Malachi

An appropriate ending to the Old Testament and preparation for the New Testament is the Book of Malachi. Its final words predict the coming of the prophet Elijah.  As the Gospel accounts make clear, this is to be understood as a reference to John the Baptist's coming.

Malachi (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic on canvas

Zechariah

This minor prophet gives his name to a book with fourteen chapters. However, many scholars feel it should actually be viewed as two books: chapters 1-8 and chapters 9-14. The first eight chapters consist of a series of visions which have certain similarities to Haggai while the last six chapters are oracles that are closely aligned with the Book of Malachi. Thus, the last three books of minor prophets can be considered as a whole, much as Ezra-Nehemiah and Samuel-Kings belong together.

Zechariah (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic and gilding on canvas

Haggai

Haggai is the first of the post-exilic prophets in the Minor Prophets. His main concern was to encourage the people and leaders in the task of rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple.

Haggai (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic on canvas

Zephaniah

The major point of emphasis in this book involves the coming Day of the Lord in both its aspects: salvation and judgment. The book begins with the negative aspects of the Day: "I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth...I will make the wicked stumble. I will cut off humanity from the face of the earth, says the LORD."  However, a more positive mood is found in the final words: "At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the people of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD."

Zephaniah (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic on canvas

Habakkuk

One of the most striking passages in this book is found in Hab. 2:1 where the prophet declares "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say to me."  We need more watchmen in the church today to see and declare what God says to us.

Habakkuk (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic on canvas, plywood and cork

Nahum

This prophetic book provides an interesting contrast to the Book of Jonah since both involve the city of Nineveh. Nahum is more concerned with glorying over the destruction of this city while the Book of Jonah was concerned with its possible salvation. Both of these attitudes are seen to stem from the two sides to God's holiness. The contrast is seen most clearly by comparing the following quotations:
        "You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing." (Jonah 4:2b)
        "A jealous and avenging God is the LORD, the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and rages against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger but great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty." (Nahum 1:2-3)

Nahum (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic on canvas

Micah

Micah is usually characterized by its fierce denunciation of the leaders in Jerusalem. He predicts the fall of Jerusalem, but couples this with a hope for its ultimate restoration.

Micah (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

collage on canvas

Jonah

The reluctant prophet is the probably the most well known of the minor prophets. It is a powerful tale of what happens when personal and nationalistic pride takes precedence over the commands of God. Re-read this book sometime and note all the correspondences in themes between the first half of the book and the second half (especially between chapters 1 and 3 and between chapters 2 and 4).

Jonah (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic and collage on canvas

Obadiah

This is the shortest book in the Old Testament and one of the least known. Part of the reason is that it is very single-minded in purpose--a denunciation of the Edomites. The sin they are accused of is a serious one. Although Edom was a close neighbor of Israel, they aided the Babylonians when Israel was attacked rather than supporting her or at least remaining neutral in the conflict.

Obadiah (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic on canvas

Amos

Although the Book of Amos is filled with denunciations of the people for their many sins, it is probably best known for the phrase found in Amos 5:24: "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (NRSV)."  This phrase was just one of the biblical references in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I've been to the mountaintop" speech.

Amos (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic on canvas

Joel

The Book of Joel is best known to Christians for verses 2:28-32, which are quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentacost to explain the observed phenomenom of speaking and prophesying in tongues. It is also a convenient starting point for Peter to give a general call to repentance.  Careful comparison of Joel's prophecy with Peter's speech shows that although the New Testament writers respected the context of the Old Testament prophecies yet felt free, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, to rather freely interpret the fulfillment of such prophecies.

Joel (2004) (6 1/2" x 9 3/4")

acrylic on canvas

Hosea

Often the Old Testament prophets were commanded by God to do bizarre things to get the people's attention: construct toy cities and knock them down, refuse to change their underwear, etc. But perhaps the most bizarre command was that given to Hosea, who was told to marry a prostitute. There is actually some controversy as to whether she was a prostitute when Hosea married her or whether God predicted that she would become one. In any case, Hosea did as he was commanded and his troubled marriage was an example to the people of the breaking of their vows to remain faithful to God.

