The Whole Word to the Whole World

Find biblical coursework and classes

Blood Covenant of God

Name: Blood Covenant of God
Availability: InStock

Blood Covenant is rarely taught or preached in our churches, Bible Colleges or seminaries today although it is arguably one of the most essential topics that run consistently through the entire Bible and touches every part of our Christian life. Few if any topics will affect your relationship with God and your fellow man as this will.

Order This Course

Blood Covenant is rarely taught or preached in our churches, Bible Colleges or seminaries today although it is arguably one of the most important topics that run consistently through the entire Bible and touches every part of our Christian life.

It is not spoken of in the mainstream of society for purposes other than of historical interest, occasionally for entertainment purposes, but even then it is usually misrepresented, as the film and entertainment industries simplify the concepts almost to the point of irrelevance.

As a topic, Blood Covenant is often considered to be at one of two extremes, either barbaric and bloodthirsty or a curious novelty.

Why is this so?

Since the beginning of the 20^th century, Blood Covenant terminology has gradually disappeared from our everyday vocabulary and from our Christian jargon.

Biblical Facts

The word Covenant is found in over 400 Biblical references in its various forms. The most common word is Covenant. However, we can also look to the words ‘promise’, ‘oath’, ‘testament’ and ‘league’ along with several others. Not all these references relate to the Blood Covenant of God with man, however many of them do.

This study is concerned mainly with those references that relate to the Blood Covenant of God, and other relevant covenants between God and man, or man and man, each will help our understanding of the Blood Covenant of God.

I have included in Appendix V a reference from the Jewish encyclopaedia that most effectively provides a “dictionary” definition of Blood Covenant.

It is particularly important for us to realise that we are dealing with the Blood Covenant of God, not a Covenant between man and God. This is a Blood Covenant between God and man, and it is God’s Covenant. God, Himself makes this point no less than 51 times throughout the Bible with the specific term “My Covenant”. It is first used with the reference to his Covenant with Noah in Genesis 6:18.

While the term Blood Covenant has disappeared from our jargon, and perhaps our understanding of it may well slide into obscurity, we need to realise that the force and fact of Blood Covenant cannot be diminished.

The effectiveness and responsibilities of the Blood Covenant agreement are still in force and as powerful today as when the first drop of blood was spilt for the first Blood Covenant. This creates a problem as God has chosen to deal with us through a Blood Covenant.

Unfortunately, most of us have entered into this arrangement unwittingly, out of ignorance. We have done so because the purpose, principles and responsibilities of a Blood Covenant were not explained to us by those who brought us to Christ, for often they did not understand these things themselves. Often they were equally ignorant because the principles and concepts of Blood Covenant have been relegated to the obscurity of history.

Consequently, because we do not realise the majesty of our relationship with God, the awesomeness of our responsibilities to the covenant, or the binding effect that it has on us, we are often in violation of that relationship. So we suffer the consequences of ignorance. Fortunately for us, God deals with us through our heart -- His grace and mercy intervene on our behalf, and his love and passion for us are not diminished -- but we effectively deny ourselves much of the blessing available to us because we remain in ignorance.

I trust that as we peruse this study together, your spiritual eyes will be opened and you will be as blessed as I have been by coming into a greater understanding of this most important of Biblical concepts.

We will begin our journey by reviewing some facts both Biblical and secular

There is no single Blood Covenant agreement mentioned in the Bible that demonstrates the whole of the Blood Covenant ceremony as clearly or completely as the covenant between Rameses II and Hatusillis III following the battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC.

Nonetheless, all the covenants we will look to show sufficient information for us to recognise Blood Covenant.

God’s Blood Covenant with Abraham between 2165 to 1990 BC predates the covenant between Rameses II and Hatusillis III, by more than 700 years. It is with Abraham that the most precise detail of a Blood Covenant ceremony is found in the Bible Genesis 15:1-21.

Abraham is mentioned in the Mari tablets 1800 – 1750 BC (see Appendix II), he preceded the Mari tablets by more than 200 years.

I am convinced that many of the ceremonial rites associated with Rameses II and Hatusillis III were added, in part, because of the typical desire of tyrannical monarchs and despots to embrace pomp and ceremony. Even so, this does not take away from the reality or legitimacy of the ceremony, and it does enhance the often hidden meanings within the ceremony.

The Blood Covenant of God with Abraham is probably the most complete of the Blood Covenant ceremonies, and it is not surprising that there is so much more information on these rites with this patriarch than with any other. Genesis 15:1-21

This book is also available as an ebook from Smashwords The Blood Covenant of God - The Ebook version.

This course is part of Christian Living Study Stream | Diploma. Find additional courses and study streams below.