I once heard someone say, “Leviticus is where Bible reading plans go to die.” 

I ran into this recently and decided to take a different approach. Instead of skimming through Leviticus as fast as I can, I am reading it slowly. One chapter at a time. Quality over quantity. 

All that to say, I have been working through Leviticus for a while now. And somehow I haven’t been bored for a single minute! 

This is because there are a handful of principles of studying the Bible (the Old Testament in particular) that I have learned over the years that I want to share with you. 

Principle #1: Study Themes in Leviticus

One of the primary tasks of Biblical Theology is to study the themes of Scripture throughout the progression of the biblical story. If you are like me, you can read a whole chapter of Leviticus and have no idea what to do with the instructions on how to perform a burnt offering. 

This is where studying themes can help us. For example, let’s say you wanted to study the theme of sacrifice in Leviticus. You would start by looking at how sacrifice is portrayed in Leviticus as a whole or in a specific passage. Then you compare that to the other parts of the Bible that speak about sacrifice. This will not only give you a better understanding of Leviticus but will also help you understand the rest of the Bible better. 

Let’s put this idea to the test and look at how Leviticus deals with the theme of holiness. I often equate holiness as a synonym for righteousness or doing what is right. However, Leviticus often describes holiness as something that is set apart from everything else. 

For example, only a handful of grain is to be burnt as an offering to God while the rest of the grain is set apart or reserved for Aaron and his sons (the priests). The reason for this is because “it is a most holy part of the LORD’s food offerings” (Lev. 2:10).

This text isn’t saying that one portion of grain is more righteous than the other! Instead, what makes the grain portion holy is that it has been separated from the rest of the grain to serve the specific purpose of feeding the priests. We see this same idea of separation repeated all throughout Leviticus (6:17; 7:6; 10:10; 24:9; 27:30).

To say that God is holy is to say He is completely separate from us or that He is “Other.” Also, as believers we are called to live out our holiness since we have been set apart by God for a specific purpose in this world. 

Principle #2: Read Leviticus Through the Lens of Christ

Theologians often call this reading “Christocentrically.” This is where we ask the question, “How does the book of Leviticus help us better understand the person and work of Christ?” 

Studying ideas in Leviticus like atonement, the shedding of blood, death, sacrifice, and forgiveness in Leviticus will give us a deeper appreciation of what Christ accomplished for us on the cross. 

Another great question to ask is, “How have things changed since Christ has died and rose again?” 

To see this in action, the author of Hebrews makes several comparisons between animal sacrifices and Jesus’ death. Here are three of them:

1. 1. Jesus didn’t enter into the holy places by the blood of animals but by his own blood and thus secured our salvation forever (Heb. 9:12). 
   2. If the blood of animals could outwardly cleanse someone, how much more will the blood of Christ cleanse believers to serve God (Heb 9.13-14)?
   3. Priests had to offer sacrifices every year, but Christ’s one-time sacrifice has perfected all believers for all time (Heb 10:11-14). 

Principle #3: Cross References are Your Friend

When I read any book in the Old Testament, one of my favorite things to study is how the New Testament authors quote that particular book. After all, in the first century the Old Testament was their Bible.

Here is the first example in Leviticus 1 that I found in my personal study.

An Offering Without Blemish

“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish” (Leviticus 1:3).

This passage explains that burnt offerings couldn’t have any obvious blemishes. Deuteronomy 15:21 explains that a blemish includes any kind of physical defect like being lame or blind.  

Paul picks up on this simple phrase “without blemish” in Ephesians.

Cross Reference: Christ and the Church in Ephesians 5:25-27

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

Here Paul is describing how husbands should love their wives by using the example of Christ giving his life for the church. He then explains that Jesus’ goal is to make the church holy and completely free from the blemish of sin.

Now when we read about sacrifices being “without blemish” in the Old Testament, we can recall this passage in Ephesians and apply it to our lives. Jesus desires to present the entire church (us!) without blemish to God. So in what ways are we allowing Jesus to cleanse us and in what ways are we holding back? What things do we need Jesus to cleanse us of now? 

Final Thoughts

This type of study takes time and more work for sure. But if you are too busy and can only try one of these, I recommend starting with cross references. I use the free Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Cross Reference Tool on Blue Letter Bible most of the time. When studying the Old Testament, I would gravitate towards the New Testament cross references since you are likely to be more familiar with them.  

If you just finished Exodus in your reading plan and are thinking about skipping Leviticus, perhaps there’s enough here to change your mind! I truly believe that following these principles can not only produce knowledge of the Scriptures, but will also help you apply Scripture to your life and develop a more intimate relationship with the Lord.