Welcome to the Word of Life Study Series- The Covenant Part 1! Let’s lay a foundation concerning blood covenant. The basis by which God and the ancient civilizations entered into agreement with one another. If we go to certain parts of the world today, the practice of covenants in blood are still as active as they were thousands of years ago. To our western mindset, the subject of blood covenant may conjure up images of barbaric primitives or aboriginal practices of ignorant peoples. Yet the whole concept of covenant was established by God Himself as a solemn legal contract or agreement. Even today we practice many forms of covenant in our society and do not even realize it. I am absolutely convinced that the subject of blood covenant is one of the most important and misunderstood subjects in the Bible. When the child of God fully grasps in his/her spirit the ramifications of these powerful truths, all things truly become possible to them who believe as Jesus said in Mark 9:23.
1. Covenant Dynamics
The first covenant recorded in the Bible was between God and Adam and Eve when an animal was slain and its skin used as a covering for them in Genesis 3:21. Job had a covenant with God, a life keeping Covenant, when he finally got his mind on his Covenant instead of his problems. We can’t get anything from God with self-pity which is selfishness in manifestation. God cut the Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. The subject of blood covenant is huge in the Bible, without it there would be no salvation for mankind- PERIOD!
2. The Hebrew Ritual
The Hebrews had a blood covenant ritual that was similar to the other nations around them. All nations practiced blood covenant because man instinctively sought this relationship. So this practice was not unique to the Hebrews. Something very important to note right now. Any blood covenant that involves the drinking of blood is not of God, but is a perversion of the real thing.
3. David and Jonathan Cut Covenant
The covenant that was made between these two men is significant in that it illustrates the far reaching power that covenant has on the lives of those it affects- the story begins in 1 Samuel 18:1-9.
4. The New Covenant and You
Our New Covenant does not have a curse associated with it, since Jesus fulfilled God’s terms of the covenant perfectly. However, we must still exercise faith in the provisions of the covenant and uphold the royal law of the New Covenant and walk in love. God says, “And here are the terms of the covenant. I’ll take all your liabilities, all your sins, on Myself and become sin for you. I’ll forgive your iniquities and remember them no more- Hebrews 8:7-13. I’ll take all your self-righteousness and give you My own righteousness which is pure and holy and acceptable to Me”- 2 Corinthians 5:21.