Most of the Bible, both New and Old Testaments was written by Hebrews. That being said, it is important to consider the Hebrew culture and traditional practices at the time of the specific writings, since the Bible was written over several thousand years. Understanding Jewish culture, tradition and practice is very helpful in understanding the Bible in its proper context.
There are a few of basic tennants that we should consider when reading any part of the Bible, New or Old Testaments:
1. The Bible was written by Jews. The Bible, though written primarily in Hebrew, was written by Hebrews in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. These languages were used by Hebrew missionaries to carry the Christian message to the world. But, over time the Hebrew culture, law and traditions were slowly lost as the gospel message (good news about Jesus) spread accross the world.
2. Jesus was a Jew (Hebrew) during a time when Jewish culture, tradition and a strict system of religious law were in place.
3. Jesus practiced the Jewish faith and obeyed Jewish law during his life on earth.
Jesus death on the cross injected grace through faith into that system as many Jews accepted Jesus as their long awaited Messiah and believed in Him for their salvation. There began a centuries long fault line between the Messianic Jews and the Orthodox Jews who rejected Jesus as their Messiah, even to this day.
3.Gentile Believers Began to Dominate Christiandom. Gentile Christians began to separate from their Jewish brothers and sisters and to dominate the advance of Christianity with new ways of practicing the Christian faith. These new ways became common. Jewish tradition, culture and practice where eventually discarded.
4. Today there is a trend in Christianity toward returning to our orignial Hebrew roots. This has been called the Hebrew Roots Movements.
