The Torah
*The Main Events Described in the Torah
(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
THE CREATION AND MAN’S FALL INTO SIN AND EXILE FROM GOD’S PRESENCE
God created the heavens & the earth
Genealogy of Heavens & Earth: God prepares a habitat for humans
Adam & Eve sin; God expels humanity from His presence
Cain kills Abel; Cain’s descendants genealogy
THE DESTRUCTION OF ALL LIVING CREATURES EXCEPT NOAH & HIS FAMILY
Genealogy from Seth to Noah
God chooses Noah, rejects the rest
Noah, his family & the selected animals enter the ark; rain for 40 days & nights
The flood waters recede; God calls Noah & his family to leave the ark
God establishes the Rainbow covenant with Noah; God gives command about murder;
Genealogy of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham & Japheth
Nimrod convinces the people to build a tower in Babel
GOD CALLS ABRAHAM AND PROMISES TO BLESS ALL FAMILIES THRU HIS SEED
Genealogy of Shem to Abram
God Calls Abram & promises blessings to the world through his seed
Abram & Sarai go to Canaan & Egypt
Abram & his nephew Lot separate; God repeats his promise to Abram
Abram is blessed by Melchizedek, King of Salem
God promises Abram’s descendants will be uncountable like the stars
Abram’s wife Sarai gives her maidservant Hagar to Abram; Hagar conceives Ishmael
After 13 years of silence, God renews his covenant with Abram & changes his name to Abraham which means father of many nations.
WHEN ABRAHAM IS 100 AND SARAH IS 90, ISAAC IS BORN
God visits Abraham & promises that Sarai will have a baby within one year; Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah;
God pronounces judgement on Sodom & Gomorrah; Abram intercedes for Lot
God destroys Sodom & Gomorrah; Lot escapes with his daughters but his wife dies.
Sarah gives birth to Isaac;
Ishmael & Hagar are sent away
God calls Abraham to sacrifice Isaac; Abraham obeys; God provides a ram as substitute for Isaac
Abraham’s wife Sarah dies; Abraham buys a field & cave in Canaan to bury Sarah
Abraham sends his servant back to his extended family to find a Rebekah for his son Isaac
Abraham marries other wives; Abraham dies & is buried with Sarah;
Isaac’s wife Rebekah after 20 years of prayer Rebekah bears two sons Esau & Jacob
Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.
Jacob steals Esau’s blessing; Esau plots to kill Jacob
Jacob flees from Esau; God appears to Jacob in a dream while at Bethel
Jacob falls in love with Rachel; Jacob works seven years to marry Rachel but gets Leah too
Jacob has more sons & daughters through Leah, Bilhah (Rachel’s servant), Zilpah (Leah’s servant), & finally Rachel
Jacob flees from Laban; Laban pursues Jacob; & they make a pact.
Jacob prepares to meet his brother Esau; Jacob wrestles with God
Jacob meets his brother Esau; Jacob & his family settle in Shechem
God calls Jacob back to Bethel, passes the promise of Isaac & Abraham to Jacob, & Jacob’s name is changed to Israel.
The Genealogy of Esau.
ABRAHAM’S GREAT GRANDSON JOSEPH LEADS JACOB’S FAMILY TO EGYPT
Joseph’s two dreams about ruling over his family;
Joseph’s brother sell him into slavery; Joseph is bought by Potipher, one of Pharoah’s officials in Egypt.
Potiphar’s wife makes pass at Joseph; Joseph refuses & Potiphar’s wife has him thrown in jail.
Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharoah’s cupbearer & baker.
Joseph interprets the Pharoah’s dreams; Joseph is made prime minister of Egypt.
Joseph’s brothers go to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph deceives his brothers, arrests Simeon
Joseph’s brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin to buy more grain.
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers.
Jacob goes to Egypt with his whole clan & settle in Goshen.
Jacob pronounces blessings on his sons.
