The vast amounts of information—people, places, legal codes—in the Old Testament often overwhelm new students of the Bible causing many to cease reading it regularly and to surrender understanding fully its message. In The Story of the Pentateuch, Tarwater not only explains in detail the diverse parts of the Pentateuch, but more importantly how these components work in concert to communicate a unified story. Through the pages of The Story of the Pentateuch, therefore, the student of the Bible learns to read and to recognize the main story and distinguish it from the supporting narratives and legal codes.

In addition to laying a foundation for reading and understanding the Pentateuch, Tarwater explains how properly understanding these initial books of the Bible provides the requisite background for comprehending the rest of the Old and New Testament, as well as for recognizing the character of God. Rather than a survey to Old Testament methodologies and archaeological discoveries, The Story of the Pentateuch represents a fresh introduction to the Old Testament.