The Bible In Paintings, #69: GIDEON’S ADVENTURES, Part 1: ANGEL, ALTAR, FLEECE

Bing Images | c. 2200 BC -- c. 95 AD | by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

At the Holy Spirit's prompting, I am surveying "Bible art" to give God glory, as many of these artists have done, and for my own amusement and learning; and I thought others might enjoy it and be blessed by it, too. My plan is to proceed methodically from left-to right, Genesis to Revelation, as the Lord wills. Back soon with another.

The Bible encourages us to meditate on it (Ps. 1:1-3, 119:11-16, etc.); these artists have done so, and their works can assist us and enrich our own thoughts about biblical characters, incidents and concepts, and increase our faith in He who is behind it all. As you encounter and consider these images and the related Scriptures and the Spirit enlightens your understanding, please share it with us!

But it is not only oil-on-canvas that can so help us; I refer to the astonishing video series The Chosen, which strolls through the four Gospels at the most leisurely pace. The eight episodes of Season 1 are finished, and the second of a planned seven seasons is coming soon. I say "leisurely" because after an entire year’s viewing Jesus still has only seven of the apostles (although He's preparing to call up Thomas from the minor leagues--but Thomas is skeptical, of course). Anticipating a canvas of fifty-plus hours instead of a movie's paltry two hours, The Chosen turns the characters (especially including Jesus!) into three-dimensional humans and brings the Gospels alive--you have never seen anything even remotely like it! Here is the Official Trailer.

Here is a link for free viewing of The Chosen: “Works with your phone, tablet, and you can cast to your Roku or Chromecast.” Last fall I paid $34.98 for DVDs and ongoing internet access—best 35 bucks I’ve ever spent (I don’t recall how much our marriage license cost, but then it was 42 years ago).

[Hebrews 11:6]

……... .

F o r . . y o u r

CONSIDERATION

ENJOYMENT

& BLESSING

……... .

[Hebrews 11:6]

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[jacknhoo]

Excellent and very interesting. Thanks and have a blessed Sunday.

[jacknhoo]

Excellent and very interesting. Thanks and have a blessed Monday.

[EliRoom8]

Some of these are really good. A minor point is that no angel is ever mentioned in the sense of being a cherubic baby or a woman. They are often referred to as resembling men with little attention to wings.
For me there images often highlight an area of the text I may have overlooked.

So thanks!

Please add me to the ping list.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thanks. I’ll put out a fleece to see what to do. Know where I can find a lamb?

[stars & stripes forever]

This site is a hidden treasure. May more and more FReepers discover GOD’s Word through The Bible in Paintings. God bless you, Hebrews 11:6.

(If only people would learn about GOD’s hand in the affairs of men, instead of desiring to destroy it ~ Psalm 2.)

[Hebrews 11:6]

The portrayal of angels has been a constantly recurring theme from Day 1 of this series: Why are they so often shown with navels? Why do artists add wings? Why so masculine? Angels will continue appearing in these threads, and causing consternation, straight through Revelation, because artists LOVE painting them. And so it goes....

For me the images often highlight an area of the text I may have overlooked. So thanks!

They are wonderful for that, aren't they? I've also heard they inspire people to "go find my Bible" and start reading. God always finds ways to advance His Word.

And you, EliRoom8--really, I ought to insist that people explain their screen-nicknames before adding them to the Ping List--you indeed have been added.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thank you, Debbie. God’s Word alighting in minds and hearts is my daily prayer. It’s why I explain at the end, “The Bible is my focus, not the art.”
Dan

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[EliRoom8]

I used to teach third grade in Room 8. Since I am awful at remembering user names and passwords, I picked a student at random, Eli. So I came up with that as my monicker. My true Christian name is David and I am thankfully retired from teaching.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Well, David, I’m Dan and am very pleased to meet you—although through the years I’ve been called “Dave” plenty often. My screen nick bespeaks my favorite Bible verse for the past twenty-five years. I consider it to be the Bible’s threshold verse: the whole Gospel is rolled into it.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

My quick impressions:

Many of the fleece renditions seem pretty anatomically accurate. Most people today don’t know what a fleece looks like.

Also, the water from a fleece filled a large bowl:Judges 6:38
And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

which the artists did well.

There were only one or two renditions of the ‘angel of the Lord’ that I really liked: the human ones and the flame one. Since this is likely a theophany of Jesus, He would appear as a man. Most angels also appear as humans. The ones with wings, seraphim, and cherubim, would scare you senseless.

Finally, I see no one depicted the second half of the miracle, where the fleece was dry and the ground was wet. I camped in a valley and in the evening the dew fell as heavey as a light rain and everything got damp until the next day. I have no idea how an artist would portray that.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

While we’re explaining screen names, let me explain mine.

I wanted an anonymous name here on FR back in March 2000 when I signed up, yet I wanted it to be true to whom I am. So I picked Forgiven Sinner.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Your nickname, Jeff, is as wonderful as any I've ever seen. Ephesians 2:8-9 (among many others) just pours out of it. I have to think you and the Spirit were pretty well synched-up on that day.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

And from you, I feel the Spirit of encouragement!

[Hebrews 11:6]

In yesterday’s thread, I hope you noticed the dose of encouragement I aimed at someone in the replies. I’m praying....

[EliRoom8]

Amen to that -- it's all right there. Btw, it takes a lot of work and energy to keep that thread going. Kudos to you.

I mentioned that you can learn a lot about the past by studying a painting. There is a fabulous painting done ten years after the Civil War by Winslow Homer called "The Cotton Pickers." It's of two black girls, probably in their teens, in the middle of a plantation field doing much the same work as was done prior to the conflict. Yet the two have different aspirations written on their faces.