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 | | From: | Steve Goltra | | Subject: | Blood Covenant Ritual- part 2 | | Date: | Sat, 15 Jan 2005 01:15:25 GMT |
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 | Steve Goltra continues information on the Blood Covenant Ritual, where two
people became one:
Blood Covenant
Throughout scripture we find the word Covenant. In the Old Testament the
Hebrew word Barius (Covenant) is found 264 times. The word Barius is
translated by Strong's as follows:
Strong's Number: 1285
Transliterated: briyth
Phonetic: ber-eeth'
Text: from 1262 (in the sense of cutting [like 1254]); a compact (because
made by passing between pieces of flesh): -confederacy, [con-]feder[-ate],
covenant, league.
The word Covenant is found 17 times in the New Testament, and the Greek word
Diatheke is translated as follows by Strong's:
Strong's Number: 1242
Transliterated: diatheke
Phonetic: dee-ath-ay'-kay
Text: from 1303; properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract
(especially a devisory will): --COVENANT, testament.
THE BLOOD COVENANT
Every time in every church before we take the Holy Communion, we hear the
pastor reading a passage from 1 Corinthians 11:24-25:
"24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is
My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup
is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of Me."
When we read our Bible carefully, we notice that since the fall of mankind,
God initiated covenants with man. He made covenants with Noah (Genesis
6:18), with Abraham (Genesis 15:18, 17:2), with David (2 Samuel 23:5), with
the house of Israel and with the house of Judah (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The
last and yet the most powerful one is the New Covenant or an everlasting
covenant (Isaiah 55:3, 1 Corinthians 11:25).
In its simplest definition, a "covenant" is an agreement between two
parties. We seldom use the word "covenant" today, and only in regards to the
marriage covenant, where it is lightly regarded and it's true meaning not
even understood.
In present society, the word "covenant" is a word that has lost its meaning
and significance. In Old Testament and Biblical times, the word "covenant"
involved a promise, commitment, faithfulness and loyalty even unto death. A
covenant is a union of two parties in which all assets, talents, debts and
liabilities are held mutually.
What is the definition of a covenant?
In English:
Mutual understanding between two or more parties each binding himself to
fulfill specified obligations; a legal contract; a binding agreement; a
written agreement. Also means the conditional promises made to humanity by
God, as revealed in Scripture.
In the Old Testament, The Hebrew Word Beriyth is used 264 times.
- Beriyth: implies the thought of cutting a covenant. The word is also
defined as a covenant, pact or compact. These covenants are made between
men, or between God and men (Jeremiah 34:18).
In the New Testament the Greek word Diatheke is used 23 times.
1. Diatheke: a disposition, arrangement, testament or will. This word
signifies an unequal covenant, where one does all the giving and the other
does all the taking
2. Suntithemai: To put together, place together, make an arrangement. The
animals were placed in a specific arrangement, having been cut down the
backbone and the middle of the head, cutting the animal in two.
Genesis 15:7-18
Then He said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the
Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." And he said, "Lord GOD, how
shall I know that I will inherit it?" 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." 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.
And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold,
horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram: "Know
certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not
theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come
out with great possessions.
Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried
at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for
the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." 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. On the same day
the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have
given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River
Euphrates -".
In this covenant, we see that God initiated the first Blood Sacrifice
Covenant with Abraham. In the modern day we hold a covenant with another
person by his signature on a piece of paper which the person signs in front
of a legal notary or a higher authority or by his 'word'.
Since God is the highest authority, He cannot take an oath to another
supreme authority. He can only guarantee His promises by His own word and by
shedding blood to seal His covenant.
In the ancient Hebrew or Hittite covenant both parties would walk between
the bleeding pieces of cut animals taking an oath of loyalty to the other
partner. God established a covenant with Abraham in the terms that Abraham
could understand, in accordance with the Hebrew covenant ritual, and God,
along with Christ, walked between the pieces of meat. God made this covenant
with God- God did all of the work and made all of the promises, to himself.
Abraham benefited from this covenant, and made no promises to God. The
Abrahamic covenant is an everlasting covenant, as well as an unconditional
covenant!!!
In the Bible, we see in the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish ritual of
making a covenant.
"Muz" wrote in message
news:EgEFd.6665$Ii4.2880@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Well, let's start with Moses...
>
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