Pentateuch

Barry J. Beitzel, ed. Lexham Geographical Commentary on the Pentateuch

Beitzel, Barry J., ed. Lexham Geographical Commentary on the Pentateuch. Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2022. xxvi+915 pp.; Hb.  $49.99  Link to Lexham Press

Barry Beitzel has a well-deserved reputation in scholarship for his contributions to biblical geography. He edited The New Moody Atlas of the Bible (Moody, 2009; reviewed here). He edited the first volume of this projected six-volume series, Lexham Geographical Commentary on the Gospels (Lexham, 2017; reviewed here) and Acts and Revelation (2019; reviewed here).  Like the two New Testament volumes, this new collection of essays on the geography of the Pentateuch is a joy to read and will be an excellent addition to the library of any Bible student.

Lexham Geographical Commentary

In his introduction to the Lexham Geographical Commentary series, Beitzel observes that geography is a legitimate, if overlooked, hermeneutical category. The “where” question is essential for understanding the text. Unlike other great religious texts, biblical history occurs in specific places with many locations mentioned by name. A book like this geographical commentary is even more important since most Bible readers are woefully ignorant of geography. In fact, he suggests that the Pentateuch is a geographical document. Geographical details are found throughout the Pentateuch. Consider Numbers 33, a comprehensive list of locations Israel passed through after leaving Egypt. Why the list is included is an ongoing discussion, but the information was intentionally included for literary and theological reasons.

This new Lexham Geographical Commentary on the Pentateuch contains forty-seven essays written by twenty-four Old Testament scholars (see the table of contents below).  Each chapter begins with a list of Scripture covered in the section with a box containing an abstract of key points covered in the essay. Essays are typically ten to fifteen pages long, including a bibliography. The essays also include rich footnotes pointing to additional academic literature. When Hebrew appears, it is transliterated.

Chapters are illustrated with photographs, diagrams, and charts. Some photographs are licensed through WikiCommons, but many are from Todd Bolen at BiblePlaces.com. Sometimes, the author of the article provided a photograph. In Vernon Alexander’s article “The Journey of Israel’s Twelve Spies (Num 13:1–33),” two maps and eight photographs illustrate the various geographical zones in Palestine. The book is printed on uncoated paper, which does not glare and is easier to make notes on than books with a glossy finish. Each essay is also illustrated with maps, often from FaithLife, photographs, and occasional infographic-style illustrations familiar to users of the FaithLife Study Bible. There are a few vocabulary charts generated by Logos Bible Software.

The book does not shy away from controversial issues. For example, James Hoffmeier discusses Yam Suf (יַם־ס֑וּף) in the Old Testament and Egyptian literature. In this detailed article, he explains how the Masoretic Text “Sea of Reeds” was translated as the Red Sea (ἡ ἐρυθρὰ θάλασσα) in the Septuagint and Latin Vulgate (mare Rubrum). Neither is a translation of the Hebrew word suf. This mistranslation has led generations of biblical scholars to assume the location of the crossing of the sea is either the Red Sea in a modern sense or part of the Gulf of Aqaba. After a detailed survey of the vocabulary in both Hebrew and Egyptian sources, Hoffmeier examines several possible locations for the crossing. Based on recent archaeological and geological geographical surveys, he concludes that Ballah Lakes is the biblical Sea of Reeds.

Several of the essays deal with geography in a way that might be considered biblical theology. For example, in the article “Israel’s Forty Years: A Geographical and Socio-Spatial Analysis,” Barry Beitzel offers a detailed study of the Hebrew word midbar, trying to explain the Hebrew term in contrast to the English word “wilderness.” In the Pentateuch, midbar refers to a harsh, arid, torrid, and stony scrubland. The midbar is a foreboding Badlands with few sources of water and no rainfall. It is a place where human culture is absent. In short, the midbar is someplace you never want to be! This wilderness contrasts with the abundance of Egypt, which has plenty of water and food. Daniel Block’s chapter on the Theology of Land in Deuteronomy draws on the whole Pentateuch to create a mini-biblical theology of land. God grants land to all people, but Canaan is associated explicitly with God’s covenant with Abraham. He suggests that the covenant is a triangular relationship between God and the descendants of the land (786). The promise of land is eternal and irrevocable, but well-being in the land is contingent upon faithful obedience, covenant faithfulness, and righteous living.

The book includes a detailed list of the contributors, a subject index, a Scripture index, and a list of image credits.

