Transcript The Torah © John Stevenson, 2014 Torah Hebrew: “Law, Instruction” Pentateuch Greek: “Five-Part Book” Genesis Creation to Egypt Exodus Deliverance from Egypt and establishment of covenant Leviticus Laws of worship Numbers Wilderness wanderings Deuteronomy Law to.

The Torah
© John Stevenson, 2014
Torah
Hebrew: “Law,
Instruction”
Pentateuch
Greek: “Five-Part
Book”
Genesis
Creation to Egypt
Exodus
Deliverance from Egypt and
establishment of covenant
Leviticus
Laws of worship
Numbers
Wilderness wanderings
Deuteronomy
Law to new generation with
special emphasis to those
entering the land
The Book of Beginnings
Genesis 1-11
Genesis 12-50
Events Predominant People Predominant
– Creation
– Fall
– Flood
– Tower of Babel
– Abraham
– Isaac
– Jacob
– Joseph
Race as a whole
Family of Abraham
Over 2000 years
250 years
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.
• The “who” of creation.
• The work of creation.
• The “what” of creation.
Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.
And the earth was unformed and
unfilled, and darkness was over the
surface of the deep; and the Spirit of
God was moving over the surface of
the waters.
Unformed
Unfilled
Day 1: Light
Day 4: Light-bearers
(sun, moon, stars)
Day 2: Water & sky
divided
Day 5: Fish & birds to
fill water & sky
Day 3: Dry land &
vegetation
Day 6: Land animals
& man
Day 7: Sabbath Rest
Why are there
two separate
accounts of
creation?
Genesis 1
Genesis 2
The heavens and the
earth are created in six
days.
Man in his cosmic
setting
Creation of the man
and woman (no time
element mentioned).
Man as central to
God’s purpose
Panorama of creation Detailed focus on one
as a whole
aspect of creation
Centers on God
Centers on man as the
creating the heavens crowning act of God’s
and the earth
creation
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created;
God finished His work (1-3)
Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)
Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created;
God finished His work (1-3)
Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)
Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)
Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the
garden (15)
Forbidden fruit (16-17)
And the LORD God commanded the man,
saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat
freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat
from it you shall surely die.“ (Genesis 2:16-17)
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created;
God finished His work (1-3)
Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)
Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)
Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the
garden (15)
Forbidden fruit (16-17)
Man in need of a helper: not good to be alone
(18)
Animals in garden are given names (19-20)
Woman created: Formed from rib (21-24)
Creation complete: Man & woman naked &
unashamed in presence of God (25)
When the woman
saw that the tree was
good for food, and that it
was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was
desirable to make one
wise, she took from its
fruit and ate; and she
gave also to her husband
with her, and he ate.
(Genesis 3:6)
What are the
results from
their actions of
taking and
eating the
forbidden fruit?
And I will put enmity
between you and the
woman, and between
your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on
the head, and you shall
bruise him on the heel.
(Genesis 3:15)
Seed of the Serpent
Seed of the Woman
Cain & Abel
How is the Cain &
Abel narrative
related to the larger
story of Genesis?
Seed of the Serpent
Cain
Lamech
Literally,
“another SEED”
Seed of the Woman
Abel
And Adam had relations
with his wife again; and she
gave birth to a son, and
named him Seth, for, she
said, "God has appointed
me another offspring in
place of Abel; for Cain
killed him." (Genesis 4:25).
Seed of the Serpent
Cain
Seed of the Woman
Abel & Seth
Enoch
Lamech
Noah
Ham
Shem
Canaan
Abraham
Genesis 6:14
Make for yourself an ark of
gopher wood; you shall make the ark
with rooms, and shall cover it inside
and out with pitch.
tb;Te
Same word is used for
the ark into which the
baby Moses was placed
Genesis 6:15
This is how you shall make it:
the length of the ark three hundred
cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its
height thirty cubits.
Noah’s three sons (6:10)
Covenant with Noah (6:18)
• Promise to destroy the earth with a flood
Command to take food (6:21)
Noah & Family enter the ark (7:1)
Flood on the earth (7:11 – 8:13)
The Lord shuts the door and it rains 40
days and nights (7:15-16)
Waters increase until the mountains
are covered (7:18-20)
150 days waters prevail (7:21-24)
God Remembers Noah (8:1)
150 days waters abate (8:3)
Waters decrease until the mountain
become visible (8:4-5)
At the end of 40 days Noah opens the
window (8:6)
Noah’s three sons (6:10)
Covenant with Noah (6:18)
• Promise to destroy the earth with a flood
Command to take food (6:21)
Noah & Family enter the ark (7:1)
Flood on the earth (7:11 – 8:13)
Noah & Family come out of ark (8:14)
Command not to eat blood (9:14)
Covenant with Noah (9:8-17)
• Promise not to destroy the earth with a flood
Noah’s three sons (9:18)
Ten Generations
Noah
Ten Generations
Adam
Noah
Terah
Three sons
Three sons
Genesis 11:1-2
Now the whole earth used the
same language and the same
words. 2 It came about as they
journeyed east, that they found a
plain in the land of Shinar and
settled there.
