What Does the Bible Reveal about Artistic Expression?
- Denise Kohlmeyer Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- Published Jun 06, 2024
Before I became a believer, at the age of 21, my writing was only for myself, for my satisfaction and pleasures. Even after I made a profession of faith, it took time before the Holy Spirit transformed my thinking. Now, I am completely convinced that writing is a gift, that it is from God and for God. And while not mentioned specifically in the Bible as a spiritual gift, its usage falls under many categories: love, service, evangelism, teaching/preaching, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Writing supports and imbues all of these gifts.
And not just writing, but all other expressions of artistry: painting and sculpting, songwriting and singing, dancing and acting, and many others. All are gifts of our good, good God, who himself is the first and exalted Creator.
Let’s take a look at the exhibits of God’s artistic expressions in Scripture.
1. Creation
It’s clear from the first verse of Genesis that God is the original Artist. “In the beginning, God created…” (Genesis 1:1). Out of a void, God created. He took what was nothing and made something: a complex universe, celestial beings, a beautiful planet balanced with oceans and land, a myriad of vegetation, and animals, all conceived through his imaginative and inventive mind, then spoken into existence.
“Throughout Genesis 1, we witness God’s creative qualities and artistic abilities. His creation was not randomly or haphazardly thrown together; it was formed with intricate order and structure. There is a clear plan and a consistent pattern,” writes Jason McConnell in his book, Beholding Beauty: Worshiping God Through the Arts.
Bryan Chung at Alabaster echoes that sentiment, “The oldest story is one of making. God created. God made. God formed the first action, a cosmic, community art project. A triune fellowship, ordering the skies and filling the earth. ‘In the beginning God created’ opens possibility that opens possibility… God’s vocation as a generous Creator is the first thing before all of the other things in the book of Genesis. This is good news.”
Hence, every artist afterwards—even the greatest: Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Bach, Vermeer, Ansel Adams, C.S. Lewis, Kincaid, Martha Stewart, Warhol, etc.—can only follow, however finitely, the example and pattern set by the most comprehensive and incomparable Craftsman ever. No artist—no matter the medium—can improve upon or exceed what God has already accomplished.
2. Humankind
I do not think anyone would dispute that humans are the highest form of divine artistry. This theological principle is supported by Ephesians 2:10, which states that we are God’s “handiwork.” Other translations say “masterpiece, workmanship.” God is the first Artisan, and he took literal earth and sculpted magnificent beings from it, beings who reflected his image. Those first beings were, of course, Adam and Eve.
Psalm 139:14 further supports this principle, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
All humankind, men and women both, are a creation of God, fearfully and wonderfully imbued with his characteristics of intellect, emotion, and will, which no other created species has.
While animals—aquatic, reptilian, and mammalian—are wonderous artistic expressions of God, they are not the highest form of his artistic creation. Humans are. Every one of us!
3. Desert Tabernacle & Jerusalem’s Temple
Each piece that was used in the tabernacle service—the tent itself, the ark, the altar and other furniture, the utensils, even the priestly garments—were thoughtfully and painstakingly crafted by “called” and gifted artisans, such as Bezalel, Oholiab, and others (Exodus 31:2-6). The meticulous details were given to Moses to give to the artisans in Exodus 30-32.
Why was God so concerned with the craftsmanship? Because the usage of everything connected to the tabernacle was sacred and must reflect that. God would not use cheap materials, only the best, which, ironically, were given to the Israelites by the Egyptians upon their exodus. With these precious materials—gold, silver, pearls, bronze, silken thread, acacia wood—God’s glory was revealed to be above the ordinary. Also, he was to be worshipped within a space that equaled the beauty of his majesty. Nothing less would suffice.
