Judicial Laws of Moses (4) - Book of the Law

The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Torah. This Hebrew word is often translated as law, but a better translation would be “instruction” or “teaching”. The Torah contains God’s instruction to the children of Israel about the way they should live.

A common Old Testament expression is the “Words of the Law” (Dabar, Torah). Moses was told to write the Words of the Law.

After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: "Take this book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you (Deut 31:24).

He read from this book to the people.

Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law (Deut 31:12).

Joshua also read from the Words of the Law.

Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly (Joshua 8:34-35).

Moses and Joshua taught the children of Israel from the Words of the Law.

Sometimes the Torah is called the “Book of the Covenant”.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey" (Ex 24:7).

Another title is the “Book of the Law”.

Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left (Jos 23:6).

The Torah contains instructions for life.