Dwight Fletcher | The perspective of blood covenants

As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is my prayer that you will receive fresh revelation of what this sacrifice means for you. This is why we have been studying blood covenants in the Bible. While it may seem like a gory topic to some, we need the perspective it offers to recognise how significant Jesus’ sacrifice was. We have been discussing the practice of Threshold Covenants. This was an agreement that said that once a guest passed over the houseowner’s threshold, the owner pledged to protect and care for the guest who, in turn, pledged to not do harm to the members of the house. This covenant was made even more significant when blood was used.

A basin or bowl was often carved into the threshold and at the bottom of the doorway. The blood of a sacrificial animal would be poured. The greater honour one wanted to show, the greater the sacrifice. So a good person may get the blood of a bull while a king would get a costly fattened calf. The blood that was shed would be collected in the threshold, and a hyssop branch was used to paint it on the other sections of the door frame.

Do you see the similarities to the Passover story in Exodus? Exodus 12:23 (NIV) says, “ When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the door frame and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.”

Notice that the Lord and the destroyer were both coming to Egypt, but they had two different roles. The destroyer came to judge the Egyptians, but God came to enter into a covenant with His people. That’s why the verse says when He sees the blood, He “...will pass over that doorway…”. This matches exactly the custom of the Threshold Covenant.

The blood was the invitation to God. He didn’t make a covenant without the blood. And because of that covenant, Israel was delivered from bondage, protected from death, and experienced favour. They left Egypt under the shadow (protection) of the Almighty.

However, as powerful as this moment was, the Passover was only a shadow of the things to come – the reality is found in Jesus. Hebrews 8:6 (NIV) tells us, “ But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.”

If the blood of lambs accomplished so much on that fateful day, what does the blood of Jesus accomplish for us? Notice that in the covenant God made with us by the Blood of Christ, He has reversed the roles, and God becomes the host. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus …” (Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV).

The blood of Jesus was poured out at the threshold of the Holy of Holies, and now God invites you into the covenant using the most costly sacrifice ever. Remember that the value of the sacrifice demonstrates the value of the guest. God the Father used the most precious blood in the universe – His perfect, spotless Son. Think about that for a second. What does that say about you? To God, you are more precious, more valuable than kings or celebrities. God values you.

So don’t wait. Cross His threshold and enter His dwelling by stepping across His blood. Accept the great invitation of God to be in covenant with you. Confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, repent of your sin, and accept the free gift of salvation and transformation today.