The Amazing Collection: The Pentateuch

             Beginnings are important.  Knowing the history of something gives us a much deeper understanding of it.  The same is true of the Bible.  We often read the same books of the Bible over and over again because they are familiar and comforting but sometimes we miss out on the bigger picture and nuances in those books because we aren’t familiar with how it all began.  That’s why it is important to study the historical books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch.  They tell us where we came from and where we are going.  All the way back in the first chapters of Genesis we start to see answers to life’s questions: How was the earth created? Who were the first people?  How did we get into such a terrible state of sin?  What is God’s plan for the world?  What is God’s plan for me?  God’s redemptive plan for mankind is laid out in the beginning and we can follow it all the way from Genesis to Revelation.

The Bible is an amazing collection of 66 books written over 2,000 years.   The first five books of the Old Testament form a complete literary unit called the Pentateuch, meaning, “five scrolls”. The Pentateuch is foundational to all the rest of scripture.   It is also called The Books of the Law , The Books of Moses and The Torah.   Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are sequential.  Each book picks up where the last one left off.   For many years, the Pentateuch was Israel’s only scripture.  Israelites were to meditate upon it (Joshua 1:8), teach it to their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-6 and read it publicly (Nehemiah 8:1).  It is eluded to thousands of times in the Old and New Testament. 

  God promised Abraham that his family would become a great nation, his descendants would be given land and that his descendant would bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3).  In the New Testament, Jesus is revealed as the long awaited descendant- the Messiah.  In the Pentateuch, we see pictures of Jesus. In Genesis, the book of beginnings, we see that Jesus is the Seed of Eve and the Ram at Abraham’s altar.  In Exodus, the book of deliverance, we see that Jesus is our Passover Lamb.  In Leviticus, the book of holiness, He is Our High Priest.  Numbers is the book of unbelief, and we see Jesus as the Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by night.  In Deuteronomy, the book of obedience, Jesus is the City of our Refuge. 

              Would you like to have a better understanding of the Bible?  A great way to start would be to join us as we study the five foundational books of the Pentateuch.  You haven't missed much- we've only had one meeting so far.  Come join us at 7 pm on Wednesday evenings at First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu. The study lasts for five weeks (till Oct 12). Childcare is available.