PENTATEUKH

 A. Introduction

1. Old Testament Authority

    The Old Testament is the Scriptures used by Christ and His disciples for some twenty years after Christ, the New Testament passages that exist are only excerpts containing stories about his life and influence. Christ recognized the full authority and binding nature of Scripture, an expression that is clear testimony to His dependence on the authority of the Old Testament. Paul knew the Old Testament well, after he became a Christian and an apostle. He found that the text he knew well was full of fresh meaning. Paul recognized the inspiration and full authority of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) and found the deepest meaning of the Old Testament in waiting and preparing for the New Testament.

2. God's Revelation and Inspiration

    is the act of revealing, revealing, or revealing. God revealed Himself through His work, namely the release of Israel from Egyptian slavery accompanied by terrible events is one of God's revelations through His greatest work in the Old Testament. The need for revelation is because God transcends space and time that is observed by the human senses. According to the biblical view God has revealed Himself in creation and continues to reveal Himself in providence. By reading the Old Testament as a whole we can see that God did not reveal everything about Himself or plans at one time. Inspiration from the biblical view is the work of God's Spirit upon the “saints of old” so that they could convey God's revelations both verbally and in writing. The main element in inspiration is the Spirit of God, so the Spirit of God led the writers and editors of the Bible to write down both God's revelations and the deeds and words of men, because in God's plan the whole was needed to understand the smaller parts.

3.  Canon

    Canon is a collection of authoritative writings whose teachings bind adherents. The canon can also be called an absolute necessity because of the essential nature of God's revelation. Israel came to know the concept of the canon when they received the law through Moses on Mount Sinai. God gave His word, Israel vowed to obey it and Moses recorded it in writing. The essence of the concept of the canon is that people hear and obey a book and feel confident that God speaks through that book. Traditionally, the Jewish Scriptures are divided into three parts: the Torah, the Prophets, and the Scriptures. The standard canon is divided into four, namely: the Hebrew Canon, the Samaritan Canon, the Greek Canon, the Jewish Canon and the Christian Canon.

4. Writing of the Old Testament

    In the Old Testament the languages ​​used are Hebrew and Aramaic. Hebrew words, like other Semitic languages, are usually based on three consonant root words. The relationship between Hebrew and typical Hebrew thought forms is a difficult problem. There are no experts who agree on the relationship between the language of a nation and the nation's view of life. When the Assyrian empire began to push west in the mid-8th century BC, Aramaic was used as the official language for diplomacy and trade.

    One of the main problems in biblical science is determining the correct form of the original writings in the Bible. Subtraction and addition has occurred bit by bit with spelling errors and word division. These errors must be found so that the Hebrew and Aramaic texts can be restored to a form that is as close to their original form as possible. The parchment scroll was the standard form in which the writings of the Bible were preserved throughout the Old Testament. The scroll was made from carefully tanned leather (parchment) and consisted of many parts that were sewn together and carefully scraped. Ancient translations of the Old Testament and Dead Sea Scrolls show that writers who copied and reprinted Bible documents in the centuries leading up to Christ's return seemed somewhat free to change them.

    Although not really a “translation”, the Samaritan Torah (which is still cherished by the small community in Nablus, near ancient Shechem) is an ancient, independent form of the Hebrew text. After the return of the Israelites from exile, Aramaic replaced Hebrew as the language of instruction.

5. Geography

    According to the Bible, God's revelation takes place in space and time, so proper interpretation requires that we pay attention to the geographical and historical data in the text. The region where the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa are located is characterized by a number of important geographical features. Starting from the Atlantic Ocean to Southeast Asia lies an almost continuous mountain range, the Pyrenean mountains, Alps, Balkans, Kausasus, Elburz, Hindu Kush and Himalayan ranges. The area between the mountains and the deserts can be called the world of the Bible. At the beginning of the 12th century BC, "Peoples of the sea" from around the island of Crete or Greece tried to invade Egypt.

 The nation that pursued the Israelites was known as the Philistines who landed on the coast of southern Palestine, the father of history called the area "Philistine Syria" which in Latin is Palentina. This name was used in the Middle Ages in the Old Testament. The name Palestine generally refers to the area from "Dan to Beersheba" (Judges 20:1ff). The most common designation in the Old Testament is (ever hadyer den) which means Trans Jordan, the Trans Jordan regions include: Gilead, Ammon, Moab, Edom and Midian. In the Old Testament there are two seasons, namely the rainy season (approximately December-March) and the dry season (May-September). According to one theory , the climate has changed greatly between the days of Israel's forefathers and today . This change makes the land dry and the forest deforested and other consequences.

