September-October 2022 - Moses and the Fire of Sinai

Darius Gilmont is a trained architect who has had a career in educational publishing. Gilmont experienced his own personal exodus on the Sinai peninsula and found himself in a wilderness of depression. Gilmont says, “Art was my constant . . . and was key to helping me return to my Promised Land.”*  This personal connection to the land of Sinai and finding personal liberation is evident in the image on the cover, Moses and the Fire of Sinai.

Gilmont beautifully paints the scene from Exodus 34:29 where “Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two covenant tablets in his hand, Moses didn’t realize that the skin of his face shone brightly because he had been talking with God” (CEB). With bold colors, textures, and wavelike lines, Gilmont depicts divine energy radiating from Moses’ head, beard, and robes, creating a connection between heaven and earth that symbolizes the new covenant between God and God’s people. Moses had a life-altering encounter with God’s divine power, and through that encounter God offered transforming grace to Moses and the Israelites. Gilmont’s painting invites us to step into the scene and imagine the transforming effect of this magnificent moment.

When we find ourselves in one of life’s many wildernesses, the image of Moses with the covenantal tablets reminds us of the wondrous relationship we have with our Creator and invites us to open ourselves to the transforming power of God’s grace in our own lives and in the world.

* https://www.darius-art.com/about-bible-artist/biblical-artist/

Cover photo courtesy of Darius Gilmont. ©2020 Darius Gilmont. Prints of cover art are available from www.darius-art.com.