COVENANTS SESSION 9

COVENANTS SESSION 9

THE BLOOD COVENANT

REMEMBER: COVENANT IS NOT THOUGHT BUT IT IS WORD AND DEED!

We are beginning our ninth study in the Divine Covenants of the Bible. During the time we have spent looking at the Divine Covenants we have found that God is a consistent God, He is a Covenant-making God, a Covenant-keeping God and a Covenant-loving God. Some of the men that we have discussed with their views of covenant are: Andrew Murray, Kingsley Fletcher, Lester Sumrall, A. W. Pink, and many others. Men of Biblical renown that have reiterated the covenant attributes of our Lord and the emphasis He has put on covenant. We spoke about H. Clay Trumbull, the man who wrote “The Blood Covenant” in the late 1800s breaking the world of covenant wide open. He is the man that many of the following teachers went to for their background, and teaching, on the covenants. One of the items that he discussed was the covenant rite that the ancients conducted when they cut a blood covenant. That is what we are going to experience tonight.

When we speak of the ancient blood covenant, much of the things that we have discussed in our Divine Covenants classes apply. It is a binding covenant, it is a powerful adhesive that even supersedes family and legal contracts, but most of all it points us to the experiences that the Lord Jesus suffered in order for us to be part of God’s family.

John 6:52-58 (NKJV) - ⁵² The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" ⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."

Jesus said this indicating the entrance to the covenant. For us today, those that know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, it is the communion that we celebrate to remind us of the covenant standing that we have. Rather than a ritual, it is a life-changing experience that we each should encounter often.

Genesis 15:7-18 (NKJV) - ⁷ Then He said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." ⁸ And he said, "Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?"
⁹ So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
¹⁰ Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. ¹¹ And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. ¹² Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. ¹³ Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴ And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." ¹⁷ And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. ¹⁸ On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates--

I want us to examine the steps involved in the ancient ritual of cutting a blood covenant. This is the same type of ritual that Dr. Livingstone and H.M. Stanly encountered on their trips into Africa during the 1870s. There are numerous articles and books written telling of their exploits and each mentions the covenants that they cut along the way to maintain not only their life, but their travels.

Some of the sayings that we use today are a result of covenant, however we have modernized them so that they apply to a non-covenantal setting. One of these is “Blood is thicker than water.” This saying today is used to strengthen family ties. However it actually meant that the blood in a blood covenant made the partakers closer than the water of the womb”. So the relationship that I established through cutting a blood covenant with someone is stronger than that of be born of the same mother.

Another is “… there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24).” In this passage the term friend has lost its original meaning. It is more than an acquaintance, or one that I might have some amount of affection for. In actuality, it is a term to be used to refer to one with whom I have joined together in covenant.

The ritualistic blood covenant that we will examine tonight consists of eight steps. These steps are set apart so that each its own importance, and to which we will apply a teaching.

STEP 1- THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BASIS FOR THE COVENANT. In this step, each side meets together and set down the things that the covenant is to cover. Will it be a financial covering exchanged for a protective covering, will it be a military presence in exchange for food, etc. In this step the exact nature of the covenant is determined, the participants, the blessings, the curses, the length of time it would involve and the items to be exchanged to ratify the covenant.

In the case of our covenant with the Lord, He established all of this for us. It was determined by Him the nature of the covenant He wanted and with whom He wanted it. It was both a spiritual as well as a physical covenant. He wanted a family, a voluntary family, a family that loved Him and worshiped Him. The length would be eternal. The participants would be those that willingly made Jesus Christ Lord and Master, who would recognize His death on Calvary and His resurrection from the tomb. The blessing would be eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ, our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, physical healing, financial prosperity, joy beyond measure, and peace beyond recognition, a title of heir and joint heir and an eternal residence in heaven. Curses wouldn’t exist within the covenant. The exchange of items would be our death for His life, our sin for His righteousness, our physical limitations for His sacred powers, and His life for ours.

Romans 10:8-10 (NKJV) - ⁸ But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Revelation 13:8 (NKJV) - ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

STEP 2 – THE CUTTING OF THE INNOCENT ANIMALS. This would be when the animals were taken and halved, laid alongside each other so that the participants could walk between them. This was usually in a figure eight, it is interesting that the symbol for infinity is the figure eight laid on its side. I believe it speaks of the eternalness of the covenant. Our cutting of the innocent animal took place prior to Calvary when the Lord was beaten, whipped and scourged.

