The Blood Covenant

 FOOD FOR THOUGHT: 

 

Most Christians understand that The Covenant between God and believers was sealed with the blood of Jesus on the cross.

Let's go a little deeper:

 

> The covenant is spoken of in the Old Testament. God made a covenant with Abraham to which the Hebrew people (who later became Israelites) are heirs in the spiritual kingdom. Where was the blood that sealed that one? Gen. 17:10 Circumcision would spill that blood on behalf of man. 

 

> Can we go back further? Was there a covenant with the first man? The first blood spilled in the Bible was God sacrificing animals to make clothes for sinful man and woman, Gen. 3:21. God uses animals to pay for man's sin. 

 

> God further demands human blood through child birth, Gen. 3:16. The physical blood required is not enough to kill. It actually contributes to human life. God is love.

 

> With Adam and Eve, God is showing us the need for blood - the first signs of His plan of salvation, through the cross. This is the blood covenant sealed by both man and God. 

 

> An agreement between two parties requires a payment of some sort from each party. God sacrificed a part of His creation (animals) throughout the entire Old Testament. Man and woman were also paying a price through circumcision and child birth (including a woman's menses, which makes birth possible); a blood covenant entered into by both parties. 

 

> Both man and woman needed to be included in the covenant agreement because each was created separately and each had sinned apart from the other. Genesis 2 and 3

 

> This may be why Abel understood the need for animal sacrifice, which was accepted over his brother's offering of crops; sweat of man's brow, his own effort (indicative of pride).

The practice of animal sacrifice continued throughout the Old Testament as did the blood sacrifices of man and woman.

 

 

 

> When Christ was born, human blood was spilled to bring Him into this world as a physical man and animal sacrifices continued in the temple. This began the second covenant for our eternal life. Christ paid the price 33 years later - adding His spiritual signature, in blood, to the bottom line of the covenant. 

 

> The blood of Christ was not human; His blood was completely divine - holy. The mother does not pass blood type to a fetus.  Animals cannot provide the pure blood required to pay for human sin. 

 

> Man continues to sin and so continues his/her part of the blood covenant through birth and circumcision. (Circumcision today is used as an aid to cleanliness. Although science proves this, we are loosing sight of the original purpose. God is using science to continue man's part of the covenant agreement. Ain't He clever?)

 

> So . . the First Covenant was with Adam. It was renewed with Abraham for the Hebrew Peoples. The Second Covenant was between Christ and all peoples who will believe in Him.

 

- Isn't this beautiful? God wants all to be saved to live forever. So well planned from the beginning of creation.

* Praise God for His all-encompassing love !

 

 

The Red Thread

Hebrew color for royalty is the color red.

In Hebrew the name "Adam", meaning man, is directly related to the Hebrew word "adama", meaning earth, and "dam" meaning blood - which is red.  The three words (Adam, adama and dam) sound almost identical except for the addition of the "ah" sound at the end of the word "adama" and the omission of the "ah" at the beginning of "dam".  

The color red lends to the story of the creation and it's key word "adam" comes by the word "adom", meaning red.  The close connection between the physical elements becomes closer: red, (adom), is the color of dam (blood).

The Hebrew language tells us that tears are the "blood of the eyes".  The emission of blood and tears from the body is referred to "shedding".  While shedding blood usually indicates an injury of the body, shedding tears depicts injury of the soul.

Adam comes by the name "Edom" - (Edom).  The connection is the color red (adom), that connects to blood (dam), which connects to "adam" (man or mankind).

In Gen 25:30, we find Esau asking his brother to feed him with red pottage; thus his name was called "Edom".  Thus, Esau is the father of Edom.  Also see reference to his birth in Gen 25:25, relating red to his name, Esau.  Esau was a hunter, associating his life style to blood by killing.  And, his father, Isaac, blessed him with blood when he said, "by your sword shall you live".  

On the priests' breastplate the ruby (red gem) stood for the tribe of Reuben, sixth born son of Israel.  The number six represents man.  Adam (man) was created on the sixth day.   Refer to first paragraph of this writing.

Hebrew word "chakliyl" literally means "dark" or a person stimulated by wine (suph) which means "a reed" and is used to refer to the Red Sea.  

The Greek word "purrhos" (used to write the original text of the New Testament) references to the color of fire or flame (red).

Symbolically, in scripture, the color refers to sin & suffering in Isa 1:18; Godly vengeance against sinners in Ps 75:18 and Isa 63:2; bloodshed and war in 2Kings 3:22, Nahum 2:3, Zech 1:8, 6:2, Rev 6:4, 12:3; and temptation to sin in Pro 23:31.

Wine, which is red, is frequently mentioned in Old and New Testaments:  Wine for communion.  Jesus turned water to wine, wine for drink, wine for medicinal use in Proverbs.  

The Israelites built the temple in the desert using scarlet, blue and purple fabric.

Every mention of a birth is a reference to blood; blood of the mother is shed to give life. 

The first plague of Moses in Exodus was turning water to blood (red).  The first miracle of Jesus was turning water to wine (red).  The first trumpet in Revelation will bring hail mixed and fire mixed with blood (red).  

