Karath Beriyth

Karath Beriyth is the Hebrew term for "cut covenant".
The word "covenant" or "beriyth" is used almost 300 times in the Bible. It is defined as a "solemn binding agreement" most often made by passing through pieces of flesh. The first time it is mentioned in Scripture is in Genesis 6:18 when God makes a covenant with Noah and all mankind to never destroy the population of the earth again with a flood and gives a rainbow as the sign of the covenant. When God is making this covenant, it is when He has provided an ark of safety for a remnant of those he saw as righteous from the impending judgment. The ark shielded the remnant from the judgment that was being poured out on the earth.

The next time we see covenant is in Genesis 15:1-21 when God cuts covenant with Abram.  God tells Abram to bring several different specific animals and cut them in half (down the spine in symmetrical pieces) and arrange the halves side by side... this creates a wall of blood between the pieces. Over and over in Scripture we see the recurring theme of blood.. esp the shedding of innocent blood on behalf of the guilty. In blood covenant, both parties entering the covenant would pass between the pieces of flesh through the wall of blood  in a figure 8 path. This figure 8 symbolizes infinity, the "eternal-ness" of the covenant. They would be agreeing to dying to self as they "put on" their covenant partner. They take on the friends and enemies of that partner,  the care of that partner and descendants. It is a solemn, binding agreement that lasts forever. It implies protection and provision and the fulfillment of any covenant promises. Both parties pass through the flesh... performing a "walk into death" as they walk through the blood. Dying to self and putting on the other person.
When God cut covenant with Abram, He alone passed through the pieces of flesh because He alone could fulfill  the promise of the covenant. He put Abram into a deep sleep and a smoking firepot and flaming torch passed though the pieces of flesh. So we have the bloody sacrifice, a smoking firepot and a  flaming torch. These represent the Holy Trinity! Jesus is the sacrifice and the firepot and torch represent the Father and Spirit!   Christ bears the cut of covenant on His hands! He is the sacrificial Lamb that offered His blood for our salvation.

After God cut covenant with Abram, He changed his name to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah.  In Revelation 2:17, we read that we are given a new name that no one knows but Jesus! it is given to us on a white stone... I wonder if God calls me by this name from the time I became saved? Also, in Revelation 19:12, Jesus gets a new name as well!! One that has never been misused or profaned... amazing.

In Genesis 17:9-14, God gives Abraham the sign of the covenant.  Each male among his descendants were to be circumcised. Circumcision is a cut in the flesh closest to the site of paternity... closest to the site of his seed. In Genesis 12:7, God promises that a Seed will come to crush the head of the serpent and the serpent would bruise His heel. (BTW, crucifixion is the only death where the heel is bruised!!)
Marriage is a covenant that is a solemn binding agreement. It is a picture of the covenant between God and His people. The way that marriage is consummated is a picture of covenant, just in the way God created our bodies. The cut of circumcision. The union of man and wife, the passing through 2 pieces of flesh and the blood that occurs when a woman offers her virginity to her husband.  That is why it is so damaging when we treat sex and marriage so casually. We enter into covenant with the person we have been physically intimate with. When we are casual with this, we are ripped apart from covenant. Covenant is two becoming one. The putting on of the other... agreeing to die to self and put on the other person as ourselves. Covenant relationship supersedes every other relationship.

We will look at covenant alot through the Bible this year. Try to pay attention whenever you see it and mark it in your Bible. We looked at other things Sunday night but it was too much to cover on this blog. We will visit them again as we come to each story in Scripture.
Mostly I want us to begin to understand the eternal-ness of covenant. When we get married, we put on the other person until death do we part. When we enter into covenant with God, we put on Christ. We need to make sure we are showing that we are new creations in Christ.