(01) The Pentateuch: God’s Foundations
Genesis to Deuteronomy: God’s Story, God’s Standard • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:01:31
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Understanding the Old Testament deepens our love for the gospel more than a thousand readings of the New Testament alone.
The 5 divisions of the Old Testament.
The 5 divisions of the Old Testament.
1. Pentateuch/Law
1. Pentateuch/Law
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
Collectively, the first 5 books are called “the Pentateuch” or the“Law of Moses.”
(It’s really God’s law, but God gave it to Moses, who wrote it down.)
The Jews call these five books the Torah, which means “law.”
You will hear this as you study the Old Testament.
2. History
2. History
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
The authors of these twelve books recorded the history of Israel with its rise and fall of kings with a heavy focus on David.
The authors recorded the blessing of obediently following God as well as the results of rejecting Him.
3. Wisdom and Poetry
3. Wisdom and Poetry
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon
David and Solomon are the major authors of these books.
These truths help make us wise and lead us to trust, obey, and worship God.
4. Major Prophets
4. Major Prophets
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel
The prophets authored the last two divisions.
Prophets were God’s special spokesmen.
They acted as preachers of God’s Word,
proclaimers of truth,
predictors of the future, and watchmen over the lives and hearts of Israel.
They warned the people of danger and pointed them to the coming Savior—and were often persecuted and killed for their faithfulness to God.
The five Major Prophets weren’t more important than the twelve Minor Prophets.
They’re major because they wrote longer books.
Isaiah has sixty-six chapters.
Jeremiah has fifty-two.
The prophet Jeremiah also wrote the small book of Lamentations.
It only has five chapters, but since Jeremiah wrote it, it gets to live with the Major Prophets.
5. Minor Prophets
5. Minor Prophets
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
Each warned Israel to follow the Lord,
revealed the consequences of rebelling against Him,
displayed God’s perfect character of holiness and grace
What is the pentateuch and why study it?
What is the pentateuch and why study it?
It refers to the first five books of the Old Testament.
Penta = five.
The Jews refer to them as the Torah.
1. The Pentateuch is where we understand the background of the Jews.
1. The Pentateuch is where we understand the background of the Jews.
2. The Pentateuch is where we begin to see and understand God’s plan of redemption.
2. The Pentateuch is where we begin to see and understand God’s plan of redemption.
It is the first scene or we could call it Act 1 in the Bible’s grand story.
Just like missing the first few minutes of a movie means you are lost for a while.
It disrupts the plot line.
You are always working overtime to understand who the characters are.
Not being familiar with the Pentateuch hinders our ability to understand the Grand story of the Bible.
This also means that the more we learn, the greater splendor the gospel will gain for us!
43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
3. The Pentateuch is The Book of Moses.
3. The Pentateuch is The Book of Moses.
We would say that Moses was the author of these books.
Except for the last Chapter in Deuteronomy.
Chapter 34 records Moses’ death and burial and the handing over of leadership to Joshua.
The book of Moses is seen in scripture:
1 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.
4 But he did not put their children to death, according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “Fathers shall not die because of their children, nor children die because of their fathers, but each one shall die for his own sin.”
How is it referred to in these passages? Singular
Jesus referred to Moses as well…
24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
4. The Pentateuch outlines the first covenants God made with His people.
4. The Pentateuch outlines the first covenants God made with His people.
5. The Pentateuch records the greatest act of redemption int he Old Testament.
5. The Pentateuch records the greatest act of redemption int he Old Testament.
The Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—tells the story of a God who created the world with humanity as its crowning climax, of a people who chose to rebel against their Creator,
and of a God who responded with a promise to rescue his creation.
Since the stories of creation and the fall into sin are told in the first three chapters of Genesis, we can say that the rest of the Bible—from Genesis 3:15 to the end of Revelation—tells the story of God’s rescue of those who rebelled.
The technical term for this rescue is redemption.
If the everyday meaning of redemption in the ancient world involved the rescue of a person out of a situation over which they were powerless, it is fitting that the biblical authors also used this word to describe the way God works for his people.
And the Pentateuch is the first act in the Bible’s drama of redemption.
6. The Pentateuch taught Israel how to live.
6. The Pentateuch taught Israel how to live.
When we think of the laws given, we often think of legalism more than grace.
If we understand the laws in context it was not seen as legalism.
The law arrived in the context of grace.
1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
The instruction that followed was not to win God’s favor.
They given to a people just redeemed from slavery in Egypt
Here is how I want my redeemed people to live.
7. The Pentateuch points us to Christ and the gospel.
7. The Pentateuch points us to Christ and the gospel.
Moses recorded themes that find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ:
Jesus is the prophet greater than Moses,
he is the Word through whom the world was created,
he is the seed of the woman who crushed the serpent’s head (cf. Gen. 3:15), and
his death and resurrection accomplished the ultimate exodus (cf. Luke 9:30).
Jesus is also the fulfillment of the tabernacle, he is the great high priest,
on the cross he offered the ultimate sacrifice that purchased salvation for all who would believe—from Old Testament times, New Testament times.
46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
8. The pentateuch is often referred to as the Torah.
8. The pentateuch is often referred to as the Torah.
The Jews more often refer to it that way.
Hebrew word Torah means instruction.
It directs offering strong virtuous guidance.
These five books do not refer to themselves as the pentateuch or the torah.
They refer to themselves as the Book of Moses
The Torah is considered the inspired Word of God by both Jews and Christians
Key themes of the Pentateuch.
Key themes of the Pentateuch.
Creation – God’s design and authority (Genesis 1–2)
Covenant – God’s promise and relationship with His people (Genesis 12; Exodus 19–20)
Commandment – God’s standards for holy living (Exodus 20; Deut. 5)
Consequence – Blessing for obedience, curse for rebellion (Deut. 28–30)
Christ – The fulfillment of the Law (Matt. 5:17; Gal. 3:24)
The law is God’s standard.
The law is God’s standard.
Though it was given to the Jews we gain much from it as well.
1. The Law reveals God’s character.
1. The Law reveals God’s character.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
2. The Law reveals humanity’s great need.
2. The Law reveals humanity’s great need.
Shows us our sin and drives us to grace.
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
3. The Law points to Christ.
3. The Law points to Christ.
Jesus is the fulfillment, not the abolishment, of the Law.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
