Exodus 34:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, one might deduce that if it were an immoral act in the sight of the Lord to create handwritten, stitched, and carved representations for adorning the tabernacle and the ark, the Lord would not have inspired Bezaleel with the Spirit of wisdom for these tasks. The God of unrighteous deeds is blameless, for the Spirit of wisdom is bestowed for righteous works.

EXPLANATION: Those who challenge the truth found in Holy Scripture often create illogical associations and combine the commandments of the Lord with prohibitions, thus distorting their true meanings. This is evident from the contrasting situations presented in opposing statements. 1) By His Spirit, God guided Bezaleel to embellish the Tabernacle of the Old Covenant, sewing images rather than crafting idols. Therefore, Moses, while recounting Bezaleel's artistry, delivers a Divine command regarding representations, distinguishing between images and idols. The difference between an image and an idol is significant. According to the Apostle's teaching, an idol is meaningless. We understand this as: an idol is nothing in this world (1 Corinthians 8:4). Although an idol may resemble God, it is not truly God. In contrast, an image, whether created by sewing or by hand, reflects the essence of a true reality; the icon of Christ depicts Christ, our true God, the Savior of the world; the icon of the Mother of God represents her, the true Mother of God, who bore Christ, the Son of God. The same applies to other images discussed earlier. 2) Numerous images existed in the Old Testament without the Lord's explicit command. Consider Jacob, who erected a stone pillar, anointed it with oil, and named that place the house of God (Genesis 28:19). Where do we find the Lord's directive to David, who sought to build the house of God, and although criticized for bloodshed, was commended by the Lord for his noble intention (2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 22)? What of Solomon, who created cherubim and oxen in the temple of the Lord (1 Kings 7)? Did the sons of Reuben and Gad not construct an altar without God's command (Joshua 22)? Did not Joshua take a large stone without God's command and set it as a witness before the Lord (Joshua 24)? We also read of Gideon, who erected an altar to the Lord and designated it the Peace of the Lord (Judges 6). Furthermore, Samuel the prophet, acting without a divine mandate, erected a stone in the place where he defeated the enemies, calling it the Stone of Help (1 Samuel 7). 3) God's commandments regarding the creation of images for His glory also apply to us as Christians. It is essential to recognize that the commandments of the Old Testament are threefold: spiritual, ceremonial, and civil, or divine, ceremonial, and judicial. The Divine commandments (spiritual) primarily instructed knowledge of God, faith in Him, and true reverence for Him. The ceremonial commandments delineated the practices of the Jewish Church, pertaining solely to ancient sacrifices, rituals of washing and sprinkling, circumcision, and observance of the Sabbaths and festivals, as prescribed for the Levitical tribe. The civil (judicial) laws consisted of regulations governing justice and societal order, commanding individuals to refrain from wrongdoing, bearing false witness, coveting their neighbor’s possessions, stealing, and ensuring justice and charity. 4) In the New Testament, the ceremonial and official ordinances applicable to Jews have been abolished in the light of Gospel grace. The rituals and ceremonies of old foreshadowed the coming of Christ in the flesh: the Levitical laws and sacrifices symbolized the perfect priesthood of Jesus Christ, His holy sacrifice on the altar of the Cross, for the salvation of the world, and they prefigured the power and significance of the Church’s sacraments in Gospel grace. The arrival of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who fulfilled and completed the old covenant, signifies the end of its legal constraints; just as when the fruit matures, its shadow disappears. Similarly, after the advent of Gospel grace, the shadow of the law has ceased. However, the Divine commandments that guide holy faith, proper worship, the knowledge of God, and Christian doctrine, as well as those commandment calling for love for one’s neighbor and the pursuit of justice and charity, remain beneficial to all Christians enlightened by the Gospel. 5) Recognizing the essence of the Old Law's commandments, we must conclude that the creation of images commanded to Moses and assigned to Bezaleel, who was filled with the Spirit of God, served to exalt the great God and to promote a faith-filled response and true divine worship. Therefore, the Church of Christ in the New Testament is called to follow this virtuous example by adorning altars and temples with holy images and icons, not for God's glorification, but for remembrance of His majestic works. Just as the ancient Jewish Church strictly prohibited creating idols or any likenesses for the worship of foreign gods, we remain obedient to this command always. This prohibition warrants careful examination.

