“When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him, I am God Almighty. Walk in My presence and be pure-hearted. I will make a covenant between Me and you, and I will increase your numbers greatly. ‘Abraham fell on his face and God continued to speak with him: As for Me, this is My covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations (goyee). Your name will no longer be Abram (exalted father), but your name will be Abraham (father of many), because I have made you the father of many nations (goyee). I will cause you to be very fruitful. I will make nations of you, kings will descend from you.  (Gen. 17: 1-6)

Covenant - such a sacred word in Hebraic biblical thinking, yet such a casual concept in western biblical thinking. In simple terms, a cov­enant is a binding, indissoluble agreement between two people or two groups that contains promises made on the part of each to the other. Biblically speaking, it absolutely cannot be broken. Speaking of His covenant with David, God says in the Psalms:

“If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments, If they violate My statutes, and do not keep My  commandments, Then I will visit their transgression with the rod, and their inequity with stripes. But I will not break off My loving kindness from him, nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. My covenant I will not violate, nor  will I alter the utterance of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness, I will not lie to David. His descendants  shall endure for­ever and his throne as the sun before Me.”  Psalm 89: 30-36

God declared this during the reign of King David over all Israel, which began about 1055 BC. So the promise to David and his tribe, the tribe of Judah,  has covered a period of about three thousand years.

The concept of covenant between God and His people is one of, if not the, most important, theological truths of the Scriptures. Biblically speaking, it implies much more than a contract or legal agreement. Con­tracts are limited by time while a covenant has an eternal quality. In biblical times, a covenant between two people lasted to the third and fourth generation of their descendants. Thus we see in II Samuel 9 that many years after the death of his covenant friend, Jonathan, King David inquires if there be anyone left of Jonathan’s lineage to whom he may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake. When informed that Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, is still alive, he sends for the young man, re-locates him to the royal palace and restores to him all the lands that belonged to his father and grandfather, not for Mephibosheth’s sake, but for Jonathan’s, his beloved covenant friend.

In ancient biblical times there were nine steps in the making of a covenant. When two people agreed to share covenant friendship, they would meet at an assigned place on an assigned day to put into law this pledge.

Step One:     They Would Exchange Robes or Cloaks.

The outer garment in Jewish thought represented the person, his life and his being. And so we read in I Samuel 18: 3-4

“Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself And Jonathan stripped himself  of the robe that was on him and gave it to David..." 

In so doing he would say in effect to David,

     “I’m giving you my life; all that I am and all that I have.”

Let us take note who it is that was saying these words. Jonathan was the crown prince, son of King Saul, destined for the throne of United Israel (All twelve tribes). From birth he had been trained, schooled, groomed for kingship. He had everything to live for, possessions beyond our imagination, money, prestige and a fu­ture to be envied. But at the moment that God touched his heart with a love for David, the Anointed One, he was ready to give it all away. This was no small thing. Can you imagine a crown prince today making such an exchange with a simple commoner from his kingdom? David was a teenage sheepherder, one with no formal education?

This is precisely what the Crown Prince of Heaven did. The Son of God loved us with a love more powerful and redemptive than the love of Jonathan for David, as great as that was. He left or gave up the indescribable beauty and unspeakable glory of the eternal realm and walked among us to make covenant, to give us His robe, to clothe us with Himself. Isaiah prophesied this very thing when he wrote:

“For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has wrapped me with a robe of righteous­ness.”   Isaiah 61:10

God commits His life to us through our personal relationship with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so Paul exhorts us in his letter to the church at Ephesus.

“... that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:24,

What Paul is saying or writing is covenant language, which the people of that day understood far more deeply than we generally do today. Paul was emphasizing to them that there had been an exchange of life when they were born again and that being the case, they were to walk in another Man’s garment, taking on His (1.) identity, (2) reflecting His nature, and (3) manifesting His goodness.

Step Two:     They Would Exchange Belts.

Look again at I Samuel 18:4  ‘And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt.”

 In those days, a man’s belt was the place where his personal weapons of defense and offense were fastened; his bow with its arrows, his knife, his sword and whatever else he may have earned for his fighting purposes were attached to his belt. When he surrendered his belt, he surrendered his ability to defend himself against attack. His entire defense was now in the hands of his covenant friend. In the giving of his weapons, he deliberately made himself vulnerable and he also rendered himself incapable of hurting his friend.

