ARTIST NOTES
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Week 12 5/15/2016
Title of drawing: "Knowing God" (Exodus 16-17, 19-40) Artist thoughts: God knows how to get our attention and He wants us to know him. Christians no longer live under the ceremonial and civil laws that are listed starting in Exodus chapter 21. But the Ten Commandments are different -- they reveal God's character, what he values and his expectations for human relationships. The Ten Commandments are timeless truths. (1) They are a map to navigate life and know God more but like a map they show you what is where and maybe even tell you where to go but they don't provide a means of getting you there. In Israel's case and our case the Ten Commandments as a map show us God as perfect and reveal ourselves as imperfect and sinful because we can't follow the map by our own efforts. We can't "pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps". We need a savior because the law can not save us. Jesus came and fulfilled the law that we may know God personally and walk in his ways by the provision of Jesus's sacrifice, and resurrection. In John 14:19b Jesus said, "because I live you will live too." With faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we can truly live free of the guilt and shame of sin. In this depiction of Moses hiking up Mt. Sinai I have superimposed a simplified version of the Ten Commandments as two graphic symbols. The first one represents God giving himself to us because he knows that He is what is absolutely best for us and does not want us to miss out on him. The second symbol represents how we should model God's love to the world by loving everyone. Jesus simplified the law like this, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40, HCSB) View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
