Does Exodus 20 condemn every Christian icon, statue, crucifix, or sacred image as idolatry? In this powerful biblical teaching, Sam Shamoun examines the veneration of icons and explains the crucial difference between honoring a sacred image and worshiping an idol as a false god.
Sam Shamoun begins with the commandment against graven images in Exodus 20. He argues that the passage does not prohibit every image of something in heaven or on earth. Instead, it prohibits making an image of a creature and worshiping it as a god or goddess in place of Yahweh. Sam Shamoun then demonstrates that this distinction is confirmed throughout the Bible.
God commanded Moses to place golden cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant and weave images of cherubim into the Tabernacle. God manifested His presence above the mercy seat, spoke to Moses from between the cherubim, and attached His holy name to the Ark. When the Philistines placed the Ark inside the temple of Dagon, their idol fell before it and was broken. Joshua and the elders also fell before the Ark, while Uzzah died after touching it irreverently.
Sam Shamoun continues by examining sacred images in Solomon’s Temple, including cherubim, lions, oxen, palm trees, and flowers. He then turns to the bronze serpent in Numbers 21—an image God commanded Moses to make so that the Israelites could look upon it and be healed. Jesus Christ Himself connects this image to His crucifixion in John 3:14–16.
The bronze serpent only became an idol when the Israelites began worshiping it as a divinity and offering sacrifices to it. This demonstrates the biblical distinction between an image and an idol. Catholics and Orthodox Christians do not believe that Mary, Saint Peter, Saint Michael the Archangel, or the other saints are gods. Kissing an icon expresses honor and affection, just as someone may kiss a photograph of a beloved family member.
Finally, Sam Shamoun challenges Protestants who reject icons while using illustrated Bibles, biblical cartoons, nativity scenes, and movies depicting Jesus, Mary, Moses, Abraham, and the apostles. Colossians 1:15 even calls Jesus Christ the eikōn—the image or icon—of the invisible God. Through the incarnation, the invisible God made Himself visibly known in Jesus Christ.
⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 Does Exodus 20 condemn Christian icons?
1:10 The difference between an image and an idol
2:10 Why God commanded Moses to make golden cherubim
3:34 The Ark of the Covenant and the fall of Dagon
5:55 God’s presence and voice above the mercy seat
8:39 Joshua, Uzzah, and the veneration of the Ark
12:26 Sacred images inside Solomon’s Temple
14:02 The bronze serpent and the crucifixion of Jesus
17:47 When does a religious image become an idol?
22:32 Protestant cartoons, nativity scenes, and Christ as the icon of God
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
I am not Sam Shamoun. This channel edits and shares clips from his teachings with permission in order to make his content more accessible and help spread the Word of God. All credit for the teaching belongs to Sam Shamoun.
