Sorrow and Beauty

Last time I used the Bible app on my computer was a couple of days ago to look up a name for my Hebrew studies. The name was Tamar. I saw the story when I looked at my Bible app just now. That is a name associated with so much sadness. I had to look Tamar up because although I understood the name when I transliterated it, it seemed to come from the wrong place. I was thinking about David's daughter Tamar (2 Sam 13), thinking about that story brings tears to my eyes. Was that really caused by David's sin? How can I harbour any sin if that kind of thing can be the consequence of it? How can I harbour any sin if Jesus suffers for it? There isn't really a good side to that story I don't think, it is just the miserable consequence of sin. Absolom named his daughter Tamar after his beloved sister. I rarely have so much sympathy for Absolom, he did so many horrible things. But he loved his sister, he was just ruled by his emotions, and how many others are like that?
The Tamar I was referred to in the study notes was the original Tamar (Gen 38). I knew about her, but I had forgotten her name. Yet another miserable story caused by sin after sin from men that should have been her spiritual leaders. This Tamar became active in finding justice, but in doing that she did things that must have felt disgraceful. There was nobody else to fight for her and she fought for herself, that must have been a miserable situation. Jesus was descended from this Tamar according the flesh, from Judah. One thing is certain, the world is complex and the Bible does not try to deny that. There are not always simple solutions because the sins of others complicate life. But God holds us accountable for our own sins, we should not compromise ourselves simply because others do.
Tamar is the name of a palm tree according to Euston's Bible Dictionary, you can find a palm tree as a reference for beauty in Song of Solomon chapter two.
Here is a promise and command from our Father:

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. [Psalm 92:12]
We are to look up to him and grow straight and tall in our faith, not to twist around or lazily creep across the earth. Life is miserable because of sin, but don't focus on that. Think about Jesus, focus on him, and look up to him as your example. Jesus will make you a person of beauty and help you through the consequences of sin in this world.