The Blood Covenant (Genesis 15:7-21)

The Blood Covenant (Genesis 15:7-21)

The Blood Covenant

In our text Abraham rips animals in half and then God makes a promise or vow while passing between the halves of the animals. This is the highest form of agreement people can enter into, the blood covenant. God is essentially saying, “If I do not keep this promise, you can rip me in two like these animals.” Our salvation is also a blood covenant. Jesus’ body was broken and His blood shed sealing the covenant for God to save His people from their sin.

Marriage is a Blood Covenant

Marriage is a blood covenant. It literally is sealed with your own blood. When you get married, you are telling people in essence, “If I do not keep this vow you can rip me in two.” There is no higher vow you can make on this earth than your marriage vow. It is a blood covenant.

Think about it before you make a vow

In Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 we are warned about making vows before God. We are told to think long and hard about a vow before we make it because God will hold us to that vow. When Jesus discussed marriage and divorce in Matthew 19 He emphasized the permanent nature of marriage. The disciples’ response was that it was probably not a good idea to get married if you couldn’t get out of it later on. That is the exact mentality we should have before getting married. We should think long and hard about the serious nature of the vow we are about to make. Marriage is for life; do not enter into it without serious thought.

Keep your vow

Once your vow has been made, you must keep it. Ecclesiastes warns of God’s judgment on those who do not keep their vows. When you got married you entered into a blood covenant, and there is no exit. Keep your vows! While this may seem cruel, this is actually the secret to a happy marriage. When you are looking at the grass on the other side of the fence, you will not water the grass on your side of the fence. When you are wishing that your spouse was someone else you will not be investing in your marriage. When you realize that you are stuck with your spouse for life, you will begin to invest in making the best marriage you can have.

The New Covenant in Christ’s blood

All of this pales in comparison to the blood covenant we have in Christ. As wonderful as it is to know that your spouse will always be there for you in sickness, health, riches, poverty, good, and bad, it is far more comforting to know the all surpassing love of God in Christ Jesus.

Application

Will you take your vows seriously? Will you keep your vows? Will you invest in making your marriage work? Do you know the love of God in Jesus?

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