Text: Matthew 26:26-28 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, andbreak it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; Forthis is my body of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Hebrews 8:6, 13 “ But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established uponbetter promises. ... And that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.
I. Introduction:
- Berith is translated "will,”"covenant,” and "testament," and comes from the word translated "to cut".
- Also from the Greek diatheke. Means to fetter (bind) by cutting. It is mentioned 300 times in Scripture.
- A covenant is an agreement between at least two contracting parties in which all members become one in the most radical sense of the term.
- A covenant is a relationship wherein the parties making the covenant bind themselves to fulfill certain conditions. • Since man is not in a position to covenant with God (because man is notan equal with God), God is sovereign in all His covenants.
- Edenic Covenant (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:16-17).
- Adamic Covenant (Genesis 3:16-19).
- Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:1-18).
- Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-4; 13:14-17; 15:1-18; 17:1-8).
- Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:4-6 [YHWH's] 19:8 [Israel's] 20:1-31:18).
- Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:4-16; 1 Chronicles 17:3-15).
- The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31)
- Better promises (Hebrews 8:6), i.e. The New Covenant promised remission (removal) of sins instead of atonement (a mere coveringof sin) (Hebrews 8:12 cf Matthew 26:28).
- Better sacrifice (Hebrews 9:13 - 10:18) The new covenant offered the blood of the Son of God instead of the blood of animals.
- The new covenant was cut at Calvary (Hebrews 8:8-12).
- Pentecost (A.D. 30) was the ingathering of Judah and Israel (Acts2:5)
- Assyria and Babylon had scattered Israel (Israel and Judah).
- Pentecost (Acts 2; AD 30) gathered the houses of Judah and Israel into one nation (1 Peter 2:9).
II. Understanding Covenant Principle:
A. The word “Covenant” (Heb: Berith [ber eeth]) always has blood contract in view. Berith means: “to fetter by cutting.”
- The Blood Covenant is the most ancient of contracts. The hand-shake to close a deal, or as a greeting comes from theblood covenant.
- In the Blood Covenant contract the parties become one. Blood covenant statements: a. “Blood is thicker than water.” Means: the blood covenant is more binding than the water of the womb. b. “Blood is thicker than milk” (Arabic). Meaning: the blood covenant is more binding than the milk of a mother's breast. c. “The shirt off my back.” Meaning: total communial property of covenant partners.
- The Blood Covenant is used by individuals, families, tribes andnations.
- The Blood Covenant is the most binding and sacred of contracts.
- Yahweh /Abraham (Genesis chapters 15-17);
- Isaac/Abimelech (Genesis 26:26-31);
- Jacob/Laban (Genesis 31:44-54);
- David/Jonathan (1 Samuel chapter 18).
- An animal is sacrificed: Usually a bull, a goat, or a lamb is killed and cut in half down the center. The two halves are separated with a pool of blood between them.
- The exchange of coats: Each participant removes his coat, a sign of the tribe's identity and authority, and gives it to the other participant. By doing so, each is saying, "Everything I am, everything I represent now belongs to you."
- The exchange of weapon belts: Each participant removes his weapon belt, which included his sword and bow. They would exchange these belts and, by so doing, declare to each other, "All my strength now belongs to you. Your enemies are now my enemies. My enemies are now your enemies." It was saying that when an enemy attacked then my blood covenant brother had a responsibility to defend me the same as he would himself.
- The exchange of names: Each participant takes the other's name on himself. A person's name represents his individuality. This exchange of names demonstrated a death to being an "individual." Remember that covenant is the union of two people. In covenant you are no longer concerned only with yourself. Your concern now includes your blood covenant partner. You care for your blood brother the same as you care for yourself because the two of you are now one.
- The walk of blood: Each participant walks a path in the shape of a figure "8" between the halves of the slain animal, then stops in the middle in the midst of the pool of blood to pronounce the blessings and the curses of the covenant. It basically said, "The one who breaks this covenant will die just like this animal has died." A pledge was also made that said, "Just as this animal gave its life so I will give my life for you if necessary."
