The Wise Craftsman
“Now I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, endowed with understanding, the son of a Danite woman and a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood, and in purple, violet, linen and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to execute any design which may be assigned to him, to work with your skilled men and with those of my lord David your father.” 2 Chronicles 2:13-14 NASB
Skilled– This is as good a verse as any to discuss the difference between craftsmanship and artistic skill in the pre-modern world and the situation today. You will notice that this artist/craftsman, Huram-abi, is sent by God to do God’s artistic work. The Hebrew word is actually ḥākām, a word that is about wisdom, not artistic craftsmanship, but under God’s purposes, this kind of wisdom turns out to be the skill needed for incredible artistic work. The craftsman turns God’s plan into tangible design.
Lionel Trilling comments on the shift that occurred in our concept of art/artist after the Enlightenment.
“The artist—as he comes to be called—ceases to be the craftsman or the performer, dependent upon the approval of the audience. His reference is to himself only, or to some transcendent power which—or who—has decreed his enterprise and alone is worthy to judge it.”[1]
“ . . now that art is no longer required to please, it is expected to provide the spiritual substance of life. As for the artist, even while he asserts his perfect autonomy and regards his audience with indifference, or with hostility and contempt, he is sustained by the certitude that he alone can provide what the audience most deeply needs.”[2]
In other words, the artist became arrogant. He lost the purpose of representing the divine and took on the project of exhibiting himself. He cared not what the audience felt or saw because the audience was ignorant, crude and, above all, inferior to the artist’s self-awareness. Art was no longer produced for others. It was produced in order to glorify the self. The fruit tree decided to eat its own apples.
There is a reason why we no longer produce those spectacular, awe-inspiring works of the Italian Renaissance or the cathedrals where they are often found. That reason is not to be found in the victory of paganism. It is to be found in the loss of the divine purpose of life. Men no longer work to honor God. They work to please themselves, and their audience is ego. Community has succumbed to individuality. We have all been defrauded and robbed in the process.
You may turn away from the syncretism of the Renaissance, but you won’t find artists or craftsmen producing anything like these again. Now we are much too selfish.
Topical Index: artist, craftsman, ḥākām, wise, Renaissance, 2 Chronicles 2:13-14
The temple built without hands is far more artistic and beautiful than anything man could ever achieve or build and the master Craftsman Yeshua sure out did Huram-abi, if we would only see that everything else would pale in comparison.
How would you know? have you seen it?
Yes it’s the body of believers ,don’t you see believers or people ? How about in an assembly,so yes I have seen it.
But what about the work of God through Huram-abi?
We have not seen it.
God through Skip showed in this article that Huram-abi allowed God to move through himself and the praise of his work goes to God. Isn’t that beautiful?
If that act rings true, doesn’t it make us question ourselves? Question whether we try taking credit for the ability God has given?
Skip, I can’t see the beautiful craftsmanship you extoll, not because I am blind, but rather because I am not. All I can see is the arrogance of a corrupt religious system that robbed untold millions of Pauls to pay Peter to errect these RCC pagan temples. The benefactors of these ostentatious cathedrals are 1,000 times more arrogant and egotistical than any artist today, including Banksy. As a philosopher you may admire them for their aesthetics, but their function dishonored YHWH by sacrificing millions of souls upon their gilded alters. That is not art. That is not beauty. The sad thing is while their Gothic cathedrals have changed their Godless catechism hasn’t. I cannot imagine King Hezekiah admiring the beauty of pagan temples and bemoaning the loss of the “spectacular, awe-inspiring works” of the Baal craftsmen. Judah suffered no loss upon their destruction, but gained the renewed favor of YHWH.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but the eye of the Artist who created man looks at the heart.
My wife and I visited Rome and the Vatican a few years ago many years after my brother Dan. He asked us what we who were raised RCC thought of it. Penny got quite a laugh from him when she said “It was obscene”.
An interesting comment. So you evaluate the craftsmanship on the basis of those who PAID for it, since very few of these artists were the ones who commissioned the work. So the craftsman’s work is worthless because a corrupt official gave the money to create the work? Now think about that. The stained glass Chagall windows in Jerusalem? Are they art because Jews paid for them even if those Jews rejected the Messiah or is Chagall no longer a craftsman because those who paid for his artwork didn’t believe what you believe? Should we go on with more examples? What is art? Is it ONLY expression that fits a particular theological position and all the rest is pagan crap? Is it only those works that benefit the masses? What about music, plays, all other forms of human artistic expression? If art inspires me to seek God, but it is funded by suspect men, is it therefore worthless?
