“Waiting for the Land: The Story Line of the Pentateuch” by Arie C. Leder

Over the past few years I have fallen in love with the Pentateuch. I now see it as some of the richest theology in all of Scripture. So when I saw this book from P & R Publishing, its title and evocative cover had me hooked in no time flat. Waiting for the Land: The Story Line of the Pentateuch by Arie C. Leder did not disappoint. Instead old insights were crystallized and new gems were discovered as I paged through this wonderful book.

My copy of this book is so dog-eared and underlined that for a long time I’ve hesitated to write this review. I know I won’t be able to say everything I want to about this book, or share every insight that I gained through reading it. I almost want to read the book again right now, as I prepare to finish this review!

What Leder does in this book is to look at the Pentateuch as a whole, and to find the big picture behind it. He analyzes each part and applies the insights of a variety of scholars, yet maintains an evangelical approach throughout. He unpacks the power of narrative and then provides detailed analyses of the structure of each of the Pentateuch’s five books. He argues that the Pentateuch is the ultimate cliff-hanger. The final editors of the Pentateuch know the ultimate ending (as recorded in Joshua), yet they deny the reader the benefit of seeing the end. Like Moses, we are left on a hill overlooking the promised land. And this is an intentional part of the book. Israel is “waiting for the land”, and this waiting continues down to today. Leder argues, and I agree, that this waiting shaped Israel’s experience of the land itself, and shapes how the church views its own wilderness pilgrimage.

The Narrative Structure of the Pentateuch

The narrative problem of the Pentateuch, as expressed by Arie Leder, is that Israel refused Divine Instruction and was thus exiled. Therefore, the message of the Pentateuch as we find it in its canonical form, speaks directly to the Jewish people post-exile. The structure of the Pentateuch is one gigantic chiasm. Genesis stands opposed to Deuteronomy, each dealing with the separation of Israel from the nations, blessing, seeing the land (but not permanently dwelling in it) and promises concerning descendants and the land. Exodus and Numbers both detail Israel’s desert journeys, describe apostasy and plagues, have a role for magicians (Pharaoh’s magicians and Balaam), and discuss the first-born and Levites’ dedication to God. Then Leviticus is the crux, dealing with sacrifices, cleanliness and holiness. The center of Leviticus is the Day of Atonement, and since all of the Pentateuch is about how to live life in God’s presence in the land of promise, it is interesting to note how central a redemptive sacrifice is to it all.

Central to the Pentateuch is the role of fellowship with God, and building projects. God builds the world to be the place of fellowship, but this is marred by sin. Then mankind rebels and builds a tower for their own fellowship apart from God’s presence. Ironically the Israelites are forced to build the towers of Egypt, but end up voluntarily building a tabernacle for the LORD. This tabernacle allows God to dwell in Israel, albeit with barriers to separate His holiness from their sin. God is the one who undoes what man had done: God initiates this building project, and ultimately no temple will be needed as God will finally dwell with his people (of all ethnicities) in the new Jerusalem, where the Lamb is the temple.

Divine Presence and the Promised Land

Leder argues that the Divine presence is the defining characteristic of the promised land, and that all too often this is forgotten in discussions of the nature of the promised land. The church is to be viewed as God’s desert people today, as Hebrews 3 and 4 intimate. Leder explains:

Israel’s desert transition from Egypt to Sinai defines how believers at all stages of sanctification wait for the land: not in triumphal transformation of the desert, but in the regular testing of a rebellious heart and the experience of God’s surprising provision of daily sustenance. (pg. 198-199)

Israel foreshadows the body of Christ as the temple of God, in which each member is a living, priestly stone (1 Peter 2:5, 9; cf. Ex. 19:5). (pg. 201)

The desert is not only an historico-geographical reality but also a theological reality, one that teaches Israel not to think of herself as a landed people, for no earthly soil can produce the fruit of righteousness. (pg. 203)

Ultimately,

…Jesus completes the desert journey for his people. With his ascension he brings them into the intimate presence of God (Heb. 10:19), from where he pours out the Holy Spirit to indwell the body of Christ, the church, God’s temple (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19) on earth. Thus indwelt, the church of Jesus Christ awaits a promised future: not land to cultivate, but rest from her work just as God rested from his (Heb. 4:6-11), a full rest in God’s presence for all who have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 21). (pg. 204)

Separated from earthly cultures and ethnicities, and in transition to the heavenly city, God’s people will suffer a constant uprooting from the soils of their past and will be eager for enduring instruction in righteous cultivation of the fruit that produces holy distraction from the world and its interests. (pg. 205)

I could go on offering quote after quote, but you’ll have to get the book and read it for yourself.

