Genesis 2.4-4.26

Life In and Out of the Garden (Genesis 2-4)

This section begins with the first toledot statement in Genesis: "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created." The idea of this introduction is, "This is what came forth from the heavens and the earth..." These stories build upon the creation story of chapter one to describe what became of the good land God prepared for his creatures, as well as what happened to the humans he made and put there.

Some call this section (especially chapter 2) a "second creation account." In the prehistory of the text, this narrative may have stood on its own, however, it is not accurate to imply that the author who put chapters 1-4 together is setting two creation stories side by side without relating them to one another.

For in its context this is not really a "creation" story, despite the fact that it depicts God forming the Adam and the first woman. The focus of the narrative is a ground-level view of what happened to the land and the people (introduced in ch. 1) who were put there as God's representatives. This narrative further explicates what it means that God provided a good land, what it means that he made people in his image, and what his purpose was in making them male and female.

THE GOOD LAND (2.4-17)
The land is first described in its pre-fall condition (2.5-6): no curse had yet made it so that man had to cultivate the plants of the field by the sweat of his brow, and the Lord had not yet sent the rains of the flood upon the land. God's good provision is seen in the fact that it was a well-irrigated, fertile, abundant place.

The Adam is created (2.7). The man (adam) is formed from the dust of the ground (adamah). The human being is described in two ways: (1) of dust, (2) filled with the breath of life from God. In one sense, humans are creatures like all the others, brought forth from the ground (1.24). In another sense, humans are made in God's image and likeness (1.26), filled with his divine breath.

(2.8-14) The garden is planted in Eden (the "land" of ch. 1), and the Adam is put there, with every provision for his nourishment. Two particular trees are mentioned but not explained, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowing Good and Evil. Verses 10-14 describe the precious stones and rivers of the land. As many have noted, these descriptions of beauty and verdancy bring to mind the richly decorated Tabernacle (and Temple) and reinforce the concept that the land is God's dwelling place, wherein humankind is blessed. The rivers most likely mark the boundaries of the Promised Land later given to Abraham (Gen 15.18ff).

In 2.15-17, the Adam is put in the Garden. "Put" is a special verb that implies being "made to rest" and is also used to describe the "consecration" of the priests in the Tabernacle. Adam rested in God's provision and was called to serve him as a priest in the Garden. This duty is further specified in the subsequent phrase, "to till it and keep it". These words are better rendered, "for serving and for keeping". Humans were not created to be gardeners, but priests. Their duty before God (in whatever their specific activity) was to worship (serve) and obey (keep).

2.18-25 is the climactic conclusion of the Garden narrative. In order to fully display God's image and fulfill his priestly responsibility, the Adam must have partner. And so, a female "like him" is formed from the man's side, brought to him, the Adam recognizes her and names her "Woman". The author then interjects an editorial comment affirming that this is why we continue to follow God's good plan of marriage. In context this relationship is portrayed as an ultimate illustration that God provides "the good" for his creatures. 2.25 envisions perfect harmony between the Adam and the Woman and a lack of sinful shame.

EXILE FROM THE GOOD LAND (Ch. 3)
Gen 2.25 provides a transition into the themes of the next narrative. Those who were "naked and not ashamed" will be tempted by the "crafty" serpent (a Hebrew word that sounds like "naked"), their eyes will be opened and they will discover, in distress and shame, that they are "naked" (a different word, one which implies being shamed by enemies—Deut 28.48).

The temptation and first sin are described in 3.1-7. As we watch, the serpent questions God's word, the woman misinterprets God's command (making it even more strict), and then the serpent flatly contradicts God's warning. The woman falls for it, and she and the Adam eat of the forbidden fruit. They realize the shame of their nakedness, and try to cover themselves. A turning point in this passage is when "the woman saw that the tree was good..." Throughout these early narratives, it is God who sees that "the good" is provided for humankind. When people try to see to getting the good for themselves, that's when trouble arises. This will be a consistent theme throughout Genesis (e.g. 6.1-2, 12.10-11).

