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Malachai 3:6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change;"
Of all the things I have read, learned and studied over these past 10 years, there are two truths that have revolutionized my life. One of them is “The Perfect Circle” and the other is the revelation of Covenants. I’ve already dealt with the first in minor detail in an earlier rant, and now I shall begin to mine the mountain that is Covenant. This will be broken up into 3 parts, Part 1 is covenant between men, Part 2 is covenant with God and man. And finally the culmination with Part 3 covenant between the redeemed and Christ.
Now what is covenant? In literal Hebrew it means to cut, but that is only a sign of its true nature. It is the oldest form of contracts and agreements in existence. It was and is a common practice in every ancient and “uncivilized” culture. It was an immovable force that would bind families, tribes and nations together for generations. A source of great blessing for those bound to one and a source of curses and death for those who dared to break them. Though covenants are world wide and all originate from Adam and Noah, I will be using the Hebrew form of covenants and ceremony during this entire endeavor.
How or why would someone enter into a covenant with someone else? On a personal level covenants were enacted because family A had something family B did not and family B lacked something family A had. Covenants were not entered when two parties had the same strengths rather they were brought together because of their differences. So that the two would be complete only in unity. And the same can be said for entire tribes and nations. For the sake of illustration lets say we have a family of farmers and a family of soldiers. The farmers keep losing their crops to bandits, and the soldiers have no means to grow their own food year round. Each side has something to offer the other that they lack themselves.
Now if these families were to enter into a covenant, it is a very serious issue, you see because covenants are for life, most often for multiple generations. The only way out was death, and the punishment for breaking the covenant was death. If these families enter covenant they become one family and are bound to the terms of the covenant. If a famine arose the farmers would feed the soldiers first, if an unstoppable army approached the soldiers would lay their lives down to save the farmers. Anything else would invoked the curses of the covenant and summon the avenger to kill the traitor.
The first step is negotiations, the patriarchs of both families meet and discuss the obligations of each family and blessings and the curses that would follow. Once that is complete they would begin the covenant ceremony. Both families and witnesses would gather in am open place where all could see (either an open field or a valley). And before all would stand either the heads of each family or a representative who embodied all the family was. They would take a heifer or another large animal and sacrifice it. It was split along the spine so the sides fell off, then split it in two leaving a pool of blood. The two patriarchs or representatives would walk within the blood and remains reciting the obligations, blessings and curses of that covenant, an image not soon forgotten. After that they would exchange their coats (symbols of authority) with one another. Followed by the exchange of weapons from one to another (symbols of strength).
Next came the cutting of the covenant where each patriarch would make a deep obvious cut either in their hand or wrist and they would place their wounds together allowing their blood to mingle binding them as blood brothers, a true friend who sticks closer than a brother (prov 18:24). This is also the origin for the phrase blood is thicker than water, for you were bonded more to your covenant brother than your own flesh and blood. This is also the origin of modern hand shakes. Once the blood was mingled, the families moved on to the covenant feast. Where the patriarchs would eat and exchange bread symbolizing their bodies and wine symbolizing their blood (in all other cultures the blood of the patriarchs was mixed into the wine) they were now one family they would also exchange and merge their names together there was no longer two but one. They would also after everything else was completed erect a memorial, either the planting of a tree or the building of a stone pillar or altar, as a permanent reminder of their oaths.
Let us see this all unfold in an example from the Bible, the lives of David and Jonathan show all of this in practice.
1 Samuel 18:1-4 “1 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond of love between them, and they became the best of friends. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him at the palace and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a special vow to be David’s friend, 4 and he sealed the pact by giving him his robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt.” (cut a second time in 1 Samuel 20:12-17)
Now what these two men did here would have consequences spanning both of their lives. They not only entered into covenant with one another, but their families and children to come. Because of this covenant Jonathan would protect David from his own father. Because if he didn’t he would have invited his own legal death, and be branded a traitor. As time passed Jonathan was killed in battle along with his father and David became King. Then came a day where perhaps David looked at the scar of his arm and remembered his covenant and called out if there was anyone of Jonathans decendants left that he may pour out the blessings of their covenant with, and he found one in 2 Samuel 9:1-13.
2 Samuel 9:1-13 "And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? 2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. 5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. 6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? 9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. 10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet."
Mephibosheth received all these great things not because of his own actions or because of what he did, but because of what was done by his father and David all those years ago. He didn’t toil and earn these gifts he simply received the blessings of his fathers covenant with the king. Not only that but when the Gideonites came seeking vengeance on a ancient covenant (Joshua chaper 9) broken by Saul, David delivered into their hands all of Saul’s descendants except Mephibosheth as we read in 2Samuel 21:1-9. He alone was spared from death because of his inherited covenant with the King.