Conclusion. The Lexham Geographical Commentary on the Pentateuch is a rich collection of essays on geographical issues in the Pentateuch. These essays go beyond simple identifications of major locations, often dealing with the fine details of the text and larger biblical-theological questions. This volume will be a welcome addition to the library of any Old Testament student, whether professional or layperson.

The Old Testament volumes are taking a little longer to finish than anticipated. This volume was due in 2020 but did not appear until 2022. Originally a five-volume series, the historical book volume was divided into two parts, so the Lexham Geographic Commentary is now a six-volume series.

Reviews of other Volumes in this series:

 

NB: I appreciate Lexham Press’s generous offer of a review copy of this book. I purchased the volume myself in Logos Bible Software.  But this did not influence my thoughts about the work.

 

Contents of Lexham Geographical Commentary on the Pentateuch:

  • Chapter 1: A Geographic Analysis of the Four Rivers of Eden (Gen 2:10–13), Mark W. Chavalas
  • Chapter 2: The Table of Nations: An Ethno-Geographic Analysis (Gen 10:1–32), David W. Baker
  • Chapter 3: The Tower of Babel Incident and The Confusion of Language: A Socio-Spatial Analysis (Gen 11:1–9), Richard E. Averbeck
  • Chapter 4: The Patriarchal Homeland: A Socio-Spatial Analysis (Gen 11:27–32; 24:1–10), Mark W. Chavalas
  • Chapter 5: The Old Babylonian Kingdom: A Geographic and Socio-Spatial Analysis (Gen 11:28, 31), Mark W. Chavalas
  • Chapter 6: Recent Discoveries in Greater Mesopotamia and Their Impact On The World of The Biblical Patriarchs (Gen 11:31), Mark W. Chavalas
  • Chapter 7: The Migrations and Wanderings of The Patriarchs (Gen 12:1–20; 11:31; 26:1–25; 28:1–29:13; 31:1–21; 32:1–31; 33:17–20; 35:1–29; 37:12–36; 38:1, 12–14; 45:9–11; 46:1–47:11; 49:29–50:15), David W. Baker
  • Chapter 8: The Patriarchal Travels in Canaan: A Geographic Assessment (Genesis 12:6–8; 13:1–18; 14:13–24; 20:1–13; 22:1–19; 23:2–20; 26:7–33; 28:11–22; 33:18–20; 35:1–7; 46:1–5), Todd Bolen
  • Chapter 9: Altars, tombs, Pillars, and Wells in Genesis: Their Socio-Spatial and Theological Roles (Gen 12:7; 21:22–34; 23:1–20; 26:12–33; 28:13–22), John A. Beck
  • Chapter 10: Mountains in The Patriarchal Period (Gen 12:8; 10:30; 14:6, 10; 19:17, 19, 30; 22:2, 14; 31:21, 23, 25, 54; 36:8–9, 20–21), Lawrence T. Geraty
  • Chapter 11: Biblical Famine and Its Impact On Southern Canaan (Gen 12:10–20; 26:1–13; 41:1–47:31), John A. Beck
  • Chapter 12: The Location of Sodom and Gomorrah: A Northern View (Gen 13:1–12; 14:1–24; 19:1–38), Elaine A. Phillips
  • Chapter 13: The Location of Sodom and Gomorrah: A Southern View (Gen 10:19; 13:1–18; 14:1–24; 19:1–38; Deut 34:1–4), Lawrence T. Geraty and Burton Macdonald
  • Chapter 14: The Travels of the “Kings of The East”: A Geographic Analysis (Gen 14), Mark W. Chavalas
  • Chapter 15: A Literary Exploration of The Promised Land Boundaries (Gen 15:18–21; 12:1–3; 17:8; Num 34:1–12), Aubrey Taylor McClain
  • Chapter 16: The “Land” Given to Abraham and His Descendants: A Geographic and Socio-Spatial Analysis (Gen 15:18–21; Exod 23:31; Num 32:1–33; 34:1–12), Todd Bolen
  • Chapter 17: Ishmael and His Descendants: A Historical Geographical Assessment (Gen 16:1–17:27; 21:8–21; 25:12–17), Chris McKinny
  • Chapter 18: The Relationship Between Pastoralists and Urban Centers in The Patriarchal Narratives (Gen 20:1–18; 21:22–43; 26:1–33; 12:1–10), Paul H. Wright
  • Chapter 19: Philistia and The Philistines: A Socio-Spatial Analysis (Gen 21:32–33; 26:1–18; 10:14; Exod 13:17; 15:14), Victor H. Matthews
  • Chapter 20: The Burial Practices of The Patriarchs (Gen 23:1–20; 25:8–10; 49:29–32; 50:5–14), Vernon H. Alexander
  • Chapter 21: “Rachel Weeping for Her Children”: Determining The Location of Rachel’s tomb and Migdal-Eder (Gen 35:16–21; 48:7; 1 Sam 10:2–3; Jer 31:15; Mic 4:8), Chris McKinny