Skip, If the “artist/craftsman, Huram-abi, (was) sent by God to do God’s artistic work”, then who do you suspect sent the craftsmen to build the grandious abominations that don’t glorify YHWH? Contrary to your belief system there is an angel of light operating upon this earth and those Catholic ostentatious occult temples are a direct challenge and insult to the glory of YHWH as any physical object can be. But make no mistake so are all the Islamic mosques, Hindu and Buddhist temples and any other shine, tabernacle, altar, sanctuary, mausleum that men build to honor their gods. Wherever darkness reigns inside is no beauty outside, even if they glitter, glow and gobsmack the gullible.
As for your argument regarding “the stained glass Chagall windows” it was
you who taught us that objects in the Tabernacle service (utensiles, menorah, etc.) were just as “holy” as the priests. In like manner the objects created and used in the service of HaSatan are unholy. They are counterfeits of that which is sacred. The fact that they readily appeal to the “lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life” should tell you their souce and their danger.
The same applies to your question “what about music, plays, all other forms of human artistic expression?” You asked what is art and if it makes a difference who pays or who profits? Does today’s vulgar, lewd misogynist rap music really qualify as art and does it inspire you or anybody to seek God? Does pornography? Should everything labeled “art” be given a free pass? Will YHWH use the landmark obscenity decision of Miller v. California by the United States Supreme Court or Torah to judge the art work you defend so vigorously. Those gothic Cathedrals may have stood the test of time by the measure of man’s timepiece, but will they stand His test, His time and His temper?
Hi Michael,
I think sometimes I speak before I should! I don’t know much about art and even less about cathedrals around the world. I can’t see details in Skips pictures so perhaps I should reserve making conclusions. I see something that just amazes me having been made by men so long ago. It’s so colorful, large, tall and ornate and still survives. Apparently it is more complex than that. I hate that so much symbology makes things subtlety evil. I have been gobsmacked!
That being said, I appreciate the time you take to explain your point of view. To share your wisdom. I have not been in more than one RCC church and that in a smaller town in the US. I don’t really know anyone personally that is RCC. I know only what I read about that none of which has been good.
I appreciate a good discussion without nasty barbs being launched.
Darkness and light have nothing in common. Sweet and bitter water cannot come from the same well. You make a valid point and have asked some solid questions. I can see that in this arena I am gullible and need instruction.
I prefer wildlife photography anyways! Out of my league with architecture stuff.
I can see it, Skip!
One has to wonder how Trilling knows these things about the artists. I would say it is more a case of economics than selfishness. And one has to wonder how many people were forced into slave labor. How many people were starving during this time and how many died in the process of creating these beautiful cathedrals.
Perhaps your thought needs to be extended. Let’s see. Do you drink coffee that is harvested by peasants who are paid less than $2 a day? Do you buy shoes made in China to children who are paid nearly nothing? Of course, your last pair cost more than they made in a month. Did that bother you? Did you buy grapes imported from Chile? Same problem. Did you get that coat made in Indonesia or Bangladesh–on sale, of course, while your purchase supported the extension of mass poverty in those countries. After all, you wanted the best price, right? And since we’re on the subject, have you contributed to our attempts to remove the prostitutes from their horrific circumstances in Jakarta, or did you just “pray” about it?
You are preaching to the choir. I think about this stuff all the time. But it is an economic problem that needs a spiritual solution, perhaps. But for now we do need a practical solution. What is it? I wish I knew. I would say the same thing about drugs…If the U.S. would legalize drugs we could help our South American neighbors. We have prohibition going on but it doesn’t affect us, so we don’t care. But just last night I heard that the federal government spent 72 million dollars sending the troops to the border. I think how many jobs and resources could have been used to truly solve this problem of immigration….with that 72 million.
I guess you are of the opinion that man has regressed instead of progressed. But I don’t think selfishness started in the Enlightenment. I believe it starts in the book called Genesis. How bout some positive
Yes, it started in the Garden, but that doesn’t mean it’s getting better, or ever has, does it? Hasn’t Man regressed since the beginning? If you want something positive, I suggest reading Joyce Meyers. Or some of the other 7,012 Today’s Words. You see, this is MY journey. You are invited to attend the process if you wish, but if you don’t, there are plenty of positive Christian sites to choose from.
