March 18, 2018

The Pentateuch

The Pentateuch Name for the first 5 books of the Bible. The Pentateuch (Greek pentateuchos, five-volume book) The Law The Torah 

Moses Author – Moses The Bible attributes the authorship of the Pentateuch to Moses in both the Old and New Testaments. Today evangelicals affirm “fundamental Mosaic authorship”.

Moses Exodus 17:14 - The Lord then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.” Num. 33:2 - At the Lord’s command, Moses wrote down the starting points for the stages of their journey; these are the stages listed by their starting points: 2 Chronicles 34:14 - When they brought out the silver that had been deposited in the Lord’s temple, the priest Hilkiah found the book of the law of the Lord written by the hand of Moses.

Moses Joshua 23:6 “Be very strong and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you do not turn from it to the right or left

Moses Luke 24 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them …the Scriptures. 44 everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled. John 5:46-47: For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe my words?”

Moses 2 Kings 14:6 Matthew 19:8 2 Chronicles 25:4 Matthew 22:24 Acts 3:22 Ezra 6:18 Acts 15:21; 26:22 Nehemiah 8:1 Rom. 10:5, 19 Nehemiah 13:1 2 Cor. 3:14-15 Luke 24:25-27; 44 Matthew 8:4

Did Moses use sources?

Moses Many cultures in the ANE had stories that interpreted creation, a flood, the development of civilization, etc. The Code of Hammurabi was an ANE code of law that resembles the Book of the Covenant in Ex. 20:22 – 23:19. Textual critics, beginning in the 1600’s with the philosopher Spinoza tried to identify other sources and/or the historical development of the OT.

the “documentary hypothesis” Four ‘sources’ J - typically referred to God as Jehovah E - typically referred to God as Elohim D – identified mostly in Deuteronomy, Legislates monotheism P – the priestly source - Assumes monotheism

Sources Genesis Sources/ Oral tradition MOSES + Inspiration = Written text Preservation Inspired Editing Post-Mosaica Genesis Witness/ Experience

Genesis “The Pentateuch was not written as modern books are. It is a collection and arrangement of ancient written sources, many of which appear to have been fragmentary and already old by the time of Moses. Indeed, Moses may have had to translate some of them into Hebrew. The Pentateuch represents a literary strategy in which the author strives to teach a theological message…” - The Meaning of the Pentateuch, John H. Sailhamer, pg. 28.

Meaning - Purpose Which comes first? What was Moses trying to say? The purpose of the Pentateuch as a whole is to teach Israel the life of faith.

Meaning - Purpose Moses wrote the book of Genesis to teach Israel God’s plan and purpose for them as a nation. This includes highlighting that leaving Egypt and possessing Canaan was God’s design for Israel. Exodus was written to affirm the divine authority of Moses’ leadership and the divine origins of covenant law and worship regulations.  Moses wrote Leviticus to show Israel how to be holy and live separate from the world so that they would inherit blessings and not curses from their God. Numbers was written to call the second generation to arms as God’s holy army. By avoiding the unbelief of the first generation, this younger generation could achieve success and conquest of the Land. Deuteronomy was a written to encourage the nation in covenant renewal and faithfulness under the leadership of Joshua.

Narrative Structure Moses arranged the material in the Pentateuch chronologically. Creation Fall Flood Abraham in the Land Moses farewell and death outside the Land

Narrative Structure John Sailhamer notes that within the Pentateuch we see the repetition of several themes: Human failure Divine grace (blessing) Faith Law Covenant

Sin & Human Failure The Pentateuch addresses not just the failure of the patriarchs, but also the failure of all generations to keep the covenant Sailhamer writes, “The Pentateuch was written to Israel at a later time, certainly only after Israel’s failures that it records. It was given to tell Israel that the Sinai covenant had failed. As the prophet Hosea saw, the Pentateuch is primarily not about a wedding, but a divorce.”

Divine grace (blessing) God promises blessings to His people (the seed of Abraham) but requires them to keep the law with an obedience that is motivated by love. God’s pledge to the patriarchs is grounded in a call to faith. Gen. 1:28-30 Gen. 2:15-17 Gen. 12:1-3 Gen. 22:18 Gen. 27:29 Num. 24:7-9

Faith Faith is a central theme in the Pentateuch and is required by God. Gen. 15:6  Exodus 4:31 - The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention to them and that he had seen their misery, they knelt low and worshiped. Exodus 14:31 - When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses. Exodus 19:9 - The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always believe you.” Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord, Deuteronomy 9:23 - When the Lord sent you from Kadesh-barnea, he said, ‘Go up and possess the land I have given you’; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You did not believe or obey him.

Covenant of Redemption Law Covenant of Redemption Covenant of Works Covenant of Grace

Law Are Christians subject to the law? Gal. 6:2 - Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. John 15:12 - This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.

Three uses of law (1) Civil Use: The law restrains evil through punishment and promotes righteousness. Though the law cannot change the heart (you can’t legislate morality), it can inhibit sin by threats of judgment and punishment. (2) Pedagogical Use: The law is to convict us of sin. It reveals the perfect righteousness of God and our own inability to keep the law. It becomes our tutor and schoolmaster, leading us to the Savior. (3) Moral or Normative Use: The moral standards of the law provide guidance for believers and a rule of life. The whole law expresses God's character and our duties to Him as Lord.

The Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter XIX Of the Law of God I. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which He bound him and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience, promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it. II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man. III. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament. IV. To them also, as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging under any now, further than the general equity thereof may require.

The Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter XIX V. The moral law does forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof;  and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it. Neither does Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation. VI. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin: and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof: although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works. So as, a man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourages to the one and deters from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law: and not under grace. VII. Neither are the fore mentioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.

Is the Law Temporary? Heb. 8:13 - By saying a new covenant, he has declared that the first is obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old is about to pass away.   If the Sinai covenant and Mosaic law were temporary, was the Pentateuch?

Law Sailhamer gives four reasons for the law The laws are part of the narrative technique. The laws are a sign of Israel’s failure. The laws show why God gave Israel the law. The laws are a collection of “just” decisions.

Law & Justice Sailhamer writes, The laws do not say what should we do in cases like this but rather, “What did God think about specific cases like these and how, or what, can we learn about justice from him?”

Covenant “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Ge. 17:7 God administers His kingdom through covenant which was not a future event, but a present reality in the life of the parties. As such it required present commitments and was a promise about the present and not about the future. The covenant also was a promise to bring about the kingdom.

Covenantal Significance Creation Fall Flood Abraham in the Land Moses farewell and death outside the Land Human failure Divine grace (blessing) Faith Law Covenant

REFERENCES How to Read Genesis, Tremper Longman III The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation, John H. Sailhamer An Introduction to the Old Testament: Second Edition, Longman and Dillard He Gave Us Stories: The Bible Student's Guide to Interpreting Old Testament Narratives, Richard L. Pratt Jr. Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible, Richard Pratt Jr. General Editor An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach, Waltke and Yu Lectures on the Pentateuch, Rev. Michael J. Glodo How to Read Exodus, Tremper Longman III