Blood Covenant
Years ago, the Lord gave me a song called Blood Covenant. He was teaching me about what exactly a Blood Covenant is and showing me that when He cut a Blood Covenant with Abraham, Abraham completely understood what that meant. Lately, He has taken me back to this topic for more understanding. I felt led to write this short message to share what I have been learning. It is my hope that as we begin to understand this powerful truth that we will be able to trust Yahweh and walk in the same level of faith and understanding that Father Abraham did.
First, I will explain exactly what a Blood Covenant is and what it means to have one. Next, I will go into the history of The Blood Covenant that we have with Yeshua. Finally, I will go into what the Blood Covenant we have with Yeshua holds for us in more detail. Hopefully, by the end of this message you will understand what a powerful and awesome Covenant you have with The Almighty and be encouraged to walk in it.
What is a Blood Covenant?
A blood covenant is like it sounds. It involves the shedding of blood. Usually referred to as cutting covenant. Sometimes people cutting a Blood Covenant would shed a small amount of their own blood by cutting their hands and mingling their blood with the person they were cutting the covenant with. However, animals were usually used in ratifying a covenant.
In the Bible, we see that Yahweh has Abram slaughter some animals and arrange them on the ground. In Abram’s day, this was understood as the procedure for cutting a blood covenant. Abram, soon to be known as Abraham, completely understood what was going on. The Almighty was about to cut a Blood Covenant with him.
It is interesting to note that Abram was only required to slaughter and arrange the animals according to the instructions of Yahweh. Yahweh made the Covenant with Abram while he slept. (Read Genesis 15) I have recently heard that this shows that God is the one who does it all for us. I believe that we also have a part to play. Abram had to do as Yahweh asked and bring the animals, kill them, and arrange them as instructed. I saw it as Yahweh completing the work that Abram had in faith began.
I believe that we also must take a step towards the Lord in obedience, then the Lord completes the work. However, I have learned that it is the Lord that both starts and completes the work.
And we have this confidence that what He begins in us He will complete.
Philippians 1:6
I still believe we should obey since Yeshua says “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments…” in John 14:15.
One thing that stood out to me in this story though was the part after Abram fell into a deep sleep. We are told in verse 17, “Now it came about, when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch appeared which passed between these pieces.”
I knew there was something important about the smoking oven and flaming torch and began to research the meaning of these symbols. What I learned was that they both represented Yahweh.
When a blood covenant ceremony was being performed, a pool of blood was created when the animals were slaughtered. The animals were then arranged along a path to either side of this pool of blood. The parties cutting covenant walked through this pool of blood, so it was referred to as the path of blood. It was saying that if I break this covenant my blood will be spilled just as these animals’ blood was spilled.
We see that two representations of Yahweh passed through the blood pool while Abram slept. In other words, Yahweh walked the blood path twice. Once for himself and once for Abram and his descendants. This is a powerful statement. Yahweh was saying, I will not break my covenant, but I know your descendants will. I will have my blood spilled on their behalf. Yahweh took responsibility for both sides of the covenant. Then in the fulness of time, Yeshua came and spilled His blood on the cross for all of humanity. Wow! What a powerful message.
The Power and meaning of a Blood Covenant
A Blood Covenant meant an enduring bond between the people, families or tribes cutting covenant. It meant that the enemies of one were the enemies of the other. They were obligated to defend each other against these common enemies. It also meant that everything they had belonged to the other. They were united and if one was in need, the other would come to their aid with provisions. They would marry between families and tribes. If one broke covenant, then a curse would come upon the covenant breaker.
Abram would have known the power of this Blood Covenant and what it meant. Thus when asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, he was confident that all would be well because he had an unbreakable Blood Covenant with Yahweh. Selah on that for a minute.
The Song
From the innocence of my youth
My soul was ripped
And taken off to hell.
But your love came and rescued me.
Your mercy came and took me by the hand
And lifted me up
From the miry clay
That held me fast
And set my feet upon Your path.
Now you’re daily showing me
All that Your Covenant has for me.
Your precious Blood Covenant
Has so much for me,
So much for me.
Salvation and Healing
are just the beginning.
There’s so much more,
Yeah, so much more.
And you’re daily showing me
All that Your Covenant has for me.
Your precious Blood Covenant
Has so much for me,
So much for me.
Yeah, so much for me.
The History of the Blood Covenant
Lately, we have been getting a download from the Lord on the history of the Blood Covenant. We knew that we had a Blood Covenant with Yeshua because He went to the cross and shed His precious blood to wash away our sins.
The past few weeks though, we have been listening to some teachings and the teacher keeps saying, “Old Covenant” and “New Covenant.” This is a normal and usual reference in the church. However, something was not sitting well in my spirit and so my son and I began to discuss it. What dropped into our spirits then was that there is really no old and new covenant, only the Blood Covenant which has been modified or updated a couple of times.
