“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”
Luke 24:45

It’s been said that the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch, form the theological foundation of the Bible.

In the past few months, I’ve been journeying through these books and have learned so much about God’s character and love for mankind, even when we least deserve it. If it has been a while since you last read the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy, hopefully this article will be an inspiration for you to rediscover this sometimes neglected part of God’s Word.

In The Beginning…

“So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.
For the Lord your God is the God of gods
and the Lord of lords…” Deuteronomy 10:16-17a

God has a plan for His people. From the creation of the earth, God has been transforming messes into masterpieces. Reading through Genesis is a great reminder that God can use any person for His purposes. It also reminds me that navigating this life is so much easier when I follow God’s plan instead of letting my sin nature get in the way. Can you recall any characters from Genesis who learned this lesson the hard way?

  • Adam & Eve (Gen 3)

    Forced to leave “Heaven on Earth” due to disobedience.

  • Cain (Gen 4)

    Let jealousy get in the way and received a curse for killing his brother.

  • Noah (Gen 6-9)

    His family were the only people that God saved from the flood, but they still weren’t perfect…check out what happened when Noah got drunk in Genesis 9!

  • Tower of Babel (Gen 11)

    The descendants of Noah try to make a name for themselves and God has to intervene.

  • Abram/Abraham (Gen 12 and 20)

    Had a lying problem, got in trouble for it, didn’t learn his lesson, and tells the lie again to someone else. (And eventually his son repeats the bad habit! See Genesis 26.)

  • Sarai/Sarah (Gen 16)

    Fails to wait on God’s timing and plan for her life, a mistake that still impacts our world today!

  • The townspeople of Sodom & Gomorrah (Gen 18-19)

    Destroyed for their “exceedingly grave” sins.

  • Jacob (Gen 27)

    Deceives his dad, Isaac, and steals Esau’s blessing. (There’s that lying issue again!)

  • Jacob’s household (Gen 35)

    Has to be cleansed of foreign gods.

  • Joseph’s brothers (Gen 37)

    Hated their brother so much that some wanted to kill him, but they were persuaded to sell him into slavery.

  • And, then there are all the sexual impurities! (Gen 16, 19, 34, 35:22, 38)

Blessed for Obedience

“Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always,
that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!”
Deuteronomy 5:29

Once past Genesis, we enter the part of the Pentateuch that details the journey of the people of Israel as they travel to the Promised Land. Two concepts stand out to me in this part of the Pentateuch. First, God’s love is so great for this extremely stubborn people. Second, God desires for His children to obey Him so that protection and blessings can follow.

I’ll admit that these four books were at times tiring to read. It seemed that the same themes kept repeating themselves…the children of Israel would rebel, be punished, humble themselves, only to rebel again. Also, there were so many rules given! In the end, I realized that this repetition demonstrates the love God was showing this stiff-necked people by giving them such grace, mercy, and protection.

1. God’s Love

Here are some of the passages that tugged at my heart, showing God’s great love and patience:

    • God hears the groaning of His children (Ex 2:23-25)
    • The Golden Calf (Ex 32:7-14)
    • The 10 Commandments are given a second time! (Ex 34:6-7)
    • Moses talks God out of destroying His rebellious people (Num 14:11-23)
    • The people are punished, and yet again rescued by God (Num 21:4-9)
    • Future rebellion is predicted and future restoration is promised (Deut. 30:1-6)
    • God knew these people would continue to rebel, and He would continue to show mercy and deliverance!

2. God Desires Obedience

Here is an overview of the correspondence between obedience and blessings or disobedience/unbelief and curses:

    • The Egyptians doubt God’s power and fail to worship the one true God (Ex 9:14-16, 29, 30)
    • God’s children are blessed by the Egyptians through God’s hand of provision (Ex 11:2-3)
    • The Lord fought for His children…again and again! (Exodus 14:13, 14, 25, 31 and Ex 33:2, Deut 3:22, Deut 9:3, Deut 20:1&4, Deut 31:3-6)
    • God promises to be their Healer, if His children follow His commands (Ex 15:26)
    • God promises compassion when His children rebelliously turn from their God (Deut 4:29-31, 40)

Digging Deeper

“The Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession,
as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments…
that you shall be a consecrated people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken.”
Deuteronomy 26:18, 19b

So, what if you and I were part of the journey that began with Abraham and ended with Moses on the border of the Promised Land, not able to enter due to previous sin? Would we have been a rebellious people, too? I’d like to think I would have been among the faithful, but when I see the sin nature of those great Biblical heroes of Genesis or the children of Israel, I know my own shortcomings don’t lie far from theirs.

We all have the choice to obey fully and follow after God with all our heart, soul, and might (Deut. 6:5). Sure, our sin nature will get in the way at times, but thankfully we have a Master Artist as a Heavenly Father, who can turn our messes into masterpieces! Will you follow His plan for your life today?

Take the time now to read two final passages from the Pentateuch: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and Leviticus 26. As you do, check yourself. Now is the time to “circumcise” our hearts and follow a better path towards blessings.