Power of the Blood, Part 2

Power of the Blood, Part 2

In the very beginning when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the Lord took the blood of the animals as life for them and then clothed them in their skins (Genesis 3:21).  This shedding of blood would keep them as though they were still under God's covenant until He could set His plan in motion.

Even the covenant He made with Abraham was not fully made until the blood was shed.  God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations in Genesis 12, but it wasn't until the blood was shed and the blood covenant was cut between God and His friend Abraham in Genesis 15:8-18.  When God passed through the blood of Abraham's offering in verse 18 He made a blood covenant with him.  The blood of that covenant had to be renewed from generation to generation (Genesis 17:10-14).

As we walk through the Word of God, we find the strength and the power of the blood covenant between God and His people.  In Genesis 22:1-19, we find the power of this blood covenant to be so strong that Abraham would have slain his only son on the strength and on behalf of this blood covenant with God.  It was on the strength of this act of dedication that God placed Himself in a position when it came time that if a man held that strong to his covenant as to give his only son on it's behalf, could God Himself do less?  It was on the basis that He extended the promise of His covenant to include you and me (Genesis 22:18).  Now this blood covenant would extend to a greater number of people and the blood of it would extend life to those who would walk in it.

This practice of shedding blood on behalf of the covenant was set in place between God and Abraham by the act of the cutting off of the foreskin (circumcision).  Every man child was to be circumcised from that time on in order to keep the life of this covenant renewed from generation to generation by blood.

The power of this covenant carried over unto the children of Abraham, even in the bondage of Egypt.  In Exodus 2:24, God heard the cries of the people and He went because of remembrance of His covenant with Abraham to set them free.

The people of Abraham apparently carried on the ritual of circumcision even when they were in Egypt.  When God called Moses out to deliver them, He never mentioned circumcision to him, but expected him to practice this in his own life and family.  Moses' wife (who was not Hebrew) objected to this sign of covenant and almost lost a son by talking Moses out of circumcision (Genesis 4:24-26).  Zipporah circumcised her own son to save him and then declared to Moses in verse 26 "a husband of blood are you because of the circumcision".

Once again in Exodus 12, we can see the significance of the power of the blood when God had the people put the blood of lambs over the door posts and lintel of their homes.  When the Death Angel saw the blood of covenant, he could not violate the power of it's life for the people of God and had to pass over them.  Also in Exodus 12:42-49, those who were in Egypt that were not Hebrew people, who wanted out, could be circumcised and could then qualify for covenant rights.  It wasn't about the nationality, but about the blood.  Verse 49 declared that there was to be one law for all of the circumcised people.  For those who understand the power of the blood, you find a strong and fearless people.  For those who did not understand its power, they still walked in fear.  You find in Numbers 12 and 13 Joshua and Caleb were strong in faith, the rest still walked in fear.  In 1 Samuel 17, the stand that David made against the giant, the power of his fight was stated before he ever took to battle.  In 1 Samuel 17:26, David made the declaration that set the course for his victory when he declared that this "uncircumcised Philistine" who has defeated the army of God.  David put his faith in the power of the blood that was shed for the covenant.

The blood of this covenant that is now eternal in the heavens, is something we, the church, should become more aware of and begin to put our faith back in the blood as never before.  In these last days, we need to understand it's power and keep it by faith over our doors as the destroyer comes. Ephesians 6:16, this shield of faith is faith in Jesus and the power of His shed blood on our behalf.