Artist's Inspiration:
Darlin
In the early going I thought I would call Darlin by another name, Trailer Trash. I was going to put a beer can in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Notice the two wine bottle openers in her sternum and back along with another one as the left humerus bone. These along with a few other choice items and sitting on a bar stool seemed to fit the name pretty well. While all that is humorous there is more to this little darlin than the obvious.
While reading the story about Rahab in the book of Joshua of the Old Testament the other day it struck me that there is a better and more complete story here that actually parallels Rahab's life. She too was a ‘colorful' woman that was likely the equivalent of trailer trash in her day. Well known as a prostitute she no doubt bore the scars of the lifestyle she had chosen. By faith she risked her life to assist the Israelites who were scoping out Jericho for conquest. She heard of God's providing dry ground for the exodus of the Hebrews across the Red Sea as well as their conquering other cities. She had come to put her faith in God according to her statement “…the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below…when you conquer Jericho please be merciful to me and my family”. As instructed she left a scarlet rope hanging from her window as a signal not to destroy this dwelling and its inhabitants. That scarlet rope would come to symbolize the sinless blood of Christ that provides forgiveness and protection for all of us who decide to also live by faith in Him.
This pure act of faith earned her a spot in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11. She gets more prominent mention than other seeming more likely folks such as Gideon, Samson, Samuel, David, and all the prophets!
God is more interested in our future than our past. The wine opener that when taken to excess once meant drunkenness and debauchery now symbolizes the outstretched arms of the crucified savior. The second one in her back shows her identifying with that solitary perfect and qualified sacrifice. She isn't much to look at – there are some nasty consequences of her sins that will follow her to the grave but her heart is right with God. She has a joy and peace unexplainable and a power for living that perplexes those who only have an external appearance of success. “It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that He rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
(Hebrews 11:6) |
