Cycle 3: Theological Survey

A Biblical-Theological
Survey of Moses, Prophets
and the Writings
Books of Torah - Part. 1
Rev. Charles R. Biggs, ThM
January 25, 2019

“I will make my dwelling among you,

and my soul shall not abhor you.
And I will walk among you and will be your God,
and you shall be my people”
(Leviticus 26:11-12)

Wise words we should seek to remember from biblical-theologian Stephen Dempster:

1. Read and reread scripture to have a clean and clear lens to read the Bible in its context.
2. Steep yourself in its tone and temple and learn the overall message.
3. The hermeneutical rule of the analogy of faith is where the interpreter understands
individual passages in the light of the whole text, and the whole can be known only by
repeated readings of its individual parts. Interpretation that recalls:

Retrospectively <-> Circumspectively <-> Prospectively

In each book of the OT, we shall seek to consider:

1. Outline: Structure: Form/Layout
2. Thematic Outline: Plot-Drama/Story (Aristotle: “Plot is the crucial
element in a narrative--its soul”).
3. Theology: Theme/Content about God and Man/Application
John Calvin reminds us of God’s goodness towards us revealed throughout the Holy Scriptures:
“God says to His people: ‘Though a mother may forget her children, I will never forget you’
(Isa. 49:15). In fact the main aim of the Bible stories is to show that God keeps His servants so
carefully that He will not let them stumble against a stone … the most common, insignificant
sparrow does not fall to the ground without God’s will (Matt. 10:29).” – Institutes, chap. 9

Important Letter to Class:

Dear Beloved Class,
In your journal/index card summaries of each Biblical book, please remember the three responses
(Important for reflection and growth in holiness/sanctification):

1) How is the Triune God revealed? What is His self-revelation?

2) What is the FCF (and what does this mean class?!) and
3) How then should I live (pastoral/practical application). This is also where you want to gaze upon
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! What do I mean? I mean before you apply it to your own
heart, see how Christ fulfills this book particularly in His Person and Work. (I would be happy to give
examples of this in our next class). Remember Luke 24:25-27, 44-47; 2 Cor. 3:18). Put the priority on
application to Christ, then application to your own heart (gives glory to Christ, and prevents
unnecessary individualism! For example for Genesis: Christ is the Creator (Heb. 1:1-4) who made all
things visible and invisible, is sovereign Lord over them, yet willingly became part of His creation in
the incarnation to redeem me! What love!!?? If you do this one right, you will have pages and
volumes filled with scriptural reflections!! Note John 21:

ESV John 21:25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be
written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Hallelujah! Amen!!
If you have questions, please ask!

Three Primary themes to focus on in this Old Covenant Theological-Survey:

1. King/Kingdom- Law/Rule (Self-revelation of God)- Seed

2. Covenant- Relationship (God’s instrument/means of relationship with people)-

Blessing to All

3. City of God/Temple/Sanctuary/Land- Holiness/Presence (God’s goal/end/purpose of

creation: Life with His people in the Holy City of Zion)- Land/Cosmos
 *King, Covenant, Temple*
ESV Exodus 15:13, 16-18: "You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have
redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. …Till your people, O
LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased. 17 You will bring them in and
plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the
sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. 18 The LORD will reign forever and
ever."

Three Categories of Old Testament Books: 1. Law = Covenant; 2. Prophecy = Covenant

History; 3. Writings = Covenant Life ('A Biblical Theological Introduction to the Old Testament',
Miles V. Van Pelt). Genesis and Revelation serve God's purposes as covenant prologue and
covenant epilogue respectively.