God confronts them (3.8-24). English translations make it sound like God was taking a stroll through the Garden when he responded to the first sin. The Hebrew text pictures this rather like the people being terrified before the Lord at Mt. Sinai or God in his awesome majesty confronting Job in the whirlwind. Needless to say, Adam and Eve hide themselves. As God approaches and confronts them, note that he does so in questions, not accusations. Graciously, he allows them to speak for themselves, though their first responses are anything but repentant.

God pronounces judgment on the serpent (3.14-15), the woman (3.16), and the man (3.17-19). The serpent is cursed to ultimate defeat. The woman is subjected to pain in childbirth and perpetual conflict in marriage. The man is subjected to the hard toil of bringing forth food from a cursed ground, the ground to which he will return in death. (See my earlier study for the significance of Genesis 3.15.)

In the aftermath of this tragedy, Eve receives her name and God clothes their nakedness with animal skins (the first sacrifice that covered sin). The word for "garments" in this text is the same word describing the priests' tunics later in the Torah. Covered by God's grace, they remain his representatives in the world. However, they are cast from the good land itself. Separated from the Tree of Life, God casts them from the garden, and sets angels to guard its entrance. This reality will be represented in the Tabernacle, the holy dwelling place of God, where humans are forbidden to enter except when utilizing God's means of atonement. We will also see intimations of these angels again in the Torah (e.g. in Jacob's life—Gen 29.10-22, 32.1-2, 32.22-32) as guardians at the borders of the Promised Land. This once more suggests that we should identify Eden with that land.

LIFE OUTSIDE THE LAND (Ch. 4)
The first child born in the Bible is Cain. Eve's words may suggest that she is taking credit for bringing forth a child, as God had created the man. She then had a second son, Abel. This story initiates the theme of the chosen younger son that will dominate the patriarchal narratives. It also sets forth proper worship as the primary concern of life outside the Garden. Cain and Abel bring "offerings" (not sacrifices) from their respective vocations. There is no indication that Cain's was rejected because it was from the soil rather than the flock. Instead, the text by subtle means shows that Abel brought his offering in faith, while Cain did not. Ultimately, it is Cain's reaction that reveals his heart. Anger opens the door for temptation, he is overcome, and he rises up and slays his younger brother.

Cain's reaction to God's confrontation (once again, in questions) has typically been seen as remorse rather than repentance. However, his words may be understood as, "My iniquity is too much for me to bear"—a statement of sorrow for his sin. As John Sailhamer has observed in his analysis of this passage, the entire section is filled with language that anticipates later Mosaic laws about the cities of refuge, which were set up to ensure justice for those who kill. The "mark" of Cain in this passage may therefore actually be the city that he built and where his descendants lived. In the key poetic passage at the end of the chapter we read the words of Lamech, which may be interpreted as his appeal for justice in the light of an act of self-defense.

The chapter returns to the theme of genuine worship at the end. And Eve, perhaps chastened by being ultimately unable to protect what she thought she had created by herself (4.1), now recognizes God as the One who graciously gave them their new son, Seth.

CONCLUSION
The echoes of Deuteronomy 30 are all over these chapters. The same themes resonate again and again:

1. God provides the good land for his people.
2. From the good land, God's people are called to be his priestly representatives in the world.
   
3. God gives his commandments to his people that they may enjoy the good land.
4. Disobeying God's commandments will lead to exile from the good land.
5. God graciously provides a covering for his people who sin.
6. It is essential that God's people approach him in faith when they worship.
7. In his goodness, God provides refuge and justice for the community of his people.
   

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30.15-20)

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Genesis 1.1-2.3

GOD CREATES ALL THAT IS (Gen 1.1)

Genesis begins with the most basic truth: God created everything.

• This occurred "in the beginning"—an unspecified period of time, long ago from the standpoint of the author. He simply thinks back as far as possibly can be imagined, to a time when there was no sky, no land, no world as we know it. At that time God created the terrestrial world and the skies above it.

• Back then, God created "the skies and the land." The author is writing from the earthly point of view, looking out over the world and describing the panorama he sees as a pre-scientific observer. Don't picture a globe in outer space amidst all the other heavenly spheres—that is not the author's perspective. Rather, he is standing with the reader and looking out on a landscape, motioning with his hands across the whole sweep of the view and saying, "God created all of this." In describing what he sees, he uses a compound phrase that signifies, "all that exists."

