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Day 2: What is the Pentateuch?
Prayer
O Lord, my life is but a breath. There is much to be done, and there is little time to do it. Beyond this, my sin is a constant hinderance to my spiritual growth. O Lord, please deliver me from temptations and the devil’s power, and help me to grow mighty in your word. Fill me with your wisdom, and give me understanding I pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reading
Genesis 1 -2:3 & Luke 24.
Meditation
What is the Pentateuch? Let’s begin by laying some groundwork – here are five elementary principles on the Pentateuch that will set us up well for our initial quest into the Book of Moses. The first and most obvious thing to say about the Pentateuch is simply this: the Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible. That’s about as basic as it gets! Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Bible recognises these fives books as one single work of literature penned by Moses. For example, in Joshua 1:8 it is simply called: “the Book of the Law”; in 1 Kings 2:3 it’s called “the Law of Moses”; in Ezra 6:18 it’s called “the Book of Moses”; and our Lord himself refers to these books collectively as a singular work in Luke 16:29 and Luke 24:27. It’s like “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R.Tolkien, it’s divided into three volumes, but at the end of the day it’s a singular work. The Pentateuch is five volumes, but fundamentally consists of one unified work of literature.
The second thing to say about the Pentateuch is that it is the foundation of the Bible. If the Bible was a house, then the Pentateuch would be the foundation of the house, and without that foundation, the whole thing would collapse. Let me give you an example of what this looks like in practice. In Genesis 1:1 we read: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Now, imagine the implications for the Bible – and for our lives – if that doctrine wasn’t there? What if God didn’t create the heavens and the earth? Straight away the Christian faith is thrown into absolute chaos isn’t it? You’d say: “Jesus is the Son of God” – and immediately you have to ask: “Well, who is God? What’s he got to do with our lives?” With Genesis 1:1 you can respond immediately: “Well, God is the one who made us – that’s who he is!” This kind of principle holds true for the whole Pentateuch, all of the major doctrines of our faith are built upon what’s revealed in the Pentateuch, and you can find them there in seed-form.
The third observation we should make about the Pentateuch is that the pentateuch is a historical narrative. That’s it’s genre. That’s the kind of writing that it is. This is important to keep in mind because as we read any work of literature, our expectation and ability to read it are shaped by our expectations based on the genre. You don’t read a joke book the way you’d read a newspaper, nor do you read a psalm the way you’d read an epistle. Now, what does it mean to say that the Pentateuch is historical narrative? Well, first it means that it’s historical. That is to say, it’s historically true. Moses was not a made up character, for example, he existed – as did Adam and Eve. But secondly, this also means that it’s a narrative. Now this is also very important – the Pentateuch isn’t just history it’s historical narrative. Many modern history text books are often a boring, academic, collection of facts. Not so the Pentateuch. It is historical, but it’s also penned in the form of a story. It’s been deliberately constructed as a narrative and thus uses literary and narrative devices. These devices include: character, plot, and setting; the narrative also focuses on themes, and uses symbolism and metaphor. The Pentateuch is not a boring university historical text book, it is a carefully constructed, and beautifully designed work of narrative literature.
Here’s the fourth thing I want to say in our introduction to the Pentateuch: the Pentateuch is the story of Israel’s beginnings. As you read through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy – it’s very clear: this story is about God’s relationship to, and work through, the nation of Israel. Stories are always about something, and this story is about Israel’s beginnings. Now let me just pause here and also say that this insight also gives us the key to the Christ-centred nature of the Pentateuch. As we know, all of scripture is about Christ, speaks of Christ, and is a message from God to reveal Christ. Thus in Luke 24:27, on the road to Emmaus, the Lord Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets” interpreted for two of his disciples all the things concerning himself. This book of Moses is thus about Christ, and here we see perhaps the primary way in which that is true – for Christ is the true and better Israel, as someone once expressed it. He is the end and fulfillment of all things concerning Israel. He is both seed of the woman (Gen 3:15; 1 Jn 3:8) and the seed of Abraham (Gen 17:1-8; Gal 3:16). We could multiply many more such links, and we will during the course of the study, but for now it’s enough to say that Christ is the end and fulfillment of Israel, and thus the Pentateuch as a story about Israel is more fundamentally a story about Christ.
Fifth, and finally, the Pentateuch is about God. This book is a historical narrative about Israel’s beginnings, but even more fundamentally it’s about God. This is true in the sense that is Christ-focused, for Christ is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, but it’s also true in the sense that there is an overt and explicit theological orientation in the Pentateuch. If I can put it this way, God himself is the main character in the narrative. All other characters come and go, but he remains – enduring and working in and through all. All the other characters depend on him, look to him, are guided by him, and – if they are antagonistic – are ultimately brought into submission to him. God is the hero of this story, so to speak. The Pentateuch is a book all about what God is doing and accomplishing. He’s the one who formed Israel, and bound them to himself by covenant, this is a book about God.