This is merely one example of covenants between men, we could also look at Genesis 21:22-32 the covenant of peace between Abraham and Abimelech at Beersheba. Or Genesis 26:26-31 the covenant between Issac and Abimelech over the wells. Or Genesis 31:44-54 the covenant between Jacob and Laban after Jacob and his family returned to Canaan.
I am merely trying to paint a picture of the severity and the unchanging heart of covenant. I could also take time to explain that marriage is a blood covenant. Or that our society despite its claims of civilization are the most unfaithful in history when it comes to oaths and contracts. And that if covenants where still practiced today 50% would end in death. No I am building a foundation so that you will be able to grasp the language and the terrifying beauty of the next level of covenant, the covenant between God and men. Followed by the joyous revelation of the new covenant between the redeemed and Christ.
To be continued
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Bonus: Covenant Quick Reference Guide (old testament only)
Gen 15:9-21 covenant of the promise land
Gen 17 Abram changed to Abraham
Gen 21:22-32 covenant between Abraham and Abimelech at Beersheba
Gen 26:26-31 covenant between issac and Abimelech
Gen 31:44-54 covenant between Jacob and Laban (after they escaped from haran)
Deut 4:22-32 Moses’ warnings of breaking covenant
Num 25:10-13 covenant of peace upon Phineas and the priesthood
Deut 7:7-16 God’s covenant with the nation
Deut 15:1-11 Promise of Prosperity
Deut chapter 28 the blessings and curses of the covenant
Deut Chapter 29&30 Covenant redelivered by Moses to Israel in Moab
Joshua 7:10-26 Aeon breaks covenant and the entire nation suffers (battle at Ai)
Joshua Chapter 9 israel makes a covenant with the Gibeonites
Joshua 10:1-8 Israel forced to defend the Gibeonites
Joshua 10:12-14 God stops the sun, so the Gibeonites enemies may be destroyed
Joshua 11:19 Israel made peace with no other peoples
2Samuel 21:1-9 the price for breaking covenant generations later
1Kings 3:4 Solomon offers 1000 burnt offerings in Gibeon
Nehemiah 3:7 Melatiah the Gibeonite, helps to rebuild Jerusalem
Joshua 24:14-28 covenant made after Israel “conquered” the promised land
Judges 11:29-40 Jephthah’s Vow (forced to offer daughter as a burnt offering)
1Samuel 18:1-4 first Covenant between David and Jonathan
1Samuel 20:12-17 second covenant between David and Jonathan
1Samuel 20:30-42 Jonathan protects David from his father
2Samuel 9:1-13 David finds Mephibosheth and provides for him for life
2Samuel 19:24-30
2Samuel 21:7 David protects Mephibosheth's from the justice of the Gibeonites
2Samuel 3:12-21 Abner calls for a covenant with David
2Samuel 7:8-17 God’s covenant with David
2Chronicles 21:7 God unwilling to destroy Judah
1Kings 11:1-13 Solomon breaks covenant with God (decendants left only tribe of Judah)
1Kings 11:30-35 the tearing of the garment and the kingdom
1Kings 14:15-16 Israel (northern tribes) to be destroyed because of Jeroboam (2 calves)
2Kings 17:6-23, 38-39 & 2kings 18:10-12 Isreal carried away by Assyria
1Kings 30:32-35 covenant with Ahab and Ben-Hadad
2Chronicles 23:1-8 Jehoiada makes covenant to protect young Joash
Ezra 10:1-8 covenant made by Ezra for Israel to put away their foreign wives
Neh 9:36 – 10:39 covenant made on the first feast of booths after the exile
Isaiah 28:14-19 God promises to break the covenant with death & hell (picture of Christ)
Isaiah 61:1-11 The spirit of the LORD is upon me
Jeremiah 9:1-26 the price for going against God (see Jer 22:8-9)
Jeremiah 31:31-36 A New Covenant (place my law upon their hearts)
Jeremiah 32:38-40 new hearts and an everlasting covenant
Jeremiah 34:6-22 Zedekiah makes and breaks a covenant to set the slaves free
Ezekiel 11:19-20 new heart
Ezkiel 16:58-63 everlasting covenant
Ezekiel 34:23-26 One Shepherd
Ezekiel 37:26 everlasting covenant of peace
Zecheriah 11:10-13 God will break his covenant & 30 pieces of silver
Malachai 3:1 The messenger of the Covenant
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