Homilies on the Books of Holy Scripture
The Pentateuch
By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
(Sunday, July 13, 2025)
The Pentateuch
By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
(Sunday, July 13, 2025)
The first five books of the Old Testament and the Holy Scriptures in general are called the "Pentateuch" and are understood as the "Pentateuch Bible" since the 2nd century AD by the Greeks and Christians.
In the Hebrew period these books are called the "Law of Moses" or the "Book of the Law of Moses", because they were given by God to Moses, so that with this law he could guide His people. Christ Himself considered the author to be Moses, which is why in a conversation He had with the Jews of His time He said: “If you believe Moses, believe Me; for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46).
These five books are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
In particular, the book of Genesis presents the events from the creation of the world and man, his fall, his exodus from Paradise to Joseph's residence in Egypt with his brothers and his father's entire community, Joseph's funeral and his burial in Egypt.
The book of Exodus describes the preparations of the Jews to leave Egypt under the guidance of Moses, the events of the exodus, their wandering in the Sinai desert and the reception of the Law of God from Moses and the establishment of the Tabernacle.
The book of Leviticus contains the sacrifices, the feasts, the types of purifications and generally everything that concerns the Priests, who are members of the tribe of Levi, from whom it received its name. The book presents everything that concerns the consecration of the high priest Aaron and his sons and contains all the ritual provisions entrusted to the Levite Priests.
The book of Numbers is so named because at the beginning of the book there is a census of the Hebrews who can bear arms, and of the Levites after the legislation at Sinai, and there is also a new census of the Theocratic Israelite army. The history of the Israelite people is presented from the foot of Mount Sinai to the steppes of Moab, east of the Promised Land. That is, it includes the history of the Israelite people on their journey to the Promised Land for 39 years.
The book of Deuteronomy is, in a way, the second law, that is, the recapitulation of all that has been legislated and done. It presents in particular the three speeches that Moses addressed to the Hebrews on the steppes of Moab, during the 40th year after their exodus from Egypt, and is the historical epilogue of the Exodus and their wandering in the desert and the death of Moses. It concludes with Moses’ ode: “Hear, O heavens, and I will speak.”
In general, the content of the Pentateuch is the history of the creation of the world and man, his fall and exodus from Paradise, the flood and Noah's ark, the philanthropy of God manifested by the manifestation of the Lord of Glory to the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, the giving of the Law to Moses, and their journey to the Promised Land. Essentially, it is the official recognition of the Israelite people as God's special people, from whom Jesus Christ would come.
Outwardly it seems that the Pentateuch is the history of the Israelite-Jewish people and is their national history. This is partly true, because in reality it is primarily a global history and the prehistory of the Christian people.
As we have seen, the first book begins with the creation of the world and man, but also his fall. This constitutes the beginning of world history. However, the division of the races and the distancing of people from the living God and the worship of idols are also immediately visible. At the same time, the love and philanthropy of God who undertakes the preparation of the people for His incarnation is also manifested.
It seems, however, that the Jewish-Israelite people were better prepared than all the tribes, and this is due to the Theoptic Patriarchs, since Abraham and then Isaac and Jacob saw the Lord of Glory, the pre-incarnate Word, and attained theoptic vision, through their deification. Thus, while other peoples worshiped false gods, idols, they believed in and worshiped the true God.
This was also seen later with the appearance of great Prophets, such as Moses who arrived at Sinai to see the Lord of Glory, to remain forty days and nights in the Light, to receive the Law, and later other great Prophets appeared; let us mention David, Isaiah, Elijah and others.
When one reads ancient Greek history with the Twelve Gods, mysticism, philosophers, but also Eastern Religions, and compares these with the history of the Israelite people, one understands how well the Israelite people were prepared for the coming of Christ.
Christ, with His teaching and His work, refers to all people; the Jews crucified Him, so this Grace of God passed on to the Gentile Christians, according to the word of Christ: “The Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (Matt. 21:43). Thus, the work of Christ is not national, but salvific and universal.
Within this perspective, the Pentateuch was completed by Christ on the Mount of Beatitudes, He Himself died on the Cross and was Resurrected, gave new worship ordinances, delivered a new, superior Law, the Church of the Theoptics of the Old Testament became the “Body of Christ” and a “community of theosis,” within the Church new Mysteries are celebrated with greater power, new worship ordinances were instituted, and the Church is composed of members of various tribes and nations.
Therefore, the history of the Israelite people, as presented in the books of the Pentateuch, is the prehistory of the Christian people. For this reason, the Fathers of our Church instituted the reading of various readings from the Pentateuch, as well as from other books of the Old Testament, and they interpret them through the theology that Christ revealed to us in the New Testament.
Thus, we the Christian people, made up of all nations and tribes, are the new Israel of God's Grace and we glorify God who created us, and after our fall, recreated us through the incarnation of Christ and the mystery of the Divine Economy.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