Be ye doers of the word...
Each one of the five characteristics listed above has a parallel application. Overall, we are seeking to become more skilled readers of the word. That’s your application for today! Seek to become a more skilled reader of God’s word. Here are the five specific ways I’d like to help you to do that:
One – start to see the Pentateuch as one work of literature. There is a fundamental connection between Genesis and Leviticus. In the long run, I hope for us to continue these devotional studies right through the Pentateuch. Start opening your mind to the fact that there will be connections across these books. If you’re game, get a copy of Michael Morales’ work “Who shall ascend the Mountain of the Lord?”. It is a challenging book, but it will open up the Pentateuch in ways you never imagined.
Two – begin to recognise the importance of the Pentateuch. It is foundational even to understanding the gospel itself. In John 1:17 John records that the law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John doesn’t compare “grace and truth” to the psalms, wisdom literature, or the prophetic writings. He makes the comparison between Moses and Christ. If you’ve neglected to invest yourself in understanding the Book of Moses, you have a lot of work to do (I hope to help you!).
Three – begin learning to look for and read the beauties of Hebrew narrative literature. It doesn’t follow the literary conventions of English prose, it has a whole suite of its own patterns, but they are beautiful. I hope to explore and open these in the course of our studies, be aware of them. Character, plot, symbolism, repetition, these are all literary devices that Moses employs.
Four – learn to seek Christ in the Pentateuch. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus began with Moses and opened up all things concerning himself. As you study the Pentateuch, you are supremely coming to meet with and behold the Lord Jesus.
Fifth – expect your theology to be bolstered mightily as you read and study the Pentateuch. Always be asking and considering what God is doing in any given passage, and what is being revealed about him. As my old lecturer used to say, he’s the hero of every story.
So, there we have it, that’s an introduction to the Pentateuch. We need to keep these things in mind as we go through these books, and as we’ll see, they will come up for us again and again. SDG.
Prayer of Confession & Consecration
Lord I thank you for your word, I ask that you would forgive me for my neglect of it. Please help me to treasure your word in my heart, and as I study the Pentateuch, please help me to become mightily skilled in your word. Please help me to see your glory revealed in the beauty of your Son, the Lord Jesus. Amen.
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By Reformed devotions from all of scripture.Prayer
O Lord, my life is but a breath. There is much to be done, and there is little time to do it. Beyond this, my sin is a constant hinderance to my spiritual growth. O Lord, please deliver me from temptations and the devil’s power, and help me to grow mighty in your word. Fill me with your wisdom, and give me understanding I pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reading
Genesis 1 -2:3 & Luke 24.
Meditation
What is the Pentateuch? Let’s begin by laying some groundwork – here are five elementary principles on the Pentateuch that will set us up well for our initial quest into the Book of Moses. The first and most obvious thing to say about the Pentateuch is simply this: the Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible. That’s about as basic as it gets! Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Bible recognises these fives books as one single work of literature penned by Moses. For example, in Joshua 1:8 it is simply called: “the Book of the Law”; in 1 Kings 2:3 it’s called “the Law of Moses”; in Ezra 6:18 it’s called “the Book of Moses”; and our Lord himself refers to these books collectively as a singular work in Luke 16:29 and Luke 24:27. It’s like “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R.Tolkien, it’s divided into three volumes, but at the end of the day it’s a singular work. The Pentateuch is five volumes, but fundamentally consists of one unified work of literature.
The second thing to say about the Pentateuch is that it is the foundation of the Bible. If the Bible was a house, then the Pentateuch would be the foundation of the house, and without that foundation, the whole thing would collapse. Let me give you an example of what this looks like in practice. In Genesis 1:1 we read: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Now, imagine the implications for the Bible – and for our lives – if that doctrine wasn’t there? What if God didn’t create the heavens and the earth? Straight away the Christian faith is thrown into absolute chaos isn’t it? You’d say: “Jesus is the Son of God” – and immediately you have to ask: “Well, who is God? What’s he got to do with our lives?” With Genesis 1:1 you can respond immediately: “Well, God is the one who made us – that’s who he is!” This kind of principle holds true for the whole Pentateuch, all of the major doctrines of our faith are built upon what’s revealed in the Pentateuch, and you can find them there in seed-form.
