Bible Journaling - Genesis 24

When God has His eye on a person, and that person is a pivotal figure in a long succession of people who are at the heart of His salvation plan for the world, He will ensure that everything in that person's life turns out as He wishes. Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, was such a person. He was the second of what came to be called the three patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As he would be the grandfather of the 12 boys who would be the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel, it was important that His wife also met with God's approval. As we have seen in the story of Sarah, God had not only selected the men in the lineage, but also the women who would be the matriarchs of the Israelite nation. In Genesis 24 we see that Abraham sends one of his servants back to the land he left all those years ago, to go and find a wife for his son Isaac to marry. I take a look at this chapter in today's Bible Journaling blog.

This chapter is a long one that spans almost three whole pages. We therefore need to turn the pages and continue the journaling on the following page.

Because of the inclusion of a vellum page, following the last page in the chapter, this blog also stretches over more than one double page layout. In the first part of the blog, we deal with pages 26 and 27 in the Inspire Praise Bible, which look like this.

I treat the pages to a coat of Zellen Clear Gesso.

In this second part of the blog blog on Genesis 24 in the Inspire Praise Bible, we encounter the first of a number of vellum paper inserts in the Bible. We need to decide what to do with this page that is already very pretty and colourful.

I do not wish to treat the vellum with gesso, and therefore I make sure to cover it before I coat the opposite page, to prevent it from accidental spills and drops.

I coat only page 28 with Zellen Clear Gesso.

Once the gesso is dry, the pages that await me look like this.

When the servant reaches Aram, he stops by a well and prays to the God of Abraham for a specific outcome when he poses a question to a young woman. This would serve as a sign that he has met the girl of God's choosing. The sign has to do with the provision of water for the servant and the camels with him. This water had to be drawn from a well. We know that these wells did not look the way our modern impressions of western wells look, but I still choose to draw one of these more 'familiar' well, as this correlates with my idea of what a well looks like. I use a ProMarker to draw the well directly in the Bible. This turned out to be a mistake, as I made a couple of mistakes in the drawing. Fortunately the mistakes are easy enough to fix.

When I draw the camel on the opposite page, I am more cautious and start in pencil.

Satisfied with the camel, I redraw the picture with a ProMarker. I also develop the shadows on the well, effectively masking my mistakes in the process.

I use Derwent Inktense pencils to colour the camel. I dissolve the pencil with water from my Aqua Brush.

I colour the well with the Inktense pencils and return to the ProMarker to add more details. I once again paint the pencil in water.

I anchor the pictures by adding 'ground' at the bottom of the pages.

The illustration seem too dull and I decide to add blue to the sky to liven it up.

The story continues on the next page when Rebekah returns to Canaan with the servant.

We learn that Rebekah covers her face with a veil when she first lay eyes on Isaac as he walks in the field. I draw the eyes of a veiled woman in pencil on this page.

I find the last verse of this chapter very interesting from a purely female, or perhaps human, point of view: "And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother." There is a very endearing sentiment in the relationship of these two strangers who fell in love with each other and seemed to fill the emptiness left in each others' lives, for we do not read that Rebekah missed her family. They seemed to be content with each other's company. I might be reading into the text perhaps, but this is the impression I get from these lines. I colour the face with Derwent Inktense pencils and paint it with water afterwards.

The vellum page has the music score for Psalm 150:1. I finally decide that the page looks very pretty as is, and opt to leave the pages as is.

Turning back the page, my layout looks like this.

You can watch a short compilation video of the steps above on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/F-fj5VnZ5Ow

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2005,2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 60188. All rights reserved.

Inspire PRAISE South Africa edition copyright 2017 by Christian Art Publishers, PO Box 1599, Vereeniging, 1930, RSA. All rights reserved.

Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy my books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
You can follow Miekie's daily Bible Study blog, Bybel Legkaart, here in English & Afrikaans.
You may prefer to follow the traveling blog, A Pretty Tourist.
For more crafty ideas and great product reviews, visit A Pretty Talent on Facebook.
If you are in a literary mood, follow Miekie's musings, stories and poetry on A Pretty Author - Miekie.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making life PRETTY.
You can subscribe to any of these blogs and receive regular updates by email. Simply register your email address at the top of the applicable blog.

Bible Journaling - Genesis 22 & 23

In today's Bible Journaling blog, we say good bye to Sarah as she passes away at the ripe age of 127. In the process, we gain a little insight into the bartering process that existed in the area where Abraham had settled upon God's instruction. But before we do any of that, we first take a look at one of the biggest tests of faith ever recorded in the Bible - Abraham is instructed to go and sacrifice Isaac.

Genesis 22 and 23 look like this in the Inspire Praise Bible.

I coat the pages with Zellen Clear Gesso.

