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Psalm 45: The Bride
by Melani Pyke on 12/31/2009 8:28:55 PM
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Psalm 45 celebrates a king's wedding, but it also describes the marriage in heaven of Christ to his bride (Also see Revelation 19:6-21 below.)
Psalm 45 (New International Version)
For the director of music. To the tune of "Lilies." Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously
in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness;
let your right hand display awesome deeds.
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear:
Forget your people and your father's house.
11 The king is enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift,
men of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber ;
her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her
and are brought to you.
15 They are led in with joy and gladness;
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
Revelation 19:6-21 (New International Version)
6Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
9Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."
10At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
The Rider on the White Horse
11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great."
19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
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Psalm 44: His Hand
by Melani Pyke on 12/30/2009 7:57:03 PM
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Based on verses 2-8 in Psalm 44, may this simple image of a hand holding a sword remind us to rely on God's strength rather than our own.
2 With your hand you drove out the nations
and planted our fathers;
you crushed the peoples
and made our fathers flourish. 3 It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face, for you loved them. 4 You are my King and my God,
who decrees b]'>[b] victories for Jacob. 5 Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes. 6 I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory; 7 but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame. 8 In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever.
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Psalm 43: Guide Me
by Melani Pyke on 12/29/2009 8:44:40 PM
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What Psalms series would be complete without a painting of a lighthouse? When coming up with today's painting, I read Psalm 43 in a couple of different versions. Psalm 43:3-4, The Message: Give me your lantern and compass,
give me a map,
So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
to the place of your presence,
To enter the place of worship,
meet my exuberant God,
Sing my thanks with a harp,
magnificent God, my God.
The full Psalm 43 (New International Version) 1a]">[a] Vindicate me, O God,
and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. 2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy? 3 Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell. 4 Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
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Psalm 42: As My Soul Thirsts
by Melani Pyke on 12/28/2009 8:51:30 PM
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There is so much water imagery in this Psalm. The easy thing would have been to illustrate Psalm 42:1 by painting a lovely scene with a deer peacefully lapping water. I wanted to do something a little more creative, though, so I've shown God as the ocean and us as the person below with a soulful eye longing to meet with God.
Psalm 42 (New International Version)
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. a]">[a]
1 b]">[b] As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My c]">[c] soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
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Psalm 41: The Merciful Obtain Mercy
by Melani Pyke on 12/27/2009 9:08:46 PM
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Those who aid the weak and needy will themselves obtain aid, according to verses 1-3 in Psalm 41. I've tried to show this protecting/preserving of life as a bubble, and so a bubble within a bubble, as we are under God's protection if we protect and defend others.
Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.
The LORD will protect him and preserve his life;
he will bless him in the land
and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed
and restore him from his bed of illness.
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Psalm 40: Out of the Mud
by Melani Pyke on 12/24/2009 9:13:06 PM
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This painting came mainly out of verses 1-2.
May this image be a reminder that God can lift you out of any slimy spot if you are willing to wait patiently.
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
Psalm 40:1-2, NIV
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Psalm 37: Inheritance
by Melani Pyke on 12/21/2009 10:06:38 PM
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As I read Psalm 37 I kept thinking of a farm:
- evil people will wither like grass; vanish quickly like the beauty of a field or a tree
- people who trust God will inherit the land, enjoy safe pasture, and dwell in the land forever
So I've painted a very Southern-Ontario-looking landscape with a dead field on the left to represent those who don't follow God's ways, a healthy field on the right to represent those who do follow God's ways, and a path in between to represent life's journey. There is deliberately no fence separating the two fields, (just some hedges,) since we are free to choose which land we want to dwell in.
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Psalm 36: Look to the Heavens
by Melani Pyke on 12/20/2009 2:47:41 PM
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Psalm 36 (New International Version)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.
1 An oracle is within my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: a]">[a]
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself
too much to detect or hate his sin.
3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 Even on his bed he plots evil;
he commits himself to a sinful course
and does not reject what is wrong.
5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find b]">[b] refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10 Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise!
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Psalm 35: These Lions
by Melani Pyke on 12/19/2009 5:11:51 PM
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Surrounded by enemies, the psalmist David continues to give praise to God:
O Lord, how long will you look on?
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among throngs of people I will praise you.
(Psalm 35: 17-18)
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Psalm 34: Guardian Angel
by Melani Pyke on 12/18/2009 8:30:16 PM
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Verse 7 says:
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
This verse sums up Psalm 34 for me, so I've depicted an angel protecting a home. Houses are decorated so beautifully this time of year, and you'll even see a few decorated with angels; how comforting to think of an army of angels surrounding your home like a bold display of lights in the winter night!
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Psalm 33: Play Joyfully
by Melani Pyke on 12/17/2009 9:17:58 PM
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Psalm 33 (New International Version)
1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars a]">[a] ;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth-
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.
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Psalm 32: Forgiveness
by Melani Pyke on 12/16/2009 8:07:29 PM
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Psalm 32 is about forgiveness. Wrongs are represented by the abstract background of harsh reds and blacks in today's painting. Forgiveness in the form of a tulip has been painted over top of it, making the background (ie. sin) insignificant.