  • Chapter 22: The Land of Goshen: A Socio-Spatial Analysis (Gen 45:10; 46:28–47:6; 47:27; 50:8; Exod 8:22; 9:26), Mark D. Janzen
  • Chapter 23: Egypt’s New Kingdom: A Geographic and Socio-Spatial Analysis (Exodus 1:8; 5:1–23), Mark D. Janzen
  • Chapter 24: (Pi-)Rameses: The Delta Capital of Ramesside Egypt (Exod 1:11), Mark D. Janzen
  • Chapter 25: The Ten Plagues of Egypt: A Socio-Spatial Analysis (Exod 7:3–12:36), Mark D. Janzen
  • Chapter 26: Yam Suf: Its Meaning in The Old Testament and Ancient Egyptian Literature (Exod 13:17–15:22; 10:19; 23:31; Num 14:25; 21:4; 33:10–11; Deut 1:40; 2:1; 11:4), James K. Hoffmeier
  • Chapter 27: The “Red Sea” in The Hebrew Bible, The Septuagint, and Classical Literature (Exod 13:17–15:27; 2:1–10; 12:37–42; Num 20:14–21:26; 33:1–49; Deut 1:1–2:15), Barry J. Beitzel
  • Chapter 28: Manna: A Geographical and Exegetical Analysis (Exod 16; Num 11:4–9; Deut 8:3, 16; Josh 5:12), Elaine A. Phillips
  • Chapter 29: Quail in The Wilderness: A Geographic Analysis (Exod 16:8–13; Num 11:4–34; Ps 78:18, 26–31; 105:40), Elaine A. Phillips
  • Chapter 30: The Geographic Setting of Moses’ Wars (Exod 17:8–16; Num 14:26–45; 21:1–3, 21–32, 33–35), Vernon H. Alexander
  • Chapter 31: The Location of Mount Sinai: A Southern Sinai View (Exod 19:1–25; 3:1–3; Num 33:1–49; Deut 1:2; 1 Kgs 19:1–9; Gal 4:25), Gerald L. Mattingly
  • Chapter 32: Mount Karkom The Mountain of God?—Challenging The Southern Mount Sinai Hypothesis and The Identification and Dating of The Remains of The Israelite Sojourn (Exod 19:11–23; 3:1; 17:6; Deut 1:2–19; 33:2; 1 Kgs 19:8), Tali Erickson-Gini
  • Chapter 33: The Spatial Syntax of Israel’s Tabernacle (Exod 25:1–31:11; 35:1–40:38; Num 2:1–34; 10:11–28), Andrew E. Hill
  • Chapter 34: The “Golden Calf” incident and Its Impact: A Socio-Spatial Analysis (Exod 32:1–35; Deut 9:1–21; 1 Kgs 12:25–13:34; 2 Chr 11:14–17; 13:4–19; 2 Kgs 10:29–33; 17:7–18; 23:15–20), Eric A. Mitchell
  • Chapter 35: “A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey”: The Expression’s Meaning and Socio-Spatial Significance (Exod 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Lev 20:24; Num 13:27; 14:8; 16:13–14; Deut 6:3; 11:9; 26:9, 15; 27:3; 31:20), John A. Beck
  • Chapter 36: Geography, Agriculture, and The Israelite Calendar (Lev 23:1–44; Deut 8:7–10), Vernon H. Alexander
  • Chapter 37: Israel’s Camping Pattern and Marching Arrangement (Num 1–2, 10, 26), Benjamin A. Foreman
  • Chapter 38: The Journey of Israel’s Twelve Spies (Num 13:1–33), Vernon H. Alexander
  • Chapter 39: Israel’s Forty Years in The Wilderness: A Geographic and Socio-Spatial Analysis (Exod 13:17–14:31; 15:22–19:2; Num 33:1–49), Barry J. Beitzel
  • Chapter 40: Edom and Israel’s Wanderings from Kadesh to The Plains of Moab (Num 20:14–21:13; 33:36–44; Deut 1:46–2:8; 2:26–29; 10:6–7; Judg 11:15–18), Elaine A. Phillips
  • Chapter 41: Water From the Rock: Moses’ Sin—The Miracle That Never Happened (Num 20:2–13; Exod 17:1–7), Steven M. Ortiz
  • Chapter 42: The Historical Geography of The Settlements of The Transjordanian Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (Num 32:2–4, 33–42; Josh 13), Chris McKinny
  • Chapter 43: An Overview of The Historical Geography of The Exodus and Wilderness Itinerary (Exod 12:1–19:25; Num 33:1–49), Mark D. Janzen and Chris McKinny
  • Chapter 44: How Does Deuteronomy Repurpose the Mountain and The Place? (Deut 1:1–4:43; 10:12–11:30; 12:2–28; 31:30–34:12), Don C. Benjamin
  • Chapter 45: The Theology of Land in Deuteronomy (Deut 1:6–8; 2:4–3:22; 8:7–14; 11:8–17; 27:1–26; 28:1–68; 30:1–10), Daniel I. Block
  • Chapter 46: The “Seven Nations” of Canaan (Deut 7:1), Benjamin A. Foreman
  • Chapter 47: Water and Life in Southern Canaan (Deut 8:7–10; 11:10–17; 28:7–14; 33:13–15), Aubrey Taylor McClain

