Many honest Christians have started Genesis with good intentions, hit Leviticus, and quietly given up. You are not alone. There is a better way.
Why the Old Testament can feel hard
- It spans 1,500+ years and many genres (history, law, poetry, prophecy, wisdom).
- It assumes cultural context most modern readers don't have.
- Some sections (genealogies, laws, prophetic oracles) require patience.
- Some passages are morally challenging (violence, conquest, judgment).
The key insight
The Old Testament is one long story that points to Christ. Jesus himself said so (Luke 24:27 — "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself"). Read the OT looking for Christ, and it comes alive.
A reading strategy
- Genesis 1–12 — creation, fall, Noah, the call of Abraham. Foundational. Read every chapter.
- Genesis 12–50 — patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph). Story-rich; read in full.
- Exodus 1–20, 32–34 — Moses, the Exodus, the Ten Commandments, the golden calf. Core. Skim the sacrificial detail (Ex. 25–31) on a first pass.
- Leviticus — skim. Read Leviticus 16 (Day of Atonement, pointing to Christ) and Leviticus 19 (holiness code) closely.
- Numbers — sample. Read the wilderness narratives and the bronze serpent (Num. 21:4–9).
- Deuteronomy 1–11, 27–34 — Moses' final sermons. Read the key sections; skim the repetitions.
- Joshua, Judges, 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings — Israel's history. Story-rich. Read in narrative chunks; don't worry about every battle.
- Job — read in full. One of the most profound treatments of suffering ever written.
- Psalms — read one a day, in any order. The prayer book of the Bible.
- Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs — wisdom literature. Read Proverbs in chunks; Ecclesiastes straight through; Song of Songs is poetry and allegory.
- Isaiah — the most "Christ-pointing" prophet. Read Isaiah 6, 7, 9, 11, 40, 52–53, 60–66. Isaiah 53 is the foundation of the Christian reading of the Cross.
- Daniel — read the narratives (Dan. 1–6) and the major visions (Dan. 7, 9). Skim the rest first time.
- Minor prophets — start with Jonah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Malachi. The others can wait for a second pass.
Three tips
- Use a study Bible. The notes will explain context and connect passages to Christ. The Orthodox Study Bible is excellent for the OT (it includes the Septuagint, which is what the apostles quoted).
- Don't read every word the first time. Skim the genealogies and the legal codes. You can come back later.
- Read alongside the Gospels. When you read Isaiah 53, then read Mark 15. When you read Psalm 22, then read Matthew 27. When you read the Passover, then read the Last Supper. The connections make the OT come alive.
The hard parts
OT violence, conquest, and judgment passages are real questions. The Church has wrestled with them for two thousand years. See our entries on OT violence, the Canaanites, and slavery for the historic answers. The God of Moses is the same God who wept at Lazarus's tomb. He is good — and his goodness is bigger than the easy answers.
The Orthodox lens
The Fathers read the OT typologically — as full of foreshadowings of Christ:
- The Passover Lamb is Christ.
- The Bronze Serpent lifted up is the Cross (John 3:14).
- The Manna is the Eucharist.
- David is a type of Christ; so is Joseph; so is Joshua.
- The Temple is the body of Christ.
The whole OT is, in Origen's phrase, "the shadow of Christ."
St. Augustine's classic summary
"The New Testament is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed."
A pastoral word
Don't quit. The Old Testament is half the Bible because God thought you needed it. Find a study Bible, find a friend or a parish to read with, and walk through it with patience. You'll discover that the God of Moses is the same God of Jesus — and his story is one story, from beginning to end. The book that seems remote becomes, with patience, a home.