The Torah - Authorship, Narrative, and Themes

As a reflection, I will admit to being surprised at the controversy over the authorship of Genesis: and indeed, the entire Pentateuch. As a layman, I have always been taught and subscribed to Moses as the only author of the first five books of Scripture – even Genesis, which predates his own birth. In the vast majority of the material researched this week from Catholic, Protestant, and Hebrew sources, I see evidence for “other than Moses” only in those who want to find it. Legitimate sourcing of Scripture alone leads to a logical conclusion that Moses was the sole original author of all five books. I again, admit that I am a layman, but I have done research in other subjects that resulted in excellent grades and most of the research that refutes Moses’ authorship (again, I admit that what I have seen is limited) is reviewed in such a way that it all but spells out a cognitive bias toward said conclusion from abstract to conclusion.

In another course, I was doing some unrelated broad study on hermeneutics and ran across an article with an interesting experiment. Dr. J.P. Mosley of the Heidelberg Theological Institute writes: “…a former colleague of mine at a different seminary informed me of a recent study which used a computer program to see just how many authors wrote Genesis through Deuteronomy. The program would consider the use of vocabulary, syntax, and so much more to determine how many authorial voices are found. To the surprise of many, especially those conducting the study, the computer responded with only one voice, meaning Genesis through Deuteronomy had only one author.”[1] 

[1] Mosley, J P. 2021a. “Who Wrote Genesis?” Heidelberg Theological Seminary. July 7. https://heidelbergseminary.org/2021/07/who-wrote-genesis/.

The Law is still relevant today - it is only an unfortunate misunderstanding by man that turns the 10 Commandments into a list of dos and don'ts that gives the misperception that by following the Law, we are saved.

I find most interesting the themes we see and parallels we see in the Torah. As one example: in Genesis 22 (The Sacrifice of Isaac), 22 1After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy[a] will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”;[b] as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”[c]

15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his[d] enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

We see the term "only son" three times. He carried the wood for his own sacrifice. After three days, "Abraham lifted up his eyes".

“For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"...and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha." John 19:17

"45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for[a] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." Luke 24:45-47

His only Son, carried His own cross, and on the third day, rose again.

My initial comment this week dedicates an unusual amount of time to one subject of this week’s material, but I felt it important to establish this authorship as we examine the rest of the Pentateuch as it relates to the relationships between man and God, the covenants, and various themes that point to bringing together the unholy and the holy. Lessing states: “In one sense, many of the rituals in Leviticus are obsolete for Christians who are interested in the sacrifice of Christ, not in animal sacrifices. But in another sense, the Levitical ceremonies are still of immense relevance for today’s church.”[1] I found two other things fascinating in Lessing’s writing on Leviticus. First, the numerology of the book that is so prevalent throughout scripture and second, that Leviticus is used to be the first book Jewish children studied[2] in synagogue (though that makes perfect sense). I intend to celebrate a few of the Jewish high holidays with some friends for the experience and reverence.

What I love about Deuteronomy is its repetition of the same themes and the review Moses goes through to ensure God’s people understand what life will be like without him. It also sets up the rest of Scripture and the coming of “a prophet like Moses” which I tend to agree, in reading “And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,” (Deu. 34:10. ESV) is in the very person of Christ.

[1] Lessing, R. Reed. 2014. Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Introduction to the Old Testament. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

[2] Lessing, 2014.What I love about Deuteronomy is its repetition of the same themes and the review Moses