 

Kevin S. Chen, Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch

Chen, Kevin S. Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2019. 338 pp. Pb. $35.00   Link to IVP Academic   

The thesis of Kevin S. Chen’s Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch is that Moses self-consciously wrote about the Messiah and that the Messiah is the primary focus of the Pentateuch. He argues a misguided equation of the Pentateuch with the Sinai/Deuteronomic law prevented Christian readers from seeing the messianic vision that was in the Pentateuch from the beginning.

Chen, Messianic Vision of the PentateuchWhat is distinctive about Chen’s approach is his insistence on authorial intent. Biblical theologies often treat these Messianic texts using typology, which would see messianic references as unintentional. Chen’s goal is to not to discover historical analogies (typology) but to exegete textual references to Messiah that were part of an author’s strategy (14). For example, “a typological approach allows for seeing the ‘seed of the woman’ as a type of Christ while at the same time remaining noncommittal regarding whether Genesis 3:15 is actually a direct Messianic prophecy” (15). Citing Johann Enersti (writing in 1809), some things are “true doctrinally, but not grammatically or exegetically.” Chen seeks messianic prophecies in the Pentateuch which are true grammatically and exegetically because the author intended them as messianic prophecies.

Some readers will disagree with Chen’s views on Mosaic authorship for the Pentateuch (25) as well as his insistence the Pentateuch has a single compositional strategy. Here he is following his mentor John Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative (Zondervan, 1995) and The Meaning of the Pentateuch (IVP Academic 2009). More challenging is his argument for messianic prophecy as the main theological theme of the Pentateuch rather than Law.

Chen introduces his argument with a reflection on John 5:46. In a dialogue with Pharisees Jesus says, “if you believed in Moses, you would believe in me; for he wrote about me.” In the context of healing on the Sabbath, Jesus declares Moses wrote (primarily) about the Messiah, not the Sabbath law. In a similar context in John 9, the Pharisees find it impossible for a person to be a faithful follower of Moses and a follower of Jesus at the same time because they equated faithfulness to Moses and his writings with attention to keeping the Pentateuchal law (2). (It is possible to include John 12 here as well, a passage rich with messianic implications). This raises the question: “is the main point of the Pentateuch the giving of the Sinai law, with the messianic passages playing a secondary role question mark or is it the other way around?” (4). For Chen, a coherent portrait of the Messiah is the center of the theological message of the Pentateuch.

Chen argues the translation “Law of Moses” distracts readers from the meaning of torah. Rather than “law of Moses,” he suggests it is better to read the phrase as “instruction of Moses” despite the deeply entrenched English translation “Law.” In the book, he distinguishes between the “instruction of Moses” (the Torah) and the Sinai Law. Chen sees this distinction in Paul’s letters as well. In Romans 3:21, for example, “Pentateuch’s message of faith and the system of Sinai/Deuteronomic” stand in contrast. For Paul, Chen says, the Pentateuch teaches the new covenant of the Messiah (29).

