In Abram’s day, the blood covenant signified an
absolute and unbreakable guarantee of a man’s
word. Nothing short of a blood agreement could
have convinced Abram of God’s desire to bless
him. By cutting the covenant with him, Almighty
God communicated His unfailing love and fidelity
on a level Abram could understand. God was establishing
a love relationship with him that could not
be broken without the penalty of death.

In order to see just how that covenant compares
to the one we have with the Father today,
we need to see what the covenant God cut with
Abram involved. That way we can begin to see
clearly why ours is even better.

In Abram’s society, when two families made
covenant together, they gave to one another
everything they had and all they represented.
They were no longer two, but one. Families
bound themselves together in blood agreements
in order to fill in the gaps created by each other’s
weaknesses and needs. Where the first tribe was
strong, the second was weak. Where the second
tribe was strong, the first was weak. Together,
they were both strong.

These two families drew up the terms of
their agreement and discussed them until each
article was fully and mutually agreeable. Then
they chose representatives and a place to cut
the covenant.

As they prepared for the solemn ceremony, at
least three large animals were sacrificed. Their
carcasses were split down the spine, and the
halves were placed on the ground opposite each
other. The result was a trail of blood between the
halves. This path was called “the way of blood.”

When the covenant ceremony began, the two
representatives exchanged their coats. This signified
the mutual exchange of authority. By this
act the covenant representatives were saying,
“All that I do, all that I have is now yours.”

Next the covenant representatives exchanged
their weapons. Through this they were saying,
“My strength is now your strength. Your enemies
are now my enemies.”

After the coats and weapons were exchanged,
then came the walk of blood. Twice the representatives
walked through “the way of blood,” stopping
in the center. There they pronounced their pledges
of loyalty, making promises to each other that
could never be broken. This pronouncement was
called “the blessing of the covenant.”

A curse was also pronounced. The curse was
the penalty for breaking the terms of the agreement.
They swore by their god, thereby making
him third party to the covenant.

Next came the cut of the covenant. The
representatives cut their hands and wrists and
bound their wrists together so that their blood
would intermingle.

After their loyalty was sworn to each other, the
families joined their names together as a permanent
sign that they had become one. Finally, they
ate a covenant meal of bread and wine together.
The bread signified their flesh, and the wine signified
their blood. The covenant meal represented
their willingness and commitment to lay down
their lives for each other.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Israel was a nation that lived by and relied on
their covenant with God. Those who knew their
God and the integrity of their covenant with Him
were mighty and did exploits in His Name.

David was a prime example. He credited his
covenant with God as the power behind his
ability to slay the lion, the bear and the giant. In
1 Samuel 17:26-37, we find David assuring King
Saul that he was well able to slay Goliath. “Who
is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should
defy the armies of the living God?… The Lord
that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and
out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out
of the hand of this Philistine” (verses 26, 37).

Circumcision was the sign of the covenant. By
calling Goliath uncircumcised, David was making
this very pointed statement: He may be a giant;
he may be strong; but he has no covenant with
God, and that’s why I can kill him. Of course,
you know the rest of the story. David bravely
slew Goliath in the Name of the Lord—because
of his covenant.

The book of Hebrews promises that we have
an even better covenant than David had. Our
covenant has better promises. But to know exactly
how much better they are, we must understand
what the promises of the old covenant were.

The covenant David stood on was made long
before he ever faced the giant. God established it
with a man called Abram. He promised to make
Abram the father of many nations. He promised
to give him a great deal of land as an inheritance
so his descendents could live peacefully on it.
And in Deuteronomy 28, you will find more very
specific promises that God made to Abram’s
descendents—promises of health, well-being,
blessing and victory.

These were very awesome promises. It was
hard for Abram to believe God actually wanted to
do these things for him. In Genesis 15, we read
how God made a blood agreement with Abram in
order to convince Abram once and for all that He
meant what He said. Abram asked, “How shall I
know that I will inherit this land?” The Lord
answered by telling him to prepare for a blood
covenant. He said, “Take me an heifer of three
years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a
ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a
young pigeon. And he took unto him all these,
and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece
one against another: but the birds divided he not”
(Genesis 15:9-10).

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

admin Kenneth Copeland, kenneth copeland ministries Abram, blood, circumcision, covenant, David, giant, Israel, promises

Prosperity encompasses many good
things, including favor. When you have
favor, it opens doors for you and causes
things to go your way—even when, in the
natural, it may not seem possible.

Webster’s Dictionary defines favor as
“friendly or kind regard, good will, approval,
unfair partiality or favoritism.” That is what
we, as children of God, receive from our
Father God. He does show us favoritism,
because we’re His kids. When we are
obedient to do what His Word says and
also stand on the promises found there, He
can cause people to show us favor.

Proverbs 12:2 says that a good man finds
favor with God. If we walk in love, mercy,
kindness and truth, we will find favor with
God and man (Proverbs 3:1-6).

