting did not cause me pain. Instead, several stories in the OT, esp. Judges 19 and Tamar’s story who had been raped by her brother were those stumbling blocks that skewed the picture I had of a loving God on my mind before. Dealing with my own scars, I finally confronted God with the question of why He had not helped these women (including me). I know many women who had been abused sexually and raped raise such questions, again and again, until God enables them to see that HE is really different from those men that caused them so much pain.
The fact that Jesus loved and saved women did not help me, either, because I could only see that particular picture on my mind where many religious hypocrites were standing and between them a helpless woman caught in the act of adultery (without a man who should have been guilty too – where was he?). I wonder whether Jesus really forgave “her sins” in that case. I believe that Jesus took a stand for her since he confronted those men with their own sins, telling them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (Jn 8:7 ESV) and wrote down their names (I believe) in the ground. Finally “Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (Jn 8:10-11 ESV)
In other cases Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.” But to her He only said that He would not condemn her, either. I believe He said particularly THIS because He knew her heart and wanted to give her back a woman’s God given dignity and a VOICE, the voice to stand up for her own interests. From that point on she was even enabled to stop sinning through the power of His words that certainly reached her very heart, too.
Your sister in HIS LOVE,
Susanne
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Wow, Susanne! This is a great comment that touches my heart deeply. Like Tiffany, you have given scope and a personal touch to what that woman caught in adultery by those hypocrites went through. Yes, the Jewish law says that both the man and the woman is to be brought before the congregation and stoned to death. I believe that the one that had been in bed with her was standing right there among them for it was a set-up deal that they contrived to bring Jesus to a crises. In their evil minds He had to either defy their law and say, “You should not do this. Show her mercy,” which is His heart for her, or He would have to say, “Yup! That is the law. Get on with it,” and go against the heart of the gospel He came to share. The man that did it was standing there and it was HIS name that Jesus wrote in the dirt along with his accomplices. Yes, when Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more,” He imparted grace along with His love to her and she went away a new woman.” This is what He did for you as well, my wonderful sister. It is a joy to be getting to know you.
In His great love for you and all the abused,
Michael
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Thinking about you as you minister to people like Tiffany” hymn: HE GIVETH MORE GRACE:
WHEN THE BURDENS GROW GREATER! HE SENDETH MORE STRENGTH WHEN THE
LABORS INCREASE. TO ADDED AFFLICTION HE ADDETH HIS MERCY TO
MULTIPLIED TRIALS HIS MULTIPLIED PEACE! HIS LOVE HAS NO LIMITS; HIS GRACE
HAS NO MEASURE, HIS POWER HAS NO BOUNDARY KNOWN UNTO MEN. FOR OUT OF HIS INFINITE RICHES IN JESUS: HE GIVETH, & GIVETH AND GIVETH AGAIN!
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Thank you Bernie, I needed that… Being poured out for others can be quite draining. And only He can fill me up again.
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I think that every man should read Tamar’s story and let her pain go deep into our hearts… It is so easy to destroy a life with molestation and rape and so hard for the woman to recover. Even with Jesus’ help it takes years for the triggers that bring back memories to go away, if ever.
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Michael, I’m so glad that I read this, as difficult as it was. Tiffany has such a gift to open up the Scriptures! It’s a very troubling passage. When the concubine’s father threw her out to those wicked men, it reminded me of Lot, in Sodom. The mystery of how Lot, who we believe to be a godly man, could offer up his daughters to ravenous sexual thugs! I’m sure that this article will bring back many painful memories for abused women, but it beautifully points to the compassionate love of Jesus and His identification with their hurt. I have left a comment on Tiffany’s post, too.
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Dear Brenda,
Yes, it is a tragic story, but how many thousands of you dear sisters are still suffering from their former abuse? You could hear Tiffany telling her own story as she taught from this passage… she gave Tamar life before my eyes and touched my heart deeply, feeling her pain. Fourteen years ago, while watching “The Green Mile,” I asked the Lord to put me in touch with the pain that so many suffer on this earth and if possible use me to take some of it away. I never dreamed it would be among so many abused women that He has put me in touch with in these last few months. I am Glad you left a comment for Tiffany. I will be sure to read it as well. Please pray for me.
Love you, my sister,
Michael
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Yes, Brenda. Lot and how he dealt with his (beloved?) daughters – that was another painful chapter to read and reread. 😦
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I found this very beautiful. As it happens, I came across the original by another route. The message ministered to me twice.
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Thanks, Anna. I am glad to hear Tiffany’s portrayal of Tamar ministered to you, dear sister. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Michael
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Since we have (and perhaps still are, or will repeatedly continue to be) abused by this worldly system in every aspect, it could be that we are currently being led by His Holy Spirit toward a more robust and real-time reality of His eternal instruction, i.e. more of Him and less of us. Hallelujah.
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Roland, So good to hear from you. It has been a while. If I remember right, you have been wheelchair bound for many year and I assume that pain is no stranger to you. Yes, I think all the sufferings of this present time, even like our friend in California who is suffering from Parkinson’s… all these limitations and all this suffering is there to work a far greater weight of glory in us… forcing us to seek out our heavenly Father and to not settle for anything less than HIM.
Thanks for writing,
Michael.
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