The Unbroken Threads August 12, 2024

Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Who can see the end from the beginning except God? Jesus agreed to this before anyone was born. God knew what would happen. Men have free will to choose and it was the first ones on the planet who messed it up for all! But if they hadn't someone would have. Could it be that we were made for eternity with God only our loyalty needed to be tested? Satan wasn't even human and decided to go A.W.O.L.. There seems to be this thing that some will follow others off a cliff if the sales pitch is good enough! Peter survived because of Jesus praying for him. Jesus is praying for you right now, He is our intercessor.

Jesus knew the price in advance and still went after us to rescue His creation. They still had to come willingly. What if we didn't understand the divine way or were born under adverse conditions and didn't trust Jesus? Apparently all have sinned and came short of the Glory of God. Realizing that you sinned is the first step towards the answer. Jesus just needs you to agree with Him for your own salvation to take place. He will try and influence you in His Father's direction for your own sake. He might even take a half hearted, "OK God!" What if it is true? Lamb slain for sinners is God taking care of the sin problem for us. Now we have to be smart and believe Him.

What about these threads? Looks like Father had them woven into the fabric of the Old and New Covenants, unseen. Only a loving Father would create a life saving device so powerful it could rescue the most wayward son or daughter. I was one of them, you? The problem is men sinned. Adam and Eve to be exact. This was the Fathers response to their act of mutiny. Bible says He made coats of skins and clothed them. A covenant act made necessary by their act of rebellion, which God needed in place so that He would have legal access to them. You see, man gave away the authority God gave him to rule the earth to the serpent. Covenants, blood covenants were now needed for God's plan of redemption for man to be bought back. In order for this word "covenant" to become meaningful, we must do some study to understand God's meaning and purpose in redemption for us. Let's do what we can to gain insight into the spiritual realm and see God's loving plan revealed.

First what is a covenant? Websters definition is a coming together; a meeting or agreement of minds. Example: The Father, Jesus and people. Simply, a covenant is a promise that is sanctioned by an oath (promise). Both covenant and law in the ancient world were means by which obligation was established and sanctioned. So it was something familiar to ancient people originating with Adam and Eve. The Old and New Testaments were really Old and New blood Covenants.

Biblical Covenants were binding agreements between two people or groups of people or man and God. In Hebrew tradition, the word indicated a cutting or shedding of blood and walking between two halves of animal (flesh).Such as Abraham's covenant with God. Promises are made usually, regarding one's life, as in a marriage vow, "I will love you and honor you all the days of my life." These are serious oaths made to bind people to their words! The two become one!

The Hebrews covenant ritual was similar to other nations at that time. Men had an inborn, instinctual need for this type of relationship which could not be broken. The ritual for (2 males) was very specific and sets the stage for our understanding the cross.

 1. Take off coat or robe and give it to the other person because it represents your person. By doing this you would be saying symbolically," I give you all of my life and being," I pledge this to you. The other person would reciprocate in the same manner.

2. They next will take off their belts and give them to each other. The belt which held their armor together also held their weapons in place. This action was saying I'm pledging you my strength, help, defense and protection, by literally fighting beside you against your enemy. Your battles are my battles! Nations make similar agreements with other nations in our day and age.

3. Cutting the Covenant is next and is done by cutting an animal in half down the middle only done in a covenant ceremony. After the animal is split each person stands back to back in the bloody carcass and then walks through the halves of flesh, making a figure 8 and returning face to face in the middle. This represents a dying to ourselves, giving up the rights to our own lives, and beginning a new life with our partner in which we walk with them until death. In this covenant the 2 halves are representative of ourselves. Because this is a solemn pact both parties point down to the animal carcass halves and declare," God so do to me and more if I ever would break this covenant. Split me in half and feed me to the vultures because I tried to break this covenant.

4. Next in line is the cutting of each parties hands, palms, and then joining them together, mixing blood with each other and swearing allegiance to the other. This is symbolic of 2 lives mingling together becoming one. The life of each is in the blood and now the blood of each is in each life.

5. Last names are then exchanged and become part of each person's new name.

6. Scarring then takes place by rubbing each bloody hand together as a testimony of the covenant.

7. Terms of the covenant are then given in front of witnesses. Whatever is mine is yours, belongings, land, houses, money, and also any debts are also included. If one died prematurely the children would also be adopted by the surviving partner.

8. Of course there is a memorial meal which completes the union. Instead of the split animal and it's blood there is bread and wine (blood of grapes). Bread = flesh and wine =blood. The bread is broken and fed to the other as they say, "This is symbolic of my body which I am putting in you". Then wine is served each other as they say, "This is symbolic of my life blood which is now your blood. So the two become one new nature with each other.

9. Lastly, a memorial is made to the covenant. A tree is planted which has been sprinkled with the blood of the covenant animal. and now after this the two are known as friends. Unlike our casual friendships today.

The First Passover

Exodus 12 The Lord told Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt This month for you shall be the beginning of months, the first month of the year. On the tenth day of this month take a lamb for every household…a lamb without blemish, a male, a year old, either sheep or goats, and keep it until the fourteenth day of the month the whole assembly of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening. Blood had to be put on the doorposts and lintels of the houses in which they eat them. They had to eat the all the flesh that night roasted along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Sandals on, loins clothed, and staff in hand. God would execute judgment on the firstborn of man and beasts. and on all the gods of Egypt. I will pass over you and no plague shall destroy you. This day shall be a memorial for you. God also instructed every man to select a lamb on the 10th day of the month and to observe it for 5 days to make sure there is nothing wrong with it. there could be no fault or blemish. On the 14th day He is to bring the lamb to his doorstep and kill him. Hyssop was dipped in the lambs blood and the doorposts and lintel were sprinkled with blood and there was blood on the foot of the door also. This had to be done on the evening of the 14th. They had to kill the lambs around 3:00 in the afternoon and eat the meal by 6 o clock. The land was filled with smoke from all the lambs roasting. Two million residents of Israel all cooking at the same time!