We should seek the approval and favor
of God, not man, because “if God be for us,
who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). God will
make a covering over and defend those
who put their trust in Him. He surrounds
them with a shield of favor (Psalm 5:11-12).
And He “is able to make all grace (every favor and
earthly blessing)” come to us in abundance
(2 Corinthians 9:8-11). When we have favor
with God, people just can’t help but help us.

Genesis 39:2-4
KJV—The Lord was with Joseph, and he
was a prosperous man; and he was in the
house of his master the Egyptian. And his
master saw that the Lord was with him, and
that the Lord made all that he did to prosper
in his hand. And Joseph found grace in
his sight.

Amp—The Lord was with Joseph, and he
[though a slave] was a successful and prosperous
man; and he was in the house of his
master the Egyptian. And his master saw
that the Lord was with him, and that the
Lord made all that he did to flourish and
succeed in his hand. So Joseph pleased
[Potiphar] and found favor in his sight.

Moffatt—The Eternal was with Joseph, and
he prospered; he was kept inside the
household of his master the Egyptian, and
his master noticed that the Eternal was
with him, and that the Eternal prospered
everything he took in hand. Joseph was
popular with him.

NIV—The Lord was with Joseph and he
prospered, and he lived in the house of his
Egyptian master. When his master saw that
the Lord was with him and that the Lord
gave him success in everything he did,
Joseph found favor in his eyes.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

admin Kenneth Copeland, kenneth copeland ministries Egypt, favor, grace, Joseph, master, mercy, prosperity, success

James 1:5
KJV—If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Amp—If any of you is deficient in wisdom,
let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to
every one liberally and ungrudgingly, without
reproaching or faultfinding, and it will
be given him.

Moffatt—Whoever of you is defective in
wisdom, let him ask God who gives to all
men without question or reproach, and the
gift will be his.

NIV—If any of you lacks wisdom, he should
ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 3:17
KJV—The wisdom that is from above is first
pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be
intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Amp—The wisdom from above is first of
all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving,
courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing
to] yield to reason, full of compassion and
good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward,
impartial and unfeigned—free from
doubts, wavering and insincerity.

Moffatt—The wisdom from above is first
of all pure, then peaceable, forbearing,
conciliatory, full of mercy and wholesome
fruit, unambiguous, straightforward.

NIV—The wisdom that comes from
heaven is first of all pure; then peaceloving,
considerate, submissive, full of mercy
and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

admin Kenneth Copeland, kenneth copeland ministries fruit, gift, impartial, mercy, peace, wisdom

Colossians 1:9-10
KJV—For this cause we also, since the day
we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,
and to desire that ye might be filled with
the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding; That ye might walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing
in the knowledge of God.

Amp—For this reason, we also, from the
day we heard of it, have not ceased to
pray and make [special] request for you,
[asking] that you may be filled with the full
(deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all
spiritual wisdom [that is, in comprehensive
insight into the ways and purposes of God]
and in understanding and discernment of
spiritual things. That you may walk (live and
conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of
the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring
to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in
every good work and steadily growing and
increasing in (and by) the knowledge of
God—with fuller, deeper and clearer insight,
acquaintance and recognition.

Moffatt—Hence, from the day we heard of
it, we have never ceased to pray for you,
asking God to fill you with the knowledge
of his will in all spiritual wisdom and insight,
so that you may lead a life that is worthy
of the Lord and give him entire satisfaction.
May you be fruitful and increase in the doing
of all good, as you thus know God!

NIV—For this reason, since the day we
heard about you, we have not stopped
praying for you and asking God to fill you
with the knowledge of his will through all
spiritual wisdom and understanding. And
we pray this in order that you may live a
life worthy of the Lord and may please him
in every way: bearing fruit in every good
work, growing in the knowledge of God.

Colossians 2:2-3
KJV—That their hearts might be comforted,
being knit together in love, and unto
all riches of the full assurance of understanding,
to the acknowledgement of the
mystery of God, and of the Father, and of
Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.

Amp—[For my concern is] that their hearts
may be braced (comforted, cheered and
encouraged) as they are knit together in
love, that they may come to have all the
abounding wealth and blessings of assured
conviction of understanding, and that they
may become progressively more intimately
acquainted with, and may know more definitely
and accurately and thoroughly, that
mystic secret of God [which is] Christ, the
Anointed One.

In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom,
[of comprehensive insight into the
ways and purposes of God], and [all the
riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment
are stored up and lie hidden.

Moffatt—May their hearts be encouraged!
May they learn the meaning of love! May
they have all the wealth of conviction that
comes from insight! May they learn to know
that open secret of God, the Father of Christ,
in whom all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge lie hidden!

NIV—My purpose is that they may be
encouraged in heart and united in love, so
that they may have the full riches of complete
understanding, in order that they may
know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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