Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went – 

2 Sam. 13:19

She was an innocent and caring young princess adored by her father. Talk about beauty, Tamar was simply exquisite! Eyes turned wherever she passed. Her smile was warm and sincerely engaging. And she could cook too. Amnon, her half-brother took notice of her in a wrong way, and lost it with her. He raped her and callously kicked her out into the streets (12-19).

 Absalom, her full brother was livid, but kept his cool while he waited for an opportunity to revenge. King David was furious, but did nothing about it. Now a beautiful royal family had been afflicted by cruel hatred for one another because one person’s lack of self-control! How deceptive infatuation is, and how destructive when left unchecked and not surrendered to the Holy Spirit!

Job was right. “The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help”, (Job 24:12). The groans of Princess Tamar rose from Jerusalem, and her wounded soul cried out for help the rest of her life. Make no mistake. When sensual ecstasy is left unrestrained, the result is always devastating.

Unfortunately, many of such cruel and wicked stories are told in silence and whispers all around the world today. The groans of millions of men and women, young and old, are hushed by oppressive cultures, sex trafficking, weak national institutions, and wicked people, who stop at nothing to make money at all cost. In its wake, lives of vulnerable women and children are destroyed in sex slavery and sweat factories everywhere. It has no regard for gender or age.  The arrows of the heartless world are sharp and deadly, leaving millions in ruins and starvation. Peer into the face of a Syrian refugee and feel the pain of depravity and greed. Yet, the cry of these poor victims is hushed by the fast and dazzling life of the metropolis. So, they hide in their corners in the day and swarm the dark alleys of the city at nightfall with their oppressive trade. They weep, moan, and groan; yet, nobody cares for them. Their silent groans grow louder in a world that has lost its bearing and have no feeling.

 But there is good news! It sounds from Calvary’s cross on which our Savior died some two thousand years plus ago. As Chuck Swindoll rightly says, “Tucked away in a quiet corner of every life are wounds and scars. If they were not there, we would need no Physician. Nor would we need one another.”

Jesus is that Physician, and He still makes His calls around the cities, towns, and villages of the world like the family doctor of old. He comes with the balm of Gilead to soothe the pain and heal the wounds of the afflicted (Jer. 8:22). To everyone who hears His voice and opens their heart to Him, Jesus will come in to heal and to restore the dignity they have lost (Rev. 3:20).