A powerful equatorial tribe in Africa relentlessly fought Stanley as he searched for Livingstone, finally his interpreter counseled him to ‘cut blood covenant’ with the tribe. Stanley did not like this African ritual, but as the situation got worse he gave in. The ritual, among other things, included cutting of the representatives’ wrist to drip blood into a cup of wine and later each drank from the same cup…instantly after the ritual, all that the Chief had belonged to Stanley and vice versa. Stanley’s worst enemy became his blood brother; Stanley’s enemy became Chief’s enemy and Stanley’s friends likewise [E.W. Kenyon, the Blood Covenant, 1981]
Can we now understand when Jesus, “…took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins…” Matt 26:27-28 NKJV [italics & emphasis mine] The new covenant is a blood covenant between God (representing himself) and Jesus (representing us), Jesus entered into a covenant for us—Hebrews calls Him mediator [Hebrews 9:12-18]. What I’m I trying to say? I would earnestly want you to understand that, even though salvation is FREE to you, it is not cheap; Christ cut a covenant for it for you with His blood!
copyright ©2008
Light to my path † † † by TJM Kyara
No comments:
Post a Comment