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Explore the Books of Moses

Starting at the beginning has always been—and still is—a good idea. And that is no less true for the Bible! And yet, sadly, many Christians are in the dark when it comes to understanding the Old Testament, especially some of the earlier books. We’ve probably all had the experience of starting a Bible reading plan in Genesis only to run out of steam in Leviticus and go back to the safer ground of a Gospel or one of Paul’s letters.

Of course, it is quite natural that those who have found new meaning in life because of Jesus will want to know more about His life and teachings. But you can’t listen to Jesus for long without realising that He took that part of the Bible that we call the Old Testament very seriously. In fact, He seemed to explain His identity and mission in the light of these scriptures. What this shows is that, strange though they may seem to us, the Old Testament writings matter.

In Explore the Books of Moses we begin our journey through the Old Testament. These books form the basis of all that follows in the Bible and are therefore vital if we are to understand the mission of Jesus and the message of the Bible as a whole.

The material in this book has been designed to help you explore and understand the first five books of the Old Testament or Torah, as the Hebrews called them. It is our prayer that in doing so you will grow to love the Old Testament and Jesus more.

Explore the Books of Moses- Contents Page

Introduction

Unit 1: The Books of Moses

  • What is the Torah?
  • The Law of God
  • The period of history covered by the Torah
  • The theme of the Torah

Unit 2: In the Beginning

  • How did the universe begin?
  • What was the universe like?
  • Humankind’s place within the universe
  • God’s purpose for creation
  • Life in God’s world
  • The beginning and the gospel

Unit 3: A World Gone Wrong!

  • What is evil?
  • How did evil enter the world?
  • What is sin?
  • The consequences of human rebellion
  • Life in God’s world
  • The basis of the gospel in Genesis 3 to 11

Unit 4: A Fresh Start

  • A fresh start with the birth of Seth
  • A fresh start with Noah
  • A fresh start with the call of Abram
  • Blessing in the patriarchal narratives
  • The promise and the gospel

Unit 5: The Exodus

  • Introduction to Exodus
  • Participants in the events
  • God’s response to His people’s slavery in Egypt
  • The elements of God’s character that come into focus
  • The manner in which God rescued Israel from Egypt
  • How should we interpret the Exodus?
  • Israel’s response to God’s rescue

Unit 6: The Covenant at Sinai

  • The covenant at Sinai
  • Why was Israel’s experience at Sinai visible and audible?
  • The terms of God’s covenant with Israel
  • The covenant and fellowship with God
  • The symbol of God’s presence with Israel
  • Did Israel stick to the terms of the covenant?
  • The consequences of Israel’s sin
  • God renews the covenant with Israel

Unit 7: Israel’s Calling

  • The link between Exodus and Leviticus
  • The content of Leviticus
  • The sacrificial system
  • How was Israel instructed in the meaning of holiness?
  • The significance of the Israelite assemblies/feasts

Unit 8: In The Wilderness

  • God’s ideal for Israel
  • How did Israel conform to the Ideal?
  • The Lord’s response to Israel’s unfaithfulness
  • The leadership ideal for Israel

Unit 9: Hear, O Israel!

  • Introduction to Deuteronomy
  • The structure of the book
  • Key themes of Deuteronomy

Unit 10: Moses Wrote about Me

  • Jesus and the Torah (Pentateuch)
  • The beginning and the gospel
  • Genesis 3 to 11 and the gospel
  • The promise and the gospel
  • The Exodus and the gospel
  • The Law given at Sinai and the gospel
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