“Here am I, send Me!” © by Donna Gonzalez
This acrylic painting is comprised of four mosaics set into a pattern, if it reminds you of the Peacock Cross Mosaic earlier it is because it’s the same painting; however, this is the second pattern. Often I’m able to find multiple patterns with just one mosaic painting, depending on how I flip and rotate each mosaic panel it can create a very different pattern. This one is just slightly different than the first pattern but oh that slight variance changes the whole symbolic iconography of this piece! Wow!
A bit of background before I dive into the iconography of this painting. A friend of mine is planting churches and I mentioned to him that an acrylic block with one of my artworks and a scripture of his choice would make a nice gift to the new pastor of that home church. He chose Isaiah 6:8 but he didn’t specify which of my artworks he wanted, and left that up to me. I prayed and chose this artwork because I knew there needed to be a cross but didn’t know exactly how Isaiah 6:8 was going to work with it. We’ll was I in for a delightful surprise! And it’s all God’s doing!
It wasn’t until I intently looked at the pattern of this painting for a while that I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. I had seen a couple of images before, but now there were more, which not only lends more interest but unbeknownst to me the Lord would show me how all of the hidden images really does fit perfectly into Isaiah 6:8! Glory to Jesus is all I can say because I didn’t make this up! Lol!
What I had always seen before was the cross and swords as shown below.
The two swords make up the crossbeam.
There are radiating arcs emanating from the center of the cross and…
These unusual creepy ram-horned creatures with hands held up. I outlined their eyes.
So how to put this all of this into perspective and what exactly is the message? Some of you bible scholars probably can already guess! I see it as just another of God’s fingerprints, His hidden message in my artwork that He wants me to find and share with you.
Iconography/Symbolism:
The deep hues of blues and green represent living water that comes from Christ that wells up to eternal life within a believer.
“13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14
Next to Jesus the cross is paramount in the Christian’s faith. The radiating arcs that originate from the center of the cross outward represents the saving power of God.
“18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” I Corinthians 1:18
The swords within the crossbeam symbolizes the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. God’s words are not just merely words uttered but they are life. They are alive, active and are used in faith by prayer warriors to pull down the enemy’s strongholds.
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
“17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17
” 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
And I bet your wondering if there is a sword what is it used against? Where is the enemy? In the painting of course! Those creepy creatures that are backing off with hands held up! As Christians submit to God and resist the enemy of our souls, the devil must back off and flee – just like that image of the creature! Praise God! And we know we are more than conquerors over in this world and over the enemy’s attacks through Jesus Christ who loves us dearly.
“7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
“37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37
But how does it all fit in with Isaiah 6:8?
Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, but he was afraid because he was a sinful man standing in the presence of a holy God. After his guilt was taken away from him by the seraph, Isaiah was now most eager to answer the Lord’s call and complete it. Likewise, the blood of Jesus takes away our sin makes us right before God’s presence because the cross continues to remind us it is the power of God for our salvation.
Like Isaiah, Christians now have a duty to answer God’s call. Just as the Father had sent His Son into the world to complete His Father’s will, likewise Jesus sends us out into the world to complete His work but that work is not without attacks from the enemy. But we are to take heart and not fear…
Because… unlike Isaiah, we are made more than conquerors because our enemy has been defeated at the cross. Even more we have at our disposal a very powerful weapon to destroy strongholds, to demolish onslaughts of the evil one, to demolish worldly arguments and pretensions that go counter to God.
“8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21
And isn’t all of this iconography and it’s symbolism exactly what an elder or pastor of a new church needs? To be encouraged daily to drink deeply of Christ, to know the cross will be foolishness to those who are perishing but it is the power of God for salvation. To remain at peace in Jesus fully submitted, resisting the devil and taking the full armor of God and with the sword of the Spirit to wage spiritual war against the enemy’s tactics. To be able to say with Isaiah in faith, confidence and without any fear answering God’s call on their life, “Here am I, send me!”
Glory to Jesus!
-Donna
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