Covenant making for dummies

Restoring The Lord's Supper ~ PART 2

"We cannot explore the deeper meanings of covenants here but what I want to note is that the practise of covenant making in the Bible frequently consists of three elements..."

In the previous section we have considered the importance of human interaction in the process of eating together. Now I would like to highlight the very specific significance of some more ‘special’ shared meals. Throughout the Bible we read of multiple ‘covenants’ being made. Covenants between man and man, covenants between nation and nation and covenants between God and man. A covenant is usually a mutually binding agreement, although one-sided covenants (unconditional promises) can also be made. We cannot explore the deeper meanings of covenants here but what I want to note is that the practise of covenant making in the Bible frequently consists of three elements:

1. Words
2. Blood
3. A covenant meal.

In Gen 26 (26-30) Abimilech (accompanied by significant others) came to Isaac and made a covenant (of peace) with him. We read in verse 28:

‘...let us make a covenant with you.’

And in conclusion of the matter we read in verse 30:

‘So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.’

This eating and drinking in conclusion was no mere chummy yummy – this was an integral part of sealing the deal so to speak.

In Gen 31 (43-55) we read of a covenant between Laban and Jacob:

‘Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.’ (vs. 44)

First come the ‘words’ and then the ‘blood’ (sacrifice) and next a cordial, family dinner, with all the brothers being invited:

‘Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread* and stayed all night on the mountain.’ (vs. 54)

*NOTE: To ‘eat bread’ does not mean there was no other food being consumed. This expression, as we shall later examine in the phrase to ‘break bread’, means, ‘have a meal’, ‘dine together’, etc.

Dinner on the mountain

Now let’s take a look at one of my personal favourite covenant meals – it’s in the book of Exodus. As any good Bible student knows, the ‘Old Testament’, despite being the designated title at the start of our Bibles, didn’t actually begin at the start of Genesis, where this title is normally found. ‘Old Testament’ is simply another way of saying ‘Old Covenant’ or, the ‘Mosaic Covenant,’ or the commencement of ‘The Law’. This covenant (agreement) has its staring point in the Book of Exodus, after the children of Israel came to Mount Sinai. There were certainly many ‘words’ spoken (and written) as part of this covenant. As you know, God gave the Ten Commandments (a short summary) and also said many more things and gave many more ‘instructions’ in the time that followed (613 is the generally accepted total). The people also had some things to say and had to verbally agree to in response, and there is one critical moment where all the people said:

‘... All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.’ (Ex 19:8)

There were many WORDS (God’s terms and conditions) and responses to those words (the people agreed to the terms). We read also that there was BLOOD, following sacrificial offerings, and so we read:

‘And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people.’ (Ex 24:8)

The sacrificial blood was ‘applied’ in many other ways too.

And so we have the WORDS, next the BLOOD, and immediately following the blood came the COVENANT MEAL...

‘Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.’ (Ex 24:9-11)

Wow! These highly privileged men ‘saw God’ and what did they do? They had dinner with Him! Yes, yes, yes, there is a time to talk about weighty matters. Yes, yes, yes, there is a time to fall down on our faces before our awesome God. A time to sing, a time to praise, a time to study, a time to ___ please fill in your own blank here. But yes, oh yes, oh yes, there’s also a time to sit down in the presence of God and enjoy having dinner! It’s so beautifully simple and so perfectly natural. Being genuinely spiritual is meant to be entirely natural!

There are many facets of this special meal I’d love to know about. Who provided the food? Did each man take a picnic? Or did The Lord God Himself spread a table in their sight? Perhaps some angels were there to meet them and provided the hospitality? I don’t know the details but it is interesting to meditate upon and wonder a little. However it went I’m personally quite sure that they all ate and were more than satisfied. What I do know is that this covenant meal was a fully integral part of sealing the ‘Covenant’.

In summary of covenant making

And so we have before us the highly typical and repeated pattern of Biblical covenant making. There were:

1. WORDS - Terms, conditions, exhortations, warnings, clauses, sub-clauses, acknowledgement, agreement, etc.
2. BLOOD – Sacrifice, offering, dipping, sprinkling.
3. A COVENANT MEAL – Both parties were represented and convened to partake of their special covenant feast together.

You will find these three covenant making elements repeatedly detailed throughout many Old Testament accounts. Interestingly these are woven together, like a threefold cord, in wedding ceremonies (covenants of marriage) across the world and in every culture. Although number two (the blood)* may often be absent now in our modern, socially liberal societies (and also will not be present in the case of widows remarrying).

*(I mean here, the marital token of blood, as opposed to something sacrificial. If you're still not getting my drift, see Deut 22:15).

In our next section we’ll move forward to the New Covenant and as you have rightly guessed already we will firmly encounter the same three elements...