Page 24 - Advanced OT Survey Revised
P. 24
xi
Figure 1.1.2
THE PENTATEUCH
(code of the Jewish Nation)
BOOK OF:
4000+BC GENESIS Beginnings Choosing of Jewish
Nation.
1450 BC EXODUS Miracles/Deliverance Redemption of Jewish
Nation
LEVITICUS Priesthood/ Sacrifices Worship/sanctification
of the Jewish Nation.
NUMBERS Testing/Disobedience Disciplining and
Directing the Jewish
Nation
1406 BC DEUTERONOMY Instruction/promises Teaching of Jewish
Nation
GENESIS
Genesis forms the foundation of history. While the
Bible would be considered the book that has had the
greatest impact on the world, it is really a
compilation of many books and the book of Genesis
is at the foundation of them all.
Author: Genesis was written by Moses, as were all
the first five books of the Torah.
If the book of Genesis were removed from the Bible, the rest of the Bible would be incomprehensible. It
would be like a building with no foundation or a bridge with no support. The books of the Old Testament
chronicle the way that God dealt with the children of Israel. However, without the foundation of
Genesis, God seems capricious, bigoted, and provincial. It is through Genesis that we are able to
contextualize God’s progressive plan of redemption through Israel for all of mankind. In the New
Testament, we see God’s implementation and execution of His redemptive plan for mankind. However,
this plan can only find meaning when grounded in man’s fall and resultant depravity of Genesis. The
need for salvation and ultimately a savior is established and recorded in the primeval history of man in
Genesis.
The word Genesis means “origin”. In it, we find information about the origin of all things. When we
know the origin of something, we can understand the meaning of its existence. Further to understand
where we are going – our future, we must understand where we have come from – our past.
All natural laws exist because the universe has a Creator God who is logical and has imposed order on
xii
His universe (Genesis 1:1).
22