Finding Christ in the OT

Leviticus. The final frontier. Or so it seems.

This book has often been the demise of wide-eyed Bible-plan readers. Things start so well in Genesis, with the recounting of creation, Noah?s ark, the tower of Babel, Abraham, and Joseph. It?s engaging, fascinating, and fast paced. Then comes Exodus and the jailbreak from Egypt, the splitting of the Red Sea, and Mount Sinai.

Then comes Leviticus. Sacrifices, blood, detailed laws about cleanness, five separate descriptions of offerings. It can seem confusing and irrelevant.

So what are we to do?

Jesus himself gives us the starting place. In Luke 24:27 we read:


All the scriptures point in one direction, to one person. Ultimately, all scripture (including Leviticus) points to Jesus Christ. Bryan Chapell explains it this way:

In it’s context every passage possesses one or more of four redemptive foci. Every text is predictive of the work of Christ, preparatory for the work of Christ, reflective of the work of Christ, and/or resultant of the work of Christ.

So when you?re reading Leviticus and finding yourself lost in a maze of details, ask yourself the following questions:

  • How is this passage fulfilled in Christ?
  • Does this passage predict the coming of Christ?
  • Does this passage demonstrate man?s need for Christ?
  • Does this passage in some way prepare God?s people for the coming of Christ?
  • Does this passage reflect the work of Christ?
  • Is this passage a result of the work of Christ?

This list is not exhaustive, only meant to get you started.? When you read the OT (or any portion of scripture), look for Christ. It?s all about him.

What questions would you add to this list?

Stephen Altrogge


Submit a comment

Your email address will not be published.