A Covenant Of Blood

When God made covenant with Abraham, he had to help Abraham understand the seriousness of his plan in a way that would make an indelible mark in the core of Abrahams being. God had to speak in a way that Abraham understood, so he began with a blood covenant. Details of this covenant are recorded in Genesis 15:9-18 when God himself walked in blood & made promises to Abraham. In various cultures, when a blood covenant is made, it involves pledging unqualified commitment to one another, which cannot be broken. This is important for us to understand because we must get a strong and intimate understanding of what this type of covenant means, as it is foundational to our faith in God. God made a pledge to Abraham, which involved changing Abrams name, pledging all of the resources of heaven, and involved the giving of the life of his son, Jesus. The making of a blood covenant involves strong pledges of fidelity, pronouncing of curses for breaking the As Christians today, we must covenant, the shedding ones own blood and the understand our covenant with God exchange of coats & weapons. (There are more details beyond mere mental assent involved but for the sake of brevity I am limiting input) Abraham understood this and he, according to Genesis 15:6, believed in the Lord. The pledges are something like this, Your enemy is my enemy, When you go to war, I will go to war at your side, Before I will let you die, I will give my life in your place, Before I let you starve, I will give you my own flesh to eat. These statements are very strong, but they exemplify the strength of a blood covenant. The Bible is a book full of covenant talk! Jesus said in John 15 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. That is covenant talk! Many Christians know the covenant that God made was ratified in the blood of Jesus, but we must know it in a level beyond mere mental assent. We must be as convinced as Abraham was convinced, Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; (Romans 4:20) It is only when we are deeply aware of Gods commitment to us that we can stand strongly in the challenges of life. Many falter when the love of God towards them is questioned. Questions arise like, Does God know how much I am suffering? Will God come through for me? or Does God really love me? Abraham had to be convinced beyond circumstances that God was as concerned about Abrahams desires as Abraham was. God wants us to know him beyond a surface level, for it is only from a more intimate place we can hear the depth of His love for us! The covenant that God made to Abraham and consequently, to us through Jesus was about deep & enduring love. Gods plan was to show a love that was beyond measure or imagination. He wanted to deliver us from an enemy that was set on our destruction in every area & bless us. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:18-19 that the eyes of our understanding would be opened to know the breadth, length and depth, and height and to know the love of Christ. To know the love! When we become more familiar with the love of God for us than with the circumstances against us, our expectation changes! We walk in a place of victory that cannot be denied! Ask the Lord to help you to know the strength of His love for you! Watch what will happen! Blessings! Rev. Mikki Nyaga