There are several texts in the Pentateuch Chen considers direct prophecy concerning the Messiah (for example, Genesis 3:15; Numbers 24:9). Using the metaphor of light passing through a series of lenses, Chen these texts form a complex array of interrelated texts designed to project a coherent sweeping vision of the Messiah. Other texts contain authorially intended foreshadowing of the Messiah, such as Genesis 28:10-22 (Jacob’s Ladder).

The book discusses nine passages spanning the whole Penateuch Chen considers intentional prophecies concerning the Messiah:

  1. The Seed of the Woman (Genesis 3:15)
  2. The Seed of Abraham in the Patriarchal Narratives
  3. The Lion of Judah (Genesis 49:8-12)
  4. Passover and the Song of the Sea (Exodus)
  5. Shadows at Sinai (Wilderness period)
  6. The Bronze Snake and Balaam’s Oracles (Numbers 24)
  7. The Prophet Like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)
  8. The Blessing of Judah (Deuteronomy 32:43)
  9. The Repeated Breaking of the Sinai/Deuteronomic Law

Rather that survey the whole volume in detail, I offer a few comments on the first three chapters.

In chapter 1, Chen argues the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) is a direct messianic prophecy which boldly sets forth the key parameters of the messianic vision of the Pentateuch. It predicts the coming of a man who will defeat the serpent at the cost of his own life, securing victory over humanity’s ancient enemy. Using the broader context of the Pentateuch, Chen sees this prophecy as implying kingly and priestly roles for the messiah that Adam failed to achieve. The seed will rule and subdue all of creation as both priest and king. Salvation will come through the seed of the woman rather than through the Sinai/Deuteronomic law.

The seed of the woman prophecy resonates through the rest of the patriarchal narrative (chapter 2). Moses links promised seed directly to Abraham. Grammatical and intertextual considerations strongly suggest Abraham’s seed refers to a specific individual (Gen 15:3-4; 22:17b-18, for example). Chen argues these passages refer to the same seed as Genesis 3:15. Covenant promises are from Abraham to Isaac and then to Jacob, who receives the same blessing from his father that the Messiah will fulfil.

Although the principal lines of his argument are clear, some details seem coincidental. For example, Chen connects the pleasing aroma of Noah’s sacrifice after the flood (Gen 8:20-22) and subsequent Noahic covenant with the Jacob’s “scent” in Genesis 27:27. Both passages use the noun רֵיחַ, the only two places where the word appears in Genesis. Chen thinks this is “highly suggestive.” The scent of Jacob and his clothes is the same scent of an acceptable animal sacrifice (this is the common phrase in Leviticus and Numbers to describe an acceptable). Chen then connects this acceptable sacrifice to the death of the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15) and the near sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22:1-19). But not all uses of רֵיחַ in the Pentateuch are pleasant. Exodus 5:21 the word refers to Israel’s reputation in Egypt (“you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh”).

In chapter 3, Chen suggests Genesis 49:8-12 is a “goldmine of Messianic prophecy in the Pentateuch” (144). A powerful king will come from the line of Judah in the last days (Gen 49:1) and this lion will reign over Israel and the nations and bring a return of Eden’s abundance. For Chen, this passage in an intentional compositional strategy which recalls earlier messianic prophecies in Genesis 3:15 and 27:27-29. Chen focuses on 49:8, “your brothers shall praise you” as a way of reading the whole Joseph narrative. Certainly, Joseph’s brothers bow to him, and he is greatly praised, but is it possible the author of the Pentateuch used a descent/ascent theme to predict he death and resurrection of the Messiah? Chen says the theme of Genesis 37-50 “is not Joseph becoming Pharaoh’s second-in-command but its eschatological projection: the resurrection of the Messiah” (129). Further, he says “the eschatological rule of Judah over his brothers and the nations in Genesis 49: 8, 10 matches the messianic rule described in Genesis 27:29” (131).  Again, is it possible Moses had the resurrection of the Messiah in mind when he included the Joseph story as a part of the book of Genesis? Did he intend for the “lion of Judah” to refer to a future Messiah or to the fact king David will come from the tribe of Judah?

