Bible Verses about Art & Creativity

God is the creator of the heavens, earth, and everything we see around us. When God finished creating the world in Genesis, He declared that everything was good. Creation itself is the most incredible work of art ever created. Our Lord is the greatest artist.

Everything from the birds flying in the air, to the fish and creatures in the deep waters is creative to the sunset stretched across the horizon. You can travel around the world and see majestic sights that will leave you in awe. 

God also created people in His image and likeness, and He has given people the inspiration to create wonderful works of art. God is the source of creativity, and we should look to the Bible to gain a better interpretation of it.

These ten Bible verses we love about art. They are sure to inspire you and give you a deeper knowledge of the artistic gifts that the Lord gives.

 

1. “Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.” Exodus 28:3 NIV

In this passage of scripture, God is giving Moses instructions. God explains that He’s the one who gives people a skill and the wisdom to use it properly. This verse gives us helpful insight into people’s natural talents and things that they enjoy doing.

Moses was speaking to skilled craftsmen who were gifted by God to create garments. These aren’t just normal clothes.

The priestly garments that Aaron wore were nothing short of a work of art. Other verses in Exodus chapter 28 tell us that Aaron's robes were woven together with the finest linens and different colored yarns.

There were engraved stones, cords of fabric, and gold woven in. The task of making this was a challenge fit only for these artists who had the wisdom of the Lord. 

This scripture also shows us how we should use the artistic gifts that God gives us. The artists could’ve used their skills for their benefit and created their own eccentric robes rather than the priests.

Instead, the Lord calls them to utilize their skill to help and serve others. We should look for opportunities to use our talents in the service of others.

2. “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 ESV

This verse shows us an aspect of what our relationship with God looks like. We are clay in the hand of God. He is using His hand to form and shape us into the best version of ourselves.

If you’ve ever worked with clay, you’ll notice that it’s nearly impossible to create a piece that’s exactly the same as another. 

Just like works of clay, each person is a unique work of art handcrafted by God. Even identical twins have different fingerprints and personalities.

God has intentionally made humans that are each unique and offer something different to the world around them.

God could have easily created billions of people who were the same, but that’s not the world He designed or intended. He loves the things that make you different from everyone else.

You have unique qualities for a purpose and you should embrace them with confidence.

 

3. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV

Oftentimes, the best ingredient to a work of art is patience. It’s easy to neglect this principle. We live in a world that’s running on a strict schedule.

When our alarm goes off we have a schedule full of meetings, work, a 30-minute lunch break, phone calls, and more. It never ends.

We’re frustrated when the drive-thru line moves too slow because it’s taking more time than we expected.

This Biblical wisdom from King Solomon says that everything is made beautiful in its time.

That means some things require time to be made beautiful. The famous saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” comes to mind here. Whenever a designer is at work, their work requires an abundance of patience.

The highest-quality paintings, music, food, and statues all take time to create, sometimes a single piece of artwork takes years to complete.

Remember that the process might look like a mess, but we have a guarantee that it will be made into something beautiful in time and applied patience. 

 

4. “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3 NASB

Here, the writer of Hebrews tells us where inspiration and creativity comes from. The invisible is the source of everything that we see.

When Walt Disney passed away, people were disappointed that Walt didn’t see Disneyland before it was completed.

But, others explained that if Walt hadn’t seen Disneyland in his imagination, it wouldn’t have been built.

Everything in the world that we see was first seen in the imagination. The iPhone existed in the mind of Steve Jobs before the physical product was created.

The art that’s created is seen in the artist’s imagination long before the audience sees it. When we have a revelation of this, it will change the way we think and we will be inspired to reignite our imagination.

 

5. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1 NIV

Have you ever looked out at the sunset sky painted with vibrant red, orange, yellow, and blue streaks? Or looked up to see the stars spread out across the night sky? The endless heavens are a fascinating sight to see and inspire many skillful artists to create masterpieces.

At night we can see stars and planets that are millions and billions of miles away. During the day, the sun lights up our world from 93 million miles away.

