I am beginning to comprehend the "great" in Herod the Great. While he most certainly wasn't great in terms of virtue or character or spiritual insights, what he was able to accomplish from an earthly perspective was nothing short of spectacular. It seems like every where we go we are finding amazing feats of engineering that he accomplished. First we examined what is left of the temple he built in Jerusalem and remembered what an awe inspiring building that was. Then came the Herodium, his palace fortress just outside of Jerusalem. Even more inspiring was Masadda towering above the shores of the Dead Sea. Now today I was in awe again at the city of Caesarea that Herod built on the shores of the Mediterranean. He turned a nothing town into a spectacular city with a huge theater, a hippodrome for chariot races and a palace that literally hung out over the Mediterranean Sea. But the crowning achievement was the port. This coastal location had no natural port, but that didn't stop Herod from making it the key port city for all of Palestine. He simply built a harbor out into the sea. What an amazing feat. For all of the great things he accomplished, he is the perfect example of not finding satisfaction in the things of this world. He still died paranoid and unloved.
Caesarea was just the first stop as we shifted our home base to Galilee for the next four days. The Jezreel Valley was the focus our day. Mt. Carmel was a highlight for me. The story of Elijah in a "shoot-out" with the prophets of Baal on top of this mountain is one of those Old Testament highlight stories for me. We have and will see plenty of locations of historic battles, but this battle in which God himself displayed his power by raining down fire from heaven is one of the best. I'm grateful to have been on Mt. Carmel.
This broad Jezreel Valley with its seven different entrances is like the kitchen of my house. It is the place where every door way and hallway seems to lead and where people end up meeting together. The same thing happened here throughout history. When armies met, they couldn't meet well in the mountains so they met in this valley. And when enemy forces were moving through the area, the best time to face them would be as they trickle out of one of the mountain passes and into this valley. For better or for worse, this was the place to meet. Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, Jezreel, Mt. Tabor, Taanach -- this is where they met. And this is where Revelation 16:16 says that "They gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." In Hebrew "Ha" means mountain or hill. Add that to the city of Megiddo and you come up with Armageddon. It is a fitting name to symbolize the coming together of the enemies of God since Megiddo has been that place for the enemies of Israel for centuries.
The Sea of Galilee was a wonderfully refreshing end to the day. This lake is a gift. In the middle of a dry and dusty land that is a land of testing, this lake provides an oasis. It is around this lake that Jesus did so much. Here he multiplied bread and fish. Here he walked on water. Here taught the beatitudes. Here he calmed the storm. Here is cast out demons into a herd of pigs. Here he did so many other things both amazing and mundane. I wondered tonight if he ever just sat on the shore and watched beautiful sunset like I did. I'm looking forward to experiencing first hand this region that Jesus called home.
Caesarea was just the first stop as we shifted our home base to Galilee for the next four days. The Jezreel Valley was the focus our day. Mt. Carmel was a highlight for me. The story of Elijah in a "shoot-out" with the prophets of Baal on top of this mountain is one of those Old Testament highlight stories for me. We have and will see plenty of locations of historic battles, but this battle in which God himself displayed his power by raining down fire from heaven is one of the best. I'm grateful to have been on Mt. Carmel.
This broad Jezreel Valley with its seven different entrances is like the kitchen of my house. It is the place where every door way and hallway seems to lead and where people end up meeting together. The same thing happened here throughout history. When armies met, they couldn't meet well in the mountains so they met in this valley. And when enemy forces were moving through the area, the best time to face them would be as they trickle out of one of the mountain passes and into this valley. For better or for worse, this was the place to meet. Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, Jezreel, Mt. Tabor, Taanach -- this is where they met. And this is where Revelation 16:16 says that "They gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." In Hebrew "Ha" means mountain or hill. Add that to the city of Megiddo and you come up with Armageddon. It is a fitting name to symbolize the coming together of the enemies of God since Megiddo has been that place for the enemies of Israel for centuries.
The Sea of Galilee was a wonderfully refreshing end to the day. This lake is a gift. In the middle of a dry and dusty land that is a land of testing, this lake provides an oasis. It is around this lake that Jesus did so much. Here he multiplied bread and fish. Here he walked on water. Here taught the beatitudes. Here he calmed the storm. Here is cast out demons into a herd of pigs. Here he did so many other things both amazing and mundane. I wondered tonight if he ever just sat on the shore and watched beautiful sunset like I did. I'm looking forward to experiencing first hand this region that Jesus called home.
Tony, even though you are miles away, you are still being used to bless me... and others, I'm sure. Thank you for taking time to blog with pictures, thoughts, travels, learning. I'm learning with you and I think, I can even hear your heart singing!
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