Lesson Three

Book D

Introduction to Covenant Practices

1 Samuel 18:1-4 – "And it was so, when he has finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armour, even to his sword and his bow and his belt".

In the Hebrew culture, as in many ancient cultures, the concept of covenant was widely understood. It was not merely an idea to be discussed, but it was the substance and heart of many national, business and personal relationships. A covenant relationship was the most binding and secure relationship that could be entered into.

Why Covenant?

Through entering into a covenant, the parties concerned would both have something to give and something to gain. They would enter into covenant not based on their similarities and strengths, but on their differences and weaknesses.

For example, there might be two tribes with characteristics as listed below:

Tribe A Tribe B

Farmers Savages

Academic Illiterate

No weaponry Skilled in Weaponry

Hopeless in warfare Excellent in warfare

These two tribes are very different; where the one is strong, the other is weak, and vice versa. Tribe A could establish great agricultural projects, but it might all be lost through a lack of ability to defend against attack. Tribe B on the other hand may be quite exceptional at conquest, but they would not have the brains to utilise their spoils of war. What Tribe A gains from the soil, it loses on the battlefield, what Tribe B gains on the battlefield, it loses through ignorance. What these tribes need to do is enter into a covenant relationship with each other. Then Tribe A could become Tribe B’s wisdom and Tribe B could become Tribe A’s defence.

Unlike a contract, which is based on limited responsibility and only a limited penalty for failure to keep it, blood covenant was based on limitless responsibility, and the consequences of faithlessness were deadly. In coming together in covenant, the following steps would be taken:

1. Lengthy discussion. The terms of the relationship were discussed in detail and what was eventually decided would become the law of that covenant relationship. Failure to keep the covenant law would result in the execution of the perpetrator by the members of his own family. It was never entered into lightly.
2. Once the discussion was complete and the terms were set down, the next steps could be taken:
3. Representative chosen. Each party would choose a representative to enact the covenant ceremony. Tribe A would elect their most prolific academic and Tribe B their most valiant and skilled warrior. Each would be an individual upon whom the rest of the tribe could look with great pride. As he went, so the entire tribe, plus those generations not yet born, were said to be "In him" and "Together with him".
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5. Tribes come together. This would be a place where all could come and observe the representative acting for them.
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7. Animal taken and killed. A large animal would be taken and killed. It would then be cut in two, split down the back bone creating two symmetrical halves of flesh with a path of blood, known as "The way" in the middle. It was in "The way" that the following would take place.
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9. Exchange of robes. The robe represents who I am, plus the authority that I have. In exchanging robes it is said "All that I am I give to you; I am no longer my own".
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11. Exchange of weapons belts. The belt, or girdle, carried the sword and shield, symbols of power and strength. In exchanging belts it is said "I give to you my strength; you can now be strong in me and in the power of my might".
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13. Walk between the blood halves. The representatives walked twice through the blood halves in a figure of eight. This figure of eight represented eternity and demonstrated "I will be with you always, from everlasting to everlasting; I will never leave you nor forsake you even unto the end of the age".
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15. Stand in death. The representatives stand in the way and swear utter loyalty and preference to each other.
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17. Promises and curses recited. The full promises of the covenant are sworn. Curses are spoken as a testament to what will come upon any who break the covenant.
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19. God called upon. Each representative would call upon the God of his people to be witness and mediator of the covenant.
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21. Blood shed. Each representative would cut his own flesh in order that blood should be shed. Leviticus 17:11-14 states "The life of the flesh is in the blood". This act of blood letting testifies that "As surely as I live, I live for you".
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23. The covenant seal. The scar from the cut would be aggravated so that it would remain as a testimony in the flesh.
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25. Exchange of names. Through this covenant ceremony, the two groups have died to self, and the life they now life they life in each other. The merging of the names testifies to this, as Tribe A becomes Tribe AB, and Tribe B becomes Tribe BA.
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27. Covenant meal. In its simplest form, this was a cup of wine and a piece of bread that each representative would feed to the other. It symbolised "I am in you and you are in me; we are what we eat, and this meal symbolises the eating of each other as we become one flesh". The meal signified the completion and finality of the covenant.