The Lord used the blood of lambs to bring His people out of bondage in Egypt. The symbol of Egypt was a serpent. In the Bible the serpent represents satan. What God is saying through this exodus is that at His appointed time He will use the blood of the Lamb to set His people free from the bondage to satan. This has always been God's plan. Satan was to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. And Jesus would bruise the head of the serpent (fatally). Because of them eating the sacrifice God had ordained they believed they were in union with God and symbolically one with God. This was communion between man and God! God established the Passover Covenant meal as an ordinance to be kept year after year as an everlasting memorial to their deliverance from Egypt.

Before the Passover celebration, could begin all the Hebrews houses had to be purged of all leaven , representing sin.

Partaking of the meal meant everyone sitting around the table and the head of household would recount the First Passover to the children.

The cup of blessing - a cup was set aside along with an empty seat at the table which was reserved for the "coming one" who would drink of the cup and also cut a new covenant with His people.

Instead of putting unleavened bread on a plate they began to put it in a small bag embroidered with gold thread, and three compartments. Three pieces of Matza bread were put into the container one in each compartment. During the meal the host will take out the middle piece, break some off pass it around the table and each member will eat a piece. The three pieces were thought by Jews to represent Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

 Passover was a great time of joy and singing where the Levites would lead the people in singing the Psalms of David. Psalm 113-118 specifically and "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." The scene at Passover was of massive people 250,000 families or more all celebrating at the same time. There was an incredible lamb processing arrangement set up to accommodate that many people at once , slaughtering the lambs at 3pm and eating by 6pm.

The New Blood Covenant Meal

Jesus was introduced by John the Baptist saying, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World." John 1:29 Jesus was born as one of us at the right time in history, as the seed of a virgin woman, not man. His body He prepared was sinless and as God He was righteous and Holy. His blood was without blemish. He exchanged names with us and became Jesus the Son of Man representing all mankind. He lived a perfect life for 33 years in order to be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. In His 33rd year, 10th day of the month of Passover, which was the exact same day the lambs were set aside in Egypt, the real Lamb of God entered Jerusalem, riding a donkey. The people hailed Him as King. He fulfilled a 400 year old prophecy by Zechariah saying, (Zechariah 9:9) " Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." Yet still the seed of the serpent, certain religious and political leaders seek to kill Jesus. For 5 days they observe Him and test Him. But there is nothing wrong with Him. They can find no fault because He was born to die as the Passover Lamb. So they went to a place to have their Passover meal. At the end of the meal Jesus does something unusual, by taking the bag with the bread and removing the middle piece, gives it to His disciples and said, "This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19  The Jews originally thought the three pieces were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, when in reality it was Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus is that broken Matza. Jesus took the cup which was set aside for the "coming one" gave it to His disciples and said, "All of you drink of it for this is My blood of the New Covenant poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:27-28

At 9 o clock that morning (the third hour), as the lambs were being prepared for sacrifice, Jesus was nailed to the cross. Mark 15:25 

There He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The Lord laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted. Yet He opened not His mouth, like a Lamb led to the slaughter. His strength was poured out like water, His bones were out of joint. His heart melted like wax. His strength dried up like sun-baked clay. His tongue stuck to His mouth. His bones protruded out of His body. He was sheared like a lamb at the slaughterhouse. (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22:14-17).

These are prophecies about Jesus crucifixion . When a person was crucified, he pushes himself up by his heel to get more air into his lungs. This act of pushing bruises his heel.  Genesis 3:15 (AmpC) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel."

Then at 3 o clock people are singing praises to God that echo throughout the hills of Jerusalem, the lambs are slaughtered. At the same moment as shouts of "Hallelujah" and "Praise ye the Lord" ring out on the hill called Calvary, Jesus died. Like the doorposts in Egypt, the blood of the Lamb covered the cross. To perfectly fulfill the Old Covenant, not one bone of the Lamb of God was broken. (Exodus 12:46 Psalm 34:20, John 19:36). The entire Lamb was roasted by the judgment fires of God as He became our sin substitute. And the Jews not knowing they were further fulfilling prophecy, hurriedly took the body down by 6 o clock, so that there would be nothing left over for the next day,(as in Exodus 12:10, John 19:31).

1 Peter 18-20  18 For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."  God then made covenant with Himself before man was made, as He knew the end from the beginning, and He had us in mind when the cross was planned out.

So the thread which is throughout the Bible is the story of God entering into blood covenant with man through the Lord Jesus Christ for the purpose of the redemption of man from sin. The story is throughout the Old and New Covenants, the old telling it will happen and the new telling it did happen.

I would like to propose another part to this story. There are the unbroken threads within the covenants which are also throughout the Old and New which are the benefits of salvation, namely healing, deliverance, prosperity, protection, and eternal life, all in the same blood covenants. These things all belong to us just as sure as His crucifixion, resurrection and forgiveness of sins. They are all in the covenants! The Jews believe they are prosperous because of Abraham's covenant with God and they are! We are grafted into the vine, Jesus, and are also heirs of salvation and the benefits!

References: The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread by Richard Booker