MOSES LEADS 2.5 MILLION HEBREWS OUT OF EGYPT & BRINGS THEM TO HOREB
The Israelites greatly increase & multiply in Egypt; Israelites are oppressed by a new Pharaoh.
Moses’ 1st 40 years in Egypt: A Prince & then a murderer
God appears to Moses through a burning bush; God calls Moses back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from Egypt
Moses appears to Pharaoh; Pharaoh rejects Moses’ plea; Pharaoh gives the Israelites more work to do
Genealogy of Moses & Aaron
The nine plagues
The Passover; The Firstborn in Egyptian family dies in the night;
Pharaoh allows the Israelites to leave Egypt; Israel’s Exodus from Egypt; Passover Restrictions
Pharaoh hardens his heart one more time & pursues the Israelites to bring them back to Egypt
God parts the Red Sea & the Israelites escape the Egyptians; The Egyptian soldiers are drowned in the sea.
Moses & Miriam sing songs of joy & praise to God for rescuing the Israelites;
GOD GIVES ISRAEL THE 10 COMMANDMENTS, PLUS MANY OTHER LAWS
The Israelites complain for lack of water; God provides water at Marah & Elim.
The Israelites complain about lack of food; God provides Manna & Quail
God provides water through a rock at Horeb (Mount Sinai). The Israelites led by Joshua defeat the Amalekites
Moses is visited by his father-in-law Jethro; Jethro teaches Moses how to delegate responsibility.
Moses meets God on the mountain; God gives instructions for the Israelites to be read to hear the 10 commandments
God gives the Israelites his Ten Commandments;
God gives other instructions for the Hebrews
God confirms his covenant with Israel; Moses sets aside the people by sprinkling blood over them.
GOD COMMANDS MOSES TO CONSTRUCT A HOLY TENT FOR HIM TO DWELL IN
God instructs Moses to make the Tabernacle (a portable tent for worshiping God).
Instructions concerning the making of the Tabernacle itself
Moses is gone too long; Israel creates & worships a calf; Moses destroys 10 commandments
God tells Moses the people can make the trip to the Promised Land by themselves
God gives Moses new stone tablets with 10 commandments & listen’s to Moses’ request to go with them.
Moses calls on the people to gather materials to make the Tabernacle & all its articles
The construction of the Tabernacle begins
The Tabernacle is set up; The Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
GOD GIVES ISRAEL HIS PLAN FOR HOW ISRAEL CAN BE HOLY
God gives special instructions about the whole burnt offering sacrifice
God gives instructions about Offerings
Moses anoints & ordains Aaron & his sons as priests before the whole assembly of Israel.
Aaron & his sons begin their service as priests.
Aaron’s sons Nadab & Abihu offered unauthorized incense at the altar & die before the Lord.
God gives instructions about clean & unclean
The Lord gives instructions about The Day of Atonement,
Instructions about sacrifices only happening at the Tabernacle
The Lord gives instructions about unlawful sexual relations.
The Lord gives instructions about proper conduct
God calls the people of Israel to be holy as he is holy
Commandments about priests, holy days, feasts
An Israelite is stoned to death for blaspheming the name of the Lord.
The Lord gives instructions about the Sabbath Year (allowing the land to rest every seventh year).
The Lord gives instructions about the year of Jubilee (all debts cancelled every 50 years).
The Lord commands Moses to take a census of the whole Israelite Community.
THE PRIESTS ARE DEDICATED TO THE LORD
The Lord instructs Moses concerning the Levites; the Levites are claimed by God to be priests in Israel.
The Israelites bring offerings for the dedication of the Tabernacle.
The Lord gives instructions to Aaron concerning how to set up the lamps in front of the lampstand. The Levites are dedicated as priests of Israel.
The Lord gives instructions to Aaron how to set up the lamps in front of the lampstand.
The Levites are dedicated as priests of Israel & the Glory of God comes down and fire consumes the sacrifices
THE PEOPLE REFUSE TO INVADE CANAAN BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID
The people of Israel complain about hardships & The Lord punishes them with fire.
