Did you know that the Old Testament stories contain shadows of Jesus? Paul talked about how the Old Covenant was just a, “mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ” (Col. 2:17). In fact God uses stories to explain things to us. The Bible is all about God. It is formed so perfectly and shaped so greatly that it impacts our daily lives. It is relevant because its central focus is the one we worship, Jesus. He wants us to discover His love for us, and when we know we are loved, we are refreshed. Typology in the Old Testament is so powerful because it effects how we see the story.
Even Jesus did this, He used many stories in His teaching, He used many parables. He would use stories of the Old Covenant and explain the Gospel through them. For instance, one time He told the people, “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three day and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). I really believe that God wants us to know Him. That’s what Christianity is all about, it is about a relationship. As believers we do not serve out of drudgery, we serve out of love. Love that has drawn root because of the one who first loved us.
We can see Jesus in Genesis; as Adam was a life-giving being, Jesus is the last Adam who is a life-giving spirit (1 Cor. 15:46). We can read Leviticus and realize how Jesus is our High Priest (Heb. 4:14). Joshua’s name in Hebrew is, “Yeshua” which literally is the same word used for Jesus. So when we read that Joshua (Yeshua) brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, we can also see how Jesus (Yeshua) brought us into our New Covenant Promised Land, rest (Heb. 3:11). Just as Abraham gave up his son, his only son the son that he loved, so did God. God gave up His only son, the Son that He loved (John 3:16). We can discover throughout all of these stories that Jesus finds Himself in the midst. He is in the Old Testament concealed and in the New Covenant revealed!Preaching Jesus in the Old Testament is twofold; it helps believers become encouraged as they find their Savior in stories they have known for decades, and it helps the unsaved to hear the Gospel message in a unique way. It is a powerful tool for ministry and teaching. I think it’s time that we see Jesus shadowed in the Old Testament because it is powerful seeing Jesus. What is the best way to see Jesus? By seeing Him in the Bible.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18
Courage With Grace Ministries 
Nice. I have always kind of avoided reading much of the Old Testament because it is, bluntly, not very pleasant to read. But this really does shine a different light on it.
Thanks for the comment Eric! I think its so true for us today. We many times read the Old Testament and have a difficult time understanding the relationship God had with them. So as we encounter this New Covenant, we have to understand that it was not that God changed, but the Covenant relationship did change. God is no longer counting our sins against us. Now we have a intimate relationship with God versus a distant one.