Well, we began searching the scriptures to verify what we had heard. We found that the phrase “old covenant” is mentioned only once. The context is the veil. The veil over people’s hearts that is removed by Yeshua. Moses wore a veil so Israel would not stare at the fading glory on Moses’s face. When Moses is read, the veil remains on their hearts. The old covenant that is being referenced is the Mosaic Covenant which includes the sacrificial laws. By implication, it is fading away because Yeshua is now our sacrifice, but to understand completely one must accept Yeshua as their Messiah. What is fading away is the glory of the sacrificial portion of the covenant. To understand this truth, one must do a complete study on the laws.
We then dug even deeper. We know that Yeshua was slain from the foundation of the world. Yeshua’s blood was shed as our Blood Covenant. In between then and now, Adam and Chavah (her name is NOT Eve, but that is another subject) and even the serpent were told about the covenant. Abraham received the Blood Covenant. Moses received the Tablets of the Covenant and they were stored in the Ark of the Covenant. The Tablets gave the basic instructions on how to keep the covenant. As long as Israel kept the covenant, then they were blessed. The Lord fought their battles and provided for them. When they broke the Covenant, they lost battles and opened the door to the curse. If they repented and shed blood by sacrificing animals to renew the covenant, then they would be blessed again.
This way of doing things was given as a teacher or guide to them. This truth is spelled out in Galatians 3:24. The purpose was to lead us to Yeshua, so that we could by faith received Yeshua as our Messiah. Therefore, the Mosaic Covenant was a modification given in order to teach or train Israel to recognize the Messiah when He came. The 10 Commandments are the very Character of God. The laws are to help us understand the Character of God and to know Him and His ways. The Feasts of the Lord are prophetic pictures pointing to the Messiah. As we study the law we get to know Yahweh and His ways. When one accepts Messiah Yeshua, the veil is lifted and we can see Him face to face. In other words, we can have a personal relationship with Yeshua the same as Moses did. As we behold His Face, we become like Him.
Yahweh also confirmed the covenant with David. It was called the Royal Covenant. This is a whole study in itself. The basics though are that David’s line will never end. Yeshua is from David’s line and His Kingdom is forever.
Yeshua fulfilled the law and renewed the Blood Covenant with updated terms. However, the Blood Covenant really existed from the foundation of the world because Yeshua was slain from the foundation of the world.
This means that there is and has always been only one Covenant expressed and spelled out and confirmed through the thousands of years since Adam and Chavah were in the Garden of Eden.
Yahweh prophesied of it to Adam and Chavah and even the serpent.
He established it with Abraham.
He explained it through Moses.
He fulfilled it through Yeshua.
Now we can enter into it by accepting Yeshua as our Messiah. We can have a Blood Covenant with Yahweh. He shed His blood so that we can.
And that Blood Covenant has great meaning and power and holds so much for us.
Now, is this really a new covenant? The Bible has a few verses, especially in Hebrews that seem to indicate this is a new covenant, but what do they really communicate? Let’s dig deeper.
Jeremiah 31:31
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,
In this verse, Yahweh is speaking and the word used for new is “hadas.” This is a Hebrew word. This word means fresh as in the same, but updated.
Luke 22:20
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.
In this verse, Yeshua is speaking and the word used for new is “kainos.” This is a Greek word. This word means fresh as in the same, but updated.
In both of these verses, the same concept is being communicated. It is fresh as in the same, but updated.
All other uses of the phrase “new covenant” use “kainos,” except
Hebrews 12:24
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
This word is “neos” which means different. However, the difference is not in the covenant except in how we offer sin sacrifices. Yeshua is our sin sacrifice, not animals. It is also the blood that is different. Yeshua’s blood speaks a different message than Abel’s.
The original language says, “kai Yeshua mesites neos diatheke kai rhantismos haima laleo kreitton para ho Abel”
Translation:
And Yeshua mediator new (as in different) covenant and sprinkled blood talks better, stronger or among or above, against Abel’s.
This verse is about the blood that Yeshua shed and sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. It is stronger or speaks louder than Abel’s shed blood which cried out for justice. James 2:13 tells us that mercy triumphs over judgement. Abel’s blood cried out for justice. Yeshua’s blood cries out for Mercy.
Since Yeshua was slain from the foundation of the world, it not only speaks louder, but it also spoke first. Wow! Think about that for a minute.
Now we know that we have an everlasting Blood Covenant with Yahweh through the shed blood of Yeshua. This Covenant was planned and set up before the foundation of the world. It is a powerful covenant of protection and provision. It provided a way for us to have a face to face relationship with the Creator and He fights our battles and everything else we need is in the covenant. EVERYTHING!
The part that is obsolete is the part about sin sacrifices. Read Hebrews 9-10. The blood of animals was not able to do what the Blood of Yeshua does. That is why Yeshua had to die and we have been given a new as in upgraded covenant.
What must we do to enter into this Blood Covenant? Repent and be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. What must we do to remain in the Covenant. Obey. The good news is that Yeshua gives us the will and power to obey. Through Him it is easy. All we have to do is say, “yes”!
Shalom