The Torah

© John Stevenson, 2016

 Hebrew: “Law,
Torah Instruction”
Greek: “Five-Part
Pentateuch Book”
 Genesis Creation to Egypt

Deliverance from Egypt and

Exodus establishment of covenant

Leviticus Laws of worship

Numbers Wilderness wanderings

Law to new generation with

Deuteronomy special emphasis to those
entering the land
The Book of Beginnings
 Genesis 1-11 Genesis 12-50
Events Predominant People Predominant
– Creation – Abraham
– Fall – Isaac
– Flood – Jacob
– Tower of Babel – 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 Day 5: Fish & birds to
divided fill water & sky
Day 3: Dry land & Day 6: Land animals
vegetation & man

Day 7: Sabbath Rest

Why are there
two separate
accounts of
creation?
 Genesis 1 Genesis 2
The heavens and the Creation of the man
earth are created in six and woman (no time
days. element mentioned).
Man in his cosmic Man as central to
setting 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 Seed of the Woman

Cain Abel

And Adam had relations

with his wife again; and she
Lamech gave birth to a son, and
named him Seth, for, she
said, "God has appointed
me another offspring in
Literally,
place of Abel; for Cain
“another SEED”
killed him." (Genesis 4:25).
Seed of the Serpent Seed of the Woman

Cain 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;
SameTeword 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)
 Adam Noah

Ten Generations

Ten Generations
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,  Babel
B'
 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,  Babel
B'  Balal
ll;B
 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
1 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;
 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."
10 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).
 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”
Promises given: Abram called to leave his family.
Promise of Seed (12:1-3)
Sojourn in Egypt, “She is my sister” (12.10-20)
Lot and Abram: Negotiations (13).
Abram rescues Lot and people of Sodom (14)
Abram prepares a sacrifice for a covenant ceremony:
God promises descendants and the Land (15)
Hagar and Ishmael (16)
Abrahamic Covenant (17:1-22)
Abraham and Ishmael circumcised (17:23-27).
Abraham prepares a meal: God promises that Sarah will
give birth to Isaac (18:1-15).
God and Abram: Negotiations (18:16-33).
Angels rescue Lot and destroy Sodom (19)
Sojourn in Gerar, “She is my sister” (20)
Promises fulfilled: Isaac born; Hagar & Ishmael sent out;
Isaac offered on altar (21-22)
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