What do we learn from these craftsmen? That God is a God of aesthetics. He is a God of beauty and design, and he calls and gifts certain people to create beauty, whether with metals, clay or wood, paint, charcoal or graphite, thread and material, musical instruments, cameras, stone, plants, and even modern-day technology, such as computers (i.e. graphics, writing). Skilled hands are a blessing from God, to be used for his glory and the good of humankind.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Akshar Dave
Artists: Created to Be Creative
Ephesians 2:10 further states that believers are “created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Those “good works” include many things: ministry, evangelism, preaching and teaching, serving, hospitality, etc., all meant to exalt God, strengthen the Church, and further his kingdom on earth. Also included in those “good works” are artistic expressions, which also exalt God and help to share the Gospel in a way that is beyond the power of words.
We see this illustrated by Jesus, who, while on earth, taught mostly with stories, called parables. His oral stories borrowed from real life—seeds and sowing, a pearl, a wayward son, two home builders—to illustrate profound truths about God and the Kingdom. In this way, Jesus was the greatest Storyteller, whose protagonist was always God.
Like Jesus, however we are called and gifted to create, with whatever medium, we are meant to use our artistic talents to reflect God, and to point always to him.
“There is value and worth in simply leaning into the gifts and creative inclinations that God has blessed us with. It is an opportunity to praise the Lord, to stop and marvel at the wonders of life,” writes Colin Ma.
Artists: Created to Be Collaborators
Creatives do not create on their own, or in their own strength, writes Madeleine L’Engle in her book Walking on Water. “An artist is a nourisher and a creator who knows that during the act of creation there is collaboration. We do not create alone.”
God is the first Artist, and those called to create can do so only through him, because of him, and for him.
Dutch theologian and Prime Minister Abraham Kuyper, in his Lectures on Calvinism, says it beautifully, “The world of sounds, the world of forms, the world of colours, and the world of poetry can have no other source than God.”
Photo Credit: Unsplash/lilartsy
Art: Created to Exhibit God
Just as our very being is meant to exhibit God, so is our art. Art, in any form, puts God’s immutable characteristics on display, whether through music, a painting, a story, a sculpture, a landscape. Art mirrors God in reflecting his nature, namely his beauty and majesty.
“In creating God-glorifying art, the artist’s goal should be to lift the soul of man toward heaven and to illumine in new ways the multi-faceted beauty of God’s holiness, power, and grace,” says GotQuestions.org. “There are literally millions of ways artists can depict God’s glory. Their creativity and the skill that God has placed in the artists’ hearts, heads, and hands will guide them to create art that will help us transcend the ugliness and pollution of this world.”
Interestingly, the gift of art is not exclusive. Through his common grace, God has also given artistic talent to those not in Christ. God, in his sovereignty, imparts gifts to whom he will, including the unregenerate. The first instance we see of this is with Cain’s descendants (Genesis 4:17-21). And, sadly, many secular artists misuse their gifts to depict self-glory, violence, horror, greed, or sensual content.
There are, however, secular artists whose art exhibits God—whether knowingly or unknowingly. Their art can still draw us closer to our Creator. We can appreciate their works as testimonies of God’s grace, his good bounty and blessings, even if the artist’s intent was not a godly one.
“We must be wise and thoughtful, but we must not forget that good art produced by anyone can have value in helping us learn about God and his attributes,” writes Adi P at The Gospel Coalition.
Art: A Healing Component
For some, art—whether listening to music, gazing at a painting, walking through a professionally landscaped park, reading an insightful book—can be a healing component to the hurting soul. Even engaging in some type of artistic pursuit—photography, drawing, dancing, acting—has shown to provide emotional and mental health benefits.
Did God intend this? I believe so. Take, for instance, the crafting of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21:8-9. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live. So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by the snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”
While I don’t want to extrapolate too much from this instance, we understand that art can bring a semblance of healing—usually mental or emotional—not necessarily literal “life.”
Art is also used in psychotherapy, to help patients express the thoughts and emotions they can’t express through words. “Art therapy is used to reduce conflicts and distress, improve cognitive functions, foster self-esteem, and build emotional resilience and social skills. It engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal communication, according to the association,” says the American Psychiatric Association.
Conclusion
At the heart of art for Christian creatives—be they musician, painter, writer, or other—is the desire to do “good works” that reflect their Creator, to inspire awe and wonder in their beholders, and to move them forward in their love and understanding of God.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/gorodenkoff