Isaiah 53:3-7 (AMP) - ³ He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him. ⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. ⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

STEP 3 – THE COAT EXCHANGE. The exchange of identities. Coats are, or contain, the symbols of all the authority of individual, family or tribe. In the military the dress uniform signifies a person’s position, rank and placement. In the story of Jonathan and David, Jonathan gave David his coat signifying his regard for him and the place he held in his life. Elijah passed the mantle to Elisha, thus signifying the passing of the blessing.

Revelation 3:18 (NASB95) - ¹⁸ I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

STEP 4 – THE WEAPON EXCHANGE. This exchange is each party of the covenant saying to the other that they will defend them, they will go to war with them and they can be assured that if someone attacks them then they will have to fight both. When Jonathan and David entered into covenant David was given Jonathan’s weapons. As Christians we have been given the spiritual weapons for our warfare, we have been given the same weapons that Christ used here on this earth. Although Ephesians doesn’t list any cover for our backs, that is accomplished in Isaiah 58:6-8.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NASB95) - ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

Ephesians 6:13-17 (NKJV) - ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

STEP 5 – THE “WALK” OF BLOOD. Sometimes this is called the “way” of blood, but it is speaking about the walk between the pieces of the slain animals. In the ancient form of the ceremony, the participants would walk in a figure eight through the pieces. The figure eight laid on its side is the symbol for infinity, therefore pointing to the covenant being of an infinite nature. Then they will stop in the middle of the animals and swear allegiance to the covenant, death to the breaker of the covenant and death to his seed after him should the covenant be broken. This is reminiscence of the Glory of the Lord walking between the pieces when the Lord cut a covenant with Abraham. When this occurred it was the Shehkinah Glory of God, which also appeared with the children of Israel in the wilderness in the pillar of fire and cloud.

Romans 6:4 (NKJV) - ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

STEP 6 – THE COVENANT CUT AND TOKEN. In this step of the process, the right hands of both participants (or some other part of the body) are cut, then the hands are bound together allowing the blood to mingle, then they are raised and both participants families then make statements swearing by the blood of both. After the cut it is treated so that it will not become infected, however it will scar over and is the token (symbol) of the covenant. In the marriage it is the wedding ring that takes the place of the token.

John 20:25-27 (NKJV) - ²⁵ The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." ²⁶ And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

STEP 7 – THE NAME EXCHANGE. At this point in the covenant ritual names are exchanged, changed or merged to reflect the new relationship that has been created through covenant. Abram and Sarai became Abraham and Sarah, Jacob was renamed Israel, and we have a new name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. This name change is the same as a power of attorney in the other’s name giving you control over those things he describes.

Revelation 2:17 (NKJV) - ¹⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." '

Revelation 3:12 (NASB95) - ¹² 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.

STEP 8 – THE COVENANT FEAST. All of the households, families, and tribes come together at the end of the ceremony to share a meal (feast). This is part of the process of them becoming one, first the elders of the groups feed each other. Interesting enough some ceremonies have the elders saying, “This is my body, take, eat.” Which means I’ll die and let you eat my flesh before I will let you starve. Then the elders give each other wine representing the blood (life). This is taken to mean that everything I have is yours, even daughters, sons, food, possessions – everything. After this transpires the remainder of the families partake of the bread and the wine.

Revelation 19:1-10 (NASB95) - ¹ After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; ² BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER." ³ And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER." ⁴ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" ⁵ And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." ⁶ Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. ⁷ "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." ⁸ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. ⁹ Then he said* to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' " And he said* to me, "These are true words of God." ¹⁰ Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said* to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

These step relating to the Marriage Covenant would approximate:

TERMS	VOWS
SPLIT ANIMALS	POSSIBLE – FAMILY & FRIENDS SEATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF ROOM – BRIDE WALKS BETWEEN
COAT EXCHANGE
WEAPON EXCHANGE
WALK	PASSING BETWEEN 2 GROUPS AS BRIDE COMES FORTH
COVENANT CUT / TOKEN	WEDDING RING PLACED ON FINGER
NAME EXCHANGE	NAMES OFTEN MAKE USE OF BOTH NAMES
FEAST	RECEPTION