Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW018177S
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00:09 ♪[Theme music]♪
00:19 ♪[Asian instrumental music]♪ 00:24 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. 00:26 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:29 Welcome to the Philippines and to Manila, 00:32 the nation's capital-- 00:33 1.8 million people call the city of Manila home, 00:37 and almost 13 million live in the metropolitan area, 00:41 placing metro Manila in the world's top 20 populations. 00:46 And if you drive through Manila, and you'll do so slowly, 00:50 you'd believe it. 00:52 It can take a long time to get from anywhere to anywhere 00:55 in Manila. 00:56 But when it comes to getting around Manila, 00:59 at least you have options. 01:05 ♪[Piano music]♪ 01:07 The Philippines is an archipelago, an island nation. 01:11 But although there are 7,500 or so islands here, 01:15 only 11 of them are larger than Oahu. 01:18 The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, 01:22 so earthquakes are common, 01:24 while the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 01:27 was the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century 01:32 and caused temperatures around the world to fall. 01:36 TIME magazine said the Philippines was 01:39 "the most exposed country in the world to tropical storms." 01:43 A typhoon in 2013 killed more than 6,000 people. 01:51 ♪[Upbeat instrumental music]♪ 01:53 The country's favorite son is boxer Manny Pacquiao-- 01:57 Senator Manny Pacquiao. 02:00 He's so popular in the Philippines, 02:02 police say that crime stops in Manila whenever he fights, 02:06 and the busy streets of Manila go quiet. 02:10 Imelda Marcos was the well-known Philippines First Lady 02:13 for more than 20 years, 02:15 who became famous for her collection of shoes-- 02:18 some say more than 1,000 pairs; others say almost 3,000 pairs. 02:26 Although the national language is Tagalog, or Filipino, 02:30 more people speak English in the Philippines 02:32 than in the United Kingdom. 02:36 The Philippines was colonized by Spain in the 16th century. 02:39 More than 300 years later, the United States took control 02:43 of the country following the Spanish-American War. 02:46 But two years into World War II, 02:48 the country would be ruled by yet another power: Japan. 02:53 [Cannon firing] 02:55 ♪[Tense music]♪ 02:56 Japan attacked the Philippines on December the 8th, 1941, 03:01 just hours after it attacked Pearl Harbor. 03:04 [explosions and rapid gunfire] 03:05 The combined US-Filipino force in the Philippines 03:09 was under-resourced and under-prepared. 03:12 So Japan made fairly easy work of rolling through 03:15 the Philippines, occupying Manila on January the 2nd, 1942. 03:22 Fighting a war on two fronts made it harder 03:25 for the United States in the Pacific, 03:27 and as important as it was to defeat Japan, 03:30 defeating Germany was the priority. 03:32 Filipinos had felt secure, 03:34 believing that American military might would see off any attack. 03:38 But that confidence was misplaced. 03:42 American forces had no option but to retreat. 03:47 When General Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines in 1942, 03:51 with thousands of American servicemen 03:53 still in the Philippines, 03:55 he gave a speech at a train station in South Australia, 03:58 where he said, 03:59 [Douglas MacArthur speaks] "I shall return." 04:01 But more than two years passed before MacArthur made it back 04:04 to the Philippines. 04:06 Two-and-a-half years or more is a long time 04:09 to be at the mercy of an invading army. 04:14 General Edward King was ordered by Douglas MacArthur to defend 04:19 the Bataan Peninsula at all costs. 04:21 MacArthur told him that if it came down to it, 04:24 US troops were to charge the enemy. 04:28 Well, of course, that would have led to a complete slaughter. 04:31 With his men on a peninsula, water on three sides, 04:34 and an advancing enemy on the fourth, 04:38 King knew what he had to do, 04:40 and he chose to disobey MacArthur's direct command. 04:47 On April the 9th, he stated that all forces on Bataan 04:50 were to lay down their arms and surrender to the Japanese. 04:53 It was the worst military defeat the United States 04:56 had ever suffered. 