The vocation of art

Marvin Olasky’s Christian newsmagazine WORLD has a cover story on art and culture, and makes an interesting point about art as a divine vocation:

“Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.” And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work (Exodus 35:30-36:2).
This is the first text of Scripture that directly teaches the doctrine of vocation: Bezalel has been “called by name.” Bezalel, also the first to be described as having been filled with the Holy Spirit, is given a task by God, who has called him not into some prophetic office, but to work with his hands, to serve God and his neighbors by being an artist.

1 comment

  1. FWIW, Gene Veith is an LCMS Lutheran, who teaches at one of the Concordias in Wisconsin.

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