Recently, I had the privilege of taking a seminary course on the Pentateuch.  Throughout the class, professor Eric Ortlund did an outstanding job of connecting the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the OT) with the gospel.  I thought it would be helpful to include just a sampling of some of his insights on the gospel.  Enjoy!

“The whole Bible is gospel—grace to sinful people as sinners—God pursuing his enemies and loving on them.  As I preach and teach the Pentateuch (and try to apply it to myself), I’ve found the following helpful to consider:

1) I’m a mess.  I don’t even realize how messed up I am—I need revelation from on high to learn this (Gen 2-3).

2) I need to change and obey and get better (Exod 19-24, Deut 12-26).

3) I can’t (Deut 29-30, Josh 24); part of my messed-up-ness means that I can’t change myself.  Those who appear to be obeying God outside of God’s grace are just engaging in a different form of disobedience (Matt 23, Phil 3).  Moralistic interpretations of the Bible inevitably become self-focused—MY need to obey is the great dramatic issue—and God tends to become the answer to MY question.

4) There is a God in heaven who actually likes bad people—who is actually attracted to them—and the more bad they are, the more favor and grace he shows them (Romans 5).

5) More specifically with regard to the legal portions of the Pentateuch, the Bible is witnessing to us of that coming One who will perfectly fulfill every obligation, whose perfect obedience can be reckoned ours by faith in the sight of God, and actually become ours, more and more, as we are transformed into his image.”