Right! But What's a Covenant?
1. Blood establishes eternal relationship. People who are related by blood will always be related by blood. That cannot be changed. They are forever bound together by the law of blood. They are related.
2. All peoples of the earth hold the blood relationship to be the strongest bond. Inheritance and heritage are established by blood. Family members have a common fortune, and they have the responsibility to love and care for one another. All societies on earth recognize this bond. Laws are written accordingly.
3. A covenant is a means of establishing an eternally binding bond of blood relationship between people who are not related by birth. The covenant binds them together in a lock just as binding as if they were blood relatives. The totality of blood relationship is thus established.
note: The covenant relationship has to be binding because the covenant recognizes, secures, protects, and guarantees the bond for all time. If the covenant was not binding, it could not fulfill its purpose. This law of blood covenant is written in the hearts of all people on this earth.
4. Every covenant is established by blood. Marriage (for example) is a blood covenant. When a virgin gets married, her hymen has to be broken. There is bleeding. God made it that way to remind us that marriage is a blood covenant, and that it is binding.
note: Another example of a blood covenant is the relationship of blood brothers. In many cases around the world people become "blood brothers" by cutting their palms and then clasping hands - mixing their blood. They have made a blood covenant.
5. A marriage is a blood covenant relationship. It is meant to be inviolate. The man and the woman so joined together are husband and wife - not two - but one. They have a common fortune, and a new family is established. All the responsibilities and privileges of blood relationship are now binding upon them - by law, and by the vows they have taken - witnessed by God, and recognized by the community.
6. Since inheritance is established by blood, a covenant is an agreement involving inheritance. It says in effect, "All that I am and have is yours - and all that you are and have is mine."
7. A covenant is eternally binding. That's why the terms of covenant relationships are always established by promises and vows, and God is called upon to be a witness. The covenant is holy. God Himself is watching over it to secure it and protect it.
8. There are many examples of covenant relationships in the Bible. We should look at a few of them...
9. Jonathan and David made a covenant with each other (see I Samuel 18:4). The terms of the covenant were far reaching. Jonathan vowed to love David with the faithful love of God forever, and to care for David's children if anything should ever happen to him. David made the same promises to Jonathan (see I Samuel 20:14-16 & 42). This covenant was made by vows taken in the presence of God (I Samuel 20:8), and sealed (ratified by a ceremony), when Jonathan took off his armor and clothing and gave them to David - along with his weapons. In so doing he was saying to David, "We are exchanging identities. All that I am and have is yours." Forever afterwards David referred to Jonathan as his brother, and honored the terms of that covenant. The agreement was binding so long as either one of them lived. And if one of them died, the other one would take care of his descendants.
10. The best way to secure peace between tribes is to make a covenant between them. So the people of Gibeon tricked the people of Israel into just such an agreement. They wore old clothes and shoes, and took stale bread and old wine skins and came to the camp of Israel. "We have traveled a long way," they said. And Israel believed them. (In truth their cities were only three days distant.) A peace treaty was made and ratified with an oath (a vow). The two nations would become one people. The enemies of one would be the enemies of the other. When the people of Israel discovered how the people of Gibeon had tricked them, they were very angry, but it was too late. They had entered into an everlasting covenant - and it was binding. God had witnessed it! So... a few days later when enemy armies attacked Gibeon, the people of Israel had no choice but to rush to Gibeon's defense. (see Joshua chapters nine and ten)
11. Christians are to live in covenant relationship with one another. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to love one another with the faithful love of the Lord forever. This is the way God designed it.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. I John 4:7
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. I John 3:16