• God "created" all that is. This special verb is only used with God as its subject in Scripture. It indicates that, out of nothing, God brought into being everything that exists.

• This was done by "God." Though this chapter is not overtly polemical, its teachings stand in eloquent opposition to the idolatrous notions of the nations in Moses' day. Genesis 1.1 looks back to the absolute beginning and asserts that the Source of the entire material universe is the one true and living God, who existed before all things and made all things.

GOD PREPARES A LAND FOR PEOPLE (Gen 1.2-31)

The divine activities described in the subsequent verses do not tell us how God created the universe. The original creation is the subject of 1.1. Beginning with Gen 1.2 the focus shifts and narrows down to the "earth" (or "land") and shows us how, within the universe created in 1.1, God prepared a special place as his own Temple, where human beings could live within his blessing.

The Uninhabitable Land (1.2)
The idea of Genesis 1.2 is: "Now the land was an uninhabitable wasteland, covered with water and thick darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." This emphasizes that "the land" was at one time unfit for human habitation. Nevertheless, God's Spirit was present, ready to change that situation. By God's work over six days as described in the following verses, it will become "good," a place where people can live within his blessing.

"The land" which is the subject here is not the entire earth, but the Promised Land. This is the same land described in chapter 2 as "Eden," where God planted a garden and created human beings. This is the same land God promised to Abraham. This is the same land before which Moses and the people stood when he gave them the Torah.

Moses wanted to show the Israelites who were about to settle in this land that, within the world God created, he had prepared a special place as his own Temple, where human beings could live within his blessing, and from which they could be fruitful and multiply and fill the entire earth. In Moses' day, Israel's entrance into the Land was to be, as it were, a "new creation" through which God would restore his original blessing to the world. Genesis 1 grounds their mission in the soil of God's original plan.

The description of the first condition of the land in Gen 1.2 would have resonated with the Israelites who first heard Moses' words. In the Exodus, they faced the uncrossable waters, which God separated to deliver them. In the uninhabitable wilderness, where they had lived for 40 years, they had to trust God to lead them by pillar of fire through the darkness.

Big Picture: God makes the land "good" (1.2-31)
The rest of Genesis 1 describes the six days when God prepared the land for human habitation. Bruce K. Waltke gives this summary of this passage:

What, then, is the genre of the Genesis creation account? …We can describe the creation account as an artistic, literary representation of creation intended to fortify God’s covenant with creation. It represents truths about origins in anthropomorphic language so that the covenant community may have a proper worldview and be wise unto salvation. It represents the world as coming into being through God’s proclamation so that the world depends on his will, purpose and presence.

In other words, what we have here is not straightforward, journalistic reporting, but a presentation of historical events in the literary form of a six-day workweek followed by a day of rest. By using this literary framework, Moses portrays God’s creative acts in anthropomorphic language. That means that he describes God in human terms. God is shown speaking, creating, naming, seeing, blessing, and resting. The resulting portrayal is that of:

• God as a master craftsman, doing his daily work with excellence in a six-day workweek
  

• Providing as a good father for his children

• Building a temple (palace) in the world by creating sacred spaces and filling them with sacred objects

• Then taking his place as King by completing his "house," ordaining priests to serve within it (human beings in his image), and resting (which signifies his rule) upon his throne.

The Six Days (1.2-31)
Because Moses employs a literary framework, the events described on the six days are not necessarily chronological, but logical. On the first three days, God forms a place for human habitation:

• DAY ONE: Day and night. God forms his sacred place by dispelling the darkness and setting up the function of time. He calls the sun to break through the morning darkness and names the division of time "day" and "night". This passage is not about the creation of light and darkness, but about overcoming the perpetual darkness that lay over the uninhabitable land and then naming the periods of time marked by darkness and light for humankind's benefit.
  

• DAY TWO: Waters above and below. God forms his sacred place by making space between the waters. This description reflects the common Ancient Near East understanding of a "firmament"—a dome over the world under which life may flourish.

• DAY THREE: A fertile land. God forms his sacred place by dividing the waters below so that land may appear and produce fruit.

The "shell" of God's temple on earth is now completed. God has "formed" the "unformed" land of Gen 1.2 into a space where his creatures may live in his blessing.

