The Torah © John Stevenson, 2009
Torah Hebrew: “Law, Instruction” Pentateuch Greek: “Five-Part Book”
Numbers Relates the wilderness wanderings Deuteronomy Gives the Law to a new generation with special emphasis to those entering the land Genesis Traces the origins of God’s people from creation to Egypt Exodus Relates God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and establishing His covenant Leviticus Sets forth the Laws of worship
Genesis The Book of Beginnings
Genesis 1-11 Events Predominant – Creation – Fall – Flood – Tower of Babel Genesis People Predominant – Abraham – Isaac – Jacob – Joseph Race as a wholeFamily of Abraham Over 2000 years250 years
Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was unformed and unfilled, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
UnformedUnfilled Day 1: Light Day 4: Light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) Day 2: Water & sky divided Day 5: Fish & birds to fill water & sky Day 3: Dry land & vegetation Day 6: Land animals & man Day 7: Sabbath Rest
Why are there two separate accounts of creation?
Genesis 1 The heavens and the earth are created in six days. Genesis 2 Creation of the man and woman (no time element mentioned). Man in his cosmic setting Man as central to God’s purpose Panorama of creation as a whole Detailed focus on one aspect of creation Centers on God creating the heavens and the earth Centers on man as the crowning act of God’s creation
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created; God finished His work (1-3) Man created: Formed from dust (4-9) Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created; God finished His work (1-3) Man created: Formed from dust (4-9) Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14) Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the garden (15) Forbidden fruit (16-17)
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.“ (Genesis 2:16-17)
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created; God finished His work (1-3) Man created: Formed from dust (4-9) Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14) Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the garden (15) Forbidden fruit (16-17) Man in need of a helper: not good to be alone (18) Animals in garden are given names (19-20) Woman created: Formed from rib (21-24) Creation complete: Man & woman naked & unashamed in presence of God (25)
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)
What are the results from their actions of taking and eating the forbidden fruit?
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. (Genesis 3:15)
Seed of the WomanSeed of the Serpent Cain & Abel How is the Cain & Abel narrative related to the larger story of Genesis?
And Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, "God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel; for Cain killed him." (Genesis 4:25). Seed of the WomanSeed of the Serpent AbelCain Lamech Literally, “another SEED”
Seed of the WomanSeed of the Serpent Abel & SethCain Lamech Enoch Noah ShemHam AbrahamCanaan
Genesis 11:29-30 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 And Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Genesis 12:1-2 1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
● Ur Haran ● And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew… …and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. (Genesis 12:5).
Genesis 12:7 And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. Literally, “to your Seed”
Genesis 12:7 And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. Lot, the Nephew of Abram Eliezer of Damascus Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.“ (Genesis 15:4).
Genesis 15 & The Covenant Ceremony So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. (Genesis 15:9-10).
Genesis 15 & The Covenant Ceremony And it came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram… (Genesis 15:17-18).
Quest for a Son Lot, the Nephew of Abram Eliezer of Damascus Ishmael Isaac – “Laughter”
Abram called to Faith: Promise of a Seed (12:1-9) Sojourn in Egypt & Denial of Sarai (12:10-20) Lot separates from Abram (13) War on Sodom; Rescue of Lot by Abram (14) Covenant Ceremony; Animal sacrifice (15) Ishmael born (16) Covenant Sign; Circumcision (17) Destruction of Sodom; Rescue of Lot by Angels (18-19) Sojourn in Gerar & Denial of Sarah (20) Ishmael separates from Abram (21) Abraham’s Faith Tested: Blessing of the Seed (22)
Abraham’s Test And Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:14).
Seed of the WomanSeed of the Serpent IshmaelIsaac Abraham JacobEsau Whose Seed are You?
The Jacob Narrative His name: “Heel-grabber” The Birthright. The Blessing. Jacob’s Ladder. Sojourn in Haran.