By way of constructive criticism, I find myself in agreement with the larger ideas, but I question the smaller details. I agree, for example, Genesis 3:15 is a messianic prophecy. But I am not as sure about the details suggesting the death and resurrection of Jesus, and I resist the suggestion Joseph looks forward to the resurrection of the Messiah. I am more open to a developing theology of the Messiah, where later writers in both the Old and New Testaments use these ideas from the Pentateuch and apply them to the Messiah after the idea of a messiah developed in early Judaism. Even though Chen disavows typology in his introduction, the argument of the book still strikes me as a form of typology. I am not sure this is a bad thing and typology is certainly popular among those doing biblical theology in an evangelical context.

Conclusion. Chen’s Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch is a compelling argument for Messiah as a theological theme of the Pentateuch. Although he does not offer any reasons for the texts he chose, the nine texts Chen focuses on are important messianic texts in both Jewish and early Christian exegesis. Although some readers will question his conclusions or accuse him of reading the New Testament into these passages, he is not out of step with the goals of evangelical biblical theology.

 

NB: Thanks to IVP Academic for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

Logos “Free Book of the Month” for May 2016 – Why God Won’t Go Away by Alister McGrath

why-god-wont-go-awayFormer atheist Alister McGrath has a doctorate in molecular biophysics has been nothing if not a prolific writer since becoming a Christian. Most of his books would be apologetics and often concern the relationship of science and religion. He is the Andreas Idreos Professor in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford and has written or edited dozens of books. Logos is offering his book, Why God Won’t Go Away as a free download in the Logos Library for the month of May. Thomas Nelson published this 200 page book in 2011.

As an added bonus, you can purchase McGrath’s response to Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion for $1.99. The book was written by Alister and Joanna McGrath and answers Dawkins’s claim that faith intellectual nonsense and that science and religion locked in a battle to the death. This short 119 page book was published in 2010 (originally by SPCK in England and IVP Academic in America).

Both books are challenging, but like most apologetic from Christian publishers, they are intended to be read by Christian laypeople. This means McGrath is not as rigorously philosophical and technical as he could be in his presentation of the merits of Theism. Usually people who already believe in God will find these books convincing and those who are equally entrenched in their atheism will remain unconvinced.

As always, Logos has a giveaway related to their free (and almost free) book of the month promotion. This time you can enter to win a ten-volume SPCK collection of McGrath books. So head over to Logos, get the free books for your Logos Library, and maybe win the collection!

 

Book Review: L. Michael Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?

Morales, L. Michael. Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? A Biblical Theology of the Book of Leviticus. New Studies in Biblical Theology 37. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2015. 190 pgs., Pb.; $22.00 Link to IVP

In this contribution to the NSBT series, L. Michael Morales examines the theology of the often overlooked book of Leviticus as the center of the Pentateuch. Morales begins by describing the placement of the Lampstand and the Table of the Presence in the Tabernacle. The Lampstand appears to have been intentionally placed to shine light on the bread arranged on the table in order to visually portray God’s intention that his people should live continually in his presence. The book of Leviticus is about “dwelling with God in the house of God” (20). In the first chapter of the book Morales argues the Pentateuch is “shaped as a journey led by YHWH to himself at Mount Sinai” (37) where Israel is given the house of the Lord, the Tabernacle. Leviticus stands at the center of the Pentateuch in order to instruct God’s people how they may “ascend the mountain of the Lord” and live in the presence of the glory of their God.

Morales, Who may ascend the moountain of God?Humans are unable to live in the presence of God because of the rebellion of Eden. In the second chapter of the book Morales describes this “longing for Eden” as the foreground for reading Leviticus as the center of the Pentateuch. God created Eden as a mountain temple in which humans were placed to worship God and Genesis itself provides a “cultic cosmology” as humans move away from life within the order of Creation to death and chaos (49). Adam becomes an exile from God’s presence and wanders east, prevent from returning to the presence of God by cherubim. Because of their rebellion, humans are exiled from the presence of God in Eden and cannot return to God’s presence.

Israel has an opportunity to “Return to Eden” in the book of Exodus (Chapter 3). The narrative context of Leviticus stands on the foundation of the redeemed people of God passing through the through the waters of chaos as they are led to the mountain of God. The goal of Israel’s redemption from Egypt was worship at the house of God (82) at another mountain of God, Sinai (86). There is a crisis at this point since no one is able to ascend the Mountain of the Lord. Only Moses is permitted to go up Sinai in his role as mediator. For Morales, the mountain represents approaching God in worship (89).

