Pentateuch Chiasm

Hey Guys- I hope everyone is well! I'm sorry to say that with the move and all the other transitions this summer, I have fallen seriously behind on the readings. However, I really enjoy reading the posts of others and love that we have this forum to share what we're learning. I was in an IV training session the other day, and the instructor showed us a giant chaism from Genesis through Deuteronomy that I thought you might find interesting since you're coming towards the end of those readings. If you're unfamiliar with what a chaism is, its basically a literary structure that involves at series of points that mirror each other thematically, with the central point being the main point of the whole piece. For example, in a five point chaism the first point mirrors the last point, the second point mirrors the second to last, and the third or middle point is the main point. So here is the big Pentateuch Chiasm for you:

1. Heaven and earth; origin of all nations, starting with God’s true humanity in garden land: Gen.1 – 11

2. Covenant inaugurated with Abraham, Blessings and Curses: Gen.12:1 – 8

3. God’s Faithfulness to the Patriarchs: Gen.12:9 – 50:26

4. Enslavement and Deliverance from Egypt, Arrival at Sinai: Ex.1 – 18

5. Covenant Inaugurated, Broken, Re-Asserted: Ex.19:1 – 24:11

a. God calls Israel to meet Him on the mountain on the third day: Ex.19:1 – 15

b. Israel’s failure – to come up the mountain: Ex.19:16 – 23

c. God resumes with Moses and Aaron: Ex.19:24 – 25

d. God gives Israel the Ten Commandments: Ex.20:1 – 27

e. Israel’s failure – Israel afraid of God’s voice: Ex.20:18 – 20

f. God gives all Israel 49 laws (7x7): Ex.20:21 – 23:19

g. God and Israel agree to a covenant, and Moses, Aaron, and 70 elders see God, and eat and drink in His presence: Ex.23:2 – 24:11

6. Tabernacle instructions given to house the veiled presence of God: Ex.24:12 – 31:11

7. God commands Israel to observe the Sabbath and the Covenant is documented on stone tablets: Ex.31:12 – 18

8. Covenant broken; Israel worships Aaron’s golden calves: Ex.32:1 – 29

9. Moses mediates for Israel, restores the covenant: Ex.32:30 – 33:23

8’. Covenant affirmed: Ex.34:1 – 17

7’. God commands Israel to observe three annual feasts and the Covenant is documented on stone tablets again; Moses veils his face as a sign of judgment, hiding God’s glory from the nation: Ex.34:18 – 28

6’. Tabernacle built to instructions; presence of God comes veiled: Ex.35 – 40

5’. Covenant Mediation Inaugurated, Covenant Broken, Re-Asserted: Lev.1:1 – 27:34

a. God calls Israel to approach Him, gives priests a Code for sacrifices: Lev.1:1 – 9:24

b. Priests’ failure – two of Aaron’s sons offer strange fire, are consumed: Lev.10:1 – 7

c. God resumes with Aaron’s two others sons: Lev.10:8 – 20

d. God gives Israel’s priests a Priestly Code for the community: Lev.11 – 16

e. Israel’s failure – God addresses worship of goat idols: Lev.17:1 – 9 (Acts 7:42 – 43)

f. God gives all Israel a Holiness Code: Lev.17:10 – 25:55

g. God and Israel agree to a covenant: Lev.26:1 – 27:34

4’. Departure from Sinai, Punishment and Deliverance from Wilderness: Num.1 – 36

3’. God’s Faithfulness forms the basis for Moses’ Exhortation: Dt.1 – 26

2’. Covenant offered to Israel, Blessings and Curses: Dt.27 – 30

1’. ‘Heaven’ and ‘earth’ (Dt.32:1) witness destiny of Israel and nations; God’s Spirit ‘hovers’ (Dt.32:11) over Israel as they enter garden land: Dt.31 – 34

Pretty cool right? I love how the central theme of the pentateuch is the mediation by Moses to restore God's covenant with them. Naturally Moses is forshadowing the true mediation of Christ for the sake of the covenant with all of God's people, the central theme of the Gospel message and our faith. I think its just awesome to see the grandness of the Biblical narrative, and once again be reminded that this is something no man could have come up with. I hope it encourages you in your reading!