EXAMPLE: The reasoning behind God's prohibition against idolatry is firmly anchored in the following observations. 1) A skilled physician does not prescribe the same remedy for every patient or situation; they consider the specific ailment, context, and individual. Similarly, the Lord our God, the wisest healer of souls, operates according to the needs of His people. To those immature in understanding the true God—those who drift into idolatry and mistakenly honor pagan idols—God prohibits the creation of images or likenesses. Who can conceive an image of the incorporeal and invisible God, the indescribable and ineffable Being without form? How can an invisible God be depicted as visible? As the Gospel reveals, God cannot be seen; "The only begotten, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has proclaimed Him" (John 1:18). "No man shall see My face and live" (Exodus 33:20), declares the Lord. 2) The events surrounding the Israelites demonstrate their propensity for idolatry; when their leader, Moses, delayed on Mount Sinai, they worshiped molten images, which were merely manifestations of demonic influences. They proclaimed, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 32:4), honoring creation rather than the Creator. To steer His people away from such idolatries, God demanded that homage reserved for Him alone be given to the one true God, ensuring that worship was directed solely to Him. On account of this abhorrence for idolatry, He commanded Moses: "You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any likeness. You shall destroy their shrines, and their idols shall be broken, and the statues of their gods shall be burned with fire." Hence, it is clear that God prohibited Moses from creating images or likenesses due to the Hebrews' vulnerability to idolatry. 3) Yet, could Moses have disobeyed this divine prohibition when he crafted a veil and sewed cherubim, and made two cherubim of pure gold? St. John Damascene offers Moses’ response as if to say: "O you who are blind, understand the power of those who speak and nourish your souls. You have not seen any images at the time the Lord spoke out of the fire on Mount Horeb. Therefore, do not sin by making for yourselves likenesses and images, nor equate them with gods" (Deuteronomy 4:12-16). I do not assert that cherubim should not be made for the altar; rather, I insist that no gods should be made among you, nor should any images of God be worshipped instead of the Creator. I have not fashioned any likenesses of God; thus, do not worship creation instead of the Creator. 4) To truly grasp the reasons for God's prohibition regarding the creation of idols and any object revered as divine, it is vital to recognize the foundational truths He laid out: "You shall have no other gods but Me" (Exodus 20:3). (a) An idol fails to represent the divine; instead, it reflects the nature of a depraved human being, steeped in sin, who has perished and is lost in eternal darkness. At times, an idol may take the form of an animal or be fashioned from natural materials like stone, wood, or precious metals. Such objects of worship are treated as deities by pagan nations, which are in reality, not gods, but mere representations of false gods. (b) Idolatry is forbidden as demons dwelled within these idols, leading many astray. (c) The sordid lives of these pagan deities serve as a powerful deterrent against idolatry, for observing the idols reminds one of their disgraceful practices, entangling their worshippers in sin. (d) The vile acts associated with idolatrous celebrations only confirm its abhorrence, involving indulgence in gluttony, drunkenness, and immoral acts, often accompanied by violence. (e) Idolaters have infamously sacrificed not just animals, but their own children in the name of their idols, as the Psalmist notes: "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons and shed innocent blood" (Psalm 106:37). As another psalm states, "They fed on the flesh of their children, leaving the remains for their other children" (Psalm 16:14). This is how God’s law categorically opposes idolatry. 5) What is the origin of idolatry? Some trace it back to Serug, the ancestor of Abraham; however, this is inaccurate. Serug was not the originator of idols but rather a craftsman of idols that had been created before him, through which he earned a living. Church writers more consistently attribute the inception of idolatry to the Chaldean king Ninus of Assyria and Babylon. After the passing of his father Bila, Ninus crafted a likeness of him, installed it in the city, and commanded his people to worship it as if it were alive. This was the first idol ever honored as God among men. In Egypt, a similar account is reported; a nobleman named Syrophanis, grieving for his deceased son, crafted an idol in his likeness and placed it over his son’s tomb, eventually leading others to honor it with sacrifices. References to this origin have been made by Saint John Chrysostom. 6) Recognizing the beginnings of idol worship clarifies the character of those who bowed before idols. Idolaters are typically individuals who remain ignorant of the true God, who reject eternal salvation, and who lack understanding of life beyond the temporal. They are often people seduced by demons and led astray by sorcery, living lives apart from holiness. Such are the traits of those who engage in idolatry.