When we enter a Blood Covenant, we enter a deeper, more solemn contract. Throughout history, many societies have considered blood covenants to be sacred unions that force the partners into extreme responsibilities and loyalty.
In Bible days, cutting a blood covenant was a customary practice. It turned the worst of enemies into the best of friends, or at minimum, cooperative partners with common interests. Abraham made a covenant with God, but he also made a covenant with Abimelech. (Genesis 21:27) David and Jonathan also made a blood covenant. (1 Samuel 18:3)
In some tribal regions in Africa, so I am told, kinfolk have stood by and watched their loved ones slain simply because they had broken their covenant. The kinfolk would not intervene because they would not want to associate with such a one that would break their covenant.
Chieftains made blood covenants when there was a mutual need. If a tribe of productive farmers could not protect their harvest from invaders, they would seek to enter a covenant with a tribe of powerful warriors. The warriors protected the farmers while the farmers fed the warriors.
Before entering the covenant, they spent many days negotiating the terms and conditions that were crucial to each party. When they agreed, there was often a ritual and ceremony. A common ritual would be to cut the wrists of the chieftains or their substitutes and rub the wrists together to mingle their blood.
They would then drop blood from both wrists into a cup of wine. The wine and blood mingled would be drunk by both parties. This sealed the deal, and they become blood brothers. Also, the bond is permanent.
Both parties would be obligated to fulfill the agreement and there was no breaking the covenant. The only way to break it was if one partner died.
Mixed Up
How could blood and wine that is mixed, ever be un-mixed? How could one say, “I want to un-mingle my blood from the wine and put it back into my veins.”
The point is the blood from two became one blood and a relationship established—the bond is complete. The two tribes now intermarry and become one family and tribe. If one needs anything from the other, they provide it according to the pre-covenant negotiations—they refuse nothing.
Loyalty
THIS concept of extreme loyalty and uncompromising faithfulness between the two covenant parties is the foundation and cornerstone of both the Old and New Testaments. The word’ Testament, is synonymous with Covenant.
Abraham cut the covenant with God, and everyone who entered the covenant afterward was just as much a member of the union as Abraham.
Jesus established the New Covenant at the Last Supper by taking a cup of wine and giving it to his disciples, showing that as they drank, they entered Covenant.
This was not a covenant between Jesus and the disciples, but the covenant between Jesus, representing humankind, and God the Father.
Everyone who receives Him and drinks His blood enters Covenant. He is as much a member of the Kingdom and union with God the Father as Jesus is. We, with Jesus, form a union and oneness with Almighty God.
There is no un-mixing of this blood of the New Covenant!
Circumcision
Abraham circumcised himself and his household to confirm the covenant. They considered anyone and everyone circumcised to be a family member and therefore a covenant partner.
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: Romans 4:11
Jesus was also circumcised into the Abrahamic Covenant.
In the New Covenant, all who receive Christ are circumcised, but not with a physical circumcision. The New Covenant requires the circumcision of the heart. The old fleshly sin-nature of man eliminated, and a new birth taking its place. Removal and replacement are the keys.
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Romans 2:28-29
The circumcised heart is the starting point for salvation because it transforms our sin nature into a Godly nature, filling us with the Spirit of God. It transforms us from rebellious into reconciled. The blood covenant restores fellowship with our Father God. Listen to this verse from I Corinthians 15:49 in the ESV:
Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust (Adam), we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:49
Four Principles
They established every blood covenant on at least four principles. There must be:
Two parties seeking a covenant.
Agreement of terms and conditions
Rewards for compliance
Cursing or punishment for transgression.
Jesus was given promises just as Abraham was. He did not enter Covenant without agreeing on the terms using the four principles listed above. There was a need for covenant, negotiations of terms, blessings, and cursing.
Once we understand how He made the covenant and how you are a member of it, you will never view the kingdom of God or the Bible the same. Prayer will be different. Your approach to healing and the benefits of the cross completely change for the better.
It will astound you to realize Christianity is not RELIGION.
Abraham Cuts Covenant
When God cut the covenant with Abraham, He took it seriously. He obligated Himself and risked honor and reputation to ensure His promises to Abraham.
God established the Old Covenant when He promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. He promised that through him he would bless the entire world. This implies the birth of his future offspring, Jesus Christ the Savior. Genesis 15-17
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?…” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir…”
8 And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”
Abraham asked, “how shall I know? God then answers with a curious command.
9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two…
12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him…
17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram…. Genesis 15:2-18
This is difficult for modern, “educated” people to comprehend. What exactly is taking place here? Abraham asks, “how shall I know,” And God says, “Bring me a heifer.” Whaaat? A heifer? What would He want with a heifer? How will a heifer, goat, and ram convince Abraham that he will inherit Canaan and have a son?
By requesting a heifer, God is saying, “Abraham, by taking these animals and cutting them in two, I am cutting a BLOOD COVENANT with you. I will be your partner and friend and I will obligate myself to meet your every need. By doing this I am absolutely, positively, with no doubt guaranteeing you a son through Sarah to be your heir.”
Abraham could not have been more pleased because he knew exactly where this was leading.
Historians teach the following key details regarding this type of ceremony:
They cut the animals’ lengthwise down the spine, then laid each half side by side. There was a space between the pieces which provided a pathway between them. One partner would walk from one end of the row to the other and state provisions of the covenant, the blessing, and the cursing, their vows, and pledge of loyalty.
The other would do the same. A portion of the ceremony would include curses. This is the reason they used slain animals. The implication is important. It is, If you break your pledge of loyalty to this covenant, then may you experience the same fate as these dead animals!
“But’… you may think, ‘how is this similar to Jesus making a covenant? He wasn’t cut in two” To which I would point to the Last Supper. Remember when Jesus took a loaf of bread and broke it? He broke it in two pieces. This represented the two halves of his body. Then he took the cup and said “this is my blood.” So, there was both a broken body and shed blood, similar to Abraham’s ceremony.