Icons, not idols

Adam Charles Hovey | 01/25/2025

For some of the nifty iconography I have, go here; Some religious images I have, and, before we get started, check out my previous article, here; Why did Judas Iscariot do what he did?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness to the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe his name; Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”-John 1:1-14
“And God spake all these were, saying I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; (Exodus 20:1-4)
“I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth; Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me”. (Deuteronomy 5:6-9).
Okay, at first glance, I can see how you could see that Exodus and Deuteronomy would prohibit religious images. And maybe you could make a good argument that it does. But, say an atheist were to (correctly) point out that God commands the making of a graven image. What would you say? And if you think I'm making it up about making a graven image, consider the following,
“And thou shalt make two cherubims gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end; even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims of two ends thereof.” -Exodus 25:18-19 (there's more, but I don't want this to be super long).
Might it be possible that the iconoclasts are reading something into the text that isn't there?
To me, it seems rather obvious that the problem is with worshiping the images. Not so much using them for religious purposes, or even venerating them.
I can harmonize an apparent contradiction, because I see the prohibition applying the idols, not images per se.
And there's a reason I opened with the verses I did. God has revealed himself to us, in his Son. If this is the case, why then should be not reveal him to others from the religious medium of art?
It may be a surprise to some people, but Jews had religious art, take a look at the Dura Europos synagogue; The Dura-Europos Synagogue: Jewish Sacred Art
(And, not to mention, the aforementioned command to carve cherubim)!
There's a reason that my favourite ecumenical council is the Seventh Ecumenical Council (The glory of the Seventh Ecumenical Council)