Covenant, Gospel, Grace, Faith – Phil Kulis Series
𝐈𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭… was a strong agreement and commitment between two leaders representing different groups of people. These two are the “covenant representatives”.
In the “cutting of a covenant” there was a ceremony where an animal was cut into two pieces, then the pieces were separated by a short distance on the ground. The covenant representatives would then walk among the pieces getting the animal’s blood on their shoes and clothes while reciting the terms of the covenant to each other. They would also say to each other “If I ever break this covenant by not upholding and remaining faithful to my promise, let what has happened to this animal happen to me.” Death was the penalty for breaking the terms of the covenant.
So long as the representatives kept the covenant, all under them experienced peace. But if the representatives broke the covenant and go to war, all those under them subject to the covenant are also at war. It doesn’t matter what the subjects do, it’s all about what the covenant representatives do.
All who are under their leadership were subject to the representative upholding the terms of the covenant. If the representatives remained at peace with each other, then those represented by them were also at peace. This is where the concept of a “peace treaty” comes from.
A covenant is a lifelong commitment. The terms of the covenant were in effect until the death of one of the representatives. Death was also the penalty for breaking the covenant. Death was the only way to be released from the oath and obligation of the covenant.
There are therefore two paths to the exit from a covenant, breaking it or keeping it. But both paths lead to Death.
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𝐀 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞… between a man and woman is also recognized as a covenant. A wedding is a covenant ceremony where vows are exchanged, “…forsaking all others, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do we part.”
A marriage covenant should therefore not be entered into lightly. So long as those in covenant remain faithful the covenant remains intact. Sadly, as many as half of marriage covenants are broken.
If a man and woman in a marriage covenant produce offspring and one of their offspring commits a sin, that sin by the offspring has no power to affect the terms of the covenant between the parents. That sin only affects the offspring, the offspring’s spouse, and their descendants. The effects of sin go downstream.
If one of the parents breaks the covenant with the other by not being faithful to their vows then not just the parents, but all the downstream offspring of the parents are forever affected by being under their broken covenant. If the parents remain faithful to each other until one dies “until death do they part” then all involved in the covenant; representatives and downstream, are eternal beneficiaries of that intact covenant. “It is finished.”
If one of the covenant representatives dies while remaining faithful, then the other representative is released, set free from that covenant. They are free to enter into a different covenant if they choose to.
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