Replacement Theology?

Some may take issue with supposed “replacement theology” here. But such is not the case. He sees the church as the ultimate fulfillment of believing Israel, not a replacement of it. Furthermore, the argument is directly tied to and springs from the text itself. Since the Pentateuch itself was concerned with the presence of God more so than mere land, the New Testament’s claims about God’s presence and the church are rightly seen as an outgrowth of this native OT concern. Even if you disagree with some of Leder’s theology, studying this book will prove immensely rewarding as time and again he focuses us on the power of the text.

I devoured this book and I expect you will too. It’s written in an accessible and clear way, with many helpful charts and diagrams. You will be blown away by the connections Leder finds throughout the Pentateuch, so you’ll want to take notes. Perhaps after reading this book, you too will fall in love with the Pentateuch anew.

UPDATE: For a look at my current thinking on the land promise and that whole theological question, I encourage you to read my series of posts: “Understanding the Land Promise“.

You can pick up a copy of Waiting for the Land at the following online retailers: ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from P & R Publishing.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by P & R Publishing for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Book Recommendation: “Grandpa’s Box: Retelling the Biblical Story of Redemption”

Grandpa’s Box: Retelling the Biblical Story of Redemption is a book for children which has the characters in the tale hearing the Bible stories retold by their grandfather. I’m reading this book to my girls right now, and they are fascinated by it and enjoy hearing the retelling of the Bible stories with the reactions to the stories by the children listening to the stories in the book. My eight year-old appreciates it the most as it is more on her level, but even my three and five year-olds enjoy the book.

The book promises to tell the whole Bible story of redemption, and comes highly recommended. I just learned today that Westminster Bookstore has the book at 50% off for a limited time (now through June 14). If you’re looking for a good book to use for family Bible time, I recommend this work. Pick it up during the sale, and it’s only $7.00.

Publisher’s Description: “It wa a wooden box, simply made. “˜I guess you could call it my war chest,’ Grandpa said. As the children peered into the box, they saw many small figures – animals, people, and objects of all kinds. A number of them were carved from wood.”

Learn along with Marc and Amy as Grandpa uses his special box of wooden carvings to illustrate the wonderful stories of the Bible to children. From Genesis to Revelation, Grandpa shows how the stories of the Bible fit as episodes in the one story of God’s redemption of His people. Children will come away with a deeper understanding of God’s plan of redemption told throughout all of Scripture. Even those children who already know the stories of the Bible will learn more about God and his plan for saving His people.

Click here to read a sample chapter, or here to see the included study guide. Use this link to purchase the book through Westminster Bookstore.

Book Recommendation: “Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures” by Dennis E. Johnson

At The 2011 Gospel Coalition Conference, this book was highly recommended. I thought I’d highlight the book again, since my review was posted way back in April of 2009.

What would a Christ-centered reading of the Old Testament look like? How can we best preach Christ from the Old Testament faithfully and with respect to what the Old Testament text itself actually says? These questions and more are explored by Dennis E. Johnson in his book Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures.

Part hermeneutic manual, homiletic textbook and preaching guide, the book first explains why apostolic, Christ-centered preaching of the Old Testament is needed today and then carefully fleshes out what this kind of preaching will look like. Johnson’s redemptive historical hermeneutic includes tracing out overarching biblical themes and giving close attention to the New Testament’s allusions to the Old Testament. His example sermons and outlines bring the theory to life and makes the book extremely useful. If you are looking for a single, comprehensive resource on Christ-centered, Old Testament preaching, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Him We Proclaim.

You can preview the table of contents, and chapter 1. You may also want to read my full review here.

