hebrew4christians is definitely becoming more of a thing! What do I mean by that? People who follow the Christian faith are cognisant that the Christian religion would not exist if not for Judaism. There are so many connections between the two religions, and Hebrew is one of them.
Addressing the elephant in the room
Before I continue discussing hebrew4christians, I want to address the elephant in the room. Yes, I am addressing the spelling of hebrew4christians. Whilst it is not grammatically correct, it is how many people write these days. Grammar seems to have flown out the window.
Somehow, with the introduction of social media and texting, people like to abbreviate certain words. A prime example is substituting ‘for’ with ‘4’. Furthermore, capital letters no longer seem to be a priority when texting or writing on social media. Whilst I do not like it, I need to embrace it!
hebrew4christians – connecting Judaism and Christianity
Many people do not realise how closely interconnected Christianity is to Judaism. Let us have a look at the Jewish festival of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) and the Christian festival of Easter. According to historians, the Last Supper, Jesus’s final meal, was, in fact, the Passover Seder.
While Judaism follows the Hebrew calendar (also known as the Lunar calendar) and Christians follow the Liturgical calendar, Passover and Easter always fall around the same time; they are usually within a few days of each other. Interestingly, in 2024, they are three weeks apart—the first time in my lifetime!
The symbolism associated with Easter
I did not realise that the symbolism associated with Easter is directly connected to Passover. One example is the sacrifice of the paschal lamb; the Israelites used the blood of the lamb to mark their doorposts so the Angel of Death would pass over them and protect them from the Angel of Death.
According to Christianity, the blood of the lamb saved the Israelites from physical death; Christians believe that their Lord Jesus, who died by sacrificial death, brings about redemption spiritually and eternal life for humanity. There are other symbolic connections. However, I will not delve into them now.
Christians wanting to learn Hebrew
In light of the connection between Christianity and Judaism, many Christians start learning Hebrew. Some of the Christian holy texts include texts from the Old Testament (the Torah, Prophets, and Writings), and all of these texts are written in Hebrew!
Whilst some people want to learn Hebrew grammar, many just want to learn the Hebrew alphabet. For some Christians, being able to recognise and ultimately read, learning to recognise and read Hebrew letters is the first step in the journey of reading Hebrew texts.
Learning to read Hebrew at a Christian Bible college
Some Christian Bible colleges offer Hebrew reading courses for their students. Some bring in external trainers to teach the students how to read Hebrew. Before the COVID-19 virus came along, I used to go to a local Bible college and teach the students how to read Hebrew.
One memorable class I had was when the students mastered the skill of reading and started reading texts from the Torah. We were reading the prayer from the Torah, the book of Deuteronomy. We were reading the Sh’ma and the V’ahavta.
Suddenly, one of the students called out to his classmates. “I recognise this text; it’s from Deuteronomy chapter 5! I almost fell off my chair. I have taught many people to read this prayer, but no one knew where it came from. That is when I realised how important the Torah is to the Christian community.
Reading one Hebrew word
I will never forget the expressions on the students’ faces (the same students at the Christian Bible college!) when they read their first Hebrew word. It was as if all the texts that they had learnt about were finally coming to life. Like all the pieces in the puzzle were finally falling into place.
Whilst Christians do not believe that Hebrew is God’s language, they do believe it is a sacred language. It is considered sacred as many of the holy texts are written in Hebrew. Hence, this is the reason why so many Christians want to learn to read Hebrew.
How to start learning Hebrew!
The best place to find a course is online. There are many courses that teach people to learn to read Hebrew; one such course is Easy Learn Hebrew. This course can be completed in a matter of weeks, depending, of course, on the learner’s motivation.
Once you have learned to read Hebrew, it is up to you how far you want to take your learning. Some people who want to visit Israel for a visit may want to learn some basic Hebrew phrases, which, by the way, are also available through Easy Learn Hebrew.
If you want to learn Hebrew grammar, then it is best to learn to read Hebrew first (using Easy Learn Hebrew) and then find a course that focuses on Hebrew grammar to help take you to the next level.
Staying focused
It is easy to say, “I want to learn Hebrew,” but make sure that you are very specific in what you want to achieve. Many adults are time-poor. Many have bills to pay and have to work full-time or part-time. Some of you may have children, which, whilst fun and rewarding, are also time-consuming!
Whatever your situation in life, make sure that you know exactly what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it. Keeping your goals at the forefront of your mind will help you stay focused.