Covenant Friendship – John 15:13

Once a blood covenant was complete, the parties involved would be known as friends, and would be able to utterly rely on each other. This is a friendship which is based on strong attachment, adherence and loyalty, and is more binding than natural kin ties. This is the type of friendship of which Solomon spoke when he said "There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother". (Proverbs 18:24)

Jesus took up the theme when he said "Greater love has no man than this than to lay down his life for his friends". Jonathan and David were such friends.

Covenant remembrance

The word remember is important. Covenant partners would remain in remembrance of one another. They would hold each other’s interests like a claw in their thinking and would never act independently or to the detriment of the other. To remember someone is to be so interested in their well being that you know what will be required even prior to the asking. It means anticipation of the partners needs and an unwavering willingness to meet them.

Covenant loving kindness (Hesed)

Another word which is peculiar to blood covenant is the Hebrew word Hesed (Gk: Agape). No simple definition exists for this, for it sums up the entire relational commitment between blood brothers. The King James Bible translates it as "mercy". Other translations use the word "loving kindness". In reality, it is the sum of the binding, unwavering loyalty that exists between blood covenant partners.

Covenant and the Gospel

How does all this tie up with the gospel? Following the fall, man needed more than anything a binding relationship with the Father. God of course longed to re-establish His relationship with man. The way the two were once again joined was through a blood covenant.

Heaven chose as its covenant representative Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As God, He came to Earth to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) He was Heavens perfect being, the one in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwelt (Col 1:19). Jesus was able to say "He who has seen me has seen the Father". (John 14:9) for He knew that the Father was in Him (John 17:21-23).

However, not only was Jesus the Son of God and the Covenant representative of Heaven, He as also the Son of Man, born of Mary with a genealogy that is traced back by Luke through Abraham and all the way back to Adam. As the perfect, sinless man, He was the only human eligible and able to represent Man and come before a Holy God in Covenant. Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. As God He was able to represent the Trinity to man, as a human He was able to represent mankind to the Trinity. It was in His body and in His blood that the fusion of a Holy and righteous God was made with fallen, sinful man. It was in this God-man that the reconciliation took place (Col 1:19-22).

The covenant was cut between God and man on Calvary, a public place where all could see. There was no sacrificial animal, the sacrifice and blood was from the spotless Lamb of God fore-ordained before the foundation of the World (1 Peter 1:19-20).

In his death he destroyed all that separated us from God (Col 2:14, 1Jn 3:8), His blood washed away our sin and was poured out to give us His life. In his resurrection He made us alive "In Him" and thus brought us back to God (Eph 2:5-7). His own flesh and blood became ""he new and living way" (Heb 10:19-20) through which we gain access to the throne of the Almighty.

By whose stripes…

The stripes on His back and the scars in His hand and side are the seal of the covenant and testify to its eternal nature. This is why we can say with Peter "He himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree that we having died to sins might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Pet 2:24). An understanding of covenant makes the debate about whether the stripes of Jesus bought us physical or spiritual healing pointless. The stripes testify to our covenant, through Jesus with the shepherd and overseer of our souls, who has committed himself and all that is at his disposal to me, his covenant friend. If he has physical, spiritual or emotional healing at his disposal then, through the covenant witnessed to by the stripes and scars of Jesus, I have both right and invitation to come boldly to his throne and partake of it! (Heb 4:16).

An understanding of covenant gives fresh meaning to statements such as "With God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26). We are now with God and can declare with Paul that "we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us" (Phil 4:13).

Romans 8:31-39 tells of the eternal faithfulness of God to his covenant people. God has given us Jesus, the covenant sacrifice; "How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" asks Paul. Through the blood of Jesus, God has given us his all.

(Main source on information: Malcolm Smith and Rodney Lloyd teaching at Rhema)

BookD Lesson4

QUESTIONS FOR THIS SECTION

BookD Lesson4

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