6. The Five Commandments

    The first five books of the Old Testament Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are called the Torah. The word comes from the language tora (law, teaching, instruction) which is translated in the New Testament by the Greek word nomos. The Torah is the most important part of the Jewish canon, its authority and holiness far exceeds the books of the Prophets or other books.

    If the five books of the Torah are read carefully it will be obvious that in addition to a clear unity of purpose, plan and structure, there is a complex and objectionable variety. This led to the emergence of various theories regarding the origin of the Torah. Most of these theories only express views about the source, time of writing and author without considering the theological and historical value positively.

7. Book of Genesis

    In Hebrew the book of Genesis is called beresyit 'in the beginning', that is, the opening of the book. But this is appropriate because, the Book of Genesis tells the beginning of everything related to the faith of God's people in the Bible. Based on its contents, this book is divided into two parts that can be clearly separated, namely: Genesis 1-11 (history of early times) and Genesis 12-15 (history of the ancestors). In order to understand early history with the same intent and purpose as the ancient authors intended, we must examine the type of literature used.

    The main purpose of the early story is theological, so we need to pay attention to the message more clearly. The author weaves four main theological themes in an iterative and continuous pattern: first, the nature and impact of the fact that God is the creator; second, the result of deep sin; third, God's way of punishing human sin in all respects; fourth, His astonishing grace that sustains His creation.

    Abraham's call and blessing was a radical new development, here God at work in history to initiate a series of events that would bridge the gulf that sin had created between Him and His creation. The rediscovery of ancient Scriptures has shown that the stories of the forefathers authentically reflect the times in which they lived as narrated by the Bible. The history of the story of the forefathers of Israel is a family history that pays little attention to the relationship between family stories in the events of that era. The history of the patriarchs begins with the calling and election of Abraham in Genesis 12:1-13. The Bible clearly shows that the religion Abraham received from his ancestors was political (Joshua 24:2

8. Book of Exodus

    The book of Exodus begins with the end of "the times of the forefathers" about 1550 BC and continues until about 1200 BC, when the Israelites entered Palestine. During this period, which roughly coincided with the late Bronze Age in Palestine. Egypt dominated the ancient world and Palestine was located within the boundaries of its empire. The events of the Exodus are indisputable, although there is no direct history of either the persecution in Egypt or the events, but circumstantial evidence is overwhelming. Although the events of the Exodus are clearly central to Israel's history, no final resolution can be given to the complex chronological and geographical problems associated with them. The word Exodus is a translation of the Greek exodus “to come out”, the name given to the book in the Septuagint.

    This book focuses on two important events, namely the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through God's powerful work of saving God at the Red Sea (Exodus 1-18) and His confirmation as their Lord through the covenant at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-40). In the Old Testament Moses is described as the founder of the Religion of Israel, the person who promulgated the Laws officially, the organizer of the tribes in work and worship, their charismatic leader in the events of liberation, the covenant at Sinai and wanderings in the Desert, until Israel was ready. entered the promised land from the plains of Moab.

    In the Book of Exodus the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt is accompanied by signs, namely ten plagues. The first nine plagues are a continuous series and are separated from the tenth plague, namely the death of the firstborn. The story of the nine plagues is formed by classifying into three groups of three each. Of each of these groups, in the first plague Moses was ordered to appear before Pharaoh by the river, in the second plague he was ordered to appear before Pharaoh in his palace, and in the third plague he was ordered to make a gesture that caused the plague without notification to Pharaoh.

    In accordance with the tenth plague of the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites out of Egypt. But after the Israelites left Egypt Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued the Israelites with his army. The Israelites saw Pharaoh's army coming so the Israelites were afraid and blamed Moses. After this Moses gave a signal, then God sent a strong East wind throughout the night that parted the waters of the sea so that the Israelites could be saved and the Egyptians were rolled up in the sea water. After liberation at the Red Sea, God called Moses and gave him a commandment. In the Book of God's output, God told Moses to build a tabernacle, the tabernacle was a portable holy place, consisting of a square lattice frame made of acacia wood covered by two large curtains of linen.

9. Book of Leviticus

    The name Priesthood comes from the Septuagint through the Latin translation of the Bible, which gives the full title (the Book) of the priests. The book of Leviticus sets out Israel's ceremonial laws. All qadosy means 'set apart' or 'dedicated', i.e. for religious purposes. Certain people are considered holy, because they are set apart for religious purposes. The Bible's understanding of holiness is not limited to specifics. So God's moral perfection is part of His concept of holiness and His demand that His covenant people be holy, always bound by the moral law. In Leviticus 7:37 there are five sacrifices included in the law that the Lord God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. The cleansing and slaughter of sacrifices is described with great care (Leviticus 1:3-9).