The Tabernacle is introduced after the covenant in Exodus (Exod 25-40). The Tabernacle is the way back to the living in the presence of God, but the book of Exodus ends with a another crisis: no one is able to enter the Tabernacle because it is filled with the Glory of God (Exod 40:35).

This crisis is answered by the book of Leviticus. In chapters 4-6 Morales demonstrates that the overall structure of Leviticus is a way of dealing with the uncleanliness which separates man from God, with the Day of Atonement at the center of not only Leviticus, but the whole Petnateuch. Leviticus 1-8 describe the sacrificial cult as a journey back to the presence of God, yet there is another crisis in Leviticus 9-10. At the very moment Israel experiences the presence of God and the priest begin their sacrificial ministry, Nadab and Abihu make unauthorized sacrifices and fall under God’s judgment (Lev 10). Morales suggests Nadab and Abihu may have drunkenly attempted to go past the veil which separates the glory of God from the people (149). They were unfit to be in God’s presence, so Leviticus 11-15 represents a “cleansing the house of God.”

For many Bible readers, the laws on clean and unclean in Leviticus 11-15 seem random and focused on matters which are not related to real spirituality. But as Morales points out, these chapters describe what it means to be clean, or “fit for the Presence of God” and what it means to be holy, or “belonging to God.” Things that are profane cause uncleanliness and therefore separate humans from God. They can be made clean, and clean things can be sanctified so they are fit for God’s presence. The Tabernacle is therefore a “sacred bubble . . . set within a sea of uncleanliness” (161). The most important demonstration of this concept is the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16. On this day, an Adam-like priest approaches the presence of God with blood of atonement and the way back to the Lord is opened. This is a reversal of Adam’s expulsion to the east as the priest walks past the cherubim guarding the way back to Eden, For Morales, this is a “liturgical drama” (176). But there is also a sacred geography present on the Day of Atonement as well: the scapegoat carries sin into the wilderness, back to the chaos of non-creation (179).

This reentry into the divine presence is the key to understanding Israel’s call to holiness in Leviticus 17-22. Returning to the symbolism of the lampstand and bread of the Presence, Israel is to continually live in the light of God. The purpose of the lengthy “holiness code” is to deal with the crisis of uncleanliness which might prevent Israel from experiencing the presence of God. The goal in this unit is always communion and fellowship with God.

Having described Leviticus as the center of the Pentateuch, Morales traces the movement from Sinai and the tabernacle to Zion and Solomon’s Temple (chapter 7). Zion will be the mountain of God when Israel finally enters the land, but Morales sees the place of Abraham’s sacrifice (Moriah) as pointing ahead to Zion. Unlike Sinai, Zion will be the permanent place of God’s habitation (227), even though Israel’s unfaithfulness results in another “exile to the east.” After the exile Israel will return to Zion as a new Eden, citing Isaiah 51:3 (237). The prophets also look forward to a future when God’s presence will return to a “new Zion” (255).

This prophetic expectation leads Morales to conclude the book with an intra-canonical reading of his “drama of Leviticus,” from the earthly Zion to the heavenly Mount Zion. For the Gospel of John, the incarnation is the means by which God dwells once again with his people (260) and the sacrifice of Jesus at Passover deals with the ultimate uncleanliness separating humans from the glory of God. This is perhaps the weakest point in Morales’s typology, since in Leviticus it was the Day of Atonement which opened access to God, not the Passover. This is of course a problem for any attempt to create a typology between the Law and Jesus. But Morales is able to make the connection because the original the Passover provided redemption for Israel and brought then to Sinai; the new Passover initiates a new exodus in the Resurrection (277). Ultimately the eschaton will be the decent of the messianic kingdom to earth (299). Revelation 20-21 include a great deal of Eden language, including the Tree of Life.

Conclusion. Morales has contributed a very readable book on the theology of Leviticus. He places Leviticus in its immediately canonical context as the center of the Pentateuch. Although he does not develop his thesis for Numbers and Deuteronomy in as much detail as for Genesis and Exodus, it is clear the book of Leviticus is designed around the Day of Atonement as the means by which access to God is opened for Israel.

Since he attempts to read the theme of “ascending the mountain of God” across the canon, I would have expected Isaiah 2 and 25:6-8 to be more important to the argument of the book. Both texts refer to gathering of all the nations to the mountain of God in the eschatological age to worship in the presence of God. This shortcoming is a result of a limited section on the prophets, so it is understandable that he is unable to cover all of the reference to mountains in the prophets.

