Genesis 24

Mail Order Bride (2009) (10" x 10")

collage and acrylic on framed mirror

Abraham's servant is sent to the city of Nahor where he is to locate a bride for Isaac who will be identified by her actions at a well. Rebekah is identified by the predicted sign so the servant goes to her father and her brother Laban and explains that she is the chosen one. Laban very piously answers, "The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you anything bad or good. Look, Rebekah is before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken."

From what we know about Laban's money-grubbing attitude elsewhere in the Bible, this response seems out of character for him. But the answer is probably hinted in verses 30-31 where we see that Laban only welcomes the servant with open arms once he has seen the costly nose rings and bracelets the servant had given Rebekah as presents.

Genesis 28:10-22

Highway to Heaven (2009) (10" x 10")

collage on framed mirror

The famous story of Jacob's Ladder has been seen by some to anticipate the atoning work of Christ in bridging the gap between man and God.

Exodus 28 and Exodus 39

These chapters describe in detail all the vestaments for the Aaronic priesthood. They are of special interest to artists, as Francis Schaeffer pointed out years ago in his little pamphlet which has the same title as my blogsite. Note the number of times in these passages that God stresses the skillfullness of the artistry to be done. And lest anyone take pride in their artistic accomplishments, note also Exodus 28:3:  "And you shall speak to all who have ability, whom I have endowed with skill..."

All Decked Out (2009) (10" x 10")

collage on framed mirror

Exodus 3

As Moses approaches the burning bush in the desert, a voice tells him, "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." I had always interpreted this to mean that Moses should take off his dirty shoes so that they would not pollute the holy ground, much as people in many Far East cultures take off their shoes before they enter a house or place of worship.

However, I recently read a completely different interpretation of this passage. Namely, God wants Moses to come into more direct contact with Him by removing his sandals.

Brushfire (2009) (10" x 10")

collage on framed mirror

Exodus 32

Calf Casting (2009) (10" x 10")

collage and acrylic on framed mirror

The unfortunate Golden Calf incident in Exodus 32 demonstrates mankind's tendency to worship something they can not only see, but have control over--unlike the invisible and omnipotent God.

Numbers 20

Twice Struck (2009) (10" x 10")

mixed media on framed mirror



After one of the Israelite grumbling episodes (Why did you bring us here where there is no water or fruit as in Egypt?), Moses and Aaron pray to God for water. He tells them to command a rock to bring forth water, but Moses strikes the rock twice and takes credit for the miracle himself (see verse11).

As punishment for their disobedience, Moses and Aaron are not allowed to take the people into the Promised Land. Sometimes a seemingly minor act can reveal the condition of our heart and have grave consequences.

Numbers 2

Encamped (2009) (10" x 10")

collage on framed mirror

Verses 15-23 of this chapter hold a good lesson for us today. God's presence with the people was indicated by a cloud resting over the tabernacle. The people would stay camped at each location until the cloud lifted. In other words, they only proceeded when and where God indicated. We often charge ahead of God in our life and regret it later.

Numbers 21

This chapter contains the strange story of the Israelites grumbling against God, who proceeds to plague them with poisonous snakes. Then, after Moses' intervention, God instructs him to erect an image of a snake which will heal anyone who looks on it. Perhaps there is a hint here of God sending his Son to first remind us of our sinful nature and then saving anyone who gazes upon his sacrifice on the cross.

Sympathetic Healing (2009) (10" x 10")

collage on framed mirror

Exodus 34

The Big Ten (2009) (10" x 10")

collage on framed mirror

The Ten Commandments remain the basis of morality for Jews and Christians today. However, in case you are ever tempted to feel that your life is without sin because you haven't broken any commandments (lately), just read Matthew 5. In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he takes several of these commandments and goes to the heart of the matter rather than just concentrating on overt actions. And in addition he adds a commandment that all of us have trouble with: love your enemies.

2 Peter 3:15-16

The warning in these verses is clear: some things in the Bible are hard to understand and can be easily misread by those who either (a) don't know any better or (b) are purposely twisting Scripture to say what they want it to say.  Hopefully, we are not in the second class of people. However, all of us could use more training in how to interpret the Bible properly. My recommendation is a great little book by Gordon Fee entitled How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth.

Puzzling (2010) (6" x 4")

collage on balsa wood

Matthew 13:45-46

Matthew 13 contains several short parables by Jesus describing various aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven. This saying about the "pearl of great price" zeroes in on how we should value God's kingdom as if it were something we would be willing to trade everything we own to obtain.

The Pearl (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on balsa wood

Ezekiel 37

This chapter has often been used to prove that the concept of a future resurrection was well known in Old Testament times. However, in its context, it really is a symbolic representation of Israel's rebirth as a nation. If one is looking for a proof text, Daniel 12:2 is a much clearer example:
        "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

Valley of Dry Bones (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on balsa wood

James 3:5-6

Of all the sinful behaviors James mentions in his letter (including envy, ambition, murder, and fraud), he spends the most time talking about sins of the tongue. We need to remind ourselves constantly that gossiping, for example, ranks right up there with what we generally consider to be much more serious sins. However, as James puts it, "How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire."