- The cut of the covenant: A knife is used to make an incision in either the palms or the wrists of each participant. This was to allow blood to freely flow. The Bible teaches that life is in the blood. The two participants then engage in a handclasp allowing the free flowing blood to intermingle. This symbolized the two bloods, the two lives, being joined into one blood and one life. In some cultures, the blood from each participant is mixed into a cup of wine. Each would drink from the cup demonstrating their union. The actual practice of "cutting the covenant" varies in its methods depending on the culture. When this event was finished, a substance would be rubbed into the wounds so that a scar would result. This was done so that a permanent "mark" would be left. Wherever these persons would go, each would be identified as a "covenant man" by the visible mark on their bodies.
- The covenant meal: This is usually a meal of bread and wine. Each fed the other signifying that "all that I am is coming into you." The covenant meal usually ended the blood covenant ceremony. At this point a new relationship is born. It is a love relationship. This kind of love is called "Hesed" in Hebrew and "Agape'" in the Greek. It is a love that says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
- The visible scars of covenant protected him and his party as they traveled throughout Africa in search of David Livingstone..
III. The Old Testament Mystery Of The New Covenant
- Mystery: A veiled hint at God’s intention for the future. (Hebrew)
- Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest , .... (Romans 16:25, 26a).
1. Jonathan and David made a covenant (cutting) (v3).
a. Covenant requires two contracting parties of mutual character (v. 3 “loved him as his ownsoul”). b. House of Jesse and the house of Saul; one righteous the other unrighteous. Someone from the house of Saul had to have the same heart of the house of Jesse. Jonathan2. Exchange of garments and weapons (v. 4).
c. New Covenant parallel: Salvation required a Blood Covenant be made between the Holy God and sinful man. How? A sinless man! Jesus Christ.
a. Meaning: All I have is yours; all my strength is yours; your enemies are my enemies etc.
b. New Covenant parallel: Jesus took our humanity (1Timothy 3:16),and our sin (1 Peter 2:22-24); we in turn are clothed in His Holy Spirit and righteousness (Isa. 61:10; Ps132:9)
3. The David/Jonathan covenant extended to their future generations (1 Samuel 20:42)
a. Meaning: The blood covenant made both one blood. The two families are now one. Any act upon the other is an act upon one's self.
b. New Covenant parallel: The Blood Covenant of Christ extends to all who believe upon His name (Deuteronomy 7:9; Romans 5:19).
B. The Blood Covenant of Yahweh and Abraham (Abrahamic) (Genesis chapters 15-17) has parallels in the New Covenant..
1. Melchizedek meets Abraham in the valley of Shavel and officiates the covenant memorial meal of bread and wine before the covenant is actually cut (Genesis 14:18).
a. Meaning; Melchizedek was the tabernacled presence ofYahweh (Hebrews 7:1-3) officiating at the cutting of the Abrahamic Covenant.2. Abraham is instructed by God to take five animals to represent Him in the covenant of blood (Genesis 15:9); Abraham's blood was shed in the act of circumcision (Genesis 17:10).
b. New Covenant parallel: Jesus the Christ is Yahweh manifested in flesh (1 Timothy 3:16) who officiated at the institution of the Lord's Supper (the Covenant meal for the New Covenant) before the Covenant was actually cut. (Matthew 26:26-28).
c. Only God can establish a memorial to an event before the event takes place. He knows the ending from the beginning and calls those things that be not as though they were (Isaiah 46:10 and Romans 4:17 respectively).
d. Melchizedek = Yahweh = Jesus Christ.
a. Meaning: The Abrahamic covenant was a real blood covenant in that the blood of two contracting parties was shed.
aa. The blood of God in the five animals (Genesis 15:9). Yahweh says: “Take me ...” ab. Abraham's blood was shed in the act of circumcision (Genesis 17:23-24).b. New Covenant parallel: Jesus was the federal head of two contracting families: God and man.