The landscapes of the world show us the magnitude of God’s glory, and that the creative work of His hands that is displayed is beyond our comprehension.

This psalm teaches us that all of God’s creation offers us a picture of His awe-inspiring character.

 

6. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 ESV

What are you focused on? We are always being pulled in various directions by people, circumstances, work, neighbors, kids, and world events. Everything happening around us is demanding our immediate attention. 

Paul advises us that we should be intentional about where we put our focus and what we engage with. It’s not going to be easy, and we’re going to need to say no to certain things.

We need to do the work of focusing on what is good, pure, and worthy of praise. Thinking about the disappointments we’ve faced, tragedies, and losses will cloud our minds and leave us uninspired and unproductive.

When we focus on the good things and the God things in our lives, we will find more joy, hope, and purpose.

 

7. “and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.” Exodus 35:31-33 NKJV

When we are filled with the Spirit of God, we are also full of wisdom and intelligence and ready for what He's called us to.

The Lord appointed two people, Bezalel and Oholiab, to design art and use a variety of metals, jewels, and wood to help build the tabernacle.

These two men had God-given abilities to teach and lead others in creating the works of art that would reflect God’s glory in the land.

God is creative, and because we’re formed in God’s image and likeness, we’re creative.

That doesn’t mean all of us will be skillful metal workers or jewelers. You don’t need to learn how to carve all kinds of wood or paint canvases.

God gives us a portion of creativity and grace that’s unique and helps us achieve what we’re called to do. These men were chosen to build the tabernacle, but you can use your natural creativity in any type of business or hobby.

 

God is the Greatest Artist Canvas

 

8. “Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi, the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father." 2 Chronicles 2:13-14 ESV 

From his birth, David knew that Solomon was the one who was commanded to build the house of the Lord. Solomon knew that this would be no small project, and he needed to find the right people for the job.

He sends a request for an exceptional craftsman who had the ability to help build the temple. Huram-abi was the perfect man for the job and was an oversight to many other artists who used gold, silver, and fine linens to create art.

If you read about Solomon’s building of the temple, you will get a glimpse of how majestic and glorious every detail was.

The temple was filled with intricate designs on the wall, towering pillars 18 cubits high, and tons of precious metals.

This breathtaking building project took seven years to complete and many thousands of workers who had the gift of craftsmanship.

We need to keep in mind that God has called us to something big. We are called to build something great, and God will surround us with the right people at the right time. 

 

8.“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29 ESV

Have you ever felt like you’re unqualified? You might’ve had big dreams, but disappointments caused you to give up or settle for something less.

The good news is that God hasn’t given up on you no matter what you’ve experienced in the past. God hasn’t taken away your gifts or calling. Irrevocable means that no person and no circumstance can take it away from you.

This doesn’t mean you don’t have any responsibility. The gifts and calling for your life are like a vehicle—we will always have access to the keys, but it’s our job to start the engine, put it in drive, and steer in the right direction.

If you’ve found yourself feeling like your dream is too big for you to handle, know that God has equipped you and called you to do something great.

He has given you the specific gifts that you need to fulfill what He’s called you to do.

 

10. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23

When we’re doing anything, our primary focus can’t be to impress people or make ourselves the center of attention. While we work, we need to invest ourselves in what we’re doing and be uncompromising in quality.

But if it’s not to get rich or elevate ourselves, then what’s the purpose of working hard? Our hard work is intended to benefit others in some way. 

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul explains that he desires to go to heaven, but he must stay on earth to benefit other people.

Here, Paul faced a dilemma: it would benefit him to pass on and enjoy the brilliance of heaven, but he knew it wasn’t all about him and what he wanted (see Phil. 1:24). He loved the people around him and remained strong and steadfast in his service to them.

Our work is for people around us to enjoy and an opportunity to point them towards Jesus Christ, who is our source. Throughout the Bible, God works with people as vessels to reveal who He is.

Since we’re made in God's image and likeness, everywhere we go, and everything we do should be like a living billboard showing others the truth.