Blood Covenant # 1
Turn with me to Hebrews 8:6. We’re going to begin our teaching on the subject of the BLOOD COVENANT. Some may be thinking “WHAT DOES THE BLOOD COVENANT HAVE TO DO WITH THE BIBLE AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST;” Well, really everything.
I) In this V that we just read (HEB 8:6) Who is Paul referring to? Who is the Mediator of this better covenant?
A) Of course, the answer is Jesus. Jesus is the mediator of this better covenant, which has been established upon better promises.
B) In the Bible we have 2 major covenants. The Old Covenant and the New Covenant or as the Bible puts it the Old Testament and the New Testament. (Same thing)
1) Before we can go on discussing the Covenant, specifically the Blood Covenant; we need to know what a covenant is.
a) A covenant is an agreement or a contract between 2 people or 2 groups of people. A covenant is a contract between 2 parties.
b) In the Blood Covenant, which we’re dealing with, is a contract in which all debts, liabilities, and assets are shared by both parties or groups.
(i) This type of covenant does not end. In other words, it’s forever.
(ii) For instance, if you and I entered into a covenant together. All of my debts and all of my assets that I ever would have, would be equally shared by you and everything that you would ever have, debts or assets, would be equally shared by me.
2) God has entered into a covenant relationship with mankind.
a) All that God owes and all that God owns is ours, and all that we owe and all that we own is His.
b) (1COR 6:20) Says that we are bought with a price, and that price was the shed Blood of Jesus.
C) The Hebrew word for “COVENANT” is “BERITH” (ber-eeth) and it means, “TO CUT IN REFERENCE TO THE FLESH.” That could be the flesh of man or animal.
1) It also means TO CUT UNTIL BLOOD FLOWS.
2) God has made a contract, a covenant, with man, which is sealed with Blood, settled with the Blood of Jesus — His Blood flowed on our behalf. (Which is the New Covenant)
D) We also have the Old Covenant, which began in the Garden of Eden.
1) When Adam sinned, God slew an animal. He took the skin of that animal and made some clothes for Adam and Eve.
a) This is really the 1st sign of the Blood Covenant.
(i) God had to sacrifice the animal. To cut where blood flows.
2) God had to enter into a covenant with Adam, for the reason that the wages for sin is death. (ROM 6:23)
(i) If Adam had to pay for his own debt, he would have been put to death.
(ii) God entered into this covenant with him so that God could pay the debt.
(iii) Now the blood of the animal did not wash away the sin, as the blood of Jesus does, it just hid Adam’s sin from God’s view.
E) Cain and Able also practiced the covenant.
1) They brought covenant sacrifices to the Lord.
a) Able sacrificed animals to the Lord and Cain sacrificed the fruit of the land.
(i) God had to have blood sacrifices, and Cain knew that, that’s why Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, and Cain’s rejected.
2) Sometimes people think that it was unfair of God to except Abel’s offering and reject Cain’s.
a) So let’s take a look at it Genesis 4:1-4.
(i) The word “RESPECT” in verse for literally means, “TO LOOK UPON WOULD FAVOR.”
b) God was pleased with Abel’s offering.
(i) For that to be true, Abel had to offer his sacrifice by faith.
(ii) (Hebrews 11:6) says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.”
(iii) So in order for Abel’s offering to please God it had to be done in faith.
c) And faith can only operate where the Will of God is known.
3) Cain also had God’s Word on the sacrifice, but he refused offer up an animal sacrifice and God was NOT pleased.
a) But Cain knew what God said. Look at Genesis 4:5-7a.
(i) The words “DOEST WELL” literally means, “DO WHAT IS PLEASING.”
(ii) God had to show him what his will was and even gave him a second chance, but Cain refused.
II) The Blood Covenant is a very sacred Covenant. It is the most sacred Covenant that mankind has ever known.
A) Dr. Livingston and Mr. Stanley were missionaries in Africa for many years.
1) In all that time that they were there they never heard of a blood covenant being broken between 2 men.
a) Blood covenants were very common in Africa.
b) Mr. Stanley entered into covenants with at least 50 different African tribes.
(i) He had to cut himself 50 times until blood flowed.
(ii) These scars were purposely kept visible.
(iii) Every time someone wanted to kill Mr. Stanley, he would show him his scars.
2) You see, when you enter into a covenant with someone, not only does their possessions belong to you but it also meant that they would even fight to the death for you if necessary.
a) I’m so glad that we have a covenant with God. (God had to do what ever took to pay for our salvation.)
b) Look at 2CHRON 20:15, 17.
c) David said in (1SAM 17:47) “For the battle is the Lord’s.”
B) Now there are 3 main reasons for entering into a covenant.
1) The 1st is PROTECTION. In Africa, if a weaker tribe was afraid of being overcome by an enemy, they would enter into a covenant with a stronger tribe.
a) The weaker tribe would then gain the strength of the stronger tribe.
b) If an enemy wanted to fight the weaker tribe, they would now have to fight both tribes. (The weaker and the stronger)
2) The 2nd reason that people would enter into a covenant is for BUSINESS PURPOSES.
a) That would ensure both parties that neither would take advantage of the other.
3) The 3rd reason for entering into a covenant is LOVE.
a) If 2 people had such love for each other as Jonathan and David had they would enter into a covenant.
(i) Jonathan and David loved each other as friends, and they did enter into a covenant.
b) In the O. T., love was the main reason for cutting a covenant.
4) “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.”
a) When you understand the covenant, you understand how David could say the things he did when he slew Goliath.
(i) Look at 1SAM 17:45–47.
(ii) How could David have such assurance that God would do this?
(iii) Because he understood the covenant that Israel had with God.
(iv) Go back to v 26.
(v) UNCIRCUMCISED MEANS he did not have a COVENANT with God and he had no right to challenge the armies of God.
C) We have this kind of Covenant with God.
1) He will go into battle for us and with us, because He said that He would never leave us nor forsake us, that He would be with us to the ends of the Earth.
a) CIRCUMCISION was a SIGN that Israel entered into a COVENANT with God.
(i) Our circumcision is also a sign that we have entered into a covenant with God. But our circumcision is not one of the flesh.
(ii) ROM 2:28–29.
(a) We are in a covenant with God and God will do battle for us and with us in every area of our lives.
WOLCC Sun AM 8/2/92 from the book Blood Covenant by Theo Wolmarans Chapter 1 and Sunday, March 07, 1999