The book can be purchased from these retailers: Christianbook.com, Westminster Bookstore, Monergism Books, Amazon.com or direct from P & R Publishing.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by P & R Publishing. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

More TGC Resources on the Gospel in the OT

Three panel discussions were hosted at The Gospel Coalition by BibleMesh.com. The panel discussions which promise to be insightful and helpful, were well attended. The BibleMesh Blog has posted the video from the panel discussions. I’m going to want to carve out some time to watch these.

Gospel Coalition-BibleMesh Panel 1: What I have learned after years of preaching Christ in the Old Testament [moderator: Owen Strachan / on the panel: Alistair Begg, Mark Dever, and Philip Ryken]

The Gospel Coalition-BibleMesh Panel 2: Getting to Know the Bible Personally as One Grand Narrative [moderator: Michael McClenahan / on the panel: Kent Hughes, David Jackman, and Ligon Duncan]

The Gospel Coalition-BibleMesh Panel 3: How to Teach Children and Youth the Gospel Story [moderator: Greg Thornbury / on the panel: Russell Moore, David Helm, and Kimberly Thornbury]

BibleMesh is the software for an online, whole-Bible discipleship course, and helps sponsor The Gospel Coalition Preaching Christ in the Old Testament resource page. You can learn more about BibleMesh at BibleMesh.com.

Live at the Gospel Coalition Conference – Final Reflections

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Gospel Coalition Conference. The event was organized well and the layout of the convention center was easy to follow. I wish I had had more time to take in some of the extra panel discussions sprinkled throughout and the post-conference event. Apparently an extra session was called Thursday morning, where D.A. Carson addressed the Rob Bell issue, speaking on what universalism is and why it isn’t a confessionally Christian position. [Download the audio here.]

Seeing 5-6,000 people in attendance at this kind of an event was special for me. I’ve spent time in an ultra-conservative fundamentalist group, and for many years I learned to look with deep suspicion on anyone who didn’t agree with me on almost every point of doctrine and practice. To see the unity in Christ, the desire for good preaching, the passion for the Gospel in such a diverse and mixed group of people was thrilling. God uses all kinds of people, and united around the Gospel message we have room for varying points of view on secondary doctrines and matters of practice. I was thrilled at the idea of The Together for the Gospel conference back when it first launched, and I have elsewhere pointed out how the Gospel should really shape our unity. So it was a joy to finally experience on a large scale a similar event that focuses on people coming together for the Gospel.

The theme of the conference was especially meaningful to me. I’ve been studying the interrelation between the Old and New Testaments for quite some time. Seeing Christ in the Old Testament afresh has been faith building for me and has revolutionized my reading of Scripture. The topic was treated carefully and not just academically. Christ in the OT was preached as something for us to rejoice in. I believe that many preachers will be more equipped to preach from the Old Testament after having attended this conference. Many of the books recommended for preachers to read, will also prove helpful.

Dispensationalism wasn’t necessarily treated as a big problem needing to be addressed head on or anything. Some speakers said certain forms of dispensationalism bias one toward not preaching Christ from the OT. I would agree, but much of what was said at the conference can apply no matter what position is taken on dispensationalism. I don’t think reasonable dispensationalists would have been offended by the conference at all. They may have been challenged or even encouraged by it, but not offended. Not being dispensational myself, I might have missed something there. I just think the way the conference handled this point was commendable.

Finally, the book tables and exhibits were breathtaking. Lifeway Christian Stores helped sell the books, but numerous publishers had their representatives on hand to help with the book tables. My friend Shaun and I, avid book review bloggers that we are, enjoyed getting to meet several contacts that we’ve only ever interacted with on email before. We took a shift helping the Christian Focus Publications book table too, as we have been working with them closely on a social media project (through our new part time business, Cross Focused Media). From a book-lovers’ perspective, there were great discounts, giveaways galore, and a lot of excellent books on hand. That made the conference special in its own right.

On the way back, Shaun and I got to meet a blogging friend, Kevin Thompson in Janesville, WI. Kevin has interviewed me before, this time I got to interview him! (Unofficially and without recording equipment…) We really enjoyed meeting him, and both enjoyed our trip to The Gospel Coalition Conference, immensely.

For more on The 2011 Gospel Coalition Conference you can check out the Desiring God blog here for live summaries of each of the sessions.