The Covenant of Love and The Significance of the Blood

(Ikat Janji Kasih dan Makna Darah)

A covenant may be seen as a special agreement based on a relationship between 2 parties with some requirements, which maybe different, of one party to the other. A covenant is a life-long contract. A covenant requires to be sealed with blood.

There are many covenants in the Bible. Let us consider 3 important ones, first, the covenant between God and Abraham.

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." (Gen 17:3-5)

Please read the entire chapter to understand and to be blessed even more. Later Abraham fulfilled one of the requirements of God with the sacrifice which blood was shed through circumcisions of all of the males in his household, including himself.

The second covenant to consider is the covenant between God and Israel in the wilderness, where God gave the law and the 10 Commandments to Moses.

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, "All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient." And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words." (Ex 24:7-8)

This covenant, being the ‘first’ one for Israel, actually is called as the Old Covenant in the Bible.

God wants us to relate to Him by faith on His grace the way Abraham did. ”And he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” (Gen 15:6).

God never meant for us to relate to Him by law, but it was given because, in their stiff-neckedness, Israel has rejected God’s offering of intimacy at Mt. Sinai (Ex 20:18-21).

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. (Heb 8:7-9)

The third covenant to consider is the New Covenant under which we now live!

For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Mat 26:28)

When Jesus died at the cross, the veil of the Temple (or Tabernacle) was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, means that it was rent by God Himself.

The Tabernacle describes the 3 stages of love or intimacy:

1.    The court represents agape, the unconditional love, which is available for anybody who wants to receive God’s love, salvation and blessings

2.    The holies represents philia, a more intimate relationship which is in between brothers and/or close friends

3.    The Holy of Holies represents eros, the most intimate relationship one can have with another on marriage, an private-personal relationship

In Eph 5, the Apostle Paul talked about a mystery. He was talking about how the relationship between husband and wife should be, and he related it with the relationship between Christ and the church.

A marriage is a covenant. In God’s awesome plan, on their first intimacy, the veil of virginity will be torn and the blood will be shed. How much more significant than that, that instead of His Bride (Israel, spiritual and physical), yet Christ, the Bridegroom, has shed His blood and torn the veil of the Tabernacle, which is His own body, that we can come boldly unto the throne of grace to have the intimacy with the Lord!

This is the highest calling for the Bride! The Lord Jesus did not shed His blood for us only to come to Heaven, but to have a restored relationship of love with Him right now on this earth. When we respond in faith the way Abraham did, our hearts will be circumcised by the Holy Spirit, and we can always have the greatest intimacy with Him!

This is the greatest grace, especially in this end time! Will you respond it?

Happy Passover 2013!

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