As a lifelong student of Scripture, Kathie Lee Gifford (@KathieLGifford) has always desired a deeper understanding of God’s Word and a deeper knowledge of God himself. But it wasn’t until she began studying the biblical texts in their original Hebrew and Greek—along with actually hiking the ancient paths of Israel—that she found the fulfillment of those desires.

In her book The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of the Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began (Thomas Nelson, 2018), you’ll be able to walk with Kathie Lee on a journey through the spiritual foundations of her faith:

• The Rock (Jesus Christ): Hear directly from Kathie about her life-changing and ever-deepening connection with Jesus, the Lover of her soul.
• The Road (Israel): Explore dozens of ancient landmarks and historical sites from Israel, the promised land of God’s covenant.
• The Rabbi (God’s Word): Go beyond a “Sunday school” approach to the Bible by digging into the original languages and deeper meanings of the Holy Scriptures.

You’ll also find additional content from Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel throughout the book. Jason’s insight into the Hebrew language, culture, and heritage will open your eyes to the Bible like never before. To begin your journey toward a deeper faith through The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi, read this excerpt (and click here to get an exclusive sneak peek of the “Bethlehem” chapter from Kathie Lee’s new book):

Bethlehem
Church of the Nativity

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.
—Micah 5:2 (NIV)

I was deeply disturbed when our tour group visited modern-day Bethlehem. Scripture tells us Bethlehem was the birthplace of Jesus, the Messiah, prophesied in Micah 5:2 sometime between 750 BC and 686 BC (700 years before Jesus’ birth): “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Today, the city of Bethlehem is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, and it feels—as my daughter, Cassidy, described it—“darkly oppressive.” There are military checkpoints as you enter and exit. It hardly feels joyful or anything like the way the shepherds would have experienced it two millennia ago, as a place of great rejoicing at the Savior’s birth.

Come . . . to Bethlehem!

The Significance of Bethlehem

Shortly after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds guarding their sheep at night and announced to them, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). And the sign given to them was that they would find “a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (v. 12). Of all the possible signs that could have been given to these shepherds, why did the Lord choose a baby lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes? Why was this so significant?

To answer this question, we need to dig deeper and explore the Jewish context in which the New Testament was written. Good students of the Bible are like detectives who ask lots of questions of the text. The first questions we need to ask is: Who are these shepherds? Is there anything unique about them?

Click here to get an exclusive sneak peek of the “Bethlehem” chapter from Kathie Lee’s new book, The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi.

Kathie Lee Gifford is the three-time Emmy-winning cohost of the fourth hour of TODAY, alongside Hoda Kotb. The Gifford-Kotb hour has been hailed as “appointment television” by Entertainment Weekly, and “TODAY’s happy hour” by USA TODAY. Gifford has authored three New York Times bestselling books, including Just When I Thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg and I Can’t Believe I Said That.

Rabbi Jason Sobel is a thought leader, spiritual guide, and Jewish follower of Yeshua (Jesus). He is cofounder of Fusion with Rabbi Jason, a ministry dedicated to sharing teachings and resources that reconnect ancient Jewish wisdom with the teachings of the New Testament. Learn more at www.rabbisobel.com.

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