The Old Testament Book of Leviticus

As Seen Through New Testament Gospel Eyes

NEW GOSPEL NEWS ABOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW!

PAUL SAYS THE GOSPEL IS ‘GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS’!

If you truly think about it, all of the books of the Bible show God trying to relate and communicate with us in some way. This was true in the Garden, and with Abraham and Joseph in Genesis, and with Moses in Exodus. And it’s even more true in Leviticus.

Other books are in the Old Testament, but God’s final attempt with us was in his gospel that Jesus says we must believe and live. “God, at various times and in divers manners spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb 1:1–2). Jesus says we must believe his gospel (Mark 1:15).

Leviticus speaks of a lot of things that were added to the LAW given to Moses. It shows how people had to live in Old Testament times to remain close to God, and it was a cumbersome. It was overwhelming.

John speaks of the ways of Jesus in the New Testament not being burdensome, but more easy. In John 15 Jesus says he kept his Father’s commands, and we are just to keep his commands — but then he adds that his bring us JOY! They are not just a JOB to do!

Everyone who lived by the Old Testament ways failed (Acts 15:10). Thus Paul says the law brings condemnation (II Cor 3:6–7,9). He says if we live by the Old ways today, it blinds us to God’s truth (II Cor 3:14–16).

Today we are only to live by the truth of the GOSPEL. We’re even told the law isn’t even meant for us Gentiles (Rom 2:14). If Gentiles live by the law, God may even see us as ‘religious crooks’ because we wrongly take the law from the Jews and use it ourselves.

The first part of Leviticus talks about five major offerings to God that must be made, and following this the priesthood is disclosed which is also very elaborate and complex. This book showed the Jews how to live in God’s plans, while so many of us try to get God to live in our plans and bless what we do.

Leviticus shows us how BIG God’s plans are, and how very detailed. But it was still God communicating with us and relating to us.

Reconciliation with God, and a life lived in him must be by his ways, not ours. His ways in the Old Testament was by means of LAW. In the New Testament is his means means the GOSPEL.

And we’re told the gospel is the fulfillment of the Old — both literally and in us personally.

It’s just that most of us fail to see that the GOSPEL is the power of God in us, and when combined with the Holy Spirit, we don’t need to be deluded with countless religious things to make life go well. Too many Christians live as though God was like a ‘secondary resource’ to go to only if we need help, or maybe have reached our wit’s end.

The GOSPEL is reciprocal and centrifugal in force, and it is the process of God in us that actually draws us closer to him, reveals who we are in Jesus, and empowers us to love others. The gospel fulfills all things.

The gospel produces our fellowship in God that then allows him to perform his good ways in us he initiates (Phil 1:5–6). The gospel is what produces ‘good fruit’ or good things from us (Col 1:5–6). God makes it so evident why his gospel is such a benefit, blessing and empowerment to us.

Today we are not told to live by the rigorous, exhausting ways described in LEVITICUS. Thus, Jesus says his way is easy and his burden is light.

The Old ways demanded what they could not produce. New gospel ways infuse us with God’s power, producing in us what it does not demand.