ANSWER TO MY FRIEND LESTER ABOUT THE TWO CHERUBIM IN EXODUS 25:18-22

We will continue to answer all the accusations that my friend Lester is throwing to the Catholic Fold.

In most of my arguments about images, I used to quote Exodus 25:18-22 where God commanded Moses to make two cherubim of beaten gold. Here, Lester is trying to refute this passage asserting that when God ordered Moses to create the cherubim there is a special exception.

It’s really funny to cope up with his invented story of the writer is his text but I AM CERTAINLY SURE that there is no such thing as “WRITER ISSUE” in the verse where God commanded Moses to create the two Cherubim.

I just hope Lester cited any reference of this particular writer. However, not because he wasn’t able to explain further his argument doesn’t mean we will no longer explain our side.

What does the verse Exodus 25:18-22 really means? Is there really an exception when God commanded it? Does Lester has a point in interpreting this as “exception”? Let us see.

Let us first read the passage:

Exodus 25:18-22

“Make two cherubim of beaten gold for the two ends of the propitiatory, fastening them so that one cherub springs direct from each end. The cherubim shall have their wings spread out above, covering the propitiatory with them; they shall be turned toward each other, but with their faces looking toward the propitiatory. This propitiatory you shall then place on top of the ark. In the ark itself you are to put the commandments which I will give you. There I will meet you and there, from above the propitiatory, between the two cherubim on the ark of the commandments, I will tell you all the commands that I wish you to give the Israelites.”

(Note: original wordings are from Prof. Ramon Gitamondoc)

The fact that Lester mentions the Cherubim demonstrates that he is aware that not all images are prohibited in the Bible. The fact that the Old Testaments teaches that God commanded Moses to make the ark of the Covenant on top of which are the graven images of two cherubs has always been a difficulty on part of protestants whose theology includes the absolute prohibition of the making of graven images based on their erroneous interpretation of Exodus 20:3-5. The Catholic position has always been that what God proscribes in the aforementioned verse is idolatry which is the worship of false gods and of course related to that is bowing down to their man-made images. Another thing which makes pagan idol worship a world apart from Catholic use of sacred images is that the pagan believe that their images which are made of wood or stone have an inherent power, virtue of divinity in themselves (Isaiah 44:17) whereas the Catholic teaching is very clear that the images of Christ, of Mary, the angels and the saints do not have an ounce of divinity, power, or virtue in themselves. Lester can easily verify this in our Catechism and cannot continue to be ignorant of the Catholic teaching without culpability. If the Biblical passages such as Exodus 20:3-5, Deut 4:16-22, Isaiah 46:6-7 and similar other verses which we are all too familiar supports the protestant interpretation of an absolute prohibition then it would make God contradict himself for in many other parts of Scriptures he also commanded his people to make sacred images to symbolize his moral presence such as the ark of the covenant which has the images of two cherubs (Exodus 25:18-22; 1 Samuel 4:4; Hebrews 9:5) and also the images which adorn the temple which Solomon built (Ezequiel 41:18-19) and which God was pleased to accept (2 Chronicles 3:7-10). The similarity between the temple of God in the Old Testament and the Catholic churches is so striking if only one is willing to see and will once more demonstrates that Protestantism is not a revival of Biblical teachings but a break from Biblical teachings. Even if the images of the two Cherubs were the only images which God commanded his people to make it would still support the Catholic position that God did not absolutely forbid the making of graven images. If we consider further that this is not the only image which God commanded to be made but that God commanded his temple to be adorned with sacred images all over (Ezequiel 41:18-19) then this will make Lester’s objection untenable. If the devil can use bad images in order to tempt us to sin in our thoughts why cannot God also use sacred art in order to lift our minds and hearts to him?

[TAKE NOTE: The Ark of the Covenant was a different kind of religious 
symbol that the Israelites were used to. It was not a statue meant to 
represent the physical manifestation of a god. It was not a container 
for God—it was to be respected but not worshiped.]

Lester could not be closer to the Catholic position than this. It is true that the Ark of the Covenant was a unique religious symbol in that it was specifically commanded by God through Moses in its minute details and that it contained the manna and the tablets of the Law and the staff of Aaron all of which are holy relics for the Israelites. Even this one is very instructive for us. It shows that the Israelites venerated sacred relics which is sorely lacking within Protestantism like the BORN AGAIN. The Israelites did not have any misgivings in venerating the sacred objects which reminds them of God and his providence nor did they have any misgivings in bowing and praying before the Ark of the Covenant which has the graven image of the Cherubs (Joshua 7:6). Why should protestants be scandalized when they see a Catholic bowing and praying before the image of Jesus who became incarnate and appeared in human form (John 1:14)? It is true that there are some Catholics, and I believe there are only very few of them, who are uninstructed about the Catholic faith who believes that the images in our churches have inherent magical powers. But these are distortions and abuses on the Catholic teaching and practice concerning the proprietary use of images in sacred worship and an abuse is no valid argument the proper use. Just because there were some Israelites who also departed from the original intention of God in commanding Moses to make the graven image of the serpent (Numbers 21:5-9) and turn it into an object of idol worship (2 Kings 18:4) does not mean that God was wrong in his command nor that it did not accomplish its divine purpose (Wisdom 16:6-7). Catholics do not believe that sacred images are embodiments of god and we have been saying this several times but it seems that every time we say this it has fallen on the deaf ears of people like Lester who I feel has a deeply-rooted bias against the Catholic Church and can only make their position attractive by making a caricature of the Catholic belief and practice. I hope this message will echo loud and clear to Lester in order to awaken him to the truth which religious bias and prejudice has for long kept him in the dark.

With a full explanation above, I should hope Lester will not apply his religious bias here.