Understanding Grace - Blood Covenant and Prodigal.pdf

UNDERSTANDING
GRACE
Ehab Roufail

OUTLINE
❖How is Grace Defined?
❖What did the Lord Jesus do for us?
❖Old Testament Blood Covenant
❖What is Grace?
❖Prodigal Son
❖Is Divine Grace for all?
❖What do we have to do for it?
Outline Grace Defined Jesus Did What is Grace Grace for all? Our Role?

HOW IS GRACE DEFINED?
Smoothness and elegance of movement. courteous good will.
[Dictionary Definition]
By the grace of God, the New Testament means His unmerited love towards
man, which is revealed in the Person, words and works of Jesus Christ, that is
the self-giving of God to man. Fr.T Malaty “The Divine Grace”
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Eph 2:8-10
Grace Defined
Outline Jesus Did What is Grace Grace for all? Our Role?

WHAT DID THE LORD JESUS DO FOR US?
Through His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension:

MADE A COVENANT WITH US
When two Hebrew males entered into a blood covenant they went through a specific
ceremony.
Step 1: Exchange Coats or Robes – Represented your Person, meaning “I’m giving you all
myself”
Step 2: Exchange Belts – Holds up my weapons and Armour. “I pledge to you my protection”
Step 3: Cut the Covenant – Taking an animal and splitting it right down the middle – only in
Blood covenant. Stand in between – back to each other and walk round figure of eight – face
each other. “We are dying to ourselves, giving up our rights for our covenant partner. Do so to
me as this animal if I break this covenant!”
Step 4: Raise our right arms and mix blood – Palms together – mingling blood – swear
allegiance. “Putting off my old nature and mingling my life blood with you”

MADE A COVENANT WITH US
Step 5: Exchange Names – We take your last names as part of our own.
Step 6: Make a Scar – Rub wound together against wound to make sure a lasting
scar remains. If anyone tries to harm us we raise our right arm and show whom we
are protected by.
Step 7: Give Covenant terms – Before witnesses we say, “All my assets are yours, if
you ever need anything just ask.”
Step 8: Eat a memorial meal – In place of the animal we have bread and wine. The
bread to represent our flesh and the wine our life blood.
Step 9: Plant a memorial – We do this by planting a tree that we have sprinkled with
the blood of the animal as a testimony of our covenant.

MADE A COVENANT WITH US – ABRAHAM GEN 15
9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a
three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a
turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these
to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each
piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in
two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses,
Abram drove them away.
12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon
Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon
him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your
descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and
will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred
years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge;
afterward they shall come out with great possessions.

15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall
be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they
shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet
complete.”
17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark,
that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch
that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day
the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying:
“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt
to the great river, the River Euphrates—

Step 1: Exchange Coats or Robes –God takes the initiative
take my robe – my Person – I offer myself
Step2: Exchange Belts – “Abram I am your shield…” I will
protect you and fight your battles
Step 3: Cut the Covenant – Abram – “take the ram, the goat
and heifer and split them down the middle. Abram knows
God must do the things He has promised. There’s only one
problem, the creation cannot enter into covenant with the
Creator. Abram sleep. Then Abram saw passing between the
bloody animals, someone taking his place!

Step 4: Raise our right arms and mix blood – God awakens
Abram to seal the covenant – The scar that sealed this
agreement was Circumcision and on God’s side…we shall
later see
Step 5: Exchange Names – God gave Abram the ‘H’ from his
name – and added it making Abraham and Sara – Sarah.
Likewise God is now called the God of Abraham.
Step 6: Make a Scar – Circumcision and on God’s side ….we
shall see later

Step 7: Give Covenant terms – Before witnesses we say, “All
my assets are yours, if you ever need anything just ask.” God
will defend all Abraham’s descendants as long as Abraham
honours the covenant terms
Step 8: Eat a memorial meal – Abrahaam would’ve eaten the
sacrifices that were not burned up whole.
Step 9: Plant a memorial – Abraham may have planted a tree
that we have sprinkled with the blood of the animal as a
testimony of the covenant or set up stones and done the same.

STANLEY & LIVINGSTONE
In 1869, the New York Herald newspaper sent their overseas news correspondent,
Henry Stanley, to find the Scottish missionary and explorer, Dr. David Livingstone.
Dr. Livingstone had disappeared for six years and Stanley was sent to prove he was
not dead. In 1871, Stanley found Livingstone.
During his expedition, Stanley came in contact with a powerful African tribe, but he was
in no condition to fight them. When his interpreter suggested he make a covenant with
the tribal chieftain,
Stanley did so which required days of negotiations with the chief. After the terms of
the covenant were reached, an exchange of gifts ensued.
The chief wanted Stanley’s goat and nothing less in exchange for his seven-foot spear.
Stanley reluctantly yielded, but felt he got the lesser end of the deal. The goat had
provided Stanley’s much needed milk for his health, so what good would a spear be to
him? More than he realized.