04:57 Twelve thousand Americans and 58,000 Filipinos 05:00 were captured that day. 05:02 As King was negotiating surrender, 05:04 he asked a Japanese military leader if his men would be 05:08 well-treated as prisoners of war. 05:10 He was told, "We are not barbarians." 05:14 Well, the events of the next few weeks and months 05:17 would prove that statement to be inaccurate. 05:23 The Bataan Peninsula would become the starting point 05:26 of a journey of horror, a march of death. 05:31 American forces were at a low point, 05:33 many overcome by malnourishment and diseases such as beriberi 05:38 and scurvy, as well as dysentery. 05:41 But the Japanese decided they needed to move 12,000 Americans 05:45 and 58,000 Filipinos out of the Bataan Peninsula. 05:50 They would move them to Camp O'Donnell, 05:52 a distance of about 65 miles. 05:56 ♪[Somber music]♪ 05:59 The prisoners would be marched to a train station. 06:02 Then they'd march again to Camp O'Donnell 06:04 when they got off the train. 06:07 It's fair to say Japan had no idea it would suddenly be stuck 06:11 with having to deal with 70,000 prisoners of war. 06:14 And if Japan kept those prisoners weak, 06:17 they'd be easier to manage. 06:19 But what unfolded would be an unbelievably dark chapter 06:22 of World War II, and it would prompt the asking 06:25 of some questions that are not easy to answer. 06:29 One of the questions most asked by people wrestling 06:32 with matters of faith is, 06:33 "Why does God allow tragedy to happen?" 06:37 I've been asked that question all over the world, 06:39 and it's a fair question, 06:41 a question that comes close to everyone 06:44 because wherever you have people you have heartbreak 06:46 and pain and loss and grief and all that comes with it. 06:50 Why do horrible things like this happen? 06:52 Why do babies die of cancer? 06:54 Innocent people get killed by drunk drivers? 06:57 Why, if there's a God, would people be subjected 07:00 to inhuman cruelty? 07:02 Which is precisely what came to the men unfortunate enough 07:07 to be forced into the Bataan Death March. 07:10 The answers exist, but they're not easy. 07:13 And the answers demand something of us. 07:16 I'll be back in just a moment. 07:18 ♪[Music]♪ 07:27 >>Announcer 1: We hear it all the time: 07:29 "God is all-powerful, and God is love." 07:32 But if God is so powerful and loving, 07:35 why is there so much suffering? 07:37 Discover what the Bible says on the subject by requesting 07:40 today's free offer: "Why Does God Allow Suffering?" 07:42 It's absolutely free. 07:44 Just call 800-253-3000, 07:47 800-253-3000. 07:51 Or write to the address on your screen. 07:52 You can also make your request 07:53 online at iiwoffer.com. 07:58 ♪[Music]♪ 08:00 >>Announcer 2: Planning for your financial future 08:02 is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 08:06 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer 08:09 free planned giving and estate services. 08:11 For information on how we can help you, 08:14 please call 800-992-2219. 08:19 Call today or visit our website: 08:21 hislegacy.com. 08:23 Call 800-992-2219. 08:29 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 08:32 One thing about war is that it ordinarily takes place 08:35 a long way away from where you are in time and place. 08:40 Even though World War II happened a long time ago, 08:45 the horrors of World War II were very real. 08:50 Try to imagine what it was like for the men 08:52 on the Bataan Death March in the Philippines--and you can't. 08:57 Seventy thousand men were forced to march most of 65 miles 09:02 from the Bataan Peninsula across the bay from Manila 09:04 in the Philippines to a prisoner-of-war camp. 09:08 Thousands of them died along the way. 09:11 Put yourself into that situation-- 09:14 no doubt you'll find yourself struggling to deal with it. 09:18 Wouldn't you imagine yourself battling to deal 09:20 with the senselessness of it all, 09:22 the bitter cruelty of it all, 09:24 marching in sweltering heat without food and water, 09:27 soldiers being killed indiscriminately, 09:31 completely without reason? 09:32 How do you make sense of senselessness like that? 09:37 You might even be trying to make sense 09:38 out of your own difficult situation. 