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It Is Written

John Bradshaw

The March of Death

Coming up next, please stay tuned for It Is Written, presented by Pastor John Bradshaw.

Welcome to the Philippines and to Manila, the nation's capital.

1.8 million people call the city of Manila home.

And almost 13 million live in the metropolitan area, placing Metro Manila in the world's top 20 populations.

And if you drive through Manila, and you'll do so slowly, you'd believe it.

It can take a long time to get from anywhere to anywhere in Manila.

But when it comes to getting around Manila, at least you have options.

The Philippines is an archipelago, an island nation.

But although there are 7, 500 or so islands here, only 11 of them are larger than Oahu.

The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so earthquakes are common.

While the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 was the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century and caused temperatures around the world to fall, Time magazine said the Philippines was the most exposed country in the world to tropical storms.

A typhoon in 2013 killed more than 6, 000 people.

The country's favorite son is boxer Manny Pacquiao, Senator Manny Pacquiao.

He's so popular in the Philippines, police say that crime stops in Manila whenever he fights and the busy streets of Manila go quiet.

Imelda Marcos was the well-known Philippines first lady for more than 20 years, who became famous for her collection of shoes.

Although the national language is Tagalog or Filipino, more people speak English in the Philippines than in the United Kingdom.

The Philippines was colonized by Spain in the 16th century.

More than 300 years later, the United States took control of the country following the Spanish-American War.

But 2 years into World War II, the country would be ruled by yet another power—Japan.

Japan attacked the Philippines on December 8, 1941, just hours after it attacked Pearl Harbor.

The combined US-Filipino force in the Philippines was under-resourced and under-prepared.

So Japan made fairly easy work of rolling through the Philippines, occupying Manila on January 2, 1942.

Fighting a war on 2 fronts made it harder for the United States in the Pacific.

And as important as it was to defeat Japan, defeating Germany was the priority.

Filipinos had felt secure, believing that American military might would see off any attack.

American forces had no option but to retreat.

When General Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines in 1942, with thousands of American servicemen still in the Philippines, he gave a speech at a train station in South Australia where he said, I shall return.

But more than 2 years passed before MacArthur made it back to the Philippines.

2 and a half years or more is a long time to be at the mercy of an invading army.

General Edward King was ordered by Douglas MacArthur to defend the Bataan Peninsula at all costs.

MacArthur told him that if it came down to it, US troops were to charge the enemy.

Well, of course that would have led to a complete slaughter.

With his men on a peninsula, water on 3 sides and an advancing enemy on the fourth, King knew what he had to do.

And he chose to disobey MacArthur's direct command.

On April the 9th, he stated that all forces on Bataan were to lay down their arms and surrender to the Japanese.

It was the worst military defeat the United States had ever suffered.

12, 000 Americans and 58, 000 Filipinos were captured that day.

As King was negotiating surrender, he asked a Japanese military leader if his men would be well treated as prisoners of war.

Well, the events of the next few weeks and months would prove that statement to be inaccurate.

The Bataan Peninsula would become the starting point of a journey of horror, a march of death.

American forces were at a low point, many overcome by malnourishment and diseases such as beriberi and scurvy, as well as dysentery.

But the Japanese decided they needed to move 12, 000 Americans and 58, 000 Filipinos out of the Bataan Peninsula.

They would move them to Camp O'Donnell, a distance of about 65 miles.

The prisoners would be marched to a train station.

Then they'd march again to Camp O'Donnell when they got off the train.

It's fair to say Japan had no idea it would suddenly be stuck with having to deal with 70, 000 prisoners of war.

And if Japan kept those prisoners weak, they'd be easier to manage.

But what unfolded would be an unbelievably dark chapter of World War II, and it would prompt the asking of some questions that are not easy to answer.

1 of the questions most asked by people wrestling with matters of faith is, why does God allow tragedy to happen?

I've been asked that question all over the world, And it's a fair question, a question that comes close to everyone.

Because wherever you have people, you have heartbreak and pain and loss and grief and all that comes with it.

Innocent people get killed by drunk drivers.

Why, if there's a God, would people be subjected to inhuman cruelty, which is precisely what came to the men unfortunate enough to be forced into the Bataan death march?

♪♪ We hear it all the time, God is all-powerful and God is love.

But if God is so powerful and loving, why is there so much suffering?

Discover what the Bible says on the subject By requesting today's free offer, Why Does God Allow Suffering?

You can also make your request online at IIWOffer.com.

Planning for your financial future is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship.

For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer free planned giving and estate services.

For information on how we can help you, please call 800-992-2219.

Call today or visit our website, HisLegacy.com.

1 thing about war is that it ordinarily takes place a long way away from where you are, in time and place.

Even though World War II happened a long time ago, the horrors of World War II were very real.

Try to imagine what it was like for the men on the Bataan Death March in the Philippines.

70000 men were forced to march most of 65 miles from the Bataan Peninsula across the bay from Manila in the Philippines to a prisoner of war camp.

Put yourself into that situation and no doubt you'll find yourself struggling to deal with it.

Wouldn't you imagine yourself battling to deal with the senselessness of it all?

Marching in sweltering heat without food and water, soldiers being killed indiscriminately, completely without reason.

How do you make sense of senselessness like that?

You might even be trying to make sense out of your own difficult situation.

In the Bible, there were plenty of people who tried to make sense out of their difficult situations.

In the story of Job, Job wrestles with the terrible affliction that came upon him.

He lost his home, his children, his possessions.

So Job tries to figure out what's going on.

But behind the scenes, there's something taking place that Job can't possibly know about.

Satan is behind the affliction that Job is suffering.

And the whole episode reveals that there are issues more important than our suffering or our well-being.

Now Job's friends are convinced that Job has done something to cause his misfortune.

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The March of Death

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