Hosea (2004) (6 1/2" x 9")

collage and watercolor on canvas and polyurethane

The Minor Prophets

The post title is, of course, a misnomer since the twelve shorter prophetic books are by no means minor in terms of either content or literary style.  The work below is constructed around an old window pane which has twelve panels. The glass was first removed and then the painting done on canvas glued to hardboard.  The style of painting is a throwback to some very early pieces of mine using watercolor on canvas. My recent posting "Mountain Incident" demonstrates how iffy that technique can be. So this time around I utilized acrylics instead and got a comparable end result without the danger of the paint peeling in the future.

The whole piece is shown below. Subsequent posts will concentrate on each panel in turn.

The Twelve (2004) (31 1/2" x 30 1/2")

mixed media on canvas

Stations of the Cross

Charles Dickens, in his travel book Pictures from Italy, noted that as he was approaching Rome he saw a whole series of small shrines by the side of the road picturing events related to Christ's suffering and death on the cross. It was, he said, "a perfect toy-shop."  Thus the title of the diptych shown below.

A Perfect Toy-Shop:A (2005) (18" x 24")

collage and acrylic on canvas

A Perfect Toy-Shop:B

The Parable of the Sower

Jesus' parable concerning the fate of seed sown in various types of ground is found in Matthew 3. Jesus' extended explanation of this story makes it almost seem like an allegory rather than a parable; however, it has been pointed out that there is not even an explanation of who the sower stands for. One of the types of ground described was rocky soil. In this environment, faith may spring up rapidly, but the lack of deep roots means it is doomed to a quick death when any stress factors are present.

Rocky Ground (2012) (11" x 14")

collage on canvas

The City: Part 1

Prominent theologian Jacques Ellul makes the point in his book The Meaning of the City that the original concept of the city in the Bible was part of man's rebellion against God. The first city is described in Genesis 4 as a product of Cain's desire to settle down and make a name for himself rather than be a wanderer on the earth as God had ordered.

Birth of the City (2010) (11" x 12")

mixed media on hardboard

Mountain Incident

On a church youth outing in the mountains years ago, some of the kids improvised a sled using a piece of tin roofing and slid down a slope covered with pine needles. The end result was that one of my friends walked with a limp until the day of his death. I painted the picture below as a reminder. It was done with watercolors on canvas--not a recommended combination as you can see by the spots where the paint has peeled off over the years.

 Mountain Incident (1961) (24" x 20")

Gideon: Part 3

The final chapter in Gideon's career is told in Judges 7-8. First is the familiar story of the Israelites using a ruse to convince the Midianite army that they were outnumbered. In the confusion of night, they begin to slaughter one another before the Israelites finish them off. Because of his military leadership, Gideon is offered kingship of Israel, which he wisely turns down with the words, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you. (Judges 8:23)."  However, this military and spiritual victory of Gideon is unfortunately followed by the events related at the end of Chapter 8. Gideon prepares and sets up an object of pagan worship right at the spot where his father's sacred pole had stood. The lesson appears to be the one that Paul constantly harps on: You must endure to the end.

 Gideon: Victory and Defeat (2012) (20" x 16")

acrylic and collage on hardboard

Gideon: Part 2

The second act in the Gideon saga comes in Judges 6:36-7:14 when Gideon asks for repeated signs from God to confirm that the word really is from Him.  We often hear of people "casting a fleece" to determine God's will for them, but the context of this story shows that this is not a procedure that is especially recommended. However, God humors Gideon in his request and even throws in an additional sign by letting Gideon overhear a dream that an enemy soldier has had, predicting victory for the Israelite forces.

