Power of the Blood Covenant

Power of the Blood Covenant

????????????Young David, before he became Israel’s king, experienced a beautiful portrayal of God’s blood covenant, as it is with us today. After slaying Goliath,?1 Samuel 17:58:?“Then Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”?1 Samuel 18:1,3:?“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.?[v3]?Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.”?The Bible tells us that God All Mighty entered into an unbreakable blood covenant with the human race, comparable to David entering into a blood covenant with Jonathan, King Saul’s son. What is a “blood covenant”? The Old Testament phrase literally means “to cut a covenant"; two people making a blood covenant by cutting an incision on their wrists, joining hands, and lifting them to heaven in a promise. A covenant of co-mingling of lives with a scar remaining called “the mark of the covenant.” Just as we are sometimes closer to our brothers and sisters in Christ than to members of our natural families, Jonathan became closer to David than to his own father. In their blood covenant, Jonathan and David vowed forever loyalty to each other and their children. So how does a blood covenant impact our life today??Everything we deserve regarding the consequences of our sins, judgment before God’s righteous throne and just punishment, was placed upon Jesus. All Bible promises are covenant promises, beginning in Genesis with God’s blood covenant with Abraham?(Genesis 15:9-21)?and the last supper when Jesus said to His disciples,?Luke 22:20:?“After supper He took another cup of wine and said,?‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people-an agreement confirmed with My blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.’”?How does David and Jonathan’s story relate today? Let’s unfold the rest of the story. When Saul and Jonathan were both slain during battle, David became king, but Jonathan’s family didn’t know of the blood covenant and feared David’s retaliation upon them. Jonathan’s young son named Mephibosheth was dropped by the nurse fleeing for safety and his legs and feet were crippled for life. In exile, Mephibosheth grew up with fear of David. One day, King David thinking of his covenant with Jonathan wondered if a member of Jonathan’s family could still be alive. David wanted to fulfill his covenant with Jonathan. Learning about Mephibosheth, he wanted to bless and show kindness to him?(2 Samuel 9:1).?Upon meeting, Mephibosheth expected death, but heard David say, “I’m restoring your inheritance. Dine at my table and be like my son.” Mephibosheth asked, “Why would you return my inheritance? Have me eat at your table? Be as your son?” David explained, “It’s not because of anything on your part. It’s my love for Jonathan, and for his sake, I’m keeping our blood covenant.” See how this relates to us? Jesus went into the Fathers presence for us with His own blood, the Blood of covenant. Instead of a mark on our wrist, we are given the Holy Spirit. We were the same as Mephibosheth: crippled, separated from our King, living in exile. Through Adam, we lost our inheritance. But God foretold a Redeemer?(Genesis 3:14-15)?and Jesus restored us. Just like Mephibosheth was treated like he was Jonathan, our covenant with God allows us to be treated like Christ. We’re heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.?Romans 8:16-17:?“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.”?For Christ’s sake, God forgives and redeems. Mephibosheth must have been thinking, I can’t understand this, but I can’t deny it. It’s because of a blood covenant my father made with David. And at the dinner table, as David passes the bread, there’s a scar on David’s wrist, the mark of the covenant he once made, and Mephibosheth knows it is the power of a blood covenant. One day at the marriage supper of the Lamb, Jesus will pass the bread to us, and we will see His scars too. Praise and worship Jesus for?the saving power of the blood covenant.