09:40 In the Bible, there were plenty of people who tried 09:43 to make sense out of their difficult situations. 09:46 In the story of Job, 09:48 Job wrestles with the terrible affliction that came upon him. 09:52 He lost his home, his children, his possessions. 09:55 So Job tries to figure out what's going on. 09:58 But behind the scenes there's something taking place 10:01 that Job can't possibly know about. 10:04 Satan is behind the affliction that Job is suffering, 10:07 and the whole episode reveals that there are issues 10:10 more important than our suffering or our well-being, 10:15 issues that God wants us to understand. 10:18 Now, Job's friends are convinced that Job has done something 10:21 to cause his misfortune. 10:22 They're thinking, 10:23 "You had to have done something to deserve this." 10:28 Which isn't uncommon. 10:30 One day, Jesus was told that Pilate had killed some Galileans 10:33 while they were offering sacrifices. 10:35 Jesus said, "Do you suppose that these Galileans 10:39 were worse sinners than all other Galileans, 10:41 because they suffered such things? 10:43 I tell you, no." 10:45 And He said in verses 4 and 5, 10:48 "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell 10:51 and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners 10:54 than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 10:56 I tell you, no." 10:58 People like to have neat explanations for suffering. 11:02 Take the story of the rich man and Lazarus. 11:04 The common thought in Jesus' day was that if you were rich, 11:08 you were clearly blessed by God, 11:09 and poverty was proof of God's displeasure. 11:12 Well, wrong. 11:14 Jesus turned things upside down in that story 11:17 when He had a beggar in glory and a rich man in torment. 11:21 How could that be? 11:23 Neat explanations for life's deep mysteries might be neat, 11:28 but they're inadequate. 11:30 It sits better with a lot of people to reduce God down, 11:33 to find throwaway answers to explain the workings of God. 11:38 So I wonder what might have gone through the minds of the men 11:40 on the Bataan Death March. 11:42 They were soldiers fighting for their countries, 11:45 Americans and Filipinos. 11:47 And now their captors were marching them 65 miles, 11:50 and it was beyond miserable. 11:53 It was obvious that many of them were going to die 11:55 a ghastly death, unnecessarily. 12:00 How do you explain that? 12:02 ♪[Somber music]♪ 12:06 Men who were on the march said the temperatures 12:08 were up over 100 degrees Fahrenheit-- 12:11 38 degrees Celsius-- or higher. 12:14 It was the hottest time of the year in the Philippines. 12:17 And the men were forced to march without food or water. 12:20 They were already weakened before the march; 12:23 25 percent of the men on Bataan were in hospital 12:26 or were being treated for illness; 12:28 about 40 percent of the men had malaria. 12:31 They were so short of food they'd been eating iguanas, 12:34 monkeys, and snakes. 12:35 They had eaten the cavalry horses. 12:38 By the time the Bataan Death March started, 12:41 they were out of food, with nothing to drink, 12:44 marching in the blistering heat for 65 miles. 12:51 Many of the men on the march had survived the furious bombing 12:55 and the fierce combat on the island of Corregidor 12:58 in Manila Bay, only to find themselves marching to death. 13:05 The brutality was difficult to imagine. 13:09 Death March survivor Lester Tenney said, 13:12 "It wasn't called the Bataan Death March 13:15 only because people died. 13:17 It was called the Bataan Death March 13:19 because of the way men died. 13:22 If you stopped, you died. 13:24 If you fell down, you died. 13:27 If you had a malaria attack, you died. 13:30 If you couldn't take another step, you died. 13:32 Use the bathroom, you died. 13:35 We had no food and no water. 13:38 Either they cut your head off, 13:40 they shot you or they bayoneted you." 13:44 Many POWs were killed simply for sport. 13:49 While 1.5 percent of American prisoners of war 13:53 held by Germany died in captivity, 13:56 more than 40 percent of American POWs 13:59 held by Japan died in captivity. 14:05 Do you ever ask yourself the question why? 14:07 "Why me?" 14:08 "Why my grandfather with Alzheimer's?" 14:10 "Why my grandmother with cancer?" 14:14 "Why is my brother in prison?" 