Rubies (red gems) are also used on the priests' breastplate, in the temple in the desert and the foundations of the New Jerusalem.

The Greek word "Petra" refers to a red rock city in Jordan, 120 miles south of Jerusalem that is invisible from the air and impenetrable from the ground.  (More on this later).

God made the first kill; shedding red blood - Gen 3:21
Nile river turned to blood - Ex 7:17
scarlet was used to weave the breastplate of the priests - Ex 28:15 


red heifer offering - Nu 19:3 - 6
sin is scarlet (red) - Isa 1:18
red horses       - Zech 1:8 

Christ sweat blood in Gethsemane - Lk 22:44  
blood of Jesus - 1 Jn 1:7
red horse    - Rev. 6

red dragon   -  Rev 12 
wine of God's wrath - Rev 14:10 

Between the words red and scarlet, can you see the red thread that runs from Genesis through Revelation?  What does it mean?  Many things.  It certainly is a special color that shows us more of God's divine order.
Amen 

Scars On My Soul

Without Jesus, we will always want.

We are created with a space inside us that cannot be filled by anything else.  That's how we are made - our physical and chemical make up.  When we give ourselves to the acceptance of Jesus life and death on that cross, God plants a seed of His Spirit in that spot.  We can water and feed that seed or let it dry up.  

In this world today there are so many people are hurting, wandering and searching for whatever will fill that empty space.  Some look for other people to fill that space:  a spouse or a friend.  Some turn to drugs or alcohol.  Even shopping, gambling, sex, video games, pornography, social media, a social life, career, stock market, a hobby, exercise or any other hollow thing.  A hollow thing cannot fill space.  By hollow, I mean without substance or meaning; self consuming.

I can think back on so many years of "stupid".   I believe my stupidity came mostly from anger.  I was angry about my sexual abuse as a child.  I felt dirty; like I had a huge secret - a dirty monster secret.  I was ashamed.  (Shame is a huge factor with sexual abuse; especially in children.)  There was this idea of hiding the dirty monster secret out of shame.  You dare not let anyone know.  Don't tell.  Don't discuss it with anyone.  This monster hung around in the corner of every room; always present and accusing.

There were times I would find myself in a situation where I felt comfortable with a friend or in a group and I would just mention the abuse.  Inevitably, the first question from anyone was, "Why didn't you tell someone?"  Never ask an abused child or person that question!  It is condemning.  It places blame on the wrong person.  This child or person already feels condemned, dirty, guilty and ashamed.  (You cannot relate if you have not been there.)  These feelings in me turned to anger.  I was angry toward men.  At the same time, I wanted a man to love me - to make up for the missing father.  

There was a step father in the house because my father had left.  A child takes things personal.  His leaving left me feeling unwanted and confused over what I had done to drive him away.   When my father lived with us, he doted on me.  There was now an empty spot in our family that needed filled.  The relationship between a girl and her father is unique to nothing else.  It can set the stage for relationships with men the rest of her life.  I was not complete without that relationship; the doting man.  My child's mind turned assigned blame to my mother.

A feeling of "empty" dominated my life.  I tried to fill it with relationships - one after another.  I was confused, seeking that illusive "something" to fill that empty spot inside me.  I was so desperate that I put a sign on my back that read, "Kick me!".  This sign could only be seen by men who wanted to take advantage of women for their own selfish agenda.  This went on for years; until my mid thirties.  

I tried group therapy; Oh, that was fun! - NOT!  Therapy can be a good thing.  I was in a community group of self pity.  I tried drinking and bar hopping.  There was that long list of relationships that just added to the dirty feeling.  Anger surfaced in various ways: drinking, teasing, independence, rebellion, a loud and dominating personality.  I had a pastor tell me that he knew I was hurting because of how loud I laughed; I tried to hard to be happy.  

Let me say here that I have secrets.  Things I never told my mother, things I will not tell my husband.  My closest friends would not know how to understand.  If you do not deal with your secrets, they will make you sick.  I was sick emotionally and the physical aspects are now surfacing as a delayed reaction.  The seeds of illness have now grown into full maturity through high blood pressure, blood sugar and various allergies through a compromised immune system.

My worldly options were exhausted.  I tried everything I could to run headlong over a cliff (so to speak).

When I was sitting with a loaded gun in my hand, God spoke through a whisper from somewhere deep inside me.  

I returned to childhood teachings of my mother and, in gut wrenching prostration, returned to church.  I was the prodigal daughter coming home to the spiritual Father that I can always count on.  This Father never leaves me, forgave me, made me whole, listens to me, heals me, gave me hope and tenderly loves me forever.  He knows ALL my secrets but can't see them.  He sees me through the blood that Christ shed - as a pure and holy child of His, redeemed.  He has made me a princess daughter in His Kingdom forever.  I am the righteousness of God through His first born son, Jesus.  

I have scars on my soul.  The scabs and pain are gone.  My life is changed forever.  Life is full.  There is no more "empty" inside.  I am filled with warm, sincere desires to love, share, help, teach and to be with God, my Father, in this life and the next.  
Amen