 He said by this gesture, “I now give to you everything with which I could ever hurt you. And I place myself at your mercy. If I am attacked, unless you defend me, I am defenseless. And in receiving your belt with your weapons, I recog­nize that you have also surrendered to me everything with which you could ever hurt me. I’ll fight your battles for you, I’ll defeat your enemies for you and you will do the same for me.”

We read in Deut 20:4
      “for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

This is our covenant partner, the Lord Himself, who is committed to fight our battles, be our defense and preserve us to everlasting life. How tragic that any born again child of God should be unacquainted with the provisions of the covenant and continue to live like one who must fight his own battles, not realizing that Jesus is committed to our defense. We can trust Him completely for He will never violate His covenant.

Step Three:     They Would “Cut” The Covenant.

An animal was chosen, slaughtered by being cut in two down the middle. They would separate the two halves, laying them side by side with just enough room between the two sections for the two men to stand in the pool of blood that would quickly form in the middle. Clasping their hands together, they would commit to each other in words similar to these:

‘I choose this day to die to myself and live to bless you, my covenant partner. I will make my deci­sions and
 order my life with you in mind from this day forward; seeking always what is best for you ahead of myself”

His friend would repeat the same pledge back to him and then together they would look down at the blood in which they stood, ankle-deep in, and say

‘May God do this to me and more if aught but death part you and me.”

Step Four:      A Cut Was Made On the Back Of Both People's Wrist

Still standing in the pool of blood, each of them would make a small cut on the back or underside of the wrist, then clasp their hands together in such a fashion that their blood would mingle. This practice is seen in the American Indians. What do they say when they do this, they become blood brothers. We knowing that in the book of Leviticus, we are told, “The life is in the blood," this was a vitally important part of the covenant making process. It was in this act that they realized what every step along the way was pointing to: the exchange of their very life. As their blood mingled, they committed to the reality that their lives were now mingled and had become one, for who can separate the blood once it is mingled together? No longer was each a separate individual, but they were one life.

Think about the marriage consummation on the wedding night. The vow before God is that He says the two shall become one. When does that happen? On the wedding night. That is when the marriage is consummated. If done properly, there will be the shedding and mixing of blood. The marriage ceremony is the closest thing to a covenant that there is. In fact that is what it is.

Significant numbers of people (besides Jehovah Witnesses) across the world refuse blood trans­fusions even when a medical need dictates it, for fear of what may be intro­duced into their bodies with such a procedure. Some have died because of receiving blood from a person infected with hepatitis, AIDS or some other disease.

Consider now the spiritual ramifications of being cleansed by the sacred Blood of the New Covenant, the Saving Blood of the perfect Lamb of God. The songwriter said it well, “The Blood will never lose its power.” This exchange of life is what Calvary is all about. His death is far more than a deliverance from the "fires of hell". Each time we partake of the Lord’s supper, which is a covenant meal, may we be impacted anew with the power of the exchange of life that is ours with Jesus Christ.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  (II Corinthians 5:21 KJV) 

Step Five:     The Exchange of Names:

This is what we today would call power of attorney. Each gave to the other the right and authority to use his name as his very own with no restriction or limitation. To act in another’s name was to do what they would do, think like would, and behave like them.

Names are very important because they carry meaning, association and identity. For instance, who of us would name our infant son, Ju­das? Or our infant daughter, Jezebel?

Years ago I heard the son of a prominent evangelist illustrate this principle in an unforgettable way. As a young man he went through a period in his life when he was yearning to “be himself’ and not “the son of....” Deciding in his early twenties that he wanted to purchase a new car, he set aside one weekend to accomplish this goal. Beginning early one morning, he visited one auto dealership after another with no suc­cess. It was not for lack of desirable automobiles. In fact, he chose one in the very first place he went. But he was turned down for the loan because of a lack of credit history. This scene repeated itself in 7 different dealerships until finally, weary and frustrated, he looked at the Credit Manager in the 8th dealership and said, “Would it help if I told you that my father is _______? In minutes he was driving away from the lot in his new car. The power of using a name!