Law: Genesis - Deuteronomy

Prophecy: Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings / Latter Prophets: Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Book of the Twelve
Writings: Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra,
Nehemiah, Lamentations, Chronicles

Two Important Themes in Torah/Moses:

“From Paradise to Promised Land”
“From Slavery to Sonship”

• Genre of Pentateuch: Historical-Covenantal-Theological Narrative

1. Takes places in real space and time history.

2. Selectively written with an eschatological-theological purpose.

• A Simple Scriptural Plotline of Torah/Moses:

Genesis 1:1-2 <-> Genesis 3:15 <-> Genesis 12:1-3 <-> Genesis 50:20-21, 24 <->
Exodus 1:1-8 <-> Exodus 2:23-25 <-> Exodus 6:2-8 <-> Exodus 15:13-18 <-> Exodus
19:1-6, 19:21-20:1-6 <-> Exodus 40:34-38 <-> Leviticus 1:1 <-> Leviticus 16 <->
 Leviticus 19:1-4 <-> Leviticus 20:22-26 <-> Leviticus 26:11-13 <-> Leviticus 27:34 <->
Numbers 1:1 <-> Numbers 21:4-9 <-> Numbers 36:13 <-> Deuteronomy 1:1 <->
Deuteronomy 4 <-> Deuteronomy 7:6-11 <-> Deuteronomy 10:12-13 <-> Deuteronomy
34:1, 9-12

Book of Genesis: A Book of Foundations/Beginnings

A Story of First Things: first couple, first son, the first garden-paradise, the first sin, the first
rainbow, the first fratricide, the first wanderer, the first covenant, etc.

Outline
I. Gen. 1-11- Primeval History (Theology: Creation, Culture, Common Grace)
II. Gen. 12-50- Covenant History (Theology: Call, Covenant Family)

Theme: “Created and Called through Covenant”

Thematic Outline:
1. Creation
2. Common Grace/Culture
3. Call of Abram: An Epic Quest for Paradise-Home (cf. Heb. 11:8-16).
4. Covenant History: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Three Terms Used Often in Genesis:

1. Bless/Blessing
2. Seed (Offspring)
3. Land/Earth

Geneaologies in Old Testament (bookends): Same story about the same family through
successive, supplemental covenants that are part of one Eternal Covenant progressively revealed
in history.

Genealogy/“Toledot” Structure of Genesis: to trace the origins of Israel and the Twelve
Tribes

● Introduction to 10 “Toledots” (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1;
36:9; 37:2; cf. Numbers 3:1)
 ● What does this pattern teach us? A genealogical bridge from creation to new
creation.

o 3 Important Redemptive-Historical Links to Remember:

1. Adam and Abraham

2. Garden of Eden and Canaan
3. Old Humanity/New Humanity (Israel)

God’s Self-Revelation: How is the Triune God revealed?

Creator/ Covenantal-Faithful LORD

Man's Sinful Condition: What is FCF (Fallen Condition Focus)?

Desperately wicked/ Impetuous/ Unfaithful/ Unwise; “Unfaithfulness was the root of the fall …
then rebellion since Adam failed to look to the LORD alone for help as Covenant-Servant-
Image-Bearer” (Calvin, Institutes, 2.1.4).

Pastoral/Practical-Experiential Wisdom: How then should I live?

Live with purpose reflecting God’s glory (created in God’s image); confidence through covenant
that we are part of the family as sons of Abraham by faith.

Book of Exodus: Israel’s (re) Birth and Sonship

A Story of Deliverance to be a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation (Exo. 19:6)

Outline
I. Exodus 1-18 (Freed from Slavery)
II. Exodus 19-24 (Freedom to Live by Grace as Sons)
III. Exodus 25-40 (Freedom to Approach God through Mediator/Mediators to Worship)

Theme: “Freed to be Servant-Sons”- “His service is perfect freedom” (adapted from ‘Book
of Common Prayer’)
Thematic Outline:
1. Moses → Israel - Moses’s life mirrored/reflected in Israel’s life; Mediator/Representative
 God’s people.

2. Exodus → Plagues/Red Sea (Exodus was God’s greatest act of salvation in the Old
Testament: plagues on Egypt and Red Sea demonstrates God’s salvation and judgment).
God the Redeemer/Deliverer/Father.

3. Law (Moral, Ceremonial, Civil). God the Righteous One.

4. Tabernacle. God is the One who Dwells and Tabernacles with His People.

Deliverance
Sonship
God’s Presence with His people
Israel is God’s “Shadow-Kingdom” to image God to the nations.