If it is not getting better in some sense, then what are we trying to restore? I do think it is better for women…it is not the original, but in many countries women are in better shape…I agree that women are perhaps going about it the wrong way. Do you see this as not being true. Maybe the confusion is in defining better?
If this were just your journey, wouldn’t you just do a private diary that no one else could read? Or wouldn’t you just post your entries without opportunity to reply? Or wouldn’t you just have a “thumbs up” to just express agreement?
Perhaps some would prefer to write “a private diary that no one else could read,” but, that would be contrary to what Skip has been modeling to his readers and encouraging us to embrace. Openness, honesty, vulnerability and personal examination are emotions he’s been practicing for some time now. While this can be a little scary to many of us, it hard to deny that it’s Biblically supported. And, when any of us disagree, Skip has always been very gracious in hearing our comments. This is a very unique website where we’re encouraged to agree or disagree…in love and respect. It would be hard to calculate the positive impact he’s had on so many, by allowing us to follow along, observing his journey. I, for one, am grateful.
I am certainly considering these option.
Point well made! (I presume this is an object lesson.)—“That reason is not to be found in the victory of paganism. It is to be found in the loss of the divine purpose of life. Men no longer work to honor God. They work to please themselves, and their audience is ego. Community has succumbed to individuality. We have all been defrauded and robbed in the process.“
Psalm 42:6–9 (Tanakh): Why so downcast, my soul, why disquieted within me? Have hope in God; I will yet praise Him for His saving presence. 7 O my God, my soul is downcast; therefore I think of You in this land of Jordan and Hermon, in Mount Mizar, 8 where deep calls to deep in the roar of Your cataracts; all Your breakers and billows have swept over me. 9 By day may the Lord vouchsafe His faithful care, so that at night a song to Him may be with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
I love listening to Joyce Meyers, and Joel Osteen & Joseph Price….:)
Beautiful pictures. I bet you are looking forward to your European phase. We all envy you. Or maybe I should say I envy you.
Skip,
Wow! Unbelievable beauty! Kinda takes my breath away! Can’t imagine the feeling to actually stand there in person and see it :-0 Astounding to think that mans hands created this a long time ago. And we think we are so talented in this present day and age 🙂
I truly connect with what you are trying to show us. There are so few true craftsmen around today. Looking at the incredible artistry you share in pictures makes this a pretty serious loss.
Sometimes our journey brings us some really profound moments and they aren’t always comfortable. I would love to able to see the things you have seen. We are homebodies and don’t really get around much at all but we are content in what we have.
It makes me sad to see the comments today. A day set aside (by men obviously) to give thanks and well, I can sense that you understand what I am so badly trying to say.
Be blessed where you are and keep seeing the beauty around you even if Yah uses corrupt men to create some of it 🙂
Shalom brothers and sisters
Thanks for this VER insightful TW today Skip and for offering this new perspective on artists and how many have devolved over the years in their purpose. This is something I hadn’t thought much about…but your words ring true.
Obviously I meant to say VERY, not VER. 🙂
Man has become man’s guiding principle.
It’s better known as the blind leading the blind.
But for us today we thankfully say: “So whether you eat
or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
May those of us who have found life, bring light to this world
today, and everyday.
“for it is God who works in us to will and to act according to
His good purpose.” Phil 2:13
There are, indeed, some thoughtful and insightful questions to ponder here, and maybe even some just and righteous judgements being made, at least on some limited basis, no doubt regarding some such contemporary “artists”, as well as even those from days of old. However, I find there is far too much over-generalization, as well as some possible distortion due to nostalgic romanticism going on here that is not seeing enough of the possibility of alternate interpretations of the value of such cultural changes in artistry and craftsmanship throughout the ages, as well as missing the possibility of more noble reasons for such changes by some who were, undoubtedly, even righteous forerunners or followers in those movements.
To give artistic expression that is not motivated by the fear or approval of man may not be arrogance at all. It may, in fact, actually be more humble, even as the prophets, even as Messiah, sought to please God above all, expressing the deep passions of their souls, even by the unction of the Spirit of God, even unto persecution martyrdom and death. It may, instead, be the audience itself who is prideful, saying, in essence, “Create for ME what I want to see or hear or feel! Please ME!” It may be that the artists who are being accused of arrogance here, often do have a higher purpose when caring little about the opinions of his or her audience, and one that is prophetic and actually does represent the divine and actually is intended for the good of the audience versus seeking to give sensual pleasure through aesthetic virtues, and that the artist actually should NOT subject him or herself to the dictates of the audience in what is created and thereby communicated. In addition, there is the likelihood that God, Himself, actually esteems the unique, individualistic artistic expression that seeks to be non-conformist as a display of His unique and diverse creativity, as well as His great delight even in each of His individual creations of mankind.