    The sacrificial bearer must present his sacrifice personally at the altar or the door of the tent of meeting, "that the Lord may please him". Then he puts his hand on the head of the victim, perhaps as a sign that the victim represents himself. The priest is required to keep the fire so that the fire continues to burn on the altar. When the offering bearer slaughters an animal, the priest collects the blood in a vessel, sprinkles some of it around the altar and places the rest on the altar. In all the passages concerning sacrifice, blood is highly emphasized because it is the core of the Christian faith, both in Christ's sacrifice on the cross and in the symbols of the Holy Communion. The law of holiness is one of the documents used in the formation of the Pentateuch.

10. Book of Numbers

    Numbers is an odd name for such a book. Its title in the Bible (Hebrew) is taken from the words in the first verse, namely in the Desert of Sinai. It was once believed that the Book of Numbers, like the rest of the Torah, was written entirely by Moses. With the advent of literary criticism, the problems that arise with this theory are shown some elements of this problem because the writing of this book is not written by name. According to the Book of Numbers 1:45-46 all the Israelites who were numbered according to their tribes, namely those who were twenty years old and above who were able to fight among the Israelites numbered six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty people. This number is so large that it creates a variety of problems. There are four basic approaches to the problem of numbers that can also apply to other Old Testaments, namely: (1). Numbers are taken literally, (2). The numbers in the Book of Numbers come from a misplaced royal census list, (3). The word translated "thousands" can also be translated into tribe or people, (4). In this approach it is suggested that numbers are elements of an "epic" style of writing intended to express the greatness and wonder of the liberators of Egypt.

    The time in the wilderness was a constant study of God's presence as well as of His unfailing care for the needs of His people. Across KIn the Old Testament, there are many warnings of God's providence which are often described by remembering the time of the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness. An important point in Israelite theology is the belief that God is long-suffering. The book of Numbers lists several events that build this belief. God was patient with Moses when he was called to Mount Sinai and tried to evade the call and then also during his wanderings in the wilderness. According to the Bible there must be someone who intercedes. Leviticus shows that the work of the priest and the sacrificial system provided a means of intercession.

11. Book of Deuteronomy

    According to Deuteronomy, Moses took the opportunity to give the Israelites three mandates, when the Israelites refused to enter the land of Canaan. This was his parting message because he had been told that he could not enter the promised land with the Israelites. The contents of the message are contained in the Book of Deuteronomy, which was first given at the Jordan River, in the land of Moab. The second one is given across the Jordan, the valley beside Bet Peor, in the land of Sihon, king of Amorites. The outline of the Book of Deuteronomy begins with the three commissions, the three commissions consist of 4 chapters, 24 chapters, and 2 chapters of a division. which is not balanced.

    The Book of Deuteronomy is often the key to the theoretical sources on the origin of the Torah. But in recent years this theory in its original form has been almost entirely abandoned by modern scholars who study the Book of Deuteronomy. The Book of Turat, in the opinion of most scholars, is clearly determined by the theory which suggests that it was composed shortly before 621 BC. According to the results of research over the past two centuries, it is stated that Moses was not the author of this book, but is a tradition that accurately represents and applies the laws and statutes of God's covenant to the needs of the Israelites who will enter the Canaanite prison.

    The book of Deuteronomy is the source of much of the theology that influenced the thought and life of Israelites, Jews, and Christians. This understanding of God in relation to His chosen people, is certainly not the first time put forward in the Book of Deuteronomy. This belief is an important part of the story of God's creation, flood and covenant with Abraham, the basis for this teaching is found in Abraham's calling (Genesis 13:13; 15:1-6) where God's promise was addressed to Abraham's son. The bond that emerged from the election of the Israelites was called a “covenant”, a covenant in the Bible starting from love: because God loves you (Deuteronomy 7:8).

    The basis of the Bible's teaching on sin is laid out in the story of the fall of man into sin (Genesis 3) and is described in the following chapters that culminates in the flood (Genesis 4-9). In the Book of Numbers, the sin of the Israelites is described in several incidents of rebellion and their murmuring, in the Book of Numbers the sin is seen against the background of the covenant bond. The belief that God has actually entered human history is a teaching found only in the Bible and is not found in the same way in the literature of any religion. It can be concluded that the Book of Deuteronomy is one of the most important books of the Old Testament that deserves careful study by any generation.

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