It is no longer of place of darkness, but a place where day and night may be distinguished.

It is no longer a place flooded by raging waters, but a place where the waters have been separated and a protective "roof" set in place overhead, with a dry land below that produces food for human nourishment.

What remains in the next three days is for God to "fill" this "unfilled" land.

• DAY FOUR: Lights. God fills his sacred place first of all by placing "lamps" to shine in the day and night (note the parallel to day one). This is the same word used in the Torah to describe lamps in the Tabernacle. The purpose of these heavenly lights is for signs (to point to God, not to themselves as "gods" like the nations around them believed) and for seasons (to help Israel know when to worship God at his appointed festivals).

• DAY FIVE: Sea and sky creatures. God fills his sacred place by making creatures to dwell in the waters below and sky above (parallel—day two).
  

• DAY SIX: Land creatures and human beings. God fills his sacred place by first having the land (parallel—day three) bring forth living creatures. Then, in a passage that stands out because it breaks the literary patterns of the other days, God creates humankind in his own image, gives them dominion over the other creatures, blesses them, describes the provisions he has given them and the other creatures, and ends by pronouncing it all "very good". The picture of human beings here in God's image and likeness suggests that he is ordaining them to be the priests who oversee his temple and serve as his representatives in the world.
  

And so, God completed preparing his temple—a sacred land in the world where human beings and living creatures might live within his blessing and under his Kingly rule.

God takes his throne (2.1-3)
Though set apart by a chapter division, these verses should be read as the culmination of the temple-building project of Genesis 1.2-31.

On this day, with his work complete, God "rested". He also blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because this was the day of his rest. John H. Walton argues that this is the climax of the temple imagery in Genesis 1. God's rest is not so much about relaxation as it is about God taking his throne as King (Isaiah 66.1).

God's Sabbath is not a withdrawal from the world and its operations (e.g. 'My work is done, it's all yours now; good luck!); instead it represents his taking his place at the helm. This is what Israel's observance of the Sabbath gives recognition to.

Here we see the God ascending the throne and sitting down, signifying completion of his creative work, a scene that will be repeated in later events, as when his glory filled the Tabernacle and the Temple upon their completion and dedication, and most importantly, when Jesus ascended and took his place at the right hand of the Father, making eternal rest available to all in a new creation (Hebrews 4).

CONCLUSION
The language of this sublime portion of Scripture may be called, "exalted prose". When one examines the literary underpinnings, such as repetition, the use of the number seven, etc., the artistry revealed is magnificent. Some have suggested that this passage may have been used in Israel's worship as a liturgical piece celebrating God the Creator and King. Whether or not that is so, reading Genesis 1 should certainly lead us to worship and contemplation as we ponder its majestic words.

Genesis: The Big Picture

We now begin our study of the books within the larger work known as the Torah. Genesis, or as it is known in Hebrew, "In the beginning," opens the Torah. One may look at the overall structure of Genesis in a number of different ways.

The Ten Divisions
After the opening (1.1-2.3), Genesis has ten divisions, each beginning with the phrase, "Now these are the generations of..." The words carry the idea of "This is what became of..." In other words, they build upon the previous section and tell what happened with regard to the development of the situation or people who were introduced there.

1. This is what became of the heavens and the earth (2.4-4.26)
2. This is what became of Adam (5.1-6.8)
   
3. This is what became of Noah (6.9-9.29)
4. This is what became of Noah's sons (10.1-11.9)
5. This is what became of Shem (11.10-26)
6. This is what became of Terah (Abraham's story—11.27-25.11)
7. This is what became of Ishmael (25.12-18)
8. This is what became of Isaac (25.19-35.29)
9. This is what became of Esau (36.1-43)
10. This is what became of Jacob (37.1-50.26)

The Beginning and the Fathers
Another way to look at the overall picture of Genesis is to see the two major divisions of the book:

• Gen 1-11—Stories of the Beginning (from creation to the nations)
• Gen 12-50—Stories of the Fathers (Abraham/Isaac/Jacob/12 Sons/ending in Egypt)

The first part tells how God created everything, established a good land for human beings and blessed them. It tells how human beings chose to seek their own wisdom rather than God's and how he subsequently exiled them from the good land, away from the tree of life, to the land of death, where he also showed them his mercy and salvation. In the generations that follow we see this pattern repeated—human sin, followed by God's judgment and salvation. Ultimately the nations which emerge from the land after the days of Noah and the flood are scattered across the earth from the city of Babylon where they had gathered in rebellion against God.

The second part tells how God chose one man, Abraham, from among the nations and promised that he would bless him, give them a land of his own, and through one of his descendants, restore divine blessing to the world. Abraham and succeeding generations of his family, chosen solely by God's grace, learn to trust God and walk with him, though they never receive the fulfillment of his promise. Ultimately, the family ends up in Egypt through God's providential protection and provision.

The "Seed" Promise Developed
Yet a third way to see the overall plot of the book is to trace the promise of the "seed" (or descendant) through the book. After humankind fell into sin, God promised that he would send a "seed" (a future descendant) to overthrow sin, evil, and death, and restore his blessing to the whole world. As the story develops, the identity of this "seed" becomes more and more clear.

• Gen 3.15—The seed of the woman (a child born of woman)
  
• Gen 12.1-3, 15.1-6, etc—The seed of Abraham (chosen by God from the nations)
  
• Gen 26.1-5—The seed of Isaac (not Ishmael)
  
• Gen 28.13-14—The seed of Jacob (not Esau)
  
• Gen 38, 49:8-12—The seed of Judah (not the other tribes)
  

One main purpose of the various genealogies throughout Genesis is to identify the line of promise, the specific family branches through which the "seed" will (and will not) come. By the end of the book, we know he will be a child from Abraham's family, one from the tribe of Judah.

A later book, the Book of Ruth, adds a final chapter to this plot. The chosen descendant will be the son of David (Ruth 4.13-21).

The first mention of the "seed" is in Genesis 3.15:

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.

This text records God's words to the serpent in the Garden. It says that one day a child, born of woman, will fight against the serpent, striking a mortal blow on the serpent's head even as he suffers a wound to his heel. Commentators throughout the centuries have called this verse the Protevangelium, the "first Gospel." In the first few pages of the Biblical record, we already see Jesus clearly. He is the one who came, born of a woman, who suffered a deep wound on the cross; and who by that wound conquered and defeated the serpent and the curse forever.

The Big Picture of the Torah

SUMMARY: When we step back and look at some features of the Torah as a whole, we can gain insight into the message of this long and complex book.

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Composed of five long "books," the Torah can be an imposing read. Furthermore, it is complex, combining many types of literature, including historical narrative, poetry, genealogy, case law, and speeches. In this study, I hope to give some helpful "big picture" points that will help us keep the forest in mind once we start walking through the trees.

THREE BIG STORIES

• Genesis 1-11: The Beginning. The story of creation, early life in the land, and the scattering of the nations before God called Abraham.


• Genesis 12-Exodus 19: The People. The story of Abraham's family from his calling to their enslavement in Egypt, to the Exodus, to their establishment as a nation at Mt. Sinai.


• Exodus 19-Deuteronomy: The Law. The story of Israel receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai, wandering through the wilderness, and the new generation being instructed as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

Since Genesis 1-11 is obviously introductory, we see that the main story of the Torah really breaks down into two parts: (1) the Hebrew people before the Law, (2) the Hebrew people under the Law.

This leads to our second observation.

TWO MAIN BIOGRAPHIES

• Abraham pictures the life of faith before the Sinai law covenant.


• Moses ultimately pictures the life of failure under the Sinai law covenant.

The main characters before the Law were the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). These fathers of Israel are Scripture's main examples of God's way of "by grace, through faith" (Ephesians 2.8-9). Though they were extremely flawed individuals, they "believed the Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to [them] as righteousness" (Genesis 15.6). Abraham is even said to have fulfilled God's whole law (Genesis 26.5). How is this? Most certainly not because of his works, for he failed time and time again; but because of his faith, by which he was counted righteous.

Before the Law, Moses is also portrayed as a man of faith, through whom God worked signs and wonders to produce faith in the Hebrews (Exodus 4.29-31). However, under the Law, the great prophet was finally prevented from entering the Promised Land. Why? Because of his unbelief (Numbers 20.12).

The Torah is making an all-important point that is only fully developed in the N.T. by the Apostle Paul in letters like Galatians and Romans: The Law cannot save, for it produces sin and unbelief. It is only by God's grace through faith that people are counted righteous before God.

THE FUTURE HOPE

In his works on Genesis and the Pentateuch, Dr. John Sailhamer has identified a literary pattern in the Torah that, when analyzed, communicates that the outlook of the work is primarily eschatological, that is, it points to the future as a key component of its theological message.

Each of the first four chapters of Genesis is organized in the following pattern:

1. A detailed historical narrative
2. A poem or poetic speech emphasizing a climactic theme
3. A conclusion or epilogue

So, for example, in chapter 1, you have the creation account (1.1-25), a poetic description of the creation of humans in the narrative of the sixth day (1.27), and then the seventh day as conclusion to the story. Compare chapters 2, 3, and 4 and you will find the same pattern.

When Sailhamer stepped back and surveyed the entire Torah (Gen-Deut), he found the same pattern on a macro-level.

Part One—Genesis (from Creation to Egypt)

1. Genesis 1-48. Narratives of the beginning and the patriarchs
2. Genesis 49. Poetic blessing speech by Jacob
3. Genesis 50. Conclusion: Jacob's death, Joseph & his brothers, the family in Egypt

Part Two—Exodus-Numbers (from Egypt to the Land)

1. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers 1-21. Narratives of Israel, the law, the wilderness
2. Numbers 22-24. Balaam's poetic oracles
3. Numbers 25-26. Conclusion: The unfaithfulness of Israel and final census
   

Part Three—Deuteronomy (Preparing to enter the Land)

1. Deuteronomy 1-31. Sermons of Moses to the new generation
2. Deuteronomy 32-33. The poetic song and blessing of Moses
3. Numbers 25-26. Conclusion: The death of Moses
   

What is most interesting about this pattern, on both the micro and macro-level, is that it highlights the POETIC sections. These sections are like "red ink" (Sailhamer's term) that bring out the significant themes the author wants to drive home.

Furthermore, each of the poetic speeches on the macro-level is introduced in the same fashion.

• A significant character gathers others around him before an important event
  
• He speaks to them about what will happen "in the latter days"

And so, in Gen 49.1, it is Jacob addressing his sons before his death. In Numbers 24.17, it is Balaam addressing Balak before Israel enters the Promised Land. In Deut 31.28-29, it is Moses addressing the children of Israel before his death and their entrance into the Land. Each speech is introduced by the character saying he will tell his audience about "the latter days." And so, at three significant points in the story, when a great change is about to occur for God's people, one of their leaders looks beyond the immediate events at hand (which, though important, will not provide the answer to restoring God's blessing to the world) and looks far into the future to a time of God's ultimate judgment and salvation whe the world will finally be put to rights.

The Torah begins with the words, "In the beginning...." Each major section ends with an address about "the latter days," a time beyond the circumstances of the characters in the story. The Torah is eschatological in nature, which means it is pointing us beyond itself and the events it portrays to God's future.. The "answers" it gives about how God restores his blessing to a fallen world in the grip of sin, evil, and death lie in the future. And note how that future hope is presented:

Genesis 49.10
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
and the obedience of the peoples is his.

Numbers 24.17-19
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near—
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the borderlands of Moab,
and the territory of all the Shethites.
Edom will become a possession,
Seir a possession of its enemies,
while Israel does valiantly.
One out of Jacob shall rule,
and destroy the survivors of Ir.

Deuteronomy 32
Rejoice, O nations, with His people;
For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And will render vengeance on His adversaries,
And will atone for His land and His people.

The Torah points its readers forward to the coming of the Lion of Judah, the rightful Ruler, the Royal Star who will rise to defeat God's enemies and rule over all. The Torah points to the day when God will call all nations to rejoice with his people in his righteous judgment and the atonement he has made for them.

Study Two: Starting at the Beginning—Reading the Torah

SUMMARY: The first part of the Bible is a five-part book called the Torah. Moses wrote this book for the generation of Israelites who were about the enter the Promised Land. By taking their perspective, we can better understand this book.

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The Five-Fold Book
The Bible begins with a five-fold work consisting of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In our Bibles these appear to be five separate books, but they are traditionally understood as one cohesive work. This section is sometimes called the “Pentateuch” (five-fold book). Other passages in the Bible speak of this as the “Law,” the “Law of Moses,” the “book of Moses,” or simply “Moses.”

Tradition says Moses wrote this work, and Scripture itself supports this tradition. For example, Deuteronomy 31.24-29 portrays Moses completing the book and giving it to the Levites to be kept beside the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle. When Jesus quoted from this part of the Bible, he referred to Moses.

Though often referred to as the “Law,” that title can be misleading. The Hebrew word is “Torah,” which refers to a father’s instruction. The Torah instructs us by telling God’s story from creation to the days just before Israel entered the Promised Land after Moses’ death. It includes descriptions of the laws and ordinances God gave Israel at Mt. Sinai, but these are by no means the main focus of the work. I will refer consistently to this part of the Bible as the Torah.

The Torah is the Bible’s foundation. All the great themes that are developed and brought to completion in the Bible are introduced here. It is like a seed that contains the entire story that unfolds throughout the rest of its pages.

Why Moses Wrote the Torah
However, the Torah is also a work that has its own integrity, and we should read it that way. In order to grasp its meaning, we must first remember who wrote it, the audience that received it, and the circumstances they were in when it was given to them.

Moses wrote this book for the generation of Israel that had come out of the wilderness from Mt. Sinai and was preparing to enter the Promised Land under Joshua. Their parents had celebrated the first Passover, been redeemed from Egyptian slavery, crossed the Red Sea, traveled to Mt. Sinai, entered into a covenant with God to be his chosen nation, rebelled against him early and often, and were ultimately sentenced to perish in the wilderness. This younger generation had now come of age and was ready to take up the task of living under God’s laws in the Promised Land.

If we keep this in mind, many details in the Torah become clear. For example, why did Moses tell the story of creation as he did, in Genesis 1-3?

• God transforming the wilderness and preparing a good land for his people
• God separating the waters to prepare the good land
• God setting the lights in the sky for signs and seasons (in the Torah this phrase refers to the festivals of worship God gave in the law)
• God creating in six days, then resting and consecrating the Sabbath
• God placing his people in a good land of abundance
• God giving his people a commandment that they were to obey
• God exiling his people from the good land when they disobeyed him

Can you see that Moses wrote to his people in a language that was directly applicable to them and their situation? God had promised that he would lead Israel through the waters and the wilderness into a good land, where he would abundantly provide for them and give them rest. There they would be fruitful and multiply and display God’s image to the other nations, as long as they rested in his provisions and obeyed his commandments. If the people failed to do so, they would be removed from the land and taken into exile. The story of the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve was their story.

One passage in the Torah that states this explicitly is Deuteronomy 30. Here is a key portion of that chapter, which specifies Moses’ challenge to those about to enter the land.

...See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

This is the message that Moses wanted to leave with his audience, and it summarizes the Torah’s story, its main themes, and the future prospects of the people of God.

When we put ourselves in the sandals of those who stood on the banks of Jordan, waiting to enter the Land, we can read the Torah with more insight and understanding.

Study One: The Big Picture of the Bible

SUMMARY: Before jumping in and trying to understand the details of this massive book called the Bible, it is a good idea to grasp its overall structure and story.

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The Big Picture of the Two Testaments
The Bible consists of two parts, commonly called the Old and New Testaments. I prefer to call the Old Testament, the “First Testament” or the Hebrew Bible. Both testaments are like libraries, consisting of books grouped together in sections.

First Testament

• The Torah (the “law” of Moses)
• The Prophets (historical books & writing prophets)
• The Writings (poetry and wisdom books)

New Testament

• The Gospels and Acts
• The Epistles

The books and sections in the First Testament appear in different orders in different versions. In the Christian Old Testament, the order is like this:

The Torah

• Genesis through Deuteronomy

The Historical Books

• From Conquest to Exile: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles
• Exile and Post-Exile Books: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

The Wisdom Books

• Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs

The Prophets

• Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
• Minor Prophets: The Twelve (Hosea through Malachi)

In Jewish editions of the Hebrew Bible, the order is like this:

The Torah

• Genesis through Deuteronomy

The Prophets

• Early Prophets: Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings
• Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve (Hosea through Malachi)

The Writings

• Psalms, Job, Proverbs
• Five Scrolls: Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Esther
• Daniel
• Ezra-Nehemiah
• 1-2 Chronicles

The main difference, as you can see, is that the Hebrew Bible places the prophets near the historical books and puts the poetic and post-exile books at the end, whereas the English OT puts all the historical narratives at the beginning so that one can read the story straight through from creation to the end of the Jewish exile in Babylon.

