Blood, it Does a Body Good!

Over the last few days I have been studying the blood covenant and what an amazing thing it is!

Apparently in ancient Eastern culture it was the tradition that when a king or important guest was expected, an animal of high value was selected to killed in honor of that person. The blood was then poured out at the threshold of the house. If the expected guest was a king, members of the army would precede him to the town. Each house that had blood at the threshold was considered loyal to the king, where a house without the blood was considered disloyal. The kings army would either kill them or drive them out.

Now when a guest came to enter into a home, he could cross the threshold and enter into a sort of covenant with the owner of the home. The guest would not rob the home and the homeowner would be hospitable to the guest. He would feed the guest and provide for him and even protect him with his own life as long as the guest was in his home. We see examples of this with Lot and his heavenly messengers and in Rahab the harlot. Now when a king sees his subjects as loyal, as part of his kingdom he pledges to protect them. Now think of the Passover in light of this, truly stunning. Now we have the precious blood of the Lamb covering our doors and coursing through our veins inviting the king of glory to come in!

Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Psalm 24:9