Some laws in Leviticus seem irrelevant now because they were given specifically to Israel under the Old Covenant to distinguish them as a holy nation, regulate ceremonial worship, and govern civil life in a theocratic society. With the coming of Christ, many of these laws were fulfilled and are no longer binding under the New Covenant.
Leviticus includes three broad categories of laws: moral, ceremonial, and civil.
Moral laws reflect God’s unchanging character and still apply (e.g., prohibitions against idolatry, theft, and sexual immorality).
Ceremonial laws governed sacrifices, dietary restrictions, and cleanliness.
Civil laws were judicial rules for Israel’s national life.
Many ceremonial laws pointed forward to Christ. Once He came and fulfilled them, they were no longer needed:
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
(Colossians 2:16–17)
The sacrificial system, central to Leviticus, was a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus:
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
(Hebrews 10:12)
Dietary and cleanliness laws were also symbolic, teaching Israel about holiness and separation. But in Christ, that barrier is removed:
“What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
(Acts 10:15)
Civil laws, like property rights or punishment codes, applied to ancient Israel’s theocratic society. They do not govern the church today but reveal principles of justice and equity that are still valuable.
Jesus fulfilled the Law:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
(Matthew 5:17)
The moral truths behind Leviticus still teach us about God’s holiness, our need for atonement, and how to live set apart lives. But the letter of many laws is no longer required because the New Covenant brings a new way of walking in obedience, through the Spirit and in truth.