14:15 "Why did I have that accident?" 14:18 "Why did I lose my family or my future? Why?" 14:21 Fair questions, that's for sure. 14:23 But no matter what answer you come up with, 14:25 it's almost always unsatisfactory 14:28 when you're experiencing your own, your own private hell. 14:33 Well, the men on the Bataan Death March 14:36 would eventually arrive in the town of San Fernando, 14:39 where they would board trains to take them on the next leg 14:43 of their journey. 14:44 So things were gonna get better for them, right? 14:48 Well, I'll have more in just a moment. 14:52 ♪[Music]♪ 15:01 >>John: Thank you for remembering 15:03 that It Is Written exists 15:04 because of the kindness of people just like you. 15:06 To support this international life-changing ministry, 15:10 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 15:14 You can send your tax-deductible gift 15:16 to the address on your screen, 15:17 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 15:21 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 15:24 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 15:28 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 15:32 [Fire crackling] 15:33 >>Girl: My mom woke up at 11:45, and she smelled smoke. 15:37 [Sirens wailing] 15:38 >>Man: About maybe 1:30 in the morning, 15:40 the, uh, my wife got a phone call, 15:44 and I could hear the voice on the other end of the line, 15:47 and she was basically, uh, screaming, 15:49 "There's a fire! It's massive! 15:51 It's headed your way! 15:52 You need to get out and get out now!" 15:54 >>Woman: After I hear "Fire," I hear in the background, 15:58 "The fire is two to four blocks away from your house." 16:00 And I panicked. 16:01 We started praying. Our prayers didn't last long. 16:04 They were desperate; they were, they were rushed. 16:08 There was a need; it was urgent; 16:10 it was very, very urgent. 16:12 I said, "Please save my children." 16:14 ♪[Music]♪ 16:17 >>John Bradshaw: Where was God when the fires burned? 16:19 Where was God as people suffered? 16:21 Where was God while people were dying? 16:24 Where was God in the midst of the devastation? 16:26 [Fire crackling] 16:33 >>John Bradshaw: When the Bataan Death March 16:35 reached the train station, this train station in San Fernando, 16:40 American and Filipino prisoners of war were crammed 16:43 into metal boxcars for the journey to Karpas, 16:45 which took more than a couple of hours. 16:48 One hundred men were pressed into boxcars large enough 16:51 to hold only 40. 16:52 They were jammed in so tight they couldn't sit down. 16:57 There were no sanitation facilities. 16:59 Now, remember, the men were sick. 17:01 They had dysentery. 17:03 There was no medical care provided. 17:04 It was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 17:07 The boxcars were like ovens. 17:10 Hundreds of men who survived the march 17:13 didn't survive the journey by train. 17:18 When the trains arrived in Karpas, 17:21 the men had to march again, 17:23 often holding each other up because they knew should anyone 17:27 fall or stop walking, that man would be executed. 17:33 The men leaned on each other for survival. 17:36 The psychological pressure was immense. 17:39 During the march, their Japanese captors referred to the POWs 17:43 as cowards, told them that they were lower than dogs 17:47 because they surrendered. 17:49 Decades later, survivors of the march would talk about 17:53 the great difficulty they had just thinking about it, 17:56 the graphic images that would come to mind when they reflected 18:00 on their time here. 18:06 Once they arrived at what's now known as Camp O'Donnell, 18:10 the ravages of the march really began to take hold. 18:13 Hundreds of men were dying every day. 18:16 Some men died with a canteen in their hand waiting to get water. 18:21 Now, remember they're sick, many of them diseased. 18:24 They're malnourished, exhausted; 18:28 they haven't had anything to eat or drink in ages. 18:35 Within two weeks, the strongest survivors were shipped to Japan 18:39 to work as slaves in coal mines or factories. 18:43 The ships that took them to Japan 18:45 were deliberately left unmarked. 18:48 Nothing indicated that there were POWs on board. 18:51 Literally thousands of Americans died on those ships, 18:55 sunk by American forces. 