This book aims to give students an introduction to the religious and social world of ancient Israel. It consists of two parts. The first explores the major religious offices mentioned in the Old Testament. In the second part the focus is on the religious beliefs and practices of the "common" people.
Every major teaching of the New Testament has roots deep in the Old Testament. Many Christians have been taught to interpret the Old Testament through the filter of the New. This book instead encourages us to return to our biblical roots, which means to interpret the New Testament through the filter of the Old just as the early apostles had done.
Organized around the general theme of parables, this is a six-session short-term study series. Each chapter focuses on a particular parable, and features the author telling readers what Jesus was saying through the parable, both to listeners of his day and to us in our own lives.