David takes Saul’s spear and water bottle
James Tissot is one of the
most famous illustrators of the Bible. It is difficult to do an Internet search
for a Bible painting without discovering one of Tissot’s works.
The Old Testament Supplemental
Scripture lesson for this Sunday is 1 Samuel 26:7-25. David has been anointed
to be the next king of Israel .
Saul, the present king, knows this and hates David for it. He has been chasing
David and his men all around the Judean countryside.
David had already spared King
Saul’s life once in the cave of Adullam
After the incident in the
cave, Saul returned to his palace. But David once again became the object of
Saul’s unrelenting manhunt.
Tissot beautifully illustrates
the action of the scene. David and one of his men, Abishai, sneak over to the
Israelite army who were encamped in the Desert
of Ziph Israel ’s
army, was also asleep nearby.
David and Abishai quietly pull
Saul’s spear out of the ground and remove his water jug.
David later calls out to Saul
to let him know that his items have been taken. He wants Saul to know that he
respects him as the Lord’s chosen king, even though Saul has been chasing David
around the countryside. David has once again spared the king’s life.
This account between David and
Saul has two unique features that are recorded at the end of chapter 26. Though
David has been harassed and pursued, still he has a firm trust in his God. That
trust is evident when he proclaims to Saul, “As surely as I valued your life
today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble” (1 Samuel
26:24).
As far as we know, this is the
last time David and Saul encounter each other. Though Saul has forsaken the
Lord, still he confesses his sins. Then, as they part, Saul calls out to the
young fugitive: “May you be blessed, my son David” (1 Samuel 26:25). These were
Saul’s last words to the next king of Israel .
James Tissot (1836-1902) was a
French painter and printmaker. His mother was a devout Catholic, but it seems
that James gave up his faith during his career. Tissot’s youth was spent near a
port, so his early paintings were depictions of shipping vessels and boats. His
parents were involved in the fashion industry, so it is believed that this
attributed to Tissot’s attention to detail in the clothing of his subjects in
his later paintings.
Tissot’s style continually
evolved during his career. He had a job cartooning for Vanity Fair. In his
early career, his paintings exemplified Romantic obsessions with the Middle
Ages. At times, his paintings had a European flair. Other paintings had an
oriental influence. Though his subjects and style changed, his technique
remained impeccably craftsman-like and professional.
In 1885, Tissot claimed to
have had a religious revelation. This resulted in Christ the Comforter, a large
painting showing Christ comforting two downtrodden pilgrims in the ruins of the
Cour de Comptes in Paris . His
religious experience led Tissot to a re-conversion to Catholicism. He devoted
his remaining years primarily to illustrating the Life of Christ and the Old
Testament.
At a time when French artists
were still working in impressionism, pointilism, and heavy oil washes, Tissot
was moving toward realism in his watercolors. To assist in his completion of
biblical illustrations, Tissot made several trips to the Holy Land
for research on the landscape and people.
Tissot has a series of 365
gouache (a technique of painting with opaque watercolors prepared with gum)
showing the life of Christ. He also finished 80 Old Testament paintings before
he died.
Though Tissot’s career as a
painter was long and distinguished, he is best known for his Bible
illustrations. We are extremely grateful for these wonderful depictions of
Christ and the other biblical individuals and events.
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