According to the Society of American Florists, the white tulip represented forgiveness in Victorian times when people more often used symbols and gestures to communicate.
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Psalm 30: Out of the Depths
by Melani Pyke on 12/14/2009 8:00:01 PM
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The thought of coming up out of a pit makes a great painting, (verses 1, 3, and 9,) as does the thought of weeping remaining for a night, but rejoicing coming in the morning (as in verses 5 and 11.) From this I came up with the image of someone jumping out of a pit, towards the sunrise of God's presence.
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Psalm 29: The Voice of the Lord
by Melani Pyke on 12/13/2009 2:23:50 PM
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Today's simple image has been inspired by Psalm 29 which repeats statements of God's power,emphasises God's power with statements like "The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars..." "The voice of the Lord shakes the desert..." and "The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightening."
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Psalm 28: On His Shoulders
by Melani Pyke on 12/12/2009 9:24:56 PM
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Today's Psalm 28 painting as been inspired by verse 9, and is fitting with the rest of the Psalm as well:
"Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever."
This verse reminded me of a painting I did a few years ago, which I have included here as well:
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Psalm 27: Lead Me
by Melani Pyke on 12/11/2009 7:50:06 PM
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Today's image is taken from verse 11:
Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
I thought the image of a father (God) leading his child (us) along a path bordered with all sorts of dangers would remind each of us to follow the Lord's way since He knows best.
For those of you who are interested in my process, I've also included a snapshot of the painting partially completed. I tried the composition a couple of different ways and I'm still not 100%
pleased with the result. Every painting is an experiment.
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Psalm 24: Who May Ascend?
by Melani Pyke on 12/8/2009 9:04:25 PM
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People are often curious about how I come up with ideas, so I've included a photo of my sketchbook page that shows my notes, both visual and written, that I recorded this morning as I read through the psalm. The psalm is in two parts, and I finally decided to paint the first part figuring it would make a clearer message in a painting, since the second part confused me at first and sent me to a commentary to look up the historical context.
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Psalm 23: Green Pastures
by Melani Pyke on 12/7/2009 10:46:22 PM
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I've painted the 23rd Psalm more than once before. Revisiting this psalm made me want to paint a beautiful scene of complete peace. I've left out "the valley of the shadow of death" this time, a choice which I hope inspires you to choose to see the beauty around you today, and eliminate the negative.
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Psalm 22: Scorned
by Melani Pyke on 12/6/2009 9:01:28 PM
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The poet's expression of suffering described in today's Psalm became literal later on in the way Jesus Christ suffered at his enemies' hands.
Rather than complicate the painting by showing the lions, dogs, bulls and evil men from Psalm 22, I represented them as jagged red shards pointing angrily up to the figure.
When I was almost finished the painting, I noticed a dove-like shape in the clouds, and made it even more noticeable in order to show hope.
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Psalm 21: A Crown
by Melani Pyke on 12/5/2009 8:41:38 PM
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Psalm 21 is about the king rejoicing in the victories he has achieved through God's help. Verse 3 mentions a crown of pure gold, so I have shown the king being crowned as well as his kingdom in the background. I chose not to have much of his face showing, so that the viewer can picture him or herself there, receiving these blessings.
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Psalm 20: Anticipation of Victory
by Melani Pyke on 12/4/2009 5:29:29 PM
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Psalm 20 was the prayer of both the king and his people for victory when they were about to go to war, and God assures them that they will be victorious. Thus I wanted my painting today to be a reminder that with God on our side, we can be confident of victory, no matter what battle we are about to face.
I've created a crowd with arms raised in a victory "V," an image which I think would adapt well to a variety of formats and levels of abstraction.
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Psalm 19: Across The Skies
by Melani Pyke on 12/3/2009 5:09:38 PM
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Overcast today. Couldn't look out my window for reference for this one. Instead, I used a photo that my friend Corinne snapped and emailed to me back in June. I used oil again today so I could really blend and smooth those colours how I wanted. Again, if you see something in the clouds other than clouds, please share your thoughts. It's best if you leave your comment right here on my blog, so that everyone can see it.
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Psalm 18: The Rock
by Melani Pyke on 12/2/2009 9:12:01 PM
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Psalm 18 has so much rich imagery in it, it would be far better as a wall-size painting than as a 6x6" miniature, but on your computer monitor its impact will be the same regardless of the size of the original. This painting should be a reminder of God's power (and thus ours if God is on our side!) The ant-sized figures along the bottom are supposed to be God's army (of people, not ants!) marching forth victoriously.
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Psalm 17: The Shadow of His Wings
by Melani Pyke on 12/1/2009 9:26:36 PM
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I just want to take a minute here to thank those of you who have been sending such wonderful notes of encouragement back into my own inbox! It motivates me to keep painting when I know that what I'm doing is making a difference.
In today's Psalm, David prays for God to protect him from enemies, like a bird protects its young underneath its wings. I've tried to show this by painting the underside of a hawk's wing with a dark cityscape in the background. Again an oil painting. I'm enjoying the vibrancy and the challenge of having to construct the painting in a different order from the way I do with acrylics.
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