I have one minor problem with the book, and that is the overuse of the word “drama” as a metaphor for the book of Leviticus and the plotline of the Pentateuch. I understand this is a popular way to describe the movement of a book in biblical studies, but it has become an overused metaphor.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book not only for those interested in Leviticus, but also for the theology of the Pentateuch.

NB: Thanks to InterVarsity Press for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

Logos “Free Book of the Month” for January 2015 – H. E. Ryle, Genesis

Ryle from Vainity Fair, 1912

Ryle from Vainity Fair, 1912

Logos Bible Software returns to the classics for their “Free Book of the Month” promotion. For the month of January you can download the first volume of The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, Genesis, by H. E. Ryle. Ryle was appointed Dean of Westminster in 1910 and began services at Westminster Abbey the following year. During World War I, Ryle personally led special services at the Westminster Abbey.While he is known primarily as an Old Testament scholar, during his time at Cambridge he won every distinction open to students of theology. He is the son of  J. C. Ryle, the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool and author of many commentaries on the New Testament.

The commentary is very brief because the book is a companion to one’s reading of the book of Genesis, although it is nearly 500 pages the book was originally printed in a small, handbook format. I only have one physical copy of a Cambridge Bible in  my personal library, Daniel, by S. R. Driver, which pre-dates Ryle’s Genesis. The book includes a number of pages of advertising for the series as was the fashion of the day. The Church Sunday School Magazine said of the whole series: “We cannot imagine any safer or more helpful commentaries for the student of the Holy Scriptures” (this advert appears on the Logos Website as well).

As I browse Ryle’s commentary now, he comments on key phrases in the text, offering textual and linguistic comments, with occasional comments on the history presented in the text when necessary. Sometimes this is very brief, Gen 45 is covered in only five pages. As most students of Genesis have discovered, the earlier stories are far more complicated and take up much more space in a commentary!

The commentary has five appendices. First, “Babylonian Myths Of Creation” offers some illustrations from Ancient Near Eastern literature. Second, “A Legend Of Lamech” is an illustration of Jewish Haggadah. Third, “The Duplicate Account Of The Flood” is a reprint of Chapman’s Introduction to the Pentateuch (74-81), also in the Cambridge Bible series. The fourth appendix is a brief introduction to “The Tel El-Amarna Tablets” which were discovered in 1887 and only just being used in biblical studies. Ryle includes a very brief note on the Apuriu mentioned in the Inscriptions of Thothmes III (1501–1447 B.C.), Finally, the fifth appendix offers a chronology of Israel in Egypt. These are all of historical interest, although there has been much work done on the history of Genesis since the commentary was written.

This raises an objection. Someone might ask why we should be reading a commentary on Genesis originally written in 1914 and published in 1921. It is certainly true some Ryle’s use of the documentary hypothesis seems antiquated: sections are designated J or E, occasionally P, and R (for the final redaction). It is obvious a commentary written after the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered will have a much more clear understanding of Hebrew and Aramaic. This is all true, but the commentary is an artifact reflecting the time it was written. Ryle (and the other writers in this series) were master exegetes and worked very hard at their scholarship to present the Scripture to the Church in England. Like J .B. Lightfoot’s recent commentary on Acts, Ryle’s commentary is valuable because the man himself was committed to a scholarly life dedicated to the study of the Scripture. This book should probably not be your “first off the shelf” commentary on Genesis, but it has retained value in the 100 years since it was written.

In addition to this free book, Logos is also offering an “almost free” book, An Introduction to the Pentateuch by A. T. Chapman. Like Ryle’s commentary on Genesis, this book is an introduction to the Documentary Hypothesis. He presents a method and argument for the following propositions:

  • The chronological order of the codes being JE, D, P, the steps would be J and E, each containing records of the early history, were combined D, when accepted as a law book, would be added to JE
  • Deuteronomic recension of Joshua and the history in Judges-Kings
  • Efforts during the exile to preserve the ancient traditions embodied in the book of the Law brought by Ezra
  • When accepted incorporated with JED Joshua probably separated

So for 99 cents you can have two excellent books reflecting the state of Pentateuch scholarship about 100 years ago. But Logos is also giving away the whole 58 volume set of  The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. This is about 15,000 pages of commentary on the Old and New Testaments as well as some of the Apocryphal books. Even if you do not win a set, the Cambridge series appears in several Logos base packages.