Law and Grace (9) Torah

The first five books of the Old Testament cover a variety of topics, including:

• creation
• history
• exodus
• sacrifices and priests
• tabernacle design
• covenants
• criminal laws
• justice system
• instructions for economic life
• infection control and hygiene
• genealogies
• blessings and curses
• land distribution

These five books are a big box. They contain a lot of different stuff all mixed up together and often repeated. That means that we have to dig around a bit when we are looking for something.

The five books of the law are often 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. I will sometimes use the word Torah, because God gave Moses much more than law. A name that encompasses instruction and teaching is a more accurate description of the first five books of the Old Testament.

God gave a great promise through Isaiah.

Torah (instruction) will go out from me;
my justice will become a light to the nations (Is 51:4).