This is what the pages look like once dry.

I colour the illustration in the right margin with Artist's Pitt pens and Metallic pens.

I include Pigma Micron pens in the collection of pens I use to colour the illustration.

Further colouring sees me using ProMarkers as well.

I continue colouring the illustration.

I put the final touches on the colouring.

This is what the pages look like when I am done colouring the illustration.

By the time I return to these pages, I have already put a sticker on the left side page as I finished chapter 21. My pages now look like this.

The picture in the right margin already has an illustration of the test of faith that Abraham was subjected to, and I opt not to repeat a similar illustration in my journaling. Instead, I opt to draw an angel in the clouds when he calls down to stay Abraham's hand as he is getting ready to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham had lived for many years with the promises of a great number of descendants who would inherit the land he was instructed to occupy. As he and Sarah aged, he must have become desperate. Between the two of them, they even hatched up a plan of their own to ensure the outcome and fulfilling of God's promises. Ishmael was born. However, God made it clear that His promises would be fulfilled through a son born to Sarah. The unimaginable happened and Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Then God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham did not argue with God. Abraham did not point out that this would be contrary to what God had promised. Abraham did not try to bargain with God. Abraham simply trusted God and set off to do as he was instructed to do. I can not help but feel admiration for his faith. This was a man who had come to know that the promises belonged to God. It did not require his efforts to bring it to fruition. It only required his obedience and faith. It is only in complete submission that we can truly live in the complete will of God. We need to practice submission of our thoughts, ideas, ideals, dreams, hopes, intellect, opinions, possessions, relationships, and every other aspect of our lives, to God. Then the road is open for God to bless us as He intended to do when He created us. I draw the angel speaking to Abraham from heaven, in pencil.

I then colour the illustration with Inktense pencils and paint it with water to dissolve the ink.

I decide to colour the area under the 'angel' blue to indicate the fact that he is looking down from heaven.

Sarah passes away in chapter 23. Abraham then bargains with the Hittites living in the area to acquire a cave in which to lay her body. This was the way that bodies were disposed of in those days and in that area. The bargaining process is also true to the culture of the area, we are told by scholars of the Bible and its cultures and traditions. A cave does not represent death to me, and I therefore opt to rather draw a headstone to illustrate the fact that Sarah had passed away. This illustration largely ignores the text of the chapter, but it still serves as a better visual reminder to me personally as to what the chapter is about. I draw the headstone in pencil.

I colour the illustration with Derwent Inktense pencils which I paint with water afterwards.

I add some vegetation surrounding the headstone.

I then use a Faber-Castell Artist's Pitt Pen to journal some key information on the stone.

When I am done with these two chapters, my pages look like this.

You can watch a short compilation video of the steps above on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/MNn1LX6O8Qk

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2005,2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 60188. All rights reserved.

Inspire PRAISE South Africa edition copyright 2017 by Christian Art Publishers, PO Box 1599, Vereeniging, 1930, RSA. All rights reserved.

Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy my books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
You can follow Miekie's daily Bible Study blog, Bybel Legkaart, here in English & Afrikaans.
You may prefer to follow the traveling blog, A Pretty Tourist.
For more crafty ideas and great product reviews, visit A Pretty Talent on Facebook.
If you are in a literary mood, follow Miekie's musings, stories and poetry on A Pretty Author - Miekie.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making life PRETTY.
You can subscribe to any of these blogs and receive regular updates by email. Simply register your email address at the top of the applicable blog.

Bible Journaling - Genesis 20 & 21

Genesis 20 challenges us if we believe that it fits chronologically into the rest of the story, for we would then need to believe that a ninety year old woman was still so desirable that her ninety-nine year old husband felt the need to conceal the fact that she was his wife from Abimelech,  a ruler, in order to save his own life. Whether it is chronologically correct or not, is not really at the heart of this story, though. What is more important to take note of, is the fact that Sarah was true to Abraham, making him,without a doubt, the ancestor of the bloodline God chose to reveal Himself through. We look at this story, as well as the birth of Isaac and the start of the friction in the Middle East, in today's Bible Journaling blog.

Genesis 20 and 21 look like this in the Inspire Praise Bible.

I coat the pages with Zellen Clear Gesso.

When the pages are dry, I begin to develop the illustration in the right margin.

I colour the background.

I use Giotto markers to colour the flowers.

When I use the fine point on the Giotto Turbo Dobble markers, I find that they bleed into the background, making the writing appear differently from what I had hoped to achieve. This is a disappointment, but fortunately I will still be able to work with this. Most of the problems I encounter in my Bible Journaling journey, seem to centre around the Giotto markers. I am not sure whether blame belongs with the markers or the gesso that I prepare the pages with, but the combination certainly does not appear to be a good one.

My pages now look like this.

