Images

Answer. Generally there is nothing wrong with art or decoration done in good taste.

The Tabernacle of the Old Testament

The two cherubim.

Ex 25:18-20
18 And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.
(from New International Version)

Flowers.

Ex 25:33
Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand.
(from New International Version)

Embroidery.

Ex 26:31
Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman.
(from New International Version)

Artistic designs.

Ex 31:4
4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,
(from New International Version)

Solomon's Temple

1 Kings 6:14
So Solomon built the temple and completed it.
(from New International Version)

Flowers.

1 Kings 6:18
The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers
(from New International Version)

Cherubim of acacia wood.

1 Kings 6:23-28
23 In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits-ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. 25 The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. 26 The height of each cherub was ten cubits. 27 He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.
(from New International Version)

Twelve Bulls.

1 Kings 7:25
The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.
(from New International Version)

Lions.

1 Kings 7:29
On the panels between the uprights were lions, . . .
(from New International Version)

The Future Temple

Cherubim and palm trees.

Ezek 41:17-19
17 . . . all around the inner and outer sanctuary 18 were carved cherubim and palm trees. Palm trees alternated with cherubim. Each cherub had two faces: 19 the face of a man toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion . . .
(from New International Version)

Conclusion

By all means let us continue to enjoy and appreciate decent art. Let's be careful though that we don't one day kneel down before one of the items out of reverence, or even speak to it - God may see us and think we are going out of our mind - after all they are only fashioned by men and are made of lifeless stone or plastic.

One thing is guaranteed to stir up God's great wrath is for him to find we are putting things ahead of him.

Ex 20:2-6
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand [ generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
(from New International Version)

1 Peter 4:2-7
3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do-living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. . . . 7 The end of all things is near . . .
(from New International Version)

Those engaged in idolatry can only wait in terror for a day of reckoning.

created 26oct06 upd.27oct06