The Covenant of the Day and of the Night

The Covenant of the Day and of the Night

Oil on paperboard, 6 x 10, December 25, 2014

“Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.  Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.  Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.”

Jeremiah 33: 20-26

Praise God: there are some things mankind just can’t screw up! 

I think this is my best work so far in sentiment.  I’ve done things more realistic, things more detailed, things bigger, things with better technique, things that took longer, but this is the most pleasing to me in feeling.  Artists often perplex others with what they consider their best work: Church left a number of people today scratching their heads because he said he considered Jerusalem to be his best.  So perhaps people will be confused when I say this is my best.  It has all the touching romantic spirit to it that I strive for.  For me the art is in the feeling.

I had the above verses in mind while painting this.  But I know a number of other subjects can be read into this, and each one is powerful.  It can be any of the Prophets of old.  It can be John the Baptist in the wilderness.  It can be the days of the Lord’s tempting.  When I look at it, I recall the Lord’s promises, that there are just some things that are dependent only upon Him.

Salvation is one of those things.  If you acknowledge you are a sinner, repent of your sins and acknowledge you cannot in any way save yourself, and if you believe that Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified, died and was buried, and resurrected to pay for your sins, and you accept Christ as your personal savior, then you have salvation.  All past, present and future sins are forgiven, and your salvation is as eternal as God Himself.  So praise God: there are just some things we cannot screw up!