It's a Covenant, Not a Contract
In ancient times, blood was used to describe something that was holy, unbreakable and all-powerful. To represent this in an oath, people would perform a ritual that would be called animal cruelty in today’s language. Five animals would be sacrificed and their carcasses split in half, with one half lined up across from each other. These carcasses would create a division between each other, setting up a path in between them in what is called a blood covenant.
To perform this kind of covenant, the two parties involved in the agreement would walk the path in between these animals, formally stating, “May this be done to me if I do not keep my oath.” It was the most serious of commitments, signifying the ultimate penalty if you do not keep your promise. And while this specific ceremony was not performed in every Old Testament covenant, there are many examples we have of covenants, all using the form of blood to show the importance of the bond. They have been between God and man as well as man with man, the most crucial covenant being that Jesus laid down his life for us, his blood being spilled in sacrifice for our sins – a commitment that remains unbroken.
All this leads to our modern day, which does not require blood oaths or sacrificing animals, but still has many commitments that are taken seriously. The most obvious commitment is marriage, one of the few forms of a covenant that still exists. From my experience, study, and learning from others, the uniqueness and beauty of marriage comes down its nature as a covenant. It is not right to place marriage in another category of relationship, as if it’s no different than a friendship or business connection. It’s a covenant, not a contract. To understand this, I love sharing the way my pastor points out the key difference between the two: a contract says, “I will so long as you…” whereas a covenant simply says, “I will.” In a contract, you are dependent on the other party to hold up their end of the bargain. It’s a back-and-forth relationship built on agreements, promises, and legal decisions. In a covenant, it’s centered on lifelong commitment and unconditional love. There’s no compromise or meeting at 50/50 for responsibilities – to do so would not be to experience marriage. Marriage covenants express submission, sacrifice and service at the highest possible level.
Unfortunately, marriages don’t always work out perfectly. In modern society, there are a lot of complexities when marriages end, and my intention is not to comment on divorce, judge other people, or claim to understand that process. Instead, I simply wanted to paint a picture of the history and vision that God has given us for covenants. Understanding this concept about marriage is life-changing. It takes away from the confusion and sees it from a 30,000 foot view, reshaping the landscape in which you see the entire relationship. From that point, there’s less intricacies about figuring out how to do marriage, because as long as you’re viewing marriage the right way, most of the actions fall in place. Of course, many scripture passages and writings are helpful in learning more about this practically, but the most important aspect is committing to the beauty of a covenant with complete freedom. It’s a covenant, not a contract.
