PENTATEUCH/TORAH

- five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

- records 2700 years of world history
- concludes with the death of Moses
- From the Hebrew word yarah which means Literally Law
- Instruction
- Seeking to persuade its readers to obey (Deuteronomy 4:40)

Genesis bereshit In the beginning

Major Divisions (Wenham)
1. Genesis 1-2:3
2. Genesis 2:4-11:26 Primeval History or Origin of the World
3. Genesis 11:27-50:26 Patriarchal History or Origin of Israel
Internal Titles: These are the generations


A. PRIMEVAL HISTORY
(Genesis 1-11)
C_____________ (Genesis 1-2)
C_____________ (Genesis 3-6)
C_____________ (Genesis 6-9)
C_____________ (Genesis 10-11)

Creation (Genesis 1-2)

Day 1 Day 4
Day 2 Day 5
Day 3 Day 6
- Eden delight
- Nakedness as a state of holy vulnerability
- Harmonious relationship between humans and God, man and a woman, human and world.

Corruption (Genesis 3-6)

Four Fold Grace upon Sinners:
1. It was God who first sought Adam. (Genesis 3:9)
2. God promised a Savior (Genesis 3:15)
3. God was the one who provided clothing for them. (Genesis 3:21)
4. God removed them from the Garden of Eden.
Five Fold Curses:
1. Man wearisome toil
2. Woman suffering in childbirth, subordination to man
3. Nature thorns and thisles, aimlessness
4. Serpent crawling upon its belly
5. Satan- to suffer a fatal head wound (protoevangelion)

Condemnation (Genesis 6-9)

Prior to the Flood:
1. Population explosion.
2. Outpouring of satanic activity (Gen 6:2)
3. Depraved humanity. (Gen 6:5, 11)

Condemnation (Genesis 6-9)

The Creator deserves the right to destroy His creation. Condemnation of the old
World, Salvation through Noah

Confusion (Genesis 10-11)

- Babel, The Gateway to God according to Babylonian ideology
- Confusion and Folly according to Genesis
- A sense of power owing to technology and progress.
- But Genesis debunks this confidence Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower
which they had built.

PATRIARCHAL HISTORY (Genesis 12-50)

Genesis 12:1-3 - Now the LORD said[1] to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and
your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I
will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who
bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be
blessed

ABRAHAM (Genesis 11:31-Genesis 25:1-6)

Key events:
1. Conversion at Ur (Genesis 11:31, 12:1-4) The Abrahamic covenant
2. Meeting Melchizedek (Genesis 13, 14)
3. Ratification of Covenant (Genesis 15) Blessings are based on Gods faithfulness.
4. The birth of Isaac (Genesis 21), Hagar and Ishmael sent away.

Grace at the beginning of the Bible:

Genesis 15:6 - And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

First mention of worship (Genesis 22) on the offering of Isaac

Genesis 22:5 - Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy [1]
will go over there and worship and come again to you."
NO SONGS. NO MUSIC.
What is present? A sacrifice, altar, fire.

ISAAC (Genesis 22-27)

Submissive son (Genesis 22:1-4)
Gentle groom (Genesis 24:62-67)
Praying parent (Genesis 25:19-26)
Frustrated father (Genesis 27:1-45)

JACOB (Genesis 27- Genesis 35)

A man chosen and destined.
The elect status results in blessing. Regardless of his conduct and ways. Justified by
Grace alone. Yet this elect status also results in trouble and conflict, in particular with those
around him. Social dimension much more present in these narratives.
Center of the Narrative (Genesis 29:31 30:24) - The blessing of sons. Then God
remembered Rachel

JOSEPH (Genesis 37 Genesis 50)

Distinction Purposes of God are at work in hidden and unnoticed ways.
Theological motif of Power bowing down
Gods providence at work decisively through and against human forms of power.
Joseph as model for those in power public power for the public good.

EXODUS
Pick-up point: coffin of Joseph in Egypt (as a family).
Shows human promises and resonance of the covenant.

God Calls and Commissions Moses (2:23-7:7)

Burning Bush symbol for God as both attractive and unapproachable.
Moses commissioned as a Prophet
Excuses of Moses:
1. I have no ability. (Exod 3:11)
2. I have no message.( Exod 3:13)
3. I have no authority. (Exod 4:1)
4. I have no eloquence. (Exod 4:10)
5. I have no inclination. (Exod 4:14)
In this calling, God reveals His covenant name
I am the One who Is
Not dependent upon other than self yet engages and commits.

The Plagues (7:8-11:10)

Enhance recognition of YHWH
Hardened heart of Pharaoh since the start, the heart of Pharoah is evil already. This is to show
that God can use the evils of this world to accomplish His plans.
Warrior God motif and the Election of Israel.

Passover, Exodus and The Crossing of the Red Sea (12:1-15:21)

Motivated by commitment to the Patriarchs
Liberation motif towards being YHWHs servants
Christian perspective Christ

Wilderness (15:22-18:27)
Learning new ways of living.
Manna story: Provision and testing. Dependence and trust in YHWH for daily survival. Sabbath
emphasis.
Sinai (19-24)
10 Commandments: Reflection of who God is. Recreate Israel
Detailed Laws commandments concerns all aspects of life. Everyday outworking and
implications.
Highlight: Exodus 24:9-11

Tabernacle and Priesthood (25-31)

Purpose: Mediate presence of YHWH (Exodus 29:38-46)

Covenant Breaking and Renewal (32-34)

Sin was done while still at the Mountain of God.
Aaron denial (echoes of Adam and Eve)
Moses as Mediator (Exodus 32:10-14, 33:11-20) so the LORD changed His mind
The basis of selection of the tribe of Levi as priests is based on this event.

