The Bible’s first five books—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—are known as the Torah, Law, or Pentateuch. The Torah has long been ascribed to Moses. Indeed, the books’ internal evidence points to Moses, claiming his authorship, e.g., Exodus 17:14; 24:4–7; 34:27; Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 31:9, 22, 24.

Other Old Testament books affirm Moses’ authorship, e.g., Joshua 1:7–8; 8:32–34; Judges 3:4; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 14:6; 21:8; 2 Chronicles 25:4; Ezra 6:18; Nehemiah 8:1; 13:1; Daniel 9:11–13. New Testament writers likewise with John 1:17; Acts 6:14; 13:39; 15:5; 1 Corinthians 9:9; 2 Corinthians 3:15; Hebrews 10:28.

Finally, Jesus cited Moses as the author, frequently speaking of Moses’ writings or the Law of Moses without any disclaimer, e.g., Matthew 8:4; 19:7–8; Mark 7:10; 12:26; Luke 24:27, 44; John 7:19. Indeed, Jesus stressed the seriousness of denying Moses several times, including:

“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” John 5:46, 47

Similarly, today’s liberal theologians who doubt Moses often doubt what Jesus said (aside from selective and twisted use to support their agreements with politically correct causes).

In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus relates how a rich man in hell begged someone to return from the dead to warn his brothers. But as Jesus explains further:

He [Abraham] said to him [the rich man], “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Luke 16;31

This is extremely serious. Jesus said that rejectors of Moses would not be persuaded even by a resurrection. Not surprisingly, churches and seminaries rejecting the historicity of Moses’ writings often also reject the Lord Jesus Christ’s literal bodily resurrection.

Indeed, Jesus affirmed the absolute authority of Moses’ writings in Matthew:

“I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:18

Jesus affirmed Scripture’s inspiration even down to the smallest letter—“jot” (Greek iotaι the equivalent Hebrew yod י) — or a letter — “tittle” (e.g., the smallest stroke of a pen differentiating between beitℶ kaphℶ, daletℸ, reshℸ

MOSES AS EDITOR OF GENESIS

Although included in the Torah as a ‘Book of Moses’, Genesis is a special case. While Moses eye-witnessed the events of Exodus to Deuteronomy, Genesis’ events occurred long before his time. Moses is not named as the book’s author; the best explanation is he was the editor of Genesis.

Internal evidence includes many editorial comments (e.g., Genesis 26:33, 32:32), to explain events to his readers living centuries after the events of Genesis. (Moses often uses Egyptian reference points in the Pentateuch (Genesis 13:10, Numbers 13:22), strong internal evidence that he wrote for people who had just escaped Egypt and were unfamiliar with the Promised Land.) But highlighting how Genesis preserves events from long before Moses, sometimes the ancient sources were left alone. For example, Genesis 10:19 states: The territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomor rah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

Note, “as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah”. Consider a New York City guidebook providing directions “as you go towards the Twin Towers”. The natural conclusion is that the guidebook was written when these great landmarks were still standing, i.e., before the terrorist attack on 11 September 2001. Similarly, the internal evidence of Genesis 10:19 points to it being written before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24), at or even before Abraham’s time. These two wicked cities had been lost under the Dead Sea for centuries by Moses’ time.

11-TOLEDOT STRUCTURE

Genesis’ real sources are eleven family documents headed by toledot. The phrase ‘ēllĕh tôləḏôṯ (אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת) is usually translated as “these are the generations of …”. This takes the preceding section’s results and propels it forward in the narrative. Genesis’ toledots tell us what followed from the named person.

There is also a repeated historical pattern moving from blessings to curses. For example:

1. Toledot of the heavens and earth, Genesis 2:4–4:26. ‘What followed from creation’, particularly what became of creation’s crowning point (man and woman), their fall from perfection into sin, and the curse on the cosmos.
2. Toledot of Adam, Genesis 5:1–6:8. ‘What followed from Adam’ continues the further degeneration of man into utter wickedness. We see the two main lines of descendants: Cain’s and Seth’s. This toledot starts in 5:1–2 with blessing but ends in God’s intention to blot out mankind in 6:7.
3. Toledot of Noah, Genesis 6:9–9:29. ‘What followed from Noah’. God’s curse on the wicked earth in the Flood, but the blessing of saving Noah’s family on the Ark. But then the righteous Noah becomes drunk, leading to Canaan’s curse.
4. Toledot of Noah’s three sons, Genesis 10:1–11:9. ‘What followed from Shem, Japheth, and Ham’, the descendants of these patriarchs’ founding nations. This account starts with the blessing of the population expansion and ends with the curse of the confusion of languages at Babel “in the days of Peleg” (10:25). This confusion led to the dispersion into nations.

BIBLICAL PROPHECY PROOF OF THE BIBLES INSPIRATION

Even before the Israelites went into the Promised Land, Moses told them their entire future checkered history, including their being cast out of the land and dispersed throughout the nations but also the end of the story when God would regather them and their Messiah will rule the nations and they will be a people, “holy to the Lord your God”. Could this be the reason there are still Jews in the world today? They are hanging onto God’s future promises.

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.” Deuteronomy 28:1

“And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them.” Deuteronomy 28:13

“And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as He has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that He will set you in praise and in fame and in honour high above all nations that He has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as He promised.” Deuteronomy 26:18-19

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and He will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.“ Deuteronomy 30:1-3

“And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:5-6

“On the day that I cleanse you (House of Israel) from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.” Ezekiel 36:33-36