18:58 Twenty-six ships carrying American POWs were sunk 19:02 by the United States because Japan refused 19:05 to put markings on the ships. 19:07 So, you're a slave in a Japanese coal mine; 19:12 you're a long way from home. 19:14 Maybe you wonder what the sense of it all is. 19:18 Now, go back to the time of David, 19:20 and no doubt there were people wondering why. 19:23 The Bible says King David numbers Israel. 19:28 He conducts a census, something he should not have done, 19:32 because in doing so, he was demonstrating that his hope 19:36 was in his army rather than in God, 19:38 who gave him victory over Goliath 19:40 and brought down the walls of Jericho, and so on. 19:44 God wanted David trusting Him and sending the message 19:47 to Israel that their hope was in God and not in men. 19:51 Now, as a consequence of what David did, 19:53 God sent a plague that killed 70,000 people. 19:57 Now, were these people guilty? 19:59 No, they weren't. 20:00 They were just... collateral damage. 20:04 Now, try making sense out of that. 20:07 Is that fair? 20:09 Well, of course it's not fair. 20:10 But if you want to talk about what's fair, 20:13 let's talk about Calvary. 20:15 Jesus was nailed to a cross. 20:17 He took upon Himself the sins of the entire world. 20:21 He was ridiculed, falsely accused. 20:23 He was beaten, tortured, and He hadn't done anything wrong. 20:29 Now, that was not fair. 20:32 But what all this reveals is that in God's eyes, 20:35 there are even bigger questions than our comfort, 20:38 our earthly well-being, even our survival-- 20:41 or His, for that matter. 20:43 And why is that? 20:45 There are things going on in this world behind the scenes 20:49 that we can't really understand. 20:50 And remember Job? 20:52 Job was unaware of the spiritual battle taking place 20:55 outside of his view. 20:57 He was also unaware that his misfortune would help us. 21:01 It would help us to see that there's a spiritual battle 21:03 taking place behind the scenes today. 21:06 What Job learned is that what matters ultimately 21:09 is that we trust God, 21:11 that we realize there's a bigger picture, 21:14 and that ultimately God is in control. 21:17 He said in Job 42:5-- a very important verse-- 21:24 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, 21:27 but now my eye sees You." 21:30 Job was saying, "Finally, I get it. 21:35 My job is to simply trust You, God, 21:38 no matter what." 21:40 And that's it. 21:41 Trust in God, no matter what. 21:45 In Job 38, God says, 21:48 "Now prepare yourself like a man; 21:51 I will question you, and you shall answer me. 21:55 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? 21:59 Tell me, if you have understanding." 22:02 Job 38:3-4. 22:05 He goes on to say, 22:06 "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, 22:09 and caused the dawn to know its place? 22:12 Have you entered the springs of the sea? 22:14 Or have you walked in search of the depths? 22:16 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? 22:19 Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death? 22:22 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? 22:25 Tell me, if you know all this." 22:27 Job 38:12, 16-18. 22:31 For four chapters, God answers Job. 22:35 It's the longest speech given by God in the entire Bible, 22:39 and God doesn't deal with Job's guilt or innocence. 22:43 He doesn't even try to make sense out of Job's suffering. 22:46 He simply reveals to Job one of the most important things 22:50 a person could ever learn. 22:52 ♪[Somber music]♪ 22:57 There are times when things just don't make sense, 23:00 and that's when you remember that God is God. 23:05 That's it. 23:06 God is God. 23:08 If you try to make sense 23:09 out of your own personal difficult experiences, 23:12 well, you're not always going to be able to. 23:14 People often say, 23:15 "Well, everything happens for a reason." 23:16 So try telling that to a soldier on the Bataan Death March, 23:19 or to somebody in a concentration camp. 23:22 What could the reason be for that? 23:25 The reason is often simply that there's sin in the world. 23:29 Wicked things happen because of the presence of wickedness. 23:32 Why did the Bataan Death March happen? 