Page 15 - Old Testament Survey Student Textbook

Study Section 3: The Pentateuch (five books of the law) - Genesis

Connect 3.1
The first book of the law, Genesis will answer questions such as: Where did we come from?
Where did everything we see comes from? Why do we die? Where did sin come from? Who
were the first people to live on earth? The second book of the Law, Exodus answers these
questions: Does God care about human affairs? Does he care when his people suffer? The
answer is a resounding yes!! God cares about human affairs and he is willing to intervene and
deliver his people from suffering at the hands of the wicked. The Book of Exodus shows God’s
involvement in human affairs by physical acts of wonder to deliver his chosen nation, Israel. The third
book of the Law (Leviticus) discusses issues such as: Is it possible for sinful people to relate with a Holy
God? How can sinful people approach a Holy God? What are consequences if sinful people approach a
Holy God without the right approach? The fourth book of the Law (Numbers) answers questions such
as: Why does God test our faith? What is the natural response that most people have whenever they go
through trials and afflictions? How does God want us to respond whenever we pass through trails of any
kind? How did the children of Israel respond to the trials that they went through? The last of the five
books of Law (Deuteronomy) focuses on second giving of the new generation of Israel before entering
the Promised Land… let’s begin our survey.

3.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to discuss the five books of the law and provide a summary of
each of them.

2. The student should be able to discuss the important questions such as: what, when, where,
how’s of the five books of the Law

3. For each individual book of the Pentateuch, the student should be able to l discuss the main message
and main divisions of the particular book of the law.

4. The student should be able to discuss the applications from the five books of the law.

3.3 Introduction of the Pentateuch

The first 5 books of the Bible are known as the “Pentateuch” (“5 volume” book). They are
also called the Law or Torah (“instruction”). As a collection of books they make up the
“theological constitution” for the nation of Israel (Jewish people) and also contain the
foundational truths revealed by God on which Christians rests. The Pentateuch covers the
period of time from creation to preparation to enter the promised land of Canaan. It is not
really possible to comprehend fully the rest of the Bible without first understanding the teaching of the
Pentateuch.

The Pentateuch is still considered sacred by most Jews and was the first of the three major grouping of
the Hebrew Bible --- Law, Prophets Writings. In the time of Jesus the religious party (sect) of the
Sadducees accepted only the Pentateuch as Scripture.

14