Methods of Ratifying a Covenant

Methods of Ratifying a Covenant. God was often invoked as a witness. (Genesis 31:50; 1Sa 20:8; Ezekiel 17:13, 19) An oath was sworn. (Genesis 31:53; 2Ki 11:4; Ps 110:4; Hebrews 7:21) Men at times arranged a sign or witness, such as a gift (Genesis 21:30), a pillar or heap of stones (Genesis 31:44-54), or the naming of a place (Genesis 21:31). Jehovah used a rainbow in one instance. (Genesis 9:12-16) One method was to kill and divide animals, the covenanting parties passing between the pieces; from this custom came the standard Hebrew idiom ‘cut a covenant.’ (Genesis 15:9-11, 17, 18, ftn; Jeremiah 34:18, ftn, 19) At times festivities accompanied the making of alliances. (Genesis 26:28, 30) A communion meal might be participated in, as in conjunction with the making of the Law covenant. (Ob 7; Ex 24:5, 11) The superior party might present to the other some article of his dress or arms. (1Sa 18:3, 4) Some pagan nations followed the custom of drinking one another’s blood or blood mixed with wine (in violation of God’s prohibition to all persons, at Genesis 9:4, and to Israel under the Law), and the covenanters uttered the strongest curses on the party who should later violate the covenant. The Bible uses the expression “covenant of salt” to denote the permanence and immutability of a covenant. (Numbers 18:19; 2Chronicles 13:5; Leviticus 2:13) Among ancient peoples it was a sign of friendship to eat salt together and denoted enduring fidelity and loyalty; the eating of salt with communion sacrifices symbolized perpetual loyalty.