Blood covenants show up many times throughout the Bible. Examples of biblical blood covenants include the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, and the New Covenant. Each of these blood covenants was important to God and to the people whom God established the covenants. A covenant worked as a sure promise that both parties would fulfill their end of the obligation. Blood covenants are not as common as they were in biblical times; however, every person who is a believer is under the New Covenant today.
Let's break down the importance of both past and present biblical covenants:
The Abrahamic Covenant is described in Genesis 15. God had informed Abraham of all of the promises that He would fulfill for Abraham and his descendants, but unlike previous times, God was going to give Abraham a visual demonstration of His promises by establishing a blood covenant. A blood covenant with God was different from a covenant between two human beings. It was a common practice in the ancient Near East for covenants to be established in order to seal and secure the agreement made between two parties.
The blood covenant between God and His chosen people was slightly different from traditional covenants made between mankind. In the case of man-made covenants, each party had to fulfill their promise on both sides equally. Man-made covenants could easily be broken because one of the men might fall back on his promise or not fulfill his end of the promise. In the man-made covenant, the condition was based on both sides fulfilling their obligations to each other; however, for the blood covenant that God created with Abraham was based on God—not Abraham. It didn’t matter what Abraham did as all that mattered was God upholding His end of the covenant, which He did. The blood covenant that God created with mankind was always dependent on Him and not on the person He was making the covenant with, such as Abraham or Moses.
The Abrahamic Covenant started when God asked Abraham to kill a heifer, ram, goat, dove, and a pigeon. After Abraham killed the heifer, ram, goat, dove, and pigeon, God told him to cut the heifer, ram, and goat in halves. Then, Abraham was told by God to place the pieces in two rows, which would allow for a path to go through the center of the dead animal’s bodies (Genesis 15:9-10). Abraham obeyed God and completed all that He commanded. Through this blood covenant, God was making a covenant with Abraham including the promises of descendants, the promise of land, and the promise of wonderful blessings (Genesis 12:2-3). The sign of the covenant between God and Abraham was marked with the blood of the animals and the sacrifice that was made.
After Abraham had done all that God commanded him to do, God caused a deep sleep to overcome Abraham in order for Abraham to be asleep when He would pass through the sacrifice (Genesis 15:12). Once Abraham had fallen into the deep sleep, God appeared in the form of a flaming fire that passed through on the path in between the halves of the animals (Genesis 15:17). The importance of only God walking through the halves of the animals symbolized that the fulfillment of the covenant only relied on Him, not Abraham. All of the promises made to Abraham were not conditional based upon Abraham’s obedience, but rather, the promises were based in God’s true and loving nature. The entire fulfillment depended on God and nobody else. Since the blood covenant was based on God, Abraham could be assured that the promises God made to him would be fulfilled.
The second blood covenant told to us in the Bible is the Mosaic covenant. The Mosaic Covenant was a unique blood covenant in the sense that blood had to be sprinkled upon the tabernacle and the people (Hebrews 9:19-21). During the time of the Mosaic Covenant, which began with Moses and stretched until the time of the birth of Christ, people had to offer sacrifices in payment of their sins. Men and women had to sacrifice animals whenever they committed a sin in order to cleanse themselves from the sinful acts they had committed. The tabernacle and temple were special places as this is where the atonement would occur. The Israelites would bring their sacrifices to Aaron and the other Levite priests, who would kill the animals and offer them in sacrifice on behalf of the people of Israel. This was required because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). All throughout the time from Moses until Christ, forgiveness could only be obtained through sacrifice.
The New Covenant is the blood covenant that believers are under today. This New Covenant was established by the blood of Christ. Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah as He was the ultimate Sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:24-28). After the death of Christ, no sacrifice for sins was needed. All of mankind’s sins could be forgiven if they placed their faith in Christ. Believers today are blessed because we no longer have to offer sacrifices for our sins. All that is required for salvation is placing faith in Christ and asking God to forgive our sins. Offering animals in sacrifice is not required to cover our sins because we have been washed clean by the blood of Christ.
Under the New Covenant, we become heirs of the Abrahamic Covenant, which means we obtain all the same spiritual promises God gave to Abraham (Galatians 3:29). The New Covenant entails that we are children of God, blessed by God, and loved by God. When a person becomes a believer by placing faith in Christ, they are automatically members of the New Covenant. If you are a Christian, then you are under the New Covenant today.
The entire New Covenant is based upon the blood of Christ and His finished work on the cross. Jesus established the New Covenant with His blood, which means it can never be washed away. The New Covenant will endure forever and all who are under the New Covenant are redeemed by Christ. All of the animal sacrifices were only temporary until the full redemption came through the death of Christ.
In the modern day, individuals cannot be forgiven by following the Law or sacrificing animals. Forgiveness only comes when a person places faith in Christ and asks the Lord to forgive them of their sins. The idea of blood covenants can sound gory to us in the modern day; however, they were a common practice in the ancient world. As believers today, we are still under the New Covenant and there will never be any more covenants instituted by God as the New Covenant is the final covenant. It is good for Christians to be familiar with the blood covenants because they can show us how blessed we are for not having to offer blood sacrifices as the Israelites had to under the Mosaic Covenant.
Under the New Covenant, we are completely forgiven and given a new identity in Christ. Each of the covenants was important for the duration of their time; however, the New Covenant is applicable to us in the modern day because it is the covenant made in Jesus’ blood. Believers should not be afraid to discuss blood covenants because they are an important part of biblical history. Blood covenants remind us of God's faithfulness, Jesus' saving grace, and the Holy Spirit's constant gift of love.
Further Reading:
What is a Covenant? - Biblical Meaning and Importance Today
What is the Abrahamic Covenant?
What Is the New Covenant in Jesus Christ?
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