The Blood Covenant - Words of Promise and Shedding of Blood
By Zev Porat
I cannot think of a more important subject than "The Blood Covenant". When we understand the nature and power of this Covenant, our lives will soar high in the spirit and we will more fully appreciate and be grateful for the price of our salvation, the precious blood of Messiah Yeshua.
The word for Covenant in Hebrew is 'BRIT' and it implies a "cutting" or a shedding of blood that will be binding between two parties in a special, mutual, exclusive relationship of exchange. The blood is the seal of the Covenant. Without the shedding of blood, the covenant promises are of no effect.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement." (Leviticus 17:11)
Life for Life
In Hebrew the word for blood is 'DAM' from the root word ADAM. Indeed the life of ADAM or the human being is in the DAM, the blood. So the blood in the 'Brit' (Covenant) symbolizes the giving up of one's life for the sake of another.
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
Now we can understand much better the 'Brit Chadasha' or the New Covenant. Yeshua shed His Blood for the salvation of His People, Israel, and all those from the nations who will believe in Him.
The New Covenant: The Blood and the Bread
At the Last Supper, Yeshua shares two elements with His disciples, the unleavened bread and the wine:
And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In t he same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (1 Corinthians11:24, 25)
Yeshua called the unleavened bread "My Body" and the wine "My Blood." The bread represents His Body and the wine represents His Blood.
In the Word of God, the word "bread" is used to represent the "Word of God."
But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4)
Yeshua said that He is the Bread of Life
Yeshua said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. (John 6:35)
Yeshua is the Word made Flesh
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only SON from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John1:14)
So the unleavened bread represents Yeshua's Body, which is the WORD made flesh. This is the Word of the Covenant.
"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares The LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord ,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
But the Word of Promise must be sealed with the Blood because without blood there is no remission of sins and therefore no salvation.
"For this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28)
The Word alone is not enough - it must be accompanied with the Blood which is the LIFE. When Yeshua gave Himself up on the tree, He sealed His Words with His own Blood. Then He said, "It is finished."
His Word is good ONLY IF He is willing to die for it to be fulfilled!
Promises. Think about this: Are you willing to spill your blood and stand behind the words you say? Are you willing to give your life for their fulfillment? Most people never keep their word, their promises are not promises and their commitments are not commitments. Look what the Word says about this.
"O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the Lord; He swears to his own hurt and does not change." (Psalm 15:1-4)
We are supposed to keep our word no matter what, even if it costs us our lives!
God's Words of promise to the people of Israel cost Him the life of His Son, Messiah Yeshua. The Lord promised a 'Brit Chadasha', a Renewed Covenant, and the Lord Yeshua was willing to die for it!
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Present Your Bodies as a Living and Holy Sacrifice
Yeshua's blood activated the forgiveness and blessing of GOD. Yeshua forgave those who crucified Him:
But Yeshua was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Luke 23:34)
Yeshua was willing to die so that we could be forgiven and have eternal life with God. He gave His Holy and Pure Blood so we can be forgiven and therefore saved from the wrath to come - the judgment of God against all sin and ungodliness. However, the power of the blood cannot be activated unless we BELIEVE in Yeshua, RECEIVE His Blood sacrifice, and REPENT of our sins by giving Him ALL our lives!
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:18)
Since the "life of the flesh is in the blood", giving God all our lives means to live for God and, if necessary, to die for His sake.
"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25)
"For to me, to live is Messiah, and to die is gain." (Philemon 1:21)
Covenant is between two parties. Yeshua gave His life for me. He is the initiator and in return I give my life for Him. This is my response that shows I am in the New Covenant relationship with my Redeemer and Savior. We are to be a Living Sacrifice:
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Romans 12:1)
This response is not something outstanding; it is actually the reasonable response to Yeshua's Blood Sacrifice. He gave us all of Himself and we should be willing to give Him all of ourselves. It is a simple and clear exchange.
The Blood Transfusion of Eternal Life
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
Our blood prior to meeting Yeshua is polluted with a deadly disease called SIN. The sin nature is transmitted from parents to children and there is no cure for it except the blood of Yeshua, or it will kill its victims for eternity! The only solution to rescue ADAM, the human being, from SIN is a total blood transfusion. We must receive the blood that has no traces of the disease! Yeshua's Blood had no traces of SIN. His blood was the only sinless blood ever to exist since Adam contracted the disease in the Garden of Eden by breaking God's Commandments!
"But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:17)
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
But in order to have this life-saving Blood Transfusion, we must receive salvation through the shed blood of Yeshua and become Born Again! We then become a New Creation, have a New Blood, a New Life and Eternal Life!
"Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Now we carry the same Blood as the Master of the Universe. We are His children not only by Word, but also by Blood!
"And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Messiah, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:17)
Therefore we carry the DNA of His character traits and become heirs of a vast inheritance, so vast that we cannot comprehend the magnitude of it!
"Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" (James 2:5)
"For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him. You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, who remembers You in Your ways." (Isaiah 64:4-5)
But in order to actively inherit this awesome treasure and walk like Royal Heirs of our Heavenly Father the King, we must walk in Faith and Obedience to the Terms of the Blood Covenant. We must also partake of the Word by believing and obeying His Word!
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7)
We, at Messiah of Israel Ministries, share the Good News of Yeshua everywhere: in the streets, on the Internet, in the houses, in mosques and synagogues until "all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:26; Isaiah 45:17).
Many say it's dangerous to share Yeshua in the streets of Israel and people will be provoked to anger. Zev Porat says it's dangerous NOT to preach the Gospel. May they be provoked to salvation available ONLY through Yeshua(Romans 11:11).
There is NO REVIVAL WITHOUT THE WORD OF GOD. The book and DVD, The Rabbi Who Found Messiah, has been an amazing evangelistic tool leading many to the Word and to Salvation. The Kaduri revival continues. We give ALL the glory to Yeshua the Messiah.
Watch this Special Video Presentation:
Breaking! Gospel Preached Inside Orthodox Synagogue IN ISRAEL!
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