The Blood Covenant - Part Two

The Blood Covenant - Part Two

The principle of the Blood Covenant is found in cultures and societies all around the world. In thinking of the Blood Covenant, probably the first covenant that came to your mind was that between the Lord and Abram. This is found in Genesis 15:1-21.

Several of the components of the Blood Covenant are given in this passage from Genesis:

The Lord promised to protect Abram (Genesis 15:1).
They exchanged promises. The Lord made great promises to Abram. Abram could only offer his faith and belief to God (Genesis 15:5 and 6).
Not one, but five animals were sacrificed; split in two except the birds (verses 9 and 10).
Both Abram and the Lord walked between the divided pieces of sacrificed animals. Abram walked physically; God walked in the form of a smoking furnace and a burning lamp. (Genesis 15:17).
They exchanged names. The Lord added part of His name (JHWH) to Abram, making his name Abraham. The “H” or Hebrew letter “hay” was also added to Sarai, making her name Sarah (Genesis 17:5 and 15).
Part of the covenant was the shedding of Abraham’s blood in the form of his circumcision, and the circumcision of all of his male descendants, even those who were still in his body (Genesis 17:9-14).

During the covenant between the Lord and Abram, Abram fell into a deep sleep. This is because the Lord was responsible for completing the pledge. Abram had tried to chase the birds from the sacrifices, but the Lord was to take care of that, and Abram slept. Because the covenant was unilateral, the Lord took Abram out of the process and caused him to sleep. Likewise, when the Lord Jesus was in the Garden praying, the Disciples slept. It was the responsibility of the Lord Jesus to complete the covenant, so the Disciples slept just as Abram slept. Neither Abram nor the Disciples could perform the works necessary to complete the covenant. This is confirmed by the statement of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

It is also interesting that when the Lord was making a covenant with the Children of Israel, He appeared on top of Mount Sinai as fire and the smoke of a furnace, just as He appeared as a lamp and a smoking furnace to Abram. (Exodus 19:18)

Before the covenant between the Lord and Abram in Genesis 15, Abram was living in the plain of Mamre (Genesis 14:13), which we find later was known as Hebron. When Abram rescued Lot from the four kings from what is now Iraq, Mamre was with him. (Genesis 14:13 and 24) It seems probable that Abram was living in Hebron at the time of the covenant between himself and the Lord, and the planting of trees as part of the covenant was performed in Hebron.

Here is why I think that is probable. Many years later, upon the death of Sarah, they were living in or near Hebron. (Genesis 23:2) For the burial of Sarah, Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah which was in a field of many trees before Mamre. (Genesis 23:17) I wonder if the many trees were a grove planted by Abraham at the time of his covenant with the Lord. Later, for example, Abram planted a grove of trees to memorialize another covenant with Abimelech. (Genesis 21:23)

There are more examples in the Bible of this exciting concept, and important provisions for Christians of today. These will follow. Praise the Lord for the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus! Praise the name of Jesus!

BACK to Lesson Archive.