00:17 2:40 Understanding the Geography of the Shephelah in the Context of God's Plan 02:40 3:06 The Shephelah as a place of meeting and influence 3:07 7:16 The Story of the Ethiopian, how the Gospel has spread to Africa, and Emanual's connection to this legacy. 7:16 8:55 What Jack learned from his time in the Shephelah / Episode Wrap Up The Shephelah rests between the Judean Hill Country where God brought salvation to earth and the Coastal Plain where He chose to spread the gospel. This is why these fertile foothills and lowlands are known as a "meeting place." It connected the revelation of the gospel story that happened in the interior to the rest of the world that so desperately needed it. And while some people—like strongman Samson—in the Bible stories that occurred in this area lacked their full potential, one story points to the important work of spreading the good news of Jesus. It begs the question: Why is this place so important in carrying the Good News to the world? The area is a main transportation artery to Africa, Asia, and Europe. And that's why this one story about the Ethiopian court official from the first century is so important. He was returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was reading the Scripture from a scroll when a passage in Isaiah confused him. He wished to know who was "crushed for our sins" (Isaiah 53:5 NLT) and God provided Philip at the perfect place and time to explain the salvation story. This story went out to the continent of Africa through this Ethiopian man, eventually influencing another man centuries later—Emanual Roro. You'll meet Emanual as he and Jack trek up the mountain on bikes and discuss the importance of the blessings of the gospel coming full circle. Listen to how the gospel message has impacted Emanual's spiritual life, from his ancestors first hearing the message in Africa to how he lives it out today in Israel. So join Jack and Emanual on this mountaintop experience and learn why it's so important to share these Bible stories and our experiences. It will make you ponder like Jack: "This story also challenges me. The Lord has put me in meeting places too. Question is, "Am I living out my gospel sharing potential?" OTHER RESOURCES BY DR. JOHN (JACK) A. BECK Along the Road (DVD): https://amzn.to/2Lmzksn Along the Road (Paperback): https://amzn.to/2ZRZpTY Discovery House Bible Atlas (Hardcover): https://amzn.to/2NOJLpY Land Without Borders (DVD): https://amzn.to/2PY68wa Land Without Borders (Paperback): https://amzn.to/2LwnZ7R The Impact of Place (Podcast) on Discover the Word: https://discovertheword.org/series/the impact of place SUPPORT THE MAKING OF FUTURE SERIES: https://donations.ourdailybread.org/int55.html FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/odbfilms/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ourdailybreadfilms #shephelah #holyland #biblelands #gospel