Tabernacle Established (35-40)

Willingness of the People vs. Forced Labor
Strict Compliance with Regulations echoes Noahs obedience
Quality craftsmanship powered by the Spirit.
YHWH will go with His people.

Purpose of the Tabernacle

- To provide Israel a visible center of worship.
- To preview the work of Christ.
- Six main objects of the tabernacle:
- Bronze altar (Exod 27:1-8, 38:1-7)
- Bronze laver (Exod 30:18, 38:8)
- Table of shewbread (Exod 25:23-30, 37:10-16)
- Lampstand (Exod 25:31-40, 37:17-24)
- Altar of incense (Exod 30:1-10, 37:25-28)
- Ark of the covenant (Exod 25:10-22, 37:1-9)

Gods Presence = Gods Victory for Israel

Exodus 33:14-16 - The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How
will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?
What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

LEVITICUS

RITUALS
Rituals reveal values at their deepest level. (Mary Douglas)
We resort to ritual when we want to express our deepest feelings (Gordon Wenham)
They also express what a group or society values.

Characteristics of Sacrifice
Laying of Hands on the Animal
Animal world mirrors the Human world (cf: categories of clean and unclean animals)
Vicarious substitution for the donor.
Characteristics of Sacrifice

Pleasing Aroma
Soothing and Pacifying
Implication: the sacrifice is seen as turning away wrath and to move God to gracious towards
the humanity (Skinner)
Divine uneasiness quieted by sacrifice.

Make Atonement
A broad idea
Covering / Wiping out / Ransom Price
Consequences:
Sanctifies altars and priests
Cleanses Lepers
Sinners Forgiven
Sin and Uncleanness lead a person from realm of life into the realm of death. Sacrifice stops this
process, indeed it reverses it. It gives life to those doomed to die (Wenham)
Day of Atonement
Elements:
1. Special Sin Offering for the High Priest and for the People. Distinctive: The blood is taken
into the Holy of Holies.
2. Scapegoat Ceremony
3. Fasting ultra-strict Sabbath
Purpose: Cleanse the Tabernacle from the pollution caused by sin and uncleanness. To enable
the LORD to dwell there.
Implications for understanding the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?

Whos Clean?
Ritual purity promotes the life blessed by God
Holiness wholeness and completeness / unity, integrity and perfection
Purity laws ingrain in the peoples minds the wholeness, unity and purity of God
The nexus of these is life (order) and death (disorder)
Death represents absence of God and qodesh. Cannot mix with tumah
clean represents life, health and holiness.

Clean/Unclean symbolize morality

Seen in these ways:
God loathes impurity arising from sin
Idolatry especially pungent pollutant
Illicit sexual relations very defiling
Witchcraft and shedding of blood terribly defiling
Different way doing away

Because of Jesus
Jesus inaugurates a new order which touches every aspect of life, leading to a totally
redeemed life as His resurrection promises.
Jesus broke down dividing line between Jews and Gentiles. Doing away symbolizes great
liberating work of Christ and God purifies the heart by faith thus, all are clean before Him.
No central sanctuary to be guarded from impurity. Spiritual worship.
But clean as a concept continues to represent moral behavior.

NUMBERS
In the Hebrew Bible, it is entitled In the Wilderness.
Numbers 5-6
Cleansing of the Camp
These chapters are concerned with dealing with actual, suspected or potential case of
uncleanness in Israel.
This is a serious matter: failure to preserve the purity of the nation could lead to God
abandoning them and their never reaching the promised land. (Gordon Wenham)
Numbers 6:24-26 Aaronic Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
THE THREE COMPLAINS
Miriam and Aarons complaint is a challenge against Moses.
Moses as intermediary between God and Israel.
Even those closest to Moses are susceptible to sin and judgment.
NATIONAL APOSTASY AGAIN
While the pagan prophet Balaam was pronouncing blessings upon the Israelites, the
people of God whoring after other gods.
This is reminiscent of the Golden Calf incident.
But with one exception: Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, is exemplary in his loyalty to
the LORD. (25:6-9)
SECOND CENSUS
A glimmer of hope amidst judgment
Almost the same number as the 1st census
Purpose of census is to ascertain the size of the tribes so that each will be given an area
appropriate to its size.
Entry to the Promised Land is assumed.

DEUTERONOMY
Literally the second law
 Exposition of the law.
Genre: prophetic, as a rhetoric to the preacher; catechesis, as a process of education in
faith from one generation to another (discipleship)
4 Features of Blessings and Curses List
1. Both blessings and curses display the same interdependence of divine, human and natural
worlds or spheres. (ex. 28:26, 42)
2. Alternation between the agency of God in carrying our the blessings and curses, and an
agency that is more impersonal. (3-6, 7-13, 16-19, 20-29) (Dennis Olson)
3. Remarkable correspondence between the act of disobedience and the punishment that
God imposes. (36, 47-48, 64)
4. Key grammatical shift in the enumeration of curses. (15-44, 45-68)
Blessings and Curses list has transformed from possible consequences into assured future
events. (Dennis Olson)
Death of Moses
Recurring Theme and the Final Scene in the book
A metaphor
Assignment for this course:
Prepare an outline of the life of any of the Genesis patriarch and write at least 1000 word reflection
on his life. Provide adequate cross references for each life stage. Format: TNR, 1.5 spacing, 1 inch margin
all around, size 12. If you cited a website, book, use MLA format. Avoid plagiarism. Prepare for an Open
Bible test to be scheduled.