ba. Jesus is God (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:23; 1 Timothy 3:16).
bb. Jesus is man (1 Timothy 2:5;) e.g. Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1; Hebrews 2:18) by the devil and God cannot be tempted (James 1:13)
bc. The blood of Jesus was the blood of the Son of God (i.e. the Lamb of God, i.e. man; 1 John 1:7), but also of GodHimself (Acts 20:28).
bd. Man enough to be tempted (Matthew 4:1); God enough toforgive sins (Matthew 9:5) and rebuke the elements of mature (Mark 4:39).
3. Abraham prepared the sacrifice and waited. Birds came to feed on the sacrifice and Abraham drove them away (Genesis 15:10-11).be. Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). The dual nature of Jesus.
a. Meaning: the five animals include the total list of animals perscribed to be sacrificed in the Law. These animals represended Jesus the “Lamb of God” both in part and in whole. Abraham defended Yahweh's gift to the covenant from being devoured by agents that saw the sacrifice as common and neglected.4. Yahweh did not permit Abraham to pass between the sacrifices. As Abraham slept God passed between the sacrifices alone in the dual presence of a “smoking furnace, and a burning lamp” (Genesis 15:12-17).
b. New covenant parallel: The Believers' constant vigil against worldly agents who would preach “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4) and devour the Lamb of God with theologicalmisconceptions (Philippians 1:17).
a. Meaning: This was the “cutting”; the time of swearing: of pronouncing the promise and the curse upon one's self if the covenant was broken. Yahweh did not permit Abraham to swear. God alone swore to keep the covenant. (“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself” [Hebrews 6:13]).
aa. The Walk of Blood: figure eight between the pieces.b. New Covenant parallel: Jesus alone in the surety of the NewCovenant.
ab. Smoking furnace represents: judicial justice (Genesis 19:28;Exodus 9:8).
ac. Burning lamp represents: salvation (Isaiah 62:1); salvation is said to be “a lamp that burneth.”
ad. The Walk of Blood ends with Justice and Salvation face to face. (“Mercy and truth have met together; righteousnessand peace have kissed each other” [Psalm 85:10]).
ba. Hebrews 7:22 “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.”bb. Hebrews 6:13 “For when God made promise toAbraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself. bc, 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, forHe cannot deny Himself.” (NASB) bd. Romans 4:24 “... for us... to whom it shall be imputed.” Righteousness of Christ is MERITORIOUS. be. The Believers are to REST in the finished work of redemption(Hebrews 4:1ff), and in the faithfulness of the Mediator of our covenant (Hebrews 8:6) Who keeps covenant to athousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:19). bf. Matthew 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.”
Stay in the yoke and your yoke partner will bring you home.
Conclusion:
The rite of circumcision was the passage into the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:9-10). The mohel takes the child in his lap (at eight days old); he then recites a blessing over the baby, saying: "Praised are you, Adonai our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us in the ritual of circumcision." The circumcision is then performed at which time the child receives its name. Then the father recites a blessing thanking God for bringing the child into the covenant of Abraham: "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to make him enter into the covenant of Abraham our father." After the father has recited the blessing, guests respond with "As he has entered into the covenant, ...”
Meaning: the descendants of Abraham were to be set apart from the nations by the removal of the foreskins of the male private member. This signified the cutting away of the deadness (sin) of the heart. (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4). Circumcision was their identity: it was here that they acquired their names (Luke1:59-60; and 2:21).
New Covenant parallel: New Covenant circumcision is Water Baptism (Colossians 2:11-12).
a. Water Baptism is the rite of passage into the New Covenant (Galatians 3:27; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-5}; b. The family name of “Jesus” is acquired at water baptism (Christian circumcision) (Acts 2:38 cf James 2:7).
The End
Read other essays from the Bishop on the Blood of Christ:
"The Blood Ransom"
"The Conception of the Incarnation"
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