23:34 Because a nation wanted to be a great empire, 23:37 plain and simple. 23:38 Japan's co-prosperity sphere was promoted: 23:41 "We'll free you from Western colonial oppression, 23:44 and we'll all prosper." 23:46 Well, that was never gonna happen, and it didn't. 23:48 You go all the way back before Creation, 23:50 and Satan said basically the same thing. 23:53 "I will be like the Most High." 23:55 Isaiah 14:14. 23:57 Someone wanted to be great. 24:00 The truth is sometimes there's no reason 24:03 for human rights abuses like the Bataan Death March, 24:06 other than sin. 24:07 I said earlier that when you ask the question why, 24:11 the answer you find demands a lot from you--it does. 24:14 When God says, "Just trust me," that isn't always easy. 24:18 Your child dies. God says, "Just trust me." 24:21 Let's not kid each other here. 24:24 That's not easy. 24:25 You're involved in a terrible accident. 24:28 You lose your job or your home. 24:31 God says, "Just trust me." 24:35 You're facing an impossible future, 24:37 and God says, "Trust me"? 24:41 Yes, that's what God says. 24:44 Because the truth is our time on this earth is very short. 24:48 The ball isn't always gonna bounce your way. 24:52 Life can seem unfair, 24:54 but ultimately we're here to learn a lesson: 24:59 Trust God. 25:01 The Bible says, 25:02 "And we know that all things work together for good 25:06 to those who love God, 25:07 to those who are the called according to His purpose." 25:10 Romans 8:28. 25:13 So, what worked for good 25:15 as a result of the Bataan Death March? 25:18 Well, those who wanted to learn lessons about war and cruelty 25:21 and war crimes certainly could. 25:23 General Homma, the Japanese general responsible 25:25 for the death march, was executed for war crimes. 25:29 The Americans and Filipinos played their part 25:31 in bringing victory, and that's no small thing. 25:34 But try telling that to someone dying of thirst, 25:37 or at the wrong end of an enemy bayonet. 25:40 It takes a lot of faith to accept. 25:43 But ultimately we have to remember that life 25:45 isn't about fairness or things that make sense. 25:49 Often, life just doesn't make sense, 25:51 not from our vantage point. 25:54 But if you can trust a God who is working things out 25:57 behind the scenes, 25:59 if you can trust that God has your best interests at heart, 26:02 if you can trust that there's a coming day 26:04 when there'll be no more sin, no more death, 26:08 no more war, no more cruelty, 26:11 then you can look beyond the harsh challenges of this world, 26:15 and you can know that one day 26:16 God is gonna make all things new and all things good. 26:21 ♪[Music]♪ 26:30 >>Announcer: We hear it all the time: 26:32 "God is all-powerful, and God is love." 26:35 But if God is so powerful and loving, 26:37 why is there so much suffering? 26:40 Discover what the Bible says on the subject by requesting 26:42 today's free offer: "Why Does God Allow Suffering?" 26:45 It's absolutely free. 26:46 Just call 800-253-3000, 26:50 800-253-3000. 26:53 Or write to the address on your screen. 26:55 You can also make your request 26:56 online at iiwoffer.com. 27:01 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 27:03 Our Father in heaven, we thank You that there is hope. 27:05 We thank You that, 27:07 that things do make sense from Your perspective, 27:10 and we can trust You when they don't from ours. 27:13 And so during the challenges, 27:15 in the midst of the struggles of this world, 27:16 give us grace to look beyond what we can see immediately, 27:19 to a day when You will make all things right. 27:22 We thank You that You see the big picture, 27:25 and that we can always trust You. 27:27 Friend, can you trust God today? 27:30 Trust Him in the midst of your present challenge, 27:32 in the midst of your present distress. 27:33 Tell Him, "I trust You, God. 27:36 I believe You'll make all things right." 27:38 Lord, we thank You, and we pray in Jesus' name. 27:43 Amen. 27:44 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:46 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:48 Until then, remember: 27:49 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:53 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:58 ♪[Theme music]♪ 28:08 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2022-04-25