Photo: The remains of the ancient city of Caesarea Maritima. © Denison Ministries

Worship the one Lord at Caesarea Maritima

From Tel Aviv, we continue our journey thirty-three miles north to Caesarea Maritima, one of the most historically and spiritually important locations in the Holy Land.

When Herod the Great became king of the Jews, he found that his kingdom had no suitable port. So he rebuilt Strato's Tower, an ancient lighthouse and fortification dating back to four centuries before Christ. He named it for Augustus Caesar, who had given it to him.

By building a Roman city with a temple to the worship of the Emperor, Herod paid deference to the Romans.

By also building a Jewish temple in Jerusalem for the worship of Yahweh, he paid deference to the Jews. Thus, he sought to placate both.

Is your allegiance divided?

Caesarea Maritima reminds us that outward appearances are a poor replacement for inner peace.

Herod tried desperately to appease both the Romans and the Jews, building monuments to God and Caesar as if they were equals.

In the end, the city he worked so hard to build and meant to serve as his legacy became the inflection point for war, chaos, and destruction.

The same fate awaits all who try to divide their allegiance between the world and the Lord.

We serve a God who is not interested in sharing His throne.

The first commandment—"You shall have no other gods before me"—remains just as foundational for our faith today as it was for the Jews in the wilderness (Exodus 20:3).

But that kind of solitary dedication can be difficult to maintain when potential distractions abound. When we feel our allegiance divided, it can be helpful to remember that He asks no more of us than He has already shown.

As Paul notes, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us . . . For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." (Romans 5:8, 10).

Ask God if there are any aspects of your life in which your allegiance is divided.

Act upon whatever He shows you, learning from the example of Herod in order to avoid making his mistakes your own.

God has demonstrated His love and devotion to us in a way that should inspire us to return the same.

Will you?