College Press NIV Commentary Collection Upgrade (CPNIV) (4 vols.)

Genesis is not merely an Old Testament book. Genesis is the beginning of the Bible’s macro-narrative, the over-arching narrative which stretches from the creation in Genesis 1 and 2 to the new creation in Revelation 21 and 22. To read Genesis as Christian Scripture requires that we also read Genesis in light of its meaning for Christians who know Jesus Christ to be the ultimate seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:16).

This section of Genesis differs from chapters 1–11 in two main ways. First, it deals with the chosen family, the precursor to the nation of Israel. Second, it focuses much more on the lives of individual characters who come to life on its pages. A predominant theme in this section of Genesis is the concept of election or "chosenness," referring to God’s choice of particular individuals as the human channels of his blessing to the entire world. Often God’s choice runs counter to the human choice. Isaac is chosen over Lot and Ishmael; Jacob over Esau; Judah over his older brothers Reuben, Simeon and Levi. Joseph, the tenth son, is elevated above his brothers. The chosen nation descends from a series of individuals chosen for other reasons than their order of birth or expected social status. Israel is a chosen nation descended from the unlikely and improbable choices that God made of individuals. This theme of God’s surprising choices binds the narratives of Genesis together and hints at the humility that the chosen nation Israel must have toward their own election.

Unlike the earlier section of Genesis where human characters are little more than types, in this section of Genesis we have full-fledged characters such as Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph and Judah. With full-fledged characters come the complexity and ambiguity of such characters. The characters in Genesis are not portrayed as good Christian people! They were not Christians and their narrative portrayals are not simplistic. The lessons we learn from them come as much from their weaknesses and mistakes as it does from their moral examples. The characters of Genesis are not white-hatted heroes riding white horses or black-hatted villains riding black ones. The message of Genesis is elsewhere than in simplistic moralizing.

Genesis 12–50 makes clear that even the chosen family is itself significantly sinful. This prepares the ground for the Bible’s great surprise ending. God himself, in his son Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham, took on flesh and brought the answer "Yes" to all God’s promises (2 Cor. 1:20).

The book of Exodus functions as the sequel to Genesis describing God's deliverance of the children of Israel and the establishment of a new covenant between God and Israel. The rest of the Old Testament looks back on the exodus of Israel from Egypt as the primary redemptive event in Israel's history.

This primary redemptive event became central to the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. God's redemption of Israel became the foundation for the Israelite faith and proactive reflected in the many Old Testament allusions to the exodus as the basis for:

• Obedience to the covenant
• Proper ethical treatment of others
• The establishment of the sovereignty of God
• A national dateline marking the nation's history
• A standard for the measurement of all subsequent events

For the Christian, Exodus serves similar functions, pointing to the important work of redemption as seen in the New Testament's record of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These issues impact significantly the purpose and hermeneutics of this commentary.

The reader with a good understanding of both the Old and New Testaments sees in the exodus God's deliverance of Israel foreshadowing the death of Christ and the establishment of the church. The Christian's appreciation of the work of Jesus in mankind's salvation is understood and appreciated in a ratio equal to the understanding of the messages and themes of the exodus and the book which bears its name.

The Law of Moses asks and answers questions essential to the reading of Scripture. Some of these questions are launched upwards: Who is Yahweh? What are his credentials, promises, and expectations? Can he be trusted? Other questions of torah are launched outwardly: Who is this Moses? What are his credentials? Can he be regarded as a reliable guide? Finally, questions of torah are launched inwardly: What does it mean to be the people of God? How are such people identified? Where do they come from? Where do they go? Far more than a mishmash of short stories, endless genealogies, and odd rules; Torah makes specific claims about the nature of Yahweh, Moses, and the people of God. Like a living document, it must be remembered, interpreted, and applied afresh by each generation.

The book of Joshua attempts to do just this. Scripturally, it connects onto the end of Torah, offering the story of the first generation to venture beyond the scraps of Mt. Nebo where the tracks of Moses stop abruptly, then disappear. For the exodus generation, and indeed for Moses himself, a visit to this land of promise could only be appreciated vicariously, unless, of course, one were to include a deep-down ache for a place to call home. For the Eisodos generation, on the other hand, the promise would finally become reality. To fully appreciate their position, though, the words of torah and its stories of men whose feet trod this land centuries earlier must be remembered. By the late second millennium B.C., the trail of these early walkers is already old, but not yet cold; Torah retrieves the pathways of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In the immediate context of the Old Testament, Judges forms a link between the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and the rise of the Jewish monarchy. The period reflected in Judges is crucial to the development of the Israelite psyche as God begins the lesson that the exiles to Assyria and Babylon later finish: blessing is connected to fidelity to God; suffering is the natural consequence of disobedience.

The stories in Judges are exciting, well-told tales of intrigue, suspense, seduction, violence, revenge, and triumph. Through them all, the hand of the God of Israel moves—sometimes obviously and sometimes furtively—to teach his people their need for him.

The charm, even mystique, of the book of Ruth rests in the ability of the narrative to suggest the work of God in the midst of ordinary life. Ruth is shown to be a personal example of faithfulness. She exceeds all the expectations of her society and perhaps even the letter of the law.

The message of the book of Ruth may be considered from at least two vantage points. Viewed in strictly human terms, it underlines the importance of persistent and faithful relationships in moments of crisis. Viewed from a faith perspective it communicates confidence in the ongoing work of God to fill the empty, to protect the vulnerable, and to bring joy into a grieving world. In a small way, Ruth’s story anticipates that which is only fully realized on this side of the cross.