Dr. Bob Stallman is offering a three part seminar on the Hebrew language. Read his own words below about why this is of particular interest to Christians. You are registering for part one. Additional events will be created to sign-up for parts 2 and 3. Contact Robin for additional information.

Why language and why Hebrew?

Jesus grew up in the land we know today as Israel, living and teaching mostly in the northern region known as the Galilee, particularly on the northern and western sides of the large lake that dominates the landscape. As a literate Jew who knew his Bible and who conducted business in this Roman-controlled area, Jesus would have been able to speak in Greek and Aramaic in addition to Hebrew which was not only the language of his holy texts but also a living language during this period.

Without question, the broad outlines of his teachings and the stories about him are available through faithful translations so that anybody can understand and hopefully respond to the message of salvation for eternal life. One of his disciples, Peter, rightly said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

Even though we may with authenticity “hear” and “do” what Jesus taught without hearing a recording of his voice, there is a haunting particularity in the way Jesus has put the matter. Going further, he said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

If you have ever wondered about the sound and shape of these words or had an inkling inside that just maybe, hearing these words would help you to know and love Jesus better, then you are moving closer to taking that first step into the Hebrew language.

As to its essence, language is a hearing and speaking phenomenon. Literacy is the acquired skill of reading and writing but it is secondary to linguistic ability that enables us to live and communicate with one another.

The Apostle John wrote, “We love because he first loved us.” In like manner, we speak because we have been first spoken to. As infants and before we could imagine the existence of another person, somebody cared enough about us to fill our ears with words of love and belonging.

In the ancient world, people constructed visual images and physical likenesses through which they aspired to communicate with the gods. In the life of God’s people as we know through Scripture, however, it is not the eye but rather the ear that is primary. Moses said that at Mount Sinai the people saw no form on the day the Lord their God spoke to them out of the midst of the fire. Indeed, the essential command that supports even the command to love the Lord with all of one’s heart, soul, and strength is “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God — the Lord is one.”

Together, we will begin here, opening our ears so that we may hear and so that we may respond.