1.

In what sense is the Torah more important than the Prophets and
Writings that form the rest of the Old Testament?
It has been said that in the Old Testament, the most important books are the so-called
“Pentateuch” or the “Torah” it is primarily because it is the “skeletal system of the Old
Testament” and it is even considered as the skeletal system in their “Ethics”. Another thing that
gives primacy to the writing “Torah” is that Moses had a big impact on the people of Israel. He
was brand as the “only prophet who knew God face to face, he was even considered as an
unequalled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the Land of Egypt”
(Deuteronomy 34:10-11). Thus, it has been mentioned that there are three essential things that
one can get from this.

Firstly, “Moses is greater than the other prophets.” That is why, according to the source, Mosaic
Law is superior to all other forms of revelation. His Torah is incomparable and its value is
permanent. Because of this, Moses comes before the “Former Prophets” (Joshua-2Kings) and the
“Latter Prophets” (Isaiah-Malachi) in the canon. The authority of the Pentateuch is the final
analysis depends on the greater autonomy of Moses.

Secondly, the “superiority of Moses also comes from the pre-eminence of his relationship to
YHWH. In the biblical accounts, it was written that Moses had direct contact with God, without
any intervention or intermediary between them. It was not in a way of vision or a dream, but it
was a direct encounter with YHWH.

Lastly, “The Exodus is the foundational event of Israel’s history.” The source made mentioned
that there is no other event to be compared with the story of the exodus. The institution of Israel
therefore goes back to Moses and not to David and Solomon. The source added that Israel is
older than the Monarchy or even than the Conquest of the Promised Land. Having stated all the
things above, we see the importance of the “Pentateuch” when it is compared to the other
writings.

To summarize the thoughts, The Torah, which consists of the first five books of the Bible, is the
most important writing than the Prophets writings in the sense that, it represents God’s most
direct revelation to the Jewish people, having been transcribed by Moses himself from God’s
direct communication. Torah is the source of all Jewish law, both ritual and civil. It also gives a
background about the origin of the Universe, earth, and life of the early people in the Old
Testament. On the other hand, the Torah serves as an instruction guide of the prophets as they
teach humankind about the law, history, plan, and love of God.
 2. If history began with creation, then why is Genesis 1-11 called “Pre-
history”?
History is a written record of events that happens in the past but in the Sacred Scriptures, Genesis
is considered Pre- History, in the sense, because the writing or taking down records are not yet
invented at those times Genesis contains the two accounts of the creation story. The events
discussed here cannot be based on any sort of formal written records of the events described. By
allowing man’s ever-changing ideas about the past to override the plain words of Scripture,
many people have proposed that Genesis 1–11 should be viewed as mythical, figurative, or
allegorical, rather than historical narrative. The New Testament treats Genesis 1–11 as a
historical narrative. At least 25 New Testament passages refer directly to the early chapters of
Genesis, and they are always treated as real history. These are just some of the reasons why
Genesis 1–11 should be understood as literal history. Jesus and the New Testament authors
viewed it as such, and the internal consistency of Genesis demonstrates its historical nature.
Consequently, to interpret Genesis 1–11 in the same way Jesus did, you must treat the passage as
a historical narrative and follow the standard principles of interpretation. When you do this, it is
clear that God created everything in six normal-length days approximately six thousand years
ago. We can say it is the salvific truth of the story, the lingering truth.