Shortly before his death, Jesus said to His disciples and through them to future disciples,

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  (John 14:13)

And again,

"You did not choose Me, but I have chosen you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.” John 15:16

To truly understand the amazing privilege that Jesus has com­manded us to pray “in My name” is to fill us with an awesome respect and godly fear of the Lord. This is a covenant privilege we must not take lightly. This Name must never be used flippantly as if it were just a formula or ritual. It is powerful, yes, even to the tearing down of strong­holds, but it is also a sacred trust, which we must handle in holiness. It is also a twofold covenant privilege. This is deeper than just being a believer.

Having exchanged the authority to use each other’s names, the two partners would then rub salt and hyssop into the cut that had just been made on their wrists. This had a two-fold purpose. It would serve to form a scar on the wrist that would never fade away. That scar was to serve as a lifelong reminder of the covenant rights and responsibilities to which they had committed themselves. The second purpose is, the scar took this covenant out of the realm of emotions, feelings and circumstances and into the realm of assurance of a covenant relationship.

The story is told of the great African missionary, Dr. Livingston, who in traveling throughout that great continent, going into areas not previously seen by another white man, cut covenant with more than 50 tribal leaders. Each time he encountered a new tribe, the row of scars on his arm instantly communicated to them that this was not simply one lone stranger standing in their presence, but one who was in covenant with hundreds of other tribesmen, no doubt many from rival tribes. They understood that each scar on his arm represented thousands of arrows flying directly at them if they mistreated him in any way. This highly motivated them to also enter into covenant with this white man, knowing that it would assure protection and freedom from attack from any of these other tribes. Marvelous way to put an end to tribal wars!

Step Seven:   Read Aloud the Covenant Terms:

Still standing in the pool of blood. They would pledge to each other full access to all their assets, property, money, etc. You receive all the other person’s assets, and also his liabilities. When Jesus cut covenant with us, we received all of His assets and He took all our liabilities. What a glorious exchange! Yet, never forget all that we have or acquire, are His to use or give away at His will.

Once the reading of the covenant terms was completed, they would walk away from the slaugh­tered animal, wash their feet and sit down to share a Memorial Meal. The sharing of food has carried spiritual significance from time immemo­rial. In every culture this principle is applied in one way or another.

Remember, Jesus washing the feet of the disciples at Passover.

Bread would be broken and shared between them, as well as a cup of wine from which both would partake, symbolizing and expressing that their lives were permanently entwined.

Finally, after the meal, they would take a sapling, a very young tree, and plant it at the place where they had cut the covenant. It would be sprinkled with some of the blood of the covenant sacrifice and wa­tered that it might grow. From that day forward, the tree, along with the scar on the wrist, was to serve as a permanent reminder of their cov­enant, two witnesses to this awesome relationship between individuals or groups. Very often they would choose an almond tree, as many be­lieved that the tree of life in the Garden of Eden had been an almond tree.

As a tree grows and bears fruit, it was a fitting symbol that this relationship was also to grow and bear fruit, to withstand the storms of life and the winds of adversity, becoming even stronger because of them.

It was only after making such a covenant that you could rightly call someone your “friend.” Biblically speaking, this is a very serious and deeply meaningful word. It was not used in that day in the casual man­ner in which we employ it today. A “friend” as biblically understood, truly “loveth at all times,” is utterly reliable and unquestionably loyal throughout life.

YOUR TURN

1.   Define Covenant, as it is biblically understood. Support your defi­nition with at least three
      scriptures.

2.   What are the nine steps in a biblical covenant? In what way does each step portray the
      work the promised Messiah?

 3.   Read Acts 4:32-25 and describe what aspects of covenant you find expressed.

4.   Give two examples from the Life of Jesus in which He employs covenant thought in teaching
       on a specific truth (s).

1471. gowy, go'ee; rarely (short.)  goy, go'-ee; appar. from the same root as H1465
            (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (fig.) a
            troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:--Gentile, heathen, nation, people. 

A great example of the binding relationship generated by a covenant between
two people is the covenant made between Nathan and David and how it carried on even after Nathan, son of King Saul died.

(II Sam 1-13 NASB)  Then David said, "Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "I am your servant." And the king said, "Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet." So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar." Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.  And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!"  And David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly." Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?" Then the king called Saul's servant Ziba, and said to him, "All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson.  "And you and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master's grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall eat at my table regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.  Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons. { And Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king's table regularly. Now he was lame in both feet.

Back