However, having said all this, I couldn’t agree more that there is a repulsive plethora of selfishly-ambitious and self-idolatrous narcissists flaunting their dead, carnal, unclean and even demonic works through various means of contemporary media in the name of “artistry and craftsmanship” that only satisfies the same corrupt longings and desires of its audience, with the god of mammon being one of its greatest entities of worship.
Even then, however, such works of “art” can serve as a revealing, generalized expression of the people and culture of the times from which it is birthed and potentially serves the purpose of self-reflection, insight, and even reproof and correction regarding sin, righteousness, and the judgment of God, which is the intended divine purpose and work of the Holy Spirit, if not intended through the “artist”, at least in the hearts and minds of the audience, for those who will “see” and “hear” and “feel” what “the Spirit is saying”.
Wow, that really sparked a lot of thoughts and ideas in me. All I could think about was Romans chapter 1. “They worshipped and served the creature(self) more than the Creator, Who is blesssd forever!”. Man turned to himself. He wanted to see a reflection of himself, not God or another. It’s in looking at another whose image is different than ours where we have a challenge to change. To become more or different. That’s what Paul is saying when he says, we are being changed from one degree of glory to another as we behold Him. Isn’t that how Lucifer tried to distort God’s glory? He said “I will BE God!? Maybe that is why Jesus called Peter, Satan.
You also said, “the craftsman turns God’s plan into tangible design”. Isn’t this what Jesus said in the Lords prayer, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Gods glory on earth through mankind. Isn’t that who Jesus was, God glory on earth?! Heaven invading earth ! God’s expression through us to the world ! If your expression here is just of the self, it will die with you, but if it’s an expression of God it will go on forever! Psalm 19:1.
How about a group of ten spending 5000 dollars for a week in Italy touring these grand sights just to be taught by one person who is only interested in his own journey.How about a cruise or maybe a safari. With that money you could of helped support Shintu and quite a few children for life. Your soap box rhetoric does not fit your very own life style. Hope you all can tour the Ferrari factory!!
Pam, you need to be a lot more respectful of the people you are criticising especially with your “facts.” The cost is $1750 ea. not $5000 for a 12 day, not 7 day “grand site” tour but an educational tour by a master of such. As a former member of the RCC I am looking forward to this personally. I now know the truth of Christianity.
My wife and I started a new business in our 60s and never had more than a three day holiday for five years. We retired when I turned 70 after nearly 50 years of self employment while we raised 3 happily married children with 5 grandchildren.
Meanwhile we enjoyed many happy hours doing volunteer work in church, many not for profit organizations, and in our home hosting foreign student’s at our expense. If you don’t mind I think we earned our “holiday” many times over.
We “discovered” Skip in our first year of retirement and our lives have been changed forever. We are indebted to him beyond all measure so keep on keeping on Skip, we love you for it. Slalom.
P.S. We do support Shinto as well. I also know that Skip has not toured the Ferrari factory.
Dear Pam,
What is not allowed on this web site is personal hostility. We are saying goodbye to that. Please find another place to blog.
What a great subject. I was under the impression this was Hiram responding to Solomon’s request for help in building the Temple. It is important to see God gifts those He calls to His purpose.
I think Exodus 31 speaks clearly to this.
I choose to look at Art as a testimony – and hope I don’t do violence to His word when I compare that testimony to being either hot or cold. And that the lukewarm testimony is artwork that lacks honesty.
Those living in darkness can be honest in their expression, contemporary artists for example who create work that depicts their lifestyle or their impression of the world around them. And that that work is cold.
Those living in the light can be honest in their expression and it being hot, or they can possibly be lukewarm when creating work to please man, compromising their own beliefs.
I think we look to some things and try to find the living among the dead. Some art is dead, its honest in it’s testimony, but very cold. And in it we’ll not likely see any reference to those things above.
In the top of the three photos, it appears the topmost cut-off image is of the Christ drawing in the dirt. That’s unique to me as it references testimony as well.
I would also add that at one time, there was a hierarchy of subject matter that artists were “required” to follow dictated by the Academy. The artists functioned in some ways like those who explain the scriptures, they were doing it visually, in a single image. I see the middle photo has text on the walls that may well be Latin, and there may have been few who could read it – including me.