Sadly, when I turn the page over, I find that the Giotto markers have bled through to the reverse of the page. This is a problem that I continuously encounter with the Giotto markers and I am now seriously considering banning them from my Bible Journal mediums, unless I can find a better surface protector than the Zellen Clear Gesso.

I manage to cover the bleeding with white gesso.

When I return to these pages, I have already journaled the previous chapter and my pages now look like this.

I am uncertain if chapter 20 can truly fit chronologically into the story. This is almost harder to believe than it is to believe that Sarah fell pregnant and gave birth at the ripe old age of ninety. Still, the rest of the story of Genesis is told in chronological order, so we would have poor excuse to simply make this chapter off as being 'out of order,' despite our misgivings. That Sarah must have possessed rare beauty and attributes to be desired is undeniable. Twice, Abraham felt the need to conceal the fact that she was his wife. Was it because he trusted her impeccably, or was it because he did not care for her? Taken in context, their relationship rather hints at the first suggestion being the case. Certainly, it is confirmed to us that Sarah never cheated on Abraham with another man - not even with his permission. The same can not be said for Abraham. Though, I am bringing modern values and thinking to an ancient text when I reason like this, and it may not be fair to the characters at the heart of the story. What we do know, is that God appeared to King Abimelech in a dream at night and warned him not to take Sarah as his wife. This was the woman who carried the seed of God's promises in her body. There should be no hint of suggestion that perhaps Isaac was born from another man. God Himself guarded jealously over the fulfillment of His promises. I draw a man sleeping in bed, with a dream bubble protruding from his head. I use a fountain pen to make this drawing.

I then draw the figure of a woman, with a definite cross drawn over the figure, to indicate that she was off limits.

I use Sharpie Markers and Mont Marte Adult Colouring Duo Markers to colour the illustration. I add sun rays shining through a cloud, to indicate God's intervention in the matter.

In the first lines of chapter 20, we find out that Sarah did indeed give birth to a boy and that she named him Isaac, as instructed by God. I draw a baby swathed in a blanket, using a fountain pen.

I use the Mont Marte Duo Markers to colour the illustration.

Hagar and Ishmael made fun of Isaac and Sarah demanded that Abraham send them on their way. This was the birthplace of the conflict in the Middle East which rages to this day. Ishmael's descendants believe that the land of Canaan was promised to them, as Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn son. However, God has often disregarded birthright when I came to the fulfillment of His promises, and the blessings He announced. Isaac, was the one He chose for His salvation plan. When I was traveling in England a number of years ago, I bought a sheet of rub-on stickers that I had never used. These stickers included a beautiful well. When Hagar and Ishmael was expelled from their home, they found themselves wandering in the desert, thirsty and on the brink of dying. God intervened and provided a well to nourish them. I am sure it looked nothing like the one in my sticker, but I like the idea of including my travel memories in my Bible and disregard the accuracy of the depiction completely.

Sadly, as soon as I had rubbed the sticker into place, I discovered to my horror that it was not nearly as transparent as I had believed it to be. This meant that I had now covered a large part of my text, something I had determined not to do in my Bible Journaling ventures.

I contemplated removing the sticker, but decided against it, as I thought I might do even more damage to the Bible in the process. It was a rather sad outcome though, which left me less than thrilled with myself.

The chapter continues on the next page with a covenant, or agreement, reached between Abimelech and Abraham. These were two powerful men living in the same region and friction arose between them. They needed to find a way to live alongside each other in peace and harmony. They concluded a peace treaty of sorts to make this possible. This was an official acknowledgement of Abraham's presence in the region. We see that he concludes this occasion by bringing praise to God. I decide to focus on the attributes of Abraham's character that would make him God's chosen one, and that would bring him to this point in life.

I find a sticker that summarizes some of these attributes. Be prayerful. Be humble. Be grateful. Be Clean. Be true. Be positive. Be still. Be smart. Be involved.

The addition of the sticker has not altered the next page much.

The previous pages have been altered quite dramatically.

You can watch a short compilation video of the steps above on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/_n-GSbQtYKw

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2005,2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 60188. All rights reserved.

Inspire PRAISE South Africa edition copyright 2017 by Christian Art Publishers, PO Box 1599, Vereeniging, 1930, RSA. All rights reserved.

Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy my books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
You can follow Miekie's daily Bible Study blog, Bybel Legkaart, here in English & Afrikaans.
You may prefer to follow the traveling blog, A Pretty Tourist.
For more crafty ideas and great product reviews, visit A Pretty Talent on Facebook.
If you are in a literary mood, follow Miekie's musings, stories and poetry on A Pretty Author - Miekie.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making life PRETTY.
You can subscribe to any of these blogs and receive regular updates by email. Simply register your email address at the top of the applicable blog.