● Babel
Genesis 11:3-4
They said to one another, “Come,
let us make bricks and burn them
thoroughly.” And they used brick for
stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4
They said, “Come, let us build for
ourselves a city, and a tower whose
top will reach into heaven, and let us
make for ourselves a name, otherwise
we will be scattered abroad over the
face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:9
Therefore its name was called
Babel, because there the LORD
confused the language of the whole
earth; and from there the LORD
scattered them abroad over the face of
the whole earth.
lb,B'  Babel
Genesis 11:9
Therefore its name was called
Babel, because there the LORD
confused the language of the whole
earth; and from there the LORD
scattered them abroad over the face of
the whole earth.
lb,B'  Babel
ll;B'  Balal
Genesis 11:29-30
And Abram and Nahor took wives
for themselves. The name of Abram's
wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's
wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran,
the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 And
Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Genesis 12:1-2
Now the LORD said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
1
Genesis 12:3
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will
curse.
And in you all the families of the
earth shall be blessed.
Haran
●
And Abram took
Sarai his wife and
Lot his nephew…
…and they set out for ● Ur
the land of Canaan;
thus they came to
the land of Canaan.
(Genesis 12:5).
Genesis 12:7
And the LORD appeared to Abram
and said, "To your descendants I will give
this land." So he built an altar there to the
LORD who had appeared to him.
Literally,
“to your Seed”
Genesis 12:7
And the LORD appeared to Abram
and said, "To your descendants I will give
this land." So he built an altar there to the
LORD who had appeared to him.
• Lot, the Nephew of Abram
• Eliezer of Damascus
Then behold, the word of the LORD came to
him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but
one who shall come forth from your own body,
he shall be your heir.“ (Genesis 15:4).
Genesis 15 &
The Covenant Ceremony
So He said to him, "Bring Me a
three year old heifer, and a three year
old female goat, and a three year old
ram, and a turtledove, and a young
pigeon."
Then he brought all these to Him
and cut them in two, and laid each
half opposite the other; but he did not
cut the birds. (Genesis 15:9-10).
10
Genesis 15 &
The Covenant Ceremony
And it came about when the
sun had set, that it was very dark,
and behold, there appeared a
smoking oven and a flaming torch
which passed between these
pieces.
On that day the LORD made
a covenant with Abram… (Genesis
15:17-18).
Quest for a Son
• Lot, the Nephew of Abram
• Eliezer of Damascus
• Ishmael
• Isaac – “Laughter”
Abram called to Faith: Promise of a Seed (12:1-9)
Sojourn in Egypt & Denial of Sarai (12:10-20)
• Lot separates from Abram (13)
War on Sodom; Rescue of Lot by Abram (14)
Covenant Ceremony; Animal sacrifice (15)
Ishmael born (16)
Covenant Sign; Circumcision (17)
Destruction of Sodom; Rescue of Lot by Angels
(18-19)
Sojourn in Gerar & Denial of Sarah (20)
• Ishmael separates from Abram (21)
Abraham’s Faith Tested: Blessing of the Seed (22)
Abraham’s
Test
And Abraham
called the name of
that place The
LORD Will
Provide, as it is
said to this day, "In
the mount of the
LORD it will be
provided.”
(Genesis 22:14).
Seed of the Serpent
Seed of the Woman
Abraham
Ishmael
Isaac
Esau
Jacob
Whose Seed
are You?
Birth of Twins: Jacob is named (25:19-34)
Interlude: Rebekah in foreign palace, pact with
foreigners (26)
Jacob fears Esau and flees (27:1 - 28:9)
Jacob’s encounter with God — ladder (28:10-22)
Arrival in Haran (29:1-30)

Haran
Birth of Twins: Jacob is named (25:19-34)
Interlude: Rebekah in foreign palace, pact with
foreigners (26)
Jacob fears Esau and flees (27:1 - 28:9)
Jacob’s encounter with God — ladder (28:10-22)
Arrival in Haran (29:1-30)
Jacob’s wives are fertile (29:31 - 30:24)
Jacob’s flocks are fertile (30:25-43)
Flight from Haran (31)
Jacob’s encounter with God — angel (32)
Birth of Twins: Jacob is named (25:19-34)
Interlude: Rebekah in foreign palace, pact with
foreigners (26)
Jacob fears Esau and flees (27:1 - 28:9)
Jacob’s encounter with God — ladder (28:10-22)
Arrival in Haran (29:1-30)
Jacob’s wives are fertile (29:31 - 30:24)
Jacob’s flocks are fertile (30:25-43)
Flight from Haran (31)
Jacob’s encounter with God — angel (32)
Jacob returns and fears Esau (33:1-20)
Interlude: Dinah in foreign palace, pact with
foreigners (34)
Death of Rebekah’s nurse: Named Israel (35)
The Joseph Story
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A problem of favoritism
Deception with garments and a goat
Departure from the land
Egypt in the days of Joseph
Joseph’s Imprisonment
Joseph’s Exaltation
Israel’s Entrance into Egypt
Genesis 50:19-20
But Joseph said to them, “Do not
be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As
for you, you meant evil against me, but
God meant it for good in order to bring
about this present result, to preserve
many people alive.”
A Pattern of Israel’s
Purpose
• Altars & Worship
• A Sense of Purpose
• Unity
• Racial & Religious Purity