3. Is the creation “story” the same as “creationism”?

In understanding better the question, it is good to define what is creationism? According to the
encyclopaedia Britannica, Creationism is defined as "the belief that the universe and the various
forms of life were created by God out of nothing (ex nihilo). It is a response primarily to modern
evolutionary theory, which explains the diversity of life without recourse to the doctrine of God
or any other divine power. With this given definition, it is very clear that the creation story in the
Biblical sense does not contradict “creationism.” Creationism based on the definition it helps to
elaborate or explain the creation story, that is God created everything out from nothing (creatio
ex nihilo). In this sense, it sided the biblical accounts rather by having natural processes such as
evolution. Though creationism does not contradict the creation story in the bible, this creationism
even had a split into two, namely the Young-Earth and the Old-Earth. The former believes that in
the story told in Genesis, when God created the universe, the bible was correct when it comes to
days of creating the world and that the earth is only a few thousand years old. But on the other
hand, the old-Earth creationists do not subscribe to this idea. They believed that a creator created
and made all things exist, but they do not believe that the Genesis story told is the real history of
that creation.
 4. How many covenants did God make with Abraham? Read chapters 15
and 17 and refer to commentaries.
First, God promises a great posterity (this is why Abram's name was changed to Abraham in
Genesis 17:5); it will be numerous and will have land all its own. I will make of you a great
nation . . . and make your name great." Genesis 15:5 Lift your eyes and look from the place
where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land which you
see I will give to you and your descendants forever." Genesis 15:18, "On that day the Lord made
a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your descendants, I give this land from the river of Egypt to
the great river, the river Euphrates'" (cf. 12:7; 15:7; 17:8). That is the first group of promises: for
a great posterity and land to dwell in.

The second group of promises is more general and goes beyond posterity and land. In Genesis
15:6 it says, "Abram believed the Lord, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." God
justifies Abram because of his faith, and justification is an act of God full of promise. Genesis
15:6 is full of promise. "God reckoned his faith to him for righteousness"

The third group amounts to this: all this blessing promised to Abraham will be enjoyed someday
by all the families of the earth. God's purpose is to bless the world with the blessings of
Abraham. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to
keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will
be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among
you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or
bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. Whether born in your
household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to
be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh,
will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. God also said to Abraham, “As for
Sara your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and
will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings
of peoples will come from her.” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,
and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for
his descendants after him.
 5. How is the Joseph narrative (Genesis 37-50) characterized? Would you
consider it as a story within a story?

The Joseph Narrative demonstrates conclusively that it is structured not in an ad hoc or

haphazard manner but along well-conceived and deliberate lines. It is, by all accounts, the most
literarily unified narrative in Genesis, perhaps in the entire Pentateuch, and indeed in the entire
Hebrew Bible. Joseph begins as his fatherís favorite (notably Jacob is called ìIsraelî) in a richly
ornamented robe but loses prestige before his fatherónot because of any personal sinóbut because
of the frank telling of two dreams he had received (Gen. 37:1-11). He is subsequently sent out by
his father to observe his brothers, but because of their treachery, he is almost killed and finally
enslaved (Gen. 37:12-36). The favoritism which Jacob showed toward Joseph sparked off in the
hearts of his brothers a desire to get rid of him. One day when Jacob sends Joseph to look after
his brothers’ welfare, they decide to take advantage of this opportunity to plot against him.
Although Reuben tried to save him, the other brothers, led by Judah, arrange to sell him to some
Ishmaelites who are passing by on their way to Egypt.

Joseph is taken from the pit in which they had put him, and sold for the sum of twenty pieces of
silver. The brothers then take the coat of many colors which had been worn by Joseph, sprinkle it
with the blood of an animal, and carry it to their father with the deceptive story that Joseph, his
beloved son, has been killed. Joseph is unable to refute the slander of Potiphar’s wife and thrown
into prison. Once again, he refuses to give way to despondency and looks for a way to use his
many talents and abilities. And just as previously his conduct as a slave had approved itself to his
master, so now his conduct as a prisoner approves itself to his warder. Joseph’s integrity and
godliness take a stronger hold on the prison warder’s mind than they did on Potiphar’s—so much
so that he commits to Joseph the security of the prison. While in prison, Joseph can interpret the
dreams of Pharaoh’s butler and baker, and events come about exactly, as Joseph predicts. Yes, I
consider it a story within a story because the larger picture is the story of Jacob his father.