Haran
The Jacob Narrative His name: “Heel-grabber” The Birthright. The Blessing. Jacob’s Ladder. Sojourn in Haran. The Esau Incident
The Joseph Story A problem of favoritism Deception with garments and a goat Departure from the land Egypt in the days of Joseph Joseph’s Imprisonment Joseph’s Exaltation Israel’s Entrance into Egypt
Genesis 50:20 And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
Exodus - Deuteronomy © John Stevenson, 2009
Begins with all of humanity in view Exodus Begins with all the Israelites in view Eventually focuses on one man―Abraham and his family Eventually focuses on one man―Moses and his family Abraham has two siblings: Nahor & Haran Moses has two siblings: Aaron & Miriam Abraham called to leave and travel to a foreign land Moses forced to leave and travel to a foreign land Genesis
Old Testament EXODUS New Testament CROSS
Exodus Exodus from Egypt: 10 Plagues Giving of the Law: 10 Commandments Building the Tabernacle: 10 Items The Presence of the Lord “I Am”
Egypt The Nile River
Suspicions against Israelites Foreigners Shepherds Goshen Religious differences
The Early Career of Moses Birth & Infancy Education (Acts 7:22) The Decision of Moses (Acts 7:23; Hebrews 11:24-26) Murder (Exodus 2:11-12; Acts 7:25) Flight to Midian
EGYPT MIDIAN
Exodus 7:2-3 “You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7) In what ways does Jesus fulfill the idea of the Passover?
Exodus 13:18 Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of ~y: “Yam Suph”
EGYPT
Succoth For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’” (Exodus 14:3) ● ●Etham
…he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them (Exodus 14:7)
Exodus 14:21-22 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. 22 The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Exodus 19:5-6 “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.
The Ten Commandments They are singular (“thou” instead of “ye”) They can be divided into two groups –Those directed toward God –Those directed toward men
The first four commandments The last six commandments Deals with men’s relationship with one another. Deals with Israel’s relationship with the Lord. No reasons needed.Reasons given for each command. These laws are common to most of the ancient cultures of that day. Completely unique to this constitution. No other society in the ancient world had similar laws.
The Ten Commandments They are singular (“thou” instead of “ye”) They can be divided into two groups –Those directed toward God –Those directed toward men The Stipulations that follow serve as further interpretation of the Ten Commandments
Tabernacle built and God enters (35-40) Covenant Laws & Commands (19-24) Commands for building the Tabernacle (25-31) Israel rebels (14-18) Israel rebels (32-34) God meets Moses, then Israel exits from Egypt (1-13)
The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34)
Outline of Leviticus Laws of the Offerings (1-7) Laws of the Priests (8-10) Laws of the Holiness (11-15) Day of Atonement (16) Laws of the Holiness (17-20) Laws of the Priests (21-22) Appointed Times (23-25) Penalties and Vows (26-27)
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments… (26:3) I will give you rain The land will yield its produce The trees of the field will bear fruit You will eat your food to the full I will grant you peace You will chase your enemies I will make you fruitful and multiply you I will dwell with you
If you do not obey Me and carry out all these commandments… (26:14) I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever You shall sow your seed uselessly You shall be struck down before your enemies Those who hate you shall rule over you You shall flee when no one is pursuing
If, after these things, you do not obey me… (26:18) I will punish you seven times more I will break down your pride of power Your strength will be spent uselessly Your land will not produce its produce The trees of the land will not yield their fruit
If, then you act with hostility toward Me and are not willing… (26:21) I will increase the plague seven times I will let loose among you the beast of the field They shall bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle
If, by these things you are not turned to Me… (26:23) I will strike you seven times I will bring upon you a sword I will strike you with a pestilence Your bread shall be rationed
If, in spite of this, you do not obey Me… (26:27) I will punish you seven times more You shall eat the flesh of your sons and daughters I will cut down your high places I will lay waste your cities I will make the land desolate I will scatter you among the nations and you will perish among the nations
If they confess their iniquity or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled... (26:40-41) I will remember My covenant I will remember the land I will not reject them to destroy them I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors
Mount Sinai Preparation for the Journey From Sinai to Kadesh Kadesh to Moab The Plains of Moab 1:1 10:1010:11 14:4515:1 21:4122:1 36:13 The Test Wilderness Wanderings End of the Journey The Old Generation The New Generation Several Weeks Several Months 38 Years Mount SinaiMount NeboMount Hor
EGYPT Kadesh Barnea EDOM MOAB
Reuben Gad Mannaseh
Deuteronomy & the Suzerain Treaties The Preamble The Historical Prologue The Stipulations Deposit and Reading of the Covenant Witnesses Curses & Blessings
Deuteronomy 18:15-16 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. 16 This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.”
Deuteronomy 18:18-19 I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.
Deuteronomy 34:10-12 Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.