The Talk of the Town (2010) (6" x 4")

collage on balsa wood

II Kings 2:23-24

The story of Elisha cursing the young boys who were making fun of him, followed by them being killed by bears, is a disturbing one that most of us wish were not in the Bible. Walter Kaiser, Jr. (in Hard Sayings of the Bible) notes several facts that temper this story: the "young boys" involved were from 12-30 years of age; their taunt "go up" may refer to their unbelief in Elijah's translation into heaven; calling Elisha "baldhead" was quite derogatory (see Isaiah 3:17, 24) and might even be interpreted as cursing him with leprosy; Leviticus 26:21-22 predicts this sort of result for those who do not listen to God; and Elisha did not take action himself against the gang of youths (at least 42 of them were involved) but left it up to God.

Don't Mess With a Prophet (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on balsa wood

Ecclesiastes 12:12 Again

This must be a favorite verse of mine because here is a second collage on Solomon's advice.

Much Study (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on balsa wood

Joshua 4

A Memorial Forever (2009) (10" x 10")

collage on wood plaque and dowels

When the Israelites miraculously cross the Jordan River, they are told to erect a memorial of stones in the middle of the river so that, in future times, they can point it out to their children and recount the story.

What kind of memorials to God's help are we putting in place to share with future generations?

Ecclesiastes 12:12

It is interesting to compare several translations of this much-quoted scripture:
"Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh"  NRSV
"Be warned that writing books involves endless hard work, and that much study wearies the body."  Jerusalem Bible
"The use of books is endless, and much study is wearisome." New English Bible
"There is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever, and become very exhausting!"  Living Bible
"There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out."  Today's English Version

I could go on, but I am getting a bit wearied myself.

A Weariness of the Flesh (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on hardboard

Luke 14:7-11

This parable of Jesus revolves around the custom of seating the guests at a banquet according to their social status, with the favored guests sitting near the head of the table. One seating himself in an honored spot runs the risk of being told to move aside for a more influencial guest. There is a parallel to this saying in the Proverbs:
          "Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among great men; it is better for him to say to you, 'come up here,' than for him to humiliate you before a noble man.'"  (Proverbs 25:6-7)

The Seat of Honor (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on hardboard

Proverbs 15:1

This scripture contains the famous saying "A soft answer turns away wrath."  This idea is echoed in Proverbs 15:4a: "A gentle tongue is a tree of life."
Lest someone get the idea that we are to water down our comments to the point that no one will be offended, Proverbs 15:2 needs to be kept in mind also: "The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge."

In other words, speak the truth in love.

Turning Away Wrath (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on hardboard

Philippians 3:2

In this passage, Paul warns the church about three classes of people: dogs, evil doers, and those who mutilate the flesh.  The second group is self explanatory, and the third group probably refers to those Christians who still insisted on circumcision as a requirement for church membership.  But who were the "dogs?"

As a matter of fact, practically all commentators on this passage agree that there was only one class of people described by these three terms: the judiazers. "Dogs" is a particularly derisive term to use since these animals were considered by the Jews as scavengers in a class with hyenas and vultures.

Beware of Dog (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on hardboard

Matthew 20:25-28

In these verses, Jesus warns his disciples that "whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave (NRSV translation)."  If more TV preachers and pastors of megachurches took this to heart, there would be fewer sensational scandals involving church leaders in our country.  But we must remember that Jesus' words apply first and foremost to ourselves.

The Greatest (2010) (4" x 6")

collage on hardboard

Judges 21:25

In Their Own Eyes (2011) (12" x 12")

collage on canvas

As a hammer blow throughout the Book of Judges is the phrase "They did what was right in their own eyes."  This sounds, to us liberty-loving Americans like a compliment. However, in the context of the book, it is a denunciation of those who rejected God's leading in favor of whatever pleased them at the time.

Four Gospels

Traditionally, it was Saint Irenaeus in the 2nd Century who first assigned symbols to the four authors of the Gospel accounts:
     Mark was a lion, Luke was an ox, John was an eagle, and Matthew was a  
winged man.

These were named in analogy to the four beasts described in Ezekiel 1:10 and Revelation 4:7.

  Four-Fold (2011) (12" x 12")

acrylic and collage on canvas

Numbers 13:32-33

A pivotal incident in Israel's history occurs when they reach the promised land and spies are sent to scope out the land before entering.  Based on the majority report of the scouts regarding the strength of the people there, and ignoring the advice of Joshua and Caleb, the people of Israel overwhelming refuse to enter the land that God had for them. The result was 40 more years of wandering in the desert.

Several lessons can be gained from this event: be careful whom you listen to, don't let your fears override God's promises, and snap decisions can lead to lasting consequences.

Grasshopper Men (2011) (12" x 12")

collage and acrylic on canvas and wood