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Holy Book of Exodus

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Holy Scripture › Holy Book of Exodus

The question

What is a source that explains icons? I am Orthodox, but this question come from one of the members of the church because he saw a verse in Exodus 20:1–7.

The answer

In Exodus 20:1–7, God is clearly stating that we must not worship any other god or image. Icons narrate a story around the Lord Jesus Christ, a saint, or a biblical account. It is only God whom we worship. If the icon is of a saint or an angel whom we are venerating, it is because of their faithfulness to God, but we are not worshiping angels or saints. When God instructed Moses on the design of the tabernacle, He said, "And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat" (Exodus 25:18). Then, God will descend upon the mercy seat to speak with the high priest, which is Aaron and his descendants. It is only God who is worshiped, not the carved, golden cherubim.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 2307 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.