Now the men are ready to cut the covenant by sacrificing an animal. The men would take an animal, in most cases a bull, kill it and cut it in half. Then they would separate the two pieces on the ground.
The men would meet between the two halves with their backs to each other and begin to walk around the two halves in a “figure-eight” fashion. As they walked around the sacrifice they would look down at the pieces and each man would make an oath saying that if he should ever break this covenant with his partner the same thing should happen to him as it happened to the sacrifice.
The cutting of covenant was a serious business. It was a “do or die” situation. In this way each man was assured that his partner would be true to his word and keep his side of the bargain.
~ TODAY WE HAVE A BETTER COVENANT, AS PROPHESIED BY JEREMIAH 31:31 ~
IN THE NEW COVENANT: 2000 years ago Jesus Christ was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by Roman soldiers, given a fast “trial” where He was found innocent by the governor Pontius Pilate but declared guilty by the religious leaders of the day. The religious leaders had so much influence that Pilate had Jesus beaten, whipped and crucified in spite of His innocence.
When Jesus was crucified it was the same as “cutting covenant” for all of mankind. As the Son of God Who came to earth in the flesh, Jesus became a representative for the whole human race. He was a “second Adam”. But Jesus was born without the sin passed down from the first Adam because the blood that flowed in His veins was from the Holy Spirit and not man. Then Jesus grew up and lived a sinless life as a human being. Hebrews 4:15 tells us Jesus was tempted in all points, or ways, just as we are but He never once yielded to temptation.
Jesus walked the walk of a Covenant when He was led from Gethsemane to Calvary. When He hung on the cross He became sin, not a sinner, but cursed because of an Old Testament law which says that any man that is hung from a tree is cursed by God. (Deuteronomy 21:23) So Jesus hung on the cross bleeding and suffering for 6 hours until He finally said, “It is finished!”. As our representative in this new Covenant Jesus took the pain, suffering and death for all of mankind. He decided when it was time to die, not Satan. Scripture (Matt. 27:50) says Jesus “yielded” or gave up His life-giving Spirit on His own accord.
Satan thought he had won the war with the Son of God by this death and burial of Jesus. But what the Devil didn’t know was that Jesus was going to beat the death and the grave by walking out of the tomb 3 days later.
Jesus went to Heaven and now sits at the Right Hand of God the Father and intercedes (or prays) for us. He sent His Holy Spirit to live inside each and every person who accepts the terms of the New Covenant. Those terms are: Acknowledging that the person is a sinner, that he is destined for Hell without a savior. That Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for the sins of man and that He rose from the grave. That Jesus is the Savior he needs to go to Heaven and live eternally.
Friend, are you going to Heaven or Hell? Have you entered into the New Covenant with God through the shed Blood of Jesus? If you have not, do it now. Say the following prayer and mean it in your heart:
“Jesus, I am a sinner without a savior and on my way to Hell. I acknowledge that You are the Son of God Who became the Son of Man and died on Calvary for my sins and rose from the grave victorious over the Devil.. Please forgive the sins of my past life and give me Your Holy Spirit to help me live a pure life from now on. Thank You, Jesus for saving me. Come in to my heart and live.”
“Amen”
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