Covenant for Today
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Introduction:
A lesson that we need to know about is being in Covenant with one
another, the Church, and with Jesus Christ our Lord.
I. Some
background on covenant.
A. What it really means - some examples and definitions.
B. Blood: 1. the fluid
that circulates in the principle vascular system of man and other
vertebrates. 2. the vital principle;
life.
Blood brother: 1. a
person’s brother by birth. 2. a male person bound to another
by ties of great friendship. 3. a male
bound to another male by a special ritual,
usually
the commingling of blood.
Covenant: 1. an
agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or
not to do something specified. 2. the
conditional promises made to man by God, as
revealed in the Scripture.
1. Some are made without blood.
a. Example: In Zimbabwe, use of car, ECT.
b. No question asked, just take it and
go.
2. Another example from Norseland.
a. Rite of blood - friendship
b. Caused by cut in hand to cause flow
of blood to intermingle.
c. This was while they were under sod.
d. Being buried together as two, to
arise as one.
e. One life, one soul, with a common
life in two bodies.
B. So Covenant between man and God is
established.
1. What ever God has belongs to us.
2. What ever we have belongs to Him.
3. Romans 8:16-17,
32
4. We become heirs of God.
II. David’s
covenant with Jonathan. 1 Samuel 18:1-4
A. In our culture, Blood Covenant doesn’t
mean much.
1. Verses to
explain their covenant. Vs 1-4
“Jonathan swore to be his Blood
Brother and sealed the pact by giving him
his robe, sword, bow, and belt.
[Living Bible]
2. The giving and exchange
3. They became blood brothers
4. The extending of the covenant. 1 Samuel 20:16-17,
5. Covenant with the House of David forever. Vs 42
III.
Me-phip-o-sheth - 2 Samuel 9:
A. David recalls his covenant with
Jonathan and the “House of Saul”.
1. He was to honor it for Jonathan’s sake.
B. 2 Samuel 9:1-5
1. That scar in David’s hand reminded him
of the covenant with Jonathan.
a. David called for information. Vs 1
b. Ziba answered - Vs 3
c. David sent for Jonathan’s son, from Lo-debar. Vs 5
C. Me-phib-o-sheth is brought to David. Vs 6
1. David’s response to him. Vs 7
2. His response to David. Vs 8
3. David gave to him all that Saul had. Vs 9
a. This is covenant.
Vs 13
D. Look at what covenant produced.
1. Me-pheb-o-sheth called himself “a
dead dog’.
2. David considered him as “as one of
the king’s sons”.
a. What if? He had thought this was trick, or said “I don’t believe this“.
b. “I will go back to the desert, live
in poverty in Lo-debar.”
2. Thank God, he believed and died to that
old life and took up a new residence.
a. Entered into a new and radical life
style.
b. Changed from rags to riches.
3. Note: Without covenant, David
could have sent him back to Lo-debar.
a. No way under the covenant that
was made, could David send him back.
b. Me-pheb-o-sheth had a right because
of the covenant.
c. Remember, the covenant was ‘forever’.
IV. The New Testament, Covenant in my Blood.
A. As Me-pheb-o-sheth was under a blood covenant, so
are we.
1. Just as Me-pheb-o-sheth was in
Jonathan, we are in Christ.
2. Whether we accept or reject, we are
under a blood covenant.
3. We are a covenant people whether
we know it or not.
a. Whether we believe it or not.
B. God entered a “BLOOD COVENANT”
with the human race.
1. This was done through Jesus Christ.
2. God did it because He loved us.
3. We enter this covenant relationship with
God through Jesus Christ.
4. Jesus did it because He loved us so.
5. Now, this covenant is
everlasting.
6. We can enter into this covenant
relationship with God through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Conclusion: This is the ultimate covenant, one made with God through Jesus Christ and His shed blood. No other way to be saved except by the Blood of Jesus. One must accept the Blood of Jesus as the cleansing, saving element of our faith. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.