STANLEY & LIVINGSTONE
Next, the tribal priest brought forth a cup of wine.
The priest made an incision in each man’s wrist and let their blood drip into the wine. The cup was stirred,
and they each drank from the mixed blood and wine.
Then the priest pronounced terrible curses over Stanley. Then Stanley’s interpreter pronounced curses over
the chieftain, his family and tribe; curses that would come upon anyone who broke the covenant.
Finally, the two men rubbed their cut wrists together, along with gunpowder, to mingle their blood and
become blood brothers. The gunpowder remained as a visible mark of their covenant.
The blood brotherhood became permanent, and a tree was planted as a memorial of the covenant. After
the covenant ceremony, the chieftain declared to his people, “Come, buy and sell with Stanley, for he is our
blood brother.”
From then on, Stanley and his men no longer guarded their possessions. Nothing was touched. To steal from
Stanley and his men was to break the covenant and steal from the chieftain himself—an act which brought
the penalty of death.
Everywhere Stanley went in Africa, the spear proved to be more powerful than the goat. That copper-
wound spear carried the old chieftain’s authority, and everybody bowed to him and submitted to him.

DAVID - JONATHAN
18 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was
knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul
took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house
anymore.
3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as
his own soul.
4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David,
with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
1 Sam 18 1-4

DAVID - JONATHAN
4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame
in his feet. He was five years old when the news about
Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse
took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made
haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His
name was Mephibosheth. 2 Sam 4:4

DAVID - JONATHAN
❖The nurse takes him to a hideout east of the river Jordan
❖While their Mephibosheth’s heart hardens against David
❖His two lame feet are a constant reminder that David is
out to get him
❖He doesn’t know he is in covenant with the king through his
father Jonathan
❖Instead of being in the comfort of the palace with
servants and roast duck for dinner he is hiding out like a
slave in fear

DAVID - JONATHAN
9 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show
him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had
called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “At your service!”
3 Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may
show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of
Jonathan who is lame in his feet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the
house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel,
from Lo Debar.
6 Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he
fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he
answered, “Here is your servant!”

DAVID - JONATHAN
7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will
restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”
9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged
to Saul and to all his house.
10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the
harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my
table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your
servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”
12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants
of Mephibosheth.
13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his
feet.
2 Sam 9

DAVID - JONATHAN
❖In this story David represents God, He loves His creation with all
His heart
❖He wants to show us mercy and kindness
❖He wants to adopt us into his own family out of the misery we are
living in
❖But we are in the family of Saul and we’re rebellious. We don’t
want to do what God tells us
❖We’ve always been told he is a God of wrath and judgement

DAVID - JONATHAN
❖What about Jonathan?
❖He was in the family of Saul Yet didn’t really belong there
❖He was like David who delighted to do the will of God
❖He was very Saul but also very David like Jesus Christ.
❖The Word became flesh and dwelt among us
❖Christ in Him represented all humanity – and being equal to
God he could enter into covenant with God the Father on behalf
of us all

JESUS BLOOD COVENANT

Step 1: Exchange Coats or Robes – God takes the initiative
and takes our nature in Christ and offers us in return adoption
as his children
Step2: Exchange Belts – All his power he bestows to those who
enter into covenant with Him, to heal the sick, raise the dead
and perform miracles – in return he takes on our weakness
Step 3: Cut the Covenant – With Abram God caused him to
sleep and his Son walked through the midst of the offerings –
and now too in Christ His Son offers himself to be the bloody
whole burnt offering sacrifice. God now can break a worthy
covenant with His Son who has taken on flesh

Step 4: Raise our right arms and mix blood – God
in Christ mixed his blood with ours as he was
whipped and crucified on the Cross
Step 5: Exchange Names – God now calls himself
our Father and we in turn are called Christians
Step 6: Make a Scar – The scars on the cross he will
bear forever as a sign of this covenant and we in
turn instead of circumcision are to be baptized
dying and rising anew from the water

Step 7: Give Covenant terms – The New Covenant
commandment is now “Whoever has my commands and obeys
them, he is the one who loves me, the one who Loves me will be
loved by my Father and I too will love him and show myself to
Him” John 14:12
Step 8: Eat a memorial meal – The meal we eat together to
seal this covenant is the Holy Communion. In place of the animal,
we have the living Body and Blood of the Son – in the form of
bread and wine.
Step 9: Plant a memorial – The memorial forever is the tree of
the cross forever planted and sprinkled with the blood of the
Holy Son

WHAT IS GRACE IN CHRISTIANITY?
The Grace of the Holy Trinity is God's Self-Giving to man.
The Father loved us as His own children, granted us Himself as the true Father
The Son granted us His crucified and risen life to enjoy the adoption
The Holy Spirit granted us His descent into our souls to practice our adoption to
God.
The message of the Holy Trinity's redeeming action is our attainment of God within
our hearts, uniting Himself with us, declaring that He is ours and we are His own.
FR. T Malaty – Divine Grace
It is not based on our merit – “for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of
God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to
demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the
sins that were previously committed” Rom 3:23-26

IS GRACE FOR ALL?
❖23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should
die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn
from his ways and live? Ezekiel 18:23
❖4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim 2:4
❖9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as
some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward
us, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

OUR ROLE IN GