A SURVEY OF THE BIBLE

(“An Introduction to the Pentateuch”)


John 5:46-47; I Corinthians 10:1-11 (NASU)


46… if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:46-47)


11“Now these things … were written (down) for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

(I Corinthians 10:11)



  1. SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THIS EVENING’S SCRIPTURE LESSONS

(1) I’m going to begin tonight by reading two passages of Scripture from the New Testament. However, I’ve chosen them because they both refer to writings found in the Old Testament. The first records a comment Jesus made to some unbelieving Jews in John chapter five, saying (in verses forty-six and forty-seven):


46“… if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47But if you do not believe HIS WRITINGS, (i.e. the writings of Moses) how will you believe My words?” (c.f. John 5:46-47).

Note, then, that Jesus acknowledged Moses IS the author of certain “writings” (c.f. John 5:46-47), which (according to the larger context) can be found in the Old Testament (see John 5:39-40) – that some of the things “Moses … wrote about” have to do with God’s promised Messiah, which means they have to do with Jesus (c.f. John 5:46) – and that anyone who chooses “not believe” the things Moses “wrote about” (especially those things pertaining to God’s Messiah), won’t believe Jesus’ “words” either (c.f. John 5:47).

(2) The other passage of Scripture I want to read comes from First Corinthians chapter ten, starting at verse one, and says:


1“For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3and all ate the same spiritual food; 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. 6Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; AS IT IS WRITTEN, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.’ 8Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now THESE THINGS happened to them as an example, and they WERE WRITTEN (DOWN) FOR OUR INSTRUCTION, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (c.f. I Corinthians 10:1-11).

Note, then, that Paul says (in verse eleven) that certain “things”, which happened to the people of Israel in the past, have been “written (down) (i.e. in the Old Testament Scriptures) for our instruction” (or, our benefit) as Christians (v. 11) – that the “things” to which he refers (in verses one through ten) (which were written down in the Old Testament) happened during Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery, and their forty years of wandering in the wilderness (vs. 1-10) – and that, every one of those events is written down in either the Old Testament book of Exodus, Numbers or Deuteronomy, as any glance at a set of cross-references will plainly show.


(B) THE BOOKS OF THE PENTATEUCH

(1) Tonight, then, I want to draw your attention to something called “the Pentateuch”. The word “Pentateuch” comes from a combination of two Greek words – “penta”, which means “five” – and “teuch”, which means “scrolls” (or “volumes”).1 Hence, the word “Pentateuch” (which is never used in Scripture, by the way) literally means “five books” – and refers specifically to the first five books of the Old Testament (i.e. Genesis through Deuteronomy).2

(2) The Hebrew word for this section of the Old Testament is “torah” – which means “instruction” or “law”.3 This word (“torah”) appears over 250 times in the Old Testament6 – in places like Joshua chapter twenty-two, where Joshua told the people of Israel: “… be very careful to observe the commandment and THE LAW (“torah”) which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you” (c.f. Joshua 22:5) – and also in Psalm One, where David wrote: 1“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2But his delight is in THE LAW (“torah”) of the Lord, and in His LAW (“torah”) he meditates day and night” (c.f. Psalm 1:1-2).

Not surprisingly, then, the New Testament often refers to the five books of Moses as “the law” (“nomos”)3 – like in John chapter seven, where Jesus said: “… Moses (gave) you THE LAW …” (c.f. John 7:19) – or in Acts chapter twenty-four, where Paul testified that he “believ(ed) everything that is (written) in … THE LAW (as well as what was) written in the Prophets” (c.f. Acts 24:14) (that is, in the rest of the Old Testament). (It should be noted, however, that the word “law” occasionally refers to the Old Testament as a whole – like in John 10:34.)3

(3) Another phrase that’s often used to refer to the Pentateuch is, “the five books of Moses” – which, although never used in Scripture, is an apt description for at least two reasons – first, because Moses is traditionally thought to have been the author of these books – and second, because starting with the Book of Exodus, and continuing on through Deuteronomy, Moses is clearly the main (human) character3 (since his name appears almost six hundred times in those four books).4

(4) The five books of the Pentateuch form a single unit – not only because Moses wrote them, and plays a central role in four of them – but also because each successive book takes up where the previous one left off.2

For example, the Book of Genesis ends with the death of Joseph in Egypt (c.f. Genesis 50:26). The Book of Exodus then opens by saying that “Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation … (then) a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph” (c.f. Exodus 1:6, 8).

Likewise, the Book of Exodus closes with the completion of the tabernacle, and “the glory of the Lord” filling it (c.f. Exodus 40:34-35) – while the Book of Leviticus opens with “the Lord call(ing) to Moses … from the (newly completed) tent of meeting” (c.f. Leviticus 1:1).

Similar historical or informational transitions can also be found between the Books of Leviticus and of Numbers – and the Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy.


(C) THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE REST OF THE BIBLE IS BUILT

(1) It has been said that the Pentateuch is not just the beginning of the Bible, it’s also the foundation upon which the rest of the Bible is built!3 For example, the English Standard Version Study Bible says that: “The Pentateuch … serves to orient the reader for reading the rest of the biblical story line. It introduces … key promises that show God’s purpose in history, and that lay the groundwork for the coming of Christ. Its theological ideas and ethical principles inform the rest of the Bible so that … subsequent books assume its authority and appeal to it as they evaluate people’s deeds and character.”3

(2) Think about all the laws of God (like the Ten Commandments), that are first encountered in the five books of Moses – but are then repeated, or referenced, or explained more fully throughout the rest of the Scriptures (including the New Testament). Hence, when Jesus said (in His Sermon on the Mount): 21“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ … 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother (is) guilty (of murder) …” (c.f. Matthew 5:21-22) – He was referencing a law of God found in the Book of Exodus (c.f. Exodus 20:13). And, when He said: 31“(You have heard that), ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery …” (c.f. Matthew 5:31-32) – He was referencing a law of God found in the Book of Deuteronomy (c.f. Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

(3) Think of all the men and women we first meet in the Pentateuch, who are held up elsewhere in Scripture as examples to follow (or not, as the case may be) – or who turn out to be a type of Christ in some manner.

For example, in Hebrews chapter eleven – Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham – Sarah, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph – are all held up to us as examples of faith (c.f. Hebrews 11:4-31)! As examples of people who so trusted God and His promises, that they had “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (c.f. Hebrews 11:1). All these people (i.e. the ones I just mentioned) are first introduced to us in the Pentateuch – specifically, in the Book of Genesis.

Where do we first meet Balaam, who is held up to us in the New Testament as a negative example (c.f. II Peter 2:15)? In the Book of Numbers (c.f. Numbers 22-24)!

Where do we first meet Melchizadek, who is presented to us as a type of Christ in the New Testament (c.f. Hebrews 5:6)? In the Book of Genesis (c.f. Genesis 14:18)!

Where do we first meet Joshua, who is spoken of in the Book of Hebrews (c.f. Hebrews 4:8)? In the Books of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy (c.f. Exodus 17:9)!

(4) Think of all the historical events – that either point to Christ in some way, or tell us something about who God is and what He’s like – events that are first recorded in one of the books of the Pentateuch.

For example, Jesus once said (in the Gospel of John): 14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up (i.e. on the cross); 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life” (c.f. John 3:14-15). What in the world was Jesus talking about? He was alluding to a specific, historical event that took place in the Book of Numbers (c.f. Numbers 21:5-9)

When Jesus referred to Himself as “the true bread (from) heaven”, He did so in response to a statement about the manna the people of Israel ate during their forty year trek through the wilderness (c.f. John 6:31-32). Where do we first learn about this manna – this “bread from heaven”? In the Books of Exodus and Numbers (c.f. Numbers 11:7).

(5) Think about all the doctrines explained or elaborated on in the New Testament, that are illustrated by events that were recorded in one of the books of the Pentateuch.

For example, in Romans chapter nine, Paul illustrates the doctrine of election by referring, first, to the births of Esau and Jacob (c.f. Romans 9:11-13) – and then, to the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart during the days of Moses (c.f. Romans 9:17-18). Where do we first read about these events? In the Books of Genesis and Exodus.

Likewise, in Romans chapter three, Paul discusses the doctrine of justification by faith, saying in part: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (c.f. Romans 3:28). Where are we first introduced to this great doctrine? In the Book of Genesis, where we’re told that the Lord appeared to Abraham and told him that his descendants would one day be as numerous as the stars in the sky – whereupon we’re told that Abraham “believed in the Lord; and (the Lord) reckoned it to him as righteousness” (c.f. Genesis 15:1-6).

(6) Think of all the times you encounter the phrase “it is written”, as you are reading and studying the Bible. Many of these instances refer to things that were first written down in one of the five books of Moses.

For example, when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, our Lord answered each temptation by saying “it is written” – 4“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” – 7“it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” – 10“it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (c.f. Matthew 4:4-10). Do you know where all those verses, that sustained our Lord in the face of severe temptation, are found? In the Book of Deuteronomy (c.f. Deuteronomy 6:13, 16; 8:3)!

Likewise, when Peter exhorts Christians to live holy lives, saying: 15“but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (c.f. I Peter 1:15-16) – he’s quoting from the Book of Leviticus (c.f. Leviticus 11:44).

(7) I encourage you, then, to be on the look out for these and other allusions, as you read through the bible – because if you do, you will find hundreds upon hundreds of references to people, and laws, and events, and doctrines, and quotes scattered throughout the pages of both the Old and New Testaments, that are spoken of first in one of the five books of Pentateuch.


  1. WHO WROTE THE FIVE BOOKS OF THE PENTATEUCH?

    (1) I said earlier that Moses is traditionally thought to have been the human author of the first five books of the Old Testament.2 I want to elaborate on that a little more now, in part, so we don’t have to keep addressing the issue as we work our way through the books of the Pentateuch.

    (2) Some of you are aware that, for the last two hundred years or so, some bible scholars have expressed skepticism about the Scripture’s own witness that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible – preferring, instead, to embrace a theory that claims each of these books was written by several unknown authors, long after Moses was dead – and later edited by still other unknown individuals, some of whom lived closer to the time of Christ than they did to the time of Moses.1

    I’m not going to bore you with the details of this theory, known as “the Documentary Hypothesis”.5 If you want to know more about it, the New Geneva Study Bible has several paragraphs in its “Introduction to the Pentateuch”1 – or you can find numerous articles on the Internet. I will simply have you note that the theory has finally started to lose some its appeal.

    (3) Instead, I want to focus briefly on the biblical evidence for Moses’ authorship of the Pentateuch – beginning with the fact that other Old Testament books, outside the Pentateuch, attribute authorship to him.

    For example, in the Book of Joshua, toward the end of his career, he exhorted the people of Israel to be 6“very firm … to keep and do all that is written IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF MOSES, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left” – he then went on to specify several things, like “not mentioning the name of other gods, or serving them” (c.f. Joshua 23:6-7) – both of which are found in the Book of Exodus (c.f. Exodus 20:4-5; 23:13). However, the point is that Joshua attributed authorship of THE BOOK OF EXODUS to Moses.

    In Daniel’s prayer of confession and repentance (found in Daniel chapter nine), he prays (in verse eleven): “… all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written IN THE LAW OF MOSES the servant of God …” (c.f. Daniel 9:11). In this instance, Daniel was alluding to things written in the Book of Leviticus (c.f. Leviticus 26:38-39). But for our purposes this evening, the point is that Daniel attributed authorship of THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS to Moses!

    In the Book of Ezra, we’re told that at the dedication of the newly rebuilt temple, 18“the priests (were appointed) to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written IN THE BOOK OF MOSES” (c.f. Ezra 6:16-18). As it turns out, the laws regulating the appointment of priests and Levites to their respective roles, in connection with the worship associated with the temple, are found in the Book of Numbers (c.f. Numbers 8). The point we are interested in, however, is that Ezra attributed authorship of THE BOOK OF NUMBERS to Moses!

    In Second Chronicles chapter twenty-five we’re told that King Amaziah killed the servants who had slain his father while he was king – “However, he did not put their children to death, but did as it is written in the law IN THE BOOK OF MOSES, which the Lord commanded, saying, ‘Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor sons be put to death for fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin’” (c.f. II Chronicles 25:1-4). Note, then, that in this instance, the quote is taken from THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY (c.f. Deuteronomy 24:16) – which the author of Second Chronicles attributes to the pen of Moses!

    These examples can be duplicated many times – i.e. where other books in the Old Testament attribute the authorship of one of the books of the Pentateuch to Moses. The only exception is THE BOOK OF GENESIS – as there is (so far as I know) no direct quote in Scripture (like the ones we’ve just looked at) that directly attributes the authorship of that book to Moses. Still, since the first five books of the Bible are clearly a unit (as we’ve already seen) – and since the biblical evidence strongly favors Moses’ authorship of the other four books of the Pentateuch – there is no good reason to doubt that he also authored the Book of Genesis.

    (4) But what about the New Testament? What do it’s inspired writers have to say about Moses’ authorship of the first five books of the Old Testament? More importantly, what did Jesus have to say about it? The answer is, that Jesus, and any New Testament writer who speaks about it, uniformly attribute the five books of the Pentateuch to Moses.

    For example, in Mark chapter twelve, Jesus says: 26“But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read IN THE BOOK OF MOSES, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living …” (c.f. Mark 12:26-27). The “passage” Jesus quotes is found in the Book of Exodus (c.f. Exodus 3:1-6). For our purposes, however, the point is that Jesus attributed authorship of THE BOOK OF EXODUS to Moses!

    In the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, soon after Jesus’ birth, we’re told that: 22“when the days for their purification according to THE LAW OF MOSES were completed, they brought (Jesus) up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’), 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, (namely) ‘A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons’” (c.f. Luke 2:22-24). The law about offering “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” is found in the Book of Leviticus (c.f. Leviticus 12:6-8). But the thing we are interested in at the moment is that Luke attributed authorship of THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS to Moses!

    The writer of Hebrews, in telling us what a serious matter it is to reject Christ as Savior, said (in chapter ten) that 28“Anyone who has set aside THE LAW OF MOSES dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God …?” (c.f. Hebrews 10:28-29). The “law”, to which the writer of Hebrews refers, is found in the Book of Deuteronomy (c.f. Deuteronomy 17:2-6). But tonight, the point is that the writer of Hebrews (whether it was Paul, or someone else) believed Moses was the author of THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY!

    Finally, although I could not find a New Testament quote from either the Book of Numbers or the Book of Genesis, that also spoke of Moses being their author, I did find a reference in the Book of Acts that says Paul “was explaining … the kingdom of God (to certain people in Rome) … trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both THE LAW OF MOSES and from the Prophets …” (c.f. Acts 28:23). We saw in an earlier message7 that the New Testament often refers to the Old Testament (in its entirety) as “the Law and the Prophets” (c.f. Matthew 7:12) – with “the Law” referring primarily (if not exclusively) to the first five books of the Old Testament, while “the Prophets” refers to all the other books (including some you and I wouldn’t normally think of as being prophetic). The point is, that Luke attributed the authorship of the first five books of the Old Testament to Moses, which would have included the Books of Genesis and Numbers – what’s more, Jesus essentially did the same thing in the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Luke (c.f. Luke 24:44).

    (5) We’ve been talking about biblical evidence, from OUTSIDE the Pentateuch, that Moses authored the first five books of the Bible. But what about from WITHIN the books of the Pentateuch? Is there any evidence within the Pentateuch itself to support Moses’ authorship?

    Consider the following. In the Book of Exodus, following Israel’s defeat of the Amalekites, the Lord said to Moses: 14“WRITE THIS IN A BOOK as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven” (c.f. Exodus 17:8-14). Does this prove Moses wrote the Pentateuch, or any of the books of the Pentateuch? No, of course not! But, it does tell us Moses could write – and that he did write “a book” of some kind!

    In Exodus chapter twenty-four, we’re told that 3“… Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances (i.e. the Lord had given Him) … 4(after which, he) WROTE DOWN ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD (i.e. in a book)” (c.f. Exodus 24:3-7). In Exodus chapter thirty-four, at the end of forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai, the Lord said to Moses: 27“WRITE DOWN THESE WORDS, for … with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel” (c.f. Exodus 34:27-28). In Numbers chapter thirty-three we’re told that 2“Moses RECORDED” the journeys of the sons of Israel (c.f. Numbers 33:1-2). Do these verses prove Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament? No – but, they do tell us he did a lot of writing – and that some of the things he wrote down found their way into the books of the Pentateuch!

    Perhaps the most interesting verse of all is found toward the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, where we’re told that 24“… Moses finished WRITING THE WORDS OF (THE) LAW IN A BOOK” – and that this 26“book of the law (was then placed) beside the ark of the covenant”, prior to Moses’ death (c.f. Deuteronomy 31:24-26; 34:5). Does this prove Moses wrote all the books of the Pentateuch? No (at least not by itself) – but it does strongly suggests he wrote the Book of Deuteronomy.8 And if he did, then why not the other four books of the Pentateuch – seeing as how they are all flow together (as we noted earlier), and form a single unified division within the Scriptures?

    (6) We see from all of this, then, that the traditional view regarding Moses’ authorship of the first five books of the Old Testament does have substantial biblical support – both from outside the Pentateuch, and from within. Moses apparently did a great deal of writing – he wrote at the command of the Lord (c.f. Exodus 34:27-28) – and, he may have kept what we might call a journal of Israel’s travels from Egypt to the borders of Canaan (c.f. Numbers 33:1-2).

    (7) So, why is this important? Why spend so much time discussing whether or not Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible? There are many reasons – but I will mention only two. First, because in tonight’s Scripture lesson from John chapter five, Jesus said “Moses wrote about Him” – and the books of the Pentateuch are the only place where he could have done that! And second, because Jesus also said that “anyone who does not believe what Moses wrote, will not believe His words either” (c.f. John 5:46-47) (which essentially means they cannot be saved). To put it another way, it’s hard to believe what Moses wrote about Jesus, if we don’t believe he wrote it!

    Experience (while not the final arbiter of truth) has demonstrated time and again that a high percentage of those who reject Moses’ authorship of the first five books of the Old Testament, also tend to have a lower of view of the divine inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture as a whole – with the result that many of these same people do not have saving faith. On the other hand, those who do accept Moses’ authorship of the Pentateuch are more likely to have a higher view of the divine inspiration and authority of all Scripture – and therefore, are more apt to have professed saving faith in Jesus Christ, in part, because they more apt to have accepted Scripture testimony regarding Him!

    (8) To put it very simply, our Savior was right! THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN BELIEVING WHAT MOSES WROTE IN THE PENTATEUCH, AND BELIEVING WHAT THE REST OF SCRIPTURE TELLS US ABOUT WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT HE SAID. It’s very rare (almost to the point of being impossible) that a person would believe one, and not the other!


    BIBLIOGRAPHY


    1The New Geneva Study Bible: Introduction to the

    Pentateuch; p. 1

    2MacArthur: The MacArthur Bible Commentary; p. 1.

    3The English Standard Version Study Bible: Introduction

    to the Pentateuch; p. 35.

    4BCS: Strong’s Concordance; Word #4872.

    5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_hypothesis

    6BCS: Ibid; Word #8451.

    7http://www.wpcpca.org/Archive/07-12-09-pm.html

    8The English Standard Version Study Bible: Footnote on

    Deuteronomy 31:9; p. 375.