“On the Fifth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Five Golden Rings,” by Joshua Page.
5 Golden Rings”; the best part of the song, in my opinion! What comes to mind when we sing this part of the song? The Lord of the Rings Trilogy comes to mind, with the Rings of Power being a force in which one can live far beyond a traditional life span. I also wish I had five golden rings!
Nevertheless, the Bible has 5 five golden rings in it- the first five books of the Bible. The first five books are the books of Law, also called the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Moses is traditionally accepted as the author of all five books, and the Pentateuch has an essential role in understanding the rest of Scripture. Sometimes we can skip over the beginning pages of a story, dismissing them as boring bits of exposition.
However, as the story progresses, we realize that the introductory details are key to understanding the rest of the story. The books of the Law introduce us to key figures, events, and themes that are referenced throughout both the Old and New Testaments.
Just as every good building needs a firm foundation, our biblical learning needs a firm foundation in order for us to grow in our faith. Without the basic teachings we have, we cannot be the best Christians we can be.