Last week I pulled out an old study Bible to do a little studying and I came across a postcard with this picture on it...
So, why do I have a postcard of an old lady in my Bible? Good question. This is actually a picture of a painting by Rembrandt. The orginial hangs in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which I saw in person, May of 2009. I went to the museum while on a misison trip that took me backpacking through Europe. We had a spare afternoon so my fellow team member and I headed out for a trip around town. Thus, the Rijksmuseum...
So we're walking around taking in all of the fine art (my appreciation probably lacking) when we came across the above piece. I remember it captured my attention quickly, mainly because of her hand. It is difficult to tell in this picture, but the detail is incredible: the wrinkles, the veins, the way it lays on the page. How he made her hand look so real, I will never get over.
With each piece of art was a short bio. While the title of this piece is Rembrandt's mother, the bio said that it was a depiction of the prophetess Anna from the Bible. The only account of her is found in Luke after she saw Jesus as a baby.
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a window until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)
It seems, Anna practically lived at the temple. She probably heard the scriptures over and over, the ones that told of a coming Messiah. She most likely never touched or read them, but I imagine her face held the same eagerness found in this painting when she would listen. I think her heart ached and found purpose only in sitting in the Lord's presence. Can you imagine her joy to see her Savior's face as a babe?
I bought this postcard as a reminder: I want to be the woman in the painting. I want to be found pouring over scripture, now and when my hands are wrinkled and fragile. But then, that begs the questions: am I in the Word daily? Do I eagerly await to spend time with Him? Do I search the scriptures and commit truth to memory?
Chances are, if I'm not, I won't be like that woman. I won't be like Anna.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
