“Who is Winning the Shephelah?”
I need to read Acts 9:35 to you its context.
As you are about to learn in this PODCAST, there is so much more here than meets the eye. At least that meets our eyes.
Acts 9:35 is a truly remarkable statement for original readers of the book of Acts. It will soon be truly remarkable for us. For this one verse exposes the underlying reality in the spiritual climate of the Land that you and I might easily miss. As well as the ongoing spiritual battle for our souls that is being waged every minute of every day in our lives today.
A truly remarkable verse.
So hear it as I begin at verse 32.
“Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!’ And he was healed instantly.”
“Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.” (Acts 9:32-35)
Anything jaw-dropping strike you about those words? Are we missing anything here? I’ll give you a hint: Yes! We are missing a ton! All of which has to do with these two telling locations: One a town—Lydda; the other a region—Sharon.
Foreign to us; all-too-familiar to the people of that land at that time.
It’s the old story: We cannot understand the biblical play if we don’t understand the stage on which the play is performed.
So in this podcast, I’ll take you on a fascinating tour of the stage.
As Bible translator Saint Jerome famously said, “The land is the fifth gospel.” So, what do we know about this portion of land of Lydda and Sharon?
First off, when understanding this city within this region, we have to consider one of the most frequently asked questions followers of God have ever asked:
How much like the world can God’s people be and still be a committed Christ-follower?
Another way to ask this question, as would a traditional rabbi is: Who is winning the Shephelah?
The Shephelah is the stretch of land known as Palestine, where the Philistines came from dating back before the days of King David. The people there personified paganism, standing steadfast against the Torah and the will of God. This region, the coastal plain, was the region of Sharon.
And the buffering, hilly area between Israel and Sharon was the Shephelah.
And, according to the Talmud, there is one singular point, one town, where the Shephelah and the coastal plain of Palestine collide: Lydda. Lydda is located at the base of the Shephelah, bordering the coastal plain. It’s also at the crossroads of the trade route between Egypt and Damascus. Additionally, the road to the seaport Joppa (just south of modern day Tel Aviv) and Jerusalem runs right through Lydda, meaning that the town of Lydda lay directly at the “gateway to the world”, as far as the Shephelah and the coastal plain are concerned.
It is today as it was back then.
So, as Peter traveled through Lydda, on his way to spreading the gospel through the coastal plain, and as Scripture tells us, “the whole population of Lydda and Sharon… turned to the Lord” the Christ-followers in Jerusalem were amazed that the power of Christ’s message was so incredible that even the Palestinians, the Philistines, the people beyond the Shephelah, were won over and turned to the Lord!
It is today as it was back then.
So, how does this apply to us today?
It reveals that anywhere where we might see a clash of cultures, we need to ask ourselves: Who is winning the Shephelah? Who is influencing whom?
How much like the world can God’s people be?
This is how the Apostles Paul, John and Peter would answer those questions:
Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. (1 Peter 2:1-3)