However, the big picture is the same—the First Testment has three basic parts: Torah, Prophets, Writings.

When you approach the Bible, it can be helpful to know that its books are grouped in sections. Step back and appreciate the big picture of the book before you dive into its details.

The Big Picture of the Bible's Story
The story of the Bible is told in five basic parts:

Creation and Fall

• Genesis 1-11
• Creation, Garden of Eden, Fall, Cain & Abel, Noah & flood, emergence of nations, Tower of Babel

The People of God

• Genesis 12-Exodus 19
• Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, twelve tribes, Moses, exodus from Egypt, to Mt. Sinai

Life under Law, Kingdom, & Exile

• Exodus 20-Malachi
• From Joshua to David & Solomon, divided kingdom, exile in Babylon, return from exile
• This section includes the prophets and the wisdom and poetic writings that were written during this period.
  

The Dawning of the Messianic Kingdom

• Matthew-John
• The life, ministry, and finished work of Jesus the Messiah

The Expansion and Consummation of the Messianic Kingdom

• Acts and the Epistles
• The ministry of the apostles, establishment of the church, worldwide mission, future hope

The Big Picture of the Bible's Message
The Bible tells claims to be God's revelation of himself and his plan for creation and human beings. It is a selective history from the Divine point of view. And it has a message for all of us.

• CREATION. God created all that is, and made this world to be a sacred place where human beings would reflect his image, live together in his blessing, and care for his creation.

• FALL. People chose instead to seek their own way rather than God's, and thus became separated from him and his blessings, under the penalty of corruption, conflict, and death in a fallen world.

• ISRAEL. God chose to work through a people to restore his blessing to humankind and all creation. He selected Abraham and made a great nation from his descendants, redeeming them from their oppressors, giving them his law, settling them in the Promised Land, raising up kings, prophets and wisdom teachers, and patiently bearing with them when they failed to walk in his ways.

• PROMISES. All through this time in many ways, God spoke to his people and promised that in the last days he would come to restore his blessing to them and, through them, to all humankind. He promised to give them a new heart, a new Spirit, and a new King who would rule over them and all the world in righteousness and peace.

• EXILE. Ultimately, God cast his people into exile. However, he did not forget them, but in time brought them back to the Promised Land. Nevertheless, even thought they had returned home geographically, Israel remained under foreign domination and in spiritual exile, still waiting for God to fulfill his promises.

• JESUS. After many years of silence and oppression, God sent his promised Messiah. Jesus, God's Son, was born to the virgin Mary, grew up, was baptized by John, and began his ministry in Israel. Traveling about, he announced that the promised Kingdom was dawning in their midst. He proclaimed that everything Israel had failed to do under the Old Covenant would now be fulfilled in his own life and ministry. Jesus taught a new Torah, worked signs and wonders as evidence of the in-breaking Kingdom, gathered a new people around him, died on a cross as foretold by Scripture, and was raised from the dead as God had promised. He ascended into heaven and poured out the promised Holy Spirit, inaugurating the "last days," when God's blessings will be fully restored to all creation.

• MISSION. This is the age in which we live today. Those whom Jesus has forgiven and made new are now announcing that his Kingdom is coming, and all are invited to join it by trusting in him. In and of ourselves, we have no ability to reform our lives and restore God's blessing to his creation, for we are sinful and weak. However, through Jesus and his finished work of bearing our sins and defeating evil and death, we can be forgiven and made new, part of the new creation he is establishing.

• CONSUMMATION. One day, Jesus promised he will return to consummate the Kingdom. On that day, he will put creation to rights. All will be made new. Righteousness and peace will characterize the world. God will bring in a new heavens and new earth, and Jesus will reign over all.