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Artist Nicora Gangi explores the journey of Rahab in this collage by responding to Joshua 2 in the second work of her three-part series: When the Lord Gives Us the Land.



Joshua 2

I See Him but Not Now

By 

Nicora Gangi

Credits: 

Curated by: 

Spark+Echo Arts

2023

Paper

Collage

Image by Giorgio Trovato

Primary Scripture

Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.
The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”
Jericho’s king sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land.”
The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know where they came from.
About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”
But she had brought them up to the roof, and hidden them under the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.
The men pursued them along the way to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
Before they had lain down, she came up to them on the roof.
She said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and there wasn’t any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.
Now therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true sign;
and that you will save alive my father, my mother, my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.”
The men said to her, “Our life for yours, if you don’t talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.
She said to them, “Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way.”
The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you’ve made us to swear.
Behold, when we come into the land, tie this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. Gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.
It shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him.
But if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you’ve made us to swear.”
She said, “Let it be as you have said.” She sent them away, and they departed. Then she tied the scarlet line in the window.
They went, and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but didn’t find them.
Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, crossed the river, and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They told him all that had happened to them.
They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has delivered all the land into our hands. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.”

Joshua 2

There are seven ropes in this image. Four of them represent the ropes that Rahab made use of to lower the two spies down to the ground from her dwelling on the wall of the city, charging them as they departed to go into the hills, hide themselves for three days and then return to the Israelite camp. The other three ropes/cords are a brilliant scarlet indicating the cord Rahab was to tie to her window.


A blue band spans the bottom of each image which is an intentional representation of time - the monthly rotation of the moon. All of God’s determined purposes take time to fulfill.


The diamond-shaped opening (a tear in the paper) represents Rehab’s gift of faith to see God’s purpose: the coming of The City of God.


In this chapter, Rehab states: “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us…everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below" (Joshua 2:9-11).


I am reminded of Hebrews 11:15-16 where the passage states: “If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.- they were looking for a lasting city whose builder is God.” Rahab saw way beyond the present moment as if the pages of the Word of God could be torn open to give her a glimpse of what God was doing. She could ‘see’ from her vantage point — the promised future for God’s people. She didn't know it, but that promise was later fulfilled in Jesus. It was He who was to reclaim His people and in the end to come again to establish a lasting city.


To all this, I say "Amen!" and may His "will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).





Spark Notes

The Artist's Reflection

Nicora Gangi was educated at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA (BFA 1974 and MFA 1976). She was a Professor of Art at Syracuse University for 29 years. Gangi has been awarded many Grand Prize and First Place awards and grants. She has been and continues to be published in numerous artist’s books on pastel paintings. She has lectured regionally and nationally as a visiting artist at universities and artist’s guilds. She is represented by: Edgewood Gallery (Syracuse, NY), and Gangi Studio (Winter Garden, FL).



Nicora Gangi

About the Artist

This One

The Body without the Spirit | 1

The Body without the Spirit | 2

The Body without the Spirit | 3

The Sealed Ones

Peace with God

The Everlasting Protective Love of God Our Father

So Shall Your Descendants Be

The Mountain of the House of The Lord

Paneled and Ruins Series

The Harvest

Spirit of God-The Spirit Hovering

Memories

Lies

Fool

Dance

Your Truth from the Great Congregation

Psalm 18

Sound of Their Wings

Psalm 16

Kiss the Son

EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE

Nicora Gangi

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