Discovering God Through the ArtsНамуна

The Bible does not forbid using art as part of religious practice. In fact, it encourages it. The prohibition against graven images, writes Francis Schaeffer, “does not forbid the making of representational art, but rather the worship of it.” The artist is free to exercise their creativity, but must never confuse the work of art with that which it points toward. 

The Tabernacle, and then later the Temple, were places where worship took place for the ancient Israelites. As we read their descriptions in the pages of the Old Testament, we discover that each was a work of architectural artistry and each was embellished with elaborate ornamentation. When God gave directions for what He wanted these buildings to look like, He did not order up a straightforward or simple design, nor did He instruct the craftspeople to only create the expected religious imagery, but instead had them use images of natural objects such as flowers, trees, and animals. When building God’s temple, King Solomon called for the walls to be encrusted with precious stones. The purpose of such ornamentation was not utilitarian. Its purpose was that it be beautiful.

The designs for the Tabernacle and the Temple are a good reminder that God, the One who created everything, delights in creativity, and sees it as a way of pointing toward His truth. And God takes art so seriously that He handpicked a man named Bezalel to undertake this work of creativity and filled him. It was not enough, in God’s eyes, to create something functional; He wanted something that was exquisitely artful.