The third observation we should make about the Pentateuch is that the pentateuch is a historical narrative. That’s it’s genre. That’s the kind of writing that it is. This is important to keep in mind because as we read any work of literature, our expectation and ability to read it are shaped by our expectations based on the genre. You don’t read a joke book the way you’d read a newspaper, nor do you read a psalm the way you’d read an epistle. Now, what does it mean to say that the Pentateuch is historical narrative? Well, first it means that it’s historical. That is to say, it’s historically true. Moses was not a made up character, for example, he existed – as did Adam and Eve. But secondly, this also means that it’s a narrative. Now this is also very important – the Pentateuch isn’t just history it’s historical narrative. Many modern history text books are often a boring, academic, collection of facts. Not so the Pentateuch. It is historical, but it’s also penned in the form of a story. It’s been deliberately constructed as a narrative and thus uses literary and narrative devices. These devices include: character, plot, and setting; the narrative also focuses on themes, and uses symbolism and metaphor. The Pentateuch is not a boring university historical text book, it is a carefully constructed, and beautifully designed work of narrative literature.
Here’s the fourth thing I want to say in our introduction to the Pentateuch: the Pentateuch is the story of Israel’s beginnings. As you read through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy – it’s very clear: this story is about God’s relationship to, and work through, the nation of Israel. Stories are always about something, and this story is about Israel’s beginnings. Now let me just pause here and also say that this insight also gives us the key to the Christ-centred nature of the Pentateuch. As we know, all of scripture is about Christ, speaks of Christ, and is a message from God to reveal Christ. Thus in Luke 24:27, on the road to Emmaus, the Lord Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets” interpreted for two of his disciples all the things concerning himself. This book of Moses is thus about Christ, and here we see perhaps the primary way in which that is true – for Christ is the true and better Israel, as someone once expressed it. He is the end and fulfillment of all things concerning Israel. He is both seed of the woman (Gen 3:15; 1 Jn 3:8) and the seed of Abraham (Gen 17:1-8; Gal 3:16). We could multiply many more such links, and we will during the course of the study, but for now it’s enough to say that Christ is the end and fulfillment of Israel, and thus the Pentateuch as a story about Israel is more fundamentally a story about Christ.
Fifth, and finally, the Pentateuch is about God. This book is a historical narrative about Israel’s beginnings, but even more fundamentally it’s about God. This is true in the sense that is Christ-focused, for Christ is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, but it’s also true in the sense that there is an overt and explicit theological orientation in the Pentateuch. If I can put it this way, God himself is the main character in the narrative. All other characters come and go, but he remains – enduring and working in and through all. All the other characters depend on him, look to him, are guided by him, and – if they are antagonistic – are ultimately brought into submission to him. God is the hero of this story, so to speak. The Pentateuch is a book all about what God is doing and accomplishing. He’s the one who formed Israel, and bound them to himself by covenant, this is a book about God.
Be ye doers of the word...
Each one of the five characteristics listed above has a parallel application. Overall, we are seeking to become more skilled readers of the word. That’s your application for today! Seek to become a more skilled reader of God’s word. Here are the five specific ways I’d like to help you to do that:
One – start to see the Pentateuch as one work of literature. There is a fundamental connection between Genesis and Leviticus. In the long run, I hope for us to continue these devotional studies right through the Pentateuch. Start opening your mind to the fact that there will be connections across these books. If you’re game, get a copy of Michael Morales’ work “Who shall ascend the Mountain of the Lord?”. It is a challenging book, but it will open up the Pentateuch in ways you never imagined.
Two – begin to recognise the importance of the Pentateuch. It is foundational even to understanding the gospel itself. In John 1:17 John records that the law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John doesn’t compare “grace and truth” to the psalms, wisdom literature, or the prophetic writings. He makes the comparison between Moses and Christ. If you’ve neglected to invest yourself in understanding the Book of Moses, you have a lot of work to do (I hope to help you!).
Three – begin learning to look for and read the beauties of Hebrew narrative literature. It doesn’t follow the literary conventions of English prose, it has a whole suite of its own patterns, but they are beautiful. I hope to explore and open these in the course of our studies, be aware of them. Character, plot, symbolism, repetition, these are all literary devices that Moses employs.
Four – learn to seek Christ in the Pentateuch. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus began with Moses and opened up all things concerning himself. As you study the Pentateuch, you are supremely coming to meet with and behold the Lord Jesus.
Fifth – expect your theology to be bolstered mightily as you read and study the Pentateuch. Always be asking and considering what God is doing in any given passage, and what is being revealed about him. As my old lecturer used to say, he’s the hero of every story.
So, there we have it, that’s an introduction to the Pentateuch. We need to keep these things in mind as we go through these books, and as we’ll see, they will come up for us again and again. SDG.
Prayer of Confession & Consecration
Lord I thank you for your word, I ask that you would forgive me for my neglect of it. Please help me to treasure your word in my heart, and as I study the Pentateuch, please help me to become mightily skilled in your word. Please help me to see your glory revealed in the beauty of your Son, the Lord Jesus. Amen.
Get full access to Old things New. at rcbhpastor.substack.com/subscribe