A God of Stone

A Dead god of stone.

In the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses said:

22 I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. 23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden...

25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol... 26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land.... You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.

28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.

DECORATIVE A 4 n Tom duBois’ rendition of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, a statue of Caesar stands at the side of the road upon which Jesus rode into the city. In 42 BC, Caesar was formally deified as "the Divine Julius" (Divus Iulius), and Caesar Augustus henceforth became divi filius ("son of a god"). Consequently, all Caesars after him were sons of a god. Under Domitian a persecution began directed specifically at Christians because Christians refused to worship a false god. They rejected the Imperial Cult of Caesar worship. In truth, this painting proclaims the only “Son of God” who was and is God.

The true God is not standing proudly, nor is he carved out of stone. He is humble and lowly, riding on a beast of burden, not on a majestic stallion. Jesus is the corner stone the church leaders rejected. The Savior of the world rides into town on the back of an ass.