As I spent time reading through the story of Abraham (even did a series) I learned so much more about him than what was presented in Sunday School, but as I read through it again and again, I’ve learned so much more! We might skim over the supposed nuances of the promises God made to Abraham, we also might skim over the fact that after the almost sacrifice of Isaac, he isn’t mentioned again until he sees his bride (a picture of Jesus and His bride). Not to mention Sarah laughing at and lying to God – it’s not mentioned as such in the New Testament! So many layers.
The Old Testament is filled with types and shadows that point to God’s plan for our redemption through His Son, but sometimes these aren’t so blatantly obvious. Some might miss the details or might get so lost in them that we actually miss our Savior. Cultural practices play a big role in the Bible, and we miss so much because we just don’t know many cultures besides our own. Like I stated about skimming over the promises in the story of Abraham, the vast majority of readers probably don’t really understand that there’s a difference between a promise and a covenant.
Knowing about covenants is important if we’re to understand the significance of the one God made with us. The Bible is chalk full of covenants and is even broken down into what many consider the two major covenants, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Pretty straight forward, right? Unfortunately, it’s become similar to seeing the same sign day after day… you stop looking at it, paying attention to it, and no longer even notice that it’s there. Promises have become so flippant, but covenants are important – they really can be the difference between life and death.
Covenants date back to the beginning of civilization and the most lucrative covenants require blood. Lucrative meaning the higher the cost, there’s bloodshed required. Blood symbolizes life – that’s a high cost! So first we find out about Adam and Eve being covered with animal skins – this is the first shedding of blood. The first act of a covenant, blood or not, is to take off your coat and put it on the other person (basically trade coats). Your coat represents who you are, your very identity. All that you are, you give to the other person and vice versa. Your identity now covers them, and their identity covers you.
The next part is trading belts. Hopefully you’re about the same size as the one you’re making a covenant with. Seriously, belts in those days weren’t to hold up your pants, but rather to hold your sword and dagger. By exchanging them, you’re telling the other person that they now can rely on your strength, weapons and ability to fight. All they have to do is say the word, and you would literally throw down for them. If someone picks a fight with them, they’re picking a fight with you, too.
Just to remind you, we now have all that the other person is (identity – Galatians 2:20) and all the strength for war that they have. Now we get to the shedding of blood.
A blood covenant requires a blood path. The animals agreed upon would be split down the middle (from top of head down the spine) and placed apart on a path to make a wall of blood. You and the other person would stand between the walls of blood and walk a figure 8 (symbolic of beyond perfect – perfected forever Hebrews 10:14). The symbolism of the walls of blood is to say that you have died even as the animals had died, your old way of life is no longer and that your life going forward is shared now with the other person now having rights to everything. It also means that if you break covenant, you’re saying that God will do to you what was done to the animals and more (split down the middle wasn’t enough I guess).
You’ve died to your past, become a new person, and it’s unbreakable. Your old self has died and you’re now a new person (II Corinthians 5:17). Now for more blood…
I always found the idea of blood brothers or blood sisters to be really cool, but never really wanted to actually cut or poke myself to make blood come out. Then the different diseases were a huge turnoff, so I don’t think a blood covenant is something that I would really find appealing. But that’s the next part. The cutting of the hands or wrists and the mingling of blood. Blood is symbolic of life and this part of the covenant ritual is to symbolize that your very life is flowing into their life, and their life is flowing into your life. You’re now in union.
When I hear the word union, I immediately think of marriage. For a long time, I really thought that I would keep my name when I got married. I loved my last name and couldn’t imagine changing my name. I was proud of my name (still proud of being part of my family). But when I got married, I didn’t want to continue being who I had always been. I wasn’t who I had always been. I was now in union with my husband and wanted the world to know it! With covenants, it’s the same. You get a new name to go with your new identity because you’re now one. You are in them, and they are in you.
Now you seal the deal. The cut on your hand or wrist may not be significant, but you want to make sure it scars. This way, you’ll always see it. Not only that, but others will see it, too. Others will know that when they face you, they’re not just facing you, but you have back-up. Anyone who comes against you also comes against the one who is in you. When you come into prosperity, your blood-covenant-brother also comes into prosperity (and vice versa). Your checkbook is their checkbook. The mark on your hand or wrist is there to remind and to comfort.
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised. Song of Songs 8:6-7 NKJV
Now you go over the terms of the covenant. Or better put, you list off your assets and they list theirs. If a friend asked to borrow some money, I might think about it, but if my BCB (blood-covenant-brother) asks, I might laugh because my checkbook belongs to them! They don’t even have to ask. After I list off my assets, I list off all the ways I can be of service to them and help them (my kiddos joke that my husband relies on my spelling – most of the time).
Our assets belong to each other, our skills are at the disposal of the other, and any help that the other needs will be theirs. Even though blood should have been enough, these covenants are then finalized with a meal and sometimes with a memorial. The memorial might be nothing more than a pile of rocks, a tree, or a flock of sheep, but the meal is what interests me the most at this part of the covenant-making process. We’re getting close to Thanksgiving, so the elaborate spread is on my mind, but most covenants are wrapped up in a more simplistic way.
This meal, unlike our Thanksgiving feast, typically consisted of a loaf of bread and a cup of wine.
I would break off some bread and give it to my BCB as a symbol of myself going into them. They would do the same as a symbol of them going into me. Then the wine would be a symbol of my very blood flowing in him and his in me. My life in him and his in me. Anything in me and also in them that has not yet come – speaking of offspring – are automatically benefactors of this covenant. Our offspring will be born with the benefits and assets of being an heir to this blood covenant. Once they come of age, they’re then able to decide to remain in the covenant or to choose not to.
You might be seeing some of the types and shadows – I hope you are. If not, don’t worry because I’m going to explore more on covenants next week and I’m so excited about it! We’re going to take a look at an heir to one of these covenants and I hope you’re changed for the better. Iron sharpens iron and, not sure about you, but I want to be lethal!