The Covenant Series Sermon #4 - "All In"

Happy Resurrection Day! God has fulfilled His promise in giving Jesus Christ to us as a sacrifice for sin and a purchase of eternal life. If this by chance is your first look at this series then I would encourage you to go and read the previous three post to gain an understanding of this important foundational series. The following is a description of the final three steps of the ancient covenant making ceremony.

Step 8 “Covenant Meal”

In ancient culture they would begin this step by feeding each other and saying “As you are ingesting this food you are ingesting me; you are taking me into your life.”
This step is seen in many places in the Scriptures but as you read the following passages together you will see them come together in a very clear way. Be encouraged that Jesus is of bread of the life.

O.T. – Ex. 16:4-5 “Manna From Heaven”
N.T. John 6:31-59 “True bread of life”

Step 9 “The Exchange of Names”

This step in the ancient culture is when the last part of each of their names would be placed in the middle of the other. One way to understand this is if we took our last names and made them each others middle names. This is what God was doing when He changed Abram to Abraham. God's name is understood as YHWH. This in the Hebrew is really unpronounceable and is more like the breath sound or the sound of wind. Say the names Abram and Abraham out load and you will hear what God did. This exchange is also seen in the fact that YHWH became known as the God of Abraham. It is also what happens when we take on the name Christian and Jesus was known as the Son of Man. You will see this as you read the following passages.

O.T. Genesis 17:1-5 (Abram to Abraham and YHWH the God of Abraham)

N.T. – Acts 11:26 / 1 Peter 4:16

Step 10 “The Exchange of the Oldest Male Child”

This final step in ancient culture is the most intense and difficult part of the covenant making process. The covenant partners would literally take and raise the others oldest male child. This would seal the deal. Read the following passages to see how this plays out.

O.T. Genesis 22:1-19 / Hebrews 11:17-19 “Abraham giving Isaac”

N.T. John 3:16

May you come to know that He has given you His all,

Paul