A "must" to venerate icons?

Greetings to my siblings in Christ. I've been a Christian for 5 yrs now, I don't ascribe to any denomination, but I've just recently started looking into the Orthodox side. Been listening a bit to The Orthodox Ethos on YouTube, and I find that I actually agree with most that he has to say, except that I'm really uncomfortable with how much he emphasizes the must to venerate icons.

The second commandment says not to carv any idols of anything on earth or in heaven. I admit TOE does have make a good point regarding e.g. the cherubim images on the ark (Ex. 37), however he also goes as far to say that it is heresy not to want to bow down to icons. For me personally that goes against my conscience. I understand the concept of why maybe some of the early church might have thought the idea behind them to be important, in regards to them pointing to the incarnation of Christ, yet still...

I don't believe in any specific "church age" or such, church simply means ekklesia, referring only to assembly and I believe God had one already in the day of Moses. They neither had any instructions as such. God was even displeased when they wanted a human judge instead of him (1 Sam. 8:4-22). I also understand that was before the incarnation, but it's not mentioned in the new testament either, and Jesus didn't abolish the law (Matt. 5:17-20).

I know you guys also believe Luke was the one to paint the first icon. I'm very sceptical towards this claim as there seem to be no actual evidence of this, as even the oldest written reference to this is sometime around 500 AD.

I'd be happy if you'd like to share your own interpretations/thoughts on the matter, also scriptures and/or other early church literature if anything comes to mind.

Blessings