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God the Father
Here you see one artist’s interpretation of God the Father. She chose to depict two aspects of His being that had changed the course of her life: the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 and prophecy.
Walmsley will never forget the day she stumbled on a discovery while studying the Bible. More startling than the printed words was their placement on the page. The subject was God’s blessings that will come to those who obey His commandments, as listed in Deuteronomy 28:
3. "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
4. "Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.
5. "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6. "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out." (Deut. 28:3-6).
Her attention was first drawn to their coupling by opposites in everyday life; but the real eye-opener came when as she continued to read. In verse 15 Moses makes it clear that if one does not obey God’s commandments, those very same blessing become a curse! Furthermore, in the subsequent listing of curses the middle two are reversed in order, listing inanimate objects above living creatures!
16. "Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.
17. "Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
18. "Cursed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.
19. "Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out." (Deut. 28:3-6).
The artist here presents the list of blessings, thereby claiming her intent to obey God’s commandments.
Prophecy is represented by roundelays, circles of drawn-thread work wherein some of the threads are literally removed from the fabric so that one can see through and beyond. On this God the Father panel there is a cross woven into the see-through area of each roundelay, as throughout the Old Testament many prophecies were made that the Christ was to come. Who, what, where, when, and how were not given, only that the Christ was to come – thus a cross in each of the roundelays.
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