Gideon: Signs (2012) (16" x 20")

acrylic and collage on canvas

Gideon: Part 1

Most of Judges 6 is devoted to telling the story of God's call to Gideon commissioning him to deliver his people. The angel of the LORD asks him to do two things: prepare a sacrifice to be burned and tear down his father's sacred pole. The first poses no problem for Gideon, but he carries out the second command at night so that no one will see him. God realizes that we all need to crawl before we walk, and walk before we can run. Thus, He prepares us for our ministries in easy steps.

Gideon: A New Name (2012) (20" x 16")

acrylic and collage on canvas

In this Gideon series, I have utilized more acrylics than collaged elements. Max Ernst has been a purposeful influence in terms of technique (decalcomania) and in picturing evil forces as bird-men. The Jews are shown as metallic tools.

Luke 8:1

The subject inspiration for this piece was suggested by the engraved numbers 8  1  on a wooden shoe mold.  That led me to Luke 8:1 where the text seemed to fit well with the theme of walking. "Soon afterward, he (Jesus) went on through cities and villages proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him."

8:1 (2011) (12" x 12" x 1 1/2")

assemblage in wood box

Since the good news as well as Jesus' travels ultimately led to the cross, it is pictured in the background.

Ecclesiastes 9:4

The title text makes an interesting assertion: "A live dog is better than a dead lion." This is somewhat contrary to the typically American quote: "Give me liberty or give me death." However, the Preacher explains at the start of the verse that "Whoever is among the living has hope."

Which is Better? (2012) (16" x 20")

acrylic and collage on canvas

The Gospel of Mark

One way to avoid the artist's equivalent of writer's block is to let the substrate suggest the subject. For example, a shadow box I got as a present had 16 compartments in it. Going through the books of the Bible, Mark's Gospel appeared with its 16 chapters. The rest followed naturally.

The Gospel of Mark (2013) (13 1/2" x 17 1/4" x 1 5/8")

mixed media assemblage

Leviticus 14 -- Leprosy in a House

Among the detailed and rather strange purity regulations found in the Book of Leviticus are instructions for ridding a house of "leprosy" (see Lev. 14). This word is applied to various forms of mold, mildew, etc. that can pollute the walls of a house rendering it impure. We may think that such regulations are rather legalistic, but they did serve to remind the Jews that they were God's people and thus needed to remain holy.

House Cleaning (2011) (12" x 12")

collage on wood panel

The Flood

The two panels in the piece below can be read in either direction. Thus, starting with the bottom panel, it was the pervasive evil of mankind that necessitated the flood to cleanse the earth. The upper panel depicts a fresh start for humanity and a promise from God that the earth would never again be destroyed in the same manner. However, even snakes were aboard the ark. And their descendants, both animal and human, have led to the same situation as in Noah's day (back to the bottom panel).

Second Chance (2011) (14 1/2" x 20 1/2" x 2 1/2")

collage and assemblage in shadow box

The Camel and the Eye of a Needle

Jesus' well-known saying about the difficulty of a rich man entering into heaven has caused trouble for interpreters for years. In order to soften the saying, some preachers in the past have appealed to the presence of a natural stone arch in Israel nicknamed "the eye of a needle" that was big enough for a small camel to squeeze through if it was on its knees. Thus, they taught, a rich man can enter into heaven if he bows his knee in submission to God. Unfortunately, no such arch existed. A more natural interpretation is that Jesus was simply using a common figure of speech called hyperbole, or exaggeration, to make a point.

Mission Impossible (2009) (3 1/4" x 3 1/4" x 10 1/8")

mixed media in metal box

back view

The clear pillar in the center of the box was prepared by stuffing dollar bills into a rubber tube, filling it with polyester resin, and puncturing the tubing with sewing needles. When the polymer had set up, the tubing was then cut off and removed.

Printers Cases

Two early collages made from printers type cases are shown below. Although the overall dimensions of these cases are identical to one another, the internal designs are quite different and add variety to the final pieces. The first treats the death, resurrection and post-resurrection appearances of Christ. The subject of the companion piece is Jesus' sending out of 70 disciples.

40 Days (1999) (7 1/2" x 15")

The 70 (1999) (7 1/2" x 15")