The people complain about a lack of meat; the Lord sends quail & then punishes them with a plague
Miriam & Aaron oppose Moses & Miriam is plagued with leprosy. Moses intercedes for Miriam that the Lord might heal her.
The Lord instructs Moses to send spies to scout out the Promised Land.
10 of the 12 spies convince the people NOT to enter the promised land because it is dangerous
All the people of the community of Israel weep & complain against Moses & refuse to enter into the Promised Land.
THE HEBREWS WANDER IN THE WILDERNESS & ALMOST ALL DIE
The Lord relents but the people are sentenced to wander in the wilderness for forty years.
Korah, Dothan, & Abiram rebel against Moses & Aaron, but God chooses Aaron.
Miriam (Moses’ sister) died in the Desert of Zin;
The people of Israel complain about a lack of water; Moses strikes the rock twice out of anger
The Lord judges Moses & Aaron for their angry outburst & denies them access to the Promised Land
Aaron dies at Mount Hor & his son Eleazar is ordained to succeeds Aaron as High Priest.
The Israelite people complain again; God sent a plague of snakes; Moses makes bronze snake to save the people.
Balak king of Moab summons Balaam the seer; Balaam’s donkey saves him from the Angel of the Lord.
Balak asks Balaam to curse the Israelites; Balaam prophecies twice & blesses Israel.
Balaam directs Balak to send Moabite prostitutes to Israel’s camp to seduce them to worship idols
Israelite men commit sexual immorality with Moabite women. The Lord sends a plague among the Israelites
AFTER 40 YEARS, MOSES SPEAKS HIS FINAL SERMON TO ISRAEL & TELLS THEM GOD’S LAW AGAIN
The Lord directs Moses to take another census.
Moses tells Israel in His final sermon about Israel’s 40 year journey
The Lord sets the boundaries of the Promised Land; Leaders from each tribe are appointed to help apportion the land after they take it.
The Lord instructs the Israelites to apportion towns to the Levites;
The Lord instructs the Israelites to choose six cities as Cities of Refuge
Moses tells again everything that happened to Israel from the time they left Horeb (Mt. Sinai)
Moses declares that the Lord is One (One Lord or One God). Moses instructs the Israelites love God
Moses instructs the Israelites not to forget the Lord after they enter the promised land.
Moses warns the Israelites that if they turn away from the Lord to follow other gods, they will be destroyed.
Moses commands the people to establish only one place of worship & to destroy all the places of worship
Moses commands the people of Israel not to follow false prophets who entice the people to follow other gods.
Moses instructs the people to cancel debts every seven years. Moses instructs the people that there should be no poor among them
Moses reminds the people to establish cities of refuge in the Promised Land.
Moses teaches the people about how to deal with marriage violations.
Moses pronounces blessings for obedience to God’s commands & curses for disobedience.
The Lord renews his covenant with the people of Israel. Moses tells of a time when the people will be exiled again for abandoning the covenant with the Lord.
Moses tells the people of a time when after being exiled they will return to the Lord & the Lord will restore their prosperity. Moses sets before the people an offer of life & death.
MOSES APPOINTS JOSHUA TO LEAD ISRAEL INTO CANAAN AND THEN DIES
Joshua is selected to succeed Moses.
The Song of Moses.
The Lord sends Moses to Mount Nebo to see the promised land & tells Moses that he will die on Mount Nebo.
Moses blesses the tribes of Israel
Moses dies.
*Note this list of events is adapted from:
Genesis https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/The-Main-Events-in-the-Book-of-Genesis
Exodus https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/The-Main-Events-of-the-Book-of-Exodus
Leviticus https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/The-Main-Events-of-Leviticus
Numbers https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/The-Main-Events-from-the-Book-of-Numbers
Deuteronomy https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/The-Main-Events-in-the-Book-of-Deuteronomy