Mediator/Experiences: Moses → Israel → JESUS CHRIST

A. Egypt → Slave
B. Midian → Wilderness
C. Sinai → Sons

* Three Levels of Approaching God Revealed in Exodus:

1. The Burning Bush
2. Sinai
3. Tabernacle

* Three levels of approaching God in Exodus and Leviticus:

(1) Top of Mount Sinai reserved for Covenant Mediator (Moses) alone; (2) the
middle section where God meets with Moses and the priests; and (3) the bottom
section where all the people are located.
 The Tabernacle is basically the mountain approach of God laid down with the
most holy place in the direction of the West, entrance being from the East.

Then compare that with the Tabernacle the outer Court the holy place the most
holy Place three levels of access to God:

- Three Levels of Approach of God:

1. Outer Court
2. Holy Place
3. Most Holy Place
- From lesser expensive materials to very expensive/precious materials (e.g.
bronze --> gold/precious dyes)

Then compare that with the creation account: upper world, middle world, sea-
lower world, then Noah's ark there was the top floor the middle floor the bottom
floor (3 levels of ark, a replica of creation); then compare that with ancient
mythology (biblical truths that became myths) that have for example, the higher
most highest (Asgard) or Middle Earth (Midgard) and lower Earth (Niflheim),
(where Gandalf fell in the shadows at the root of the mountains).

* Tabernacle/Temple
- Ark of Covenant
- Sacrifice/Bronze Altar
- Wash Basin: Sea/Baptism/Salvation-flood Waters
- According to plan
- Bread of Presence
- Lampstand: 1. Tree of Life; 2. Holy Spirit (light and fire)

God’s Self-Revelation: How is the Triune God revealed?

Redeemer/Covenant Lord worthy of our worship and service.
Man's Sinful Condition: What is FCF (Fallen Condition Focus)?
Desperate need of God’s initiating grace and power in our lives.

Pastoral/Practical-Experiential Wisdom: How then should I live?

Living joyfully free as sons by God’s grace, fulfilling His law.

Book of Leviticus: Israel’s God is Holy, Israel is Made Holy

A Story of a Theological-Symbolic-Typological-Shadow World of Jesus Christ’s Person and
Work (“A Shadow of the Good Things to Come” – Hebrews, chaps. 9-10

Outline
I. Leviticus 1-7
II. Leviticus 8-10
III. Leviticus 11-15
IV. Leviticus 16-27

Theme: “I am Your Holy Redeemer and Father, ‘Be Holy as I am Holy,’ says YHWH”

Thematic Outline:
1. Sanctuary
2. Sacrifices
3. Sacred Life/Sacred Time
4. Sanctification

Worship of God
Sacred Space (Presence)
Sacred Time (Purpose)
Sacred Means (Relationship of Covenant)
Sacred Rule (Power)
“Holiness should radiate from the epicenter of the Holy of Holies through Israelite lives to
permeate the entire land”- Stephen Dempster

God’s Self-Revelation: How is the Triune God revealed?

God is holy

Man's Sinful Condition: What is FCF (Fallen Condition Focus)?

Man is sinful, rebellious, unclean and unholy

Pastoral/Practical-Experiential Wisdom: How then should I live?

The shadow-world of symbol gives way to Jesus Christ, and a real-eternal world and kingdom
made “without hands”. Let us pursue holiness without which no man shall see the LORD. Let us
fear and reverence our God and Heavenly Father as we become holy as He is holy. The blood of
Christ cleanses from all sin. Let us worship God in reverence and awe for our God is a
consuming fire.

ESV
Hebrews 9:11-15: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have
come, then through the greater and more perfect tent ( not made with hands, that is, not of this
creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and
calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the
sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer
sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works
to serve the living God.

ESV
Hebrews 10:5-10: Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and
offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin
offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" 8 When he said above, "You have neither desired
nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are
offered according to the law), 9 then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He
abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for.
CRB/January 24, 2019