Tracing God's Story: Old TestamentSample

Books of the Law

The first section of the Old Testament contains five books known as the Books of the Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. All of these books were written by Moses except for the very ending, which documents Moses's death, so Joshua would have written this section.

These books show us God's nature—His love, grace, mercy, patience, and forgiveness. They explain why we need a Savior. God is perfect and holy, but man is broken and full of sin. God desires to be in our presence, but we are not holy enough. If we could keep all of the laws written in these books, we could be holy enough, but with our sinful nature, it is impossible. One tiny sin ruins us.

Imagine there's a perfect, clear, pure glass of water sitting on the counter. This water represents our holiness. But if I put one tiny drop of poison in it, is the water still good, or is that one drop of poison enough to ruin it? That poison is our sin. We may think we live a good life, but we are not clean enough to come before our almighty creator.

God gave us the laws to realize this truth and recognize our desperate need for a Savior. He shows us that the only way to become clean is through the blood sacrifice of a pure animal. But even that is temporary because the moment the sacrifice is over, and we sin, we are unclean again. God wants us to see that we need an eternal sacrifice, and He provides that for us when Jesus Christ dies on the cross.

History of the Books of the Law

We do not know the exact date each book was written, but most scholars believe Moses lived sometime between 1600 and 1200 BC, so it would have been in that timeframe.

These books contain the stories of the creation of the world; man's fall into sin; the flood that covered the earth; the patriarchs Adam, Isaac, and Jacob; the Exodus from Egypt; and the story of how the Israelites headed toward the Promised Land. They also include the receiving of the Ten Commandments, a list of laws and festivals for the Jewish people, and explicit details on how to build the Tabernacle. There is a lot of information and history in these books.

These five books describe the old covenant or agreement, and we need to understand that covenant to appreciate that we now live under a new covenant. These books often cause people to see God as strict and full of judgment, but that is not the case at all. They show that our relationship with God was broken because of our sin, and He desperately wants to restore it.

If you look deeply, you will see how these books speak of His immense love, promises of abundant blessings, and His incredible grace and mercy. Best of all, they prepare us for the ultimate fulfillment of His promises, which come in Jesus Christ.

I urge you to look for these amazing attributes of God as you read these first five books, the books of the law. I believe that as you start to recognize how deeply He desires a relationship with you, you will open your heart to becoming closer and more intimate with Him. I hope the information shared today helps you grasp how interesting the Bible is so that you develop a passion for reading it.