The Wise Craftsman. November 22, 2018.
Skip said: ‘Men no longer work to honor God’.
Powerful statement. So powerful. And really a statement that could convict us. It takes me to Guardian Angel because no other relationship is as important in our lives that will truly make us or break us. If both spouses are thinking about how they individually need to honor God, then one will be able to help the other, either through encouragement or through correction. If the typical approach is followed (the most common one across the board) who knows what mistakes will destroy their lives or their love or their joy. It could be the male ruining things or the female. In these cases, it seems like one of the spouses wants others to ‘honor’ him or her at the expense of others if need be. Sadly to say we have all been victims in many ways (huge paradigm shift in my thinking). In a way, it’s not our fault. Thankfully God is merciful and knows why we are the way we are.
Promise to love, honor and obey …My wife and I dishonored each other for years by cheating on one another . And in the process dishonoring others. We’ve remained married not necessarily true to the covenant and we struggle with issues of authority. What about love? What about love? Using people well we both did that. I guess that’s what you mean about spouse using others for honor at expense of others. Sad but true.
The Wise Craftsman/November 22, 2018.
So you haven’t read Guardian Angel or listened to his talks on YouTube? You mentioned you are having issues of authority which certainly doesn’t seem to fit the description of your relationship and certainly shouldn’t be a part of any healthy marriage. Mutual submission. How simple! How important! I listened to Guardian Angel online first. Just reading the book now. Lies hurt and the typical teaching about relationships is in itself a teaching that is abusive. It sounds like you were both abusing each other which makes me wonder why you stayed together or why you mentioned love. Is that what you meant? Love of self?
The problems these days are much more complicated because of brain damage which more often than not goes undetected or just not understood (can lead pretty normal lives in the now abnormal world we are living in) until either something terrible happens or the spouse being abused just can’t take it anymore or they both just have too many issues that will never be resolved.
Dr. Fallon surprisingly discovered he was brain damaged. Pretty shocking to him being that he was a neuroscientist. He had the brain of a psychopath. Very interesting talk titled ‘The Psychopath Inside’. Has a book too.
Is it any co-incidence that the Hebrew word for craftsmanship is synonymous with wisdom? We are in the presence of the feminine Spirit of Wisdom or as artists like to refer to her as their grace/muse. Canadian architect, Peter Heminway, refers to our society as disembodied & alienated separating art from architecture, architecture from science, architecture from people & artists from people. In the Renaissance the public really believed that art was part of their spiritual reality, art was relevant because it was all part of the whole social entity. When I look at Michangelo’s Pieta or any of Masaccio’s paintings, I see reflected their deep faith & capacity to see God’s handiwork in a fallen world regardless of who commisioned the work. I like what Dostoesvsky says, “The terrible thing is that beauty is not only fearful but mysterious….it is over beauty that the devil is struggling with God and the battlefield is the human heart”. I attended a Christian art symposium last year and one of the speakers said that “ultimately we are suspicious of its (beauty) very nature, consequently, our culture has lost the meaning of the body and femininity and the earth with it…the moment we lost our vision that the reality of the world depended on its being a sacrament, a symbol of heavenly realities…we disembodied ourselves by pitting the real against the symbolic”. Who better can give us images of a “heaven on earth” but our artists & artisans of faith?
For me the artists, architects and builders of that era brought more talent out of every party involve, a talent which could only be from God. With the tools and knowledge in their era they achieved far more than any artist, architect or builder brings out today. This itself testifies not of the dogma being furthered but rather a true life commitment we are missing because we pray and live for the things in Babylon and not in that true gift bestowed on us by God self. Skip thank you for helping us reflect on ourselves for our response tells us what we stand for… These works have stood the test of time… Much more than our works of today. This is said with all respect to the artisans of today who do good work with the poor quality in mass production. I do not even have the talent to grow and succeed on a simple thing such as a vegetable garden. So I cannot talk against such master pieces.
“your soap box rhetoric does not fit your very own life style” What a remark. Pam, if you want to appeal to people to contribute to the women in Jakarta, why not doing it straightforward ? Why use the project to express sneering contempt? Is this a constructive contribution? Maybe it is time for a serious look in the mirror. And maybe it is also time that everyone who has the privilege to commend on this blog considers more carefully what he/she writes and why.
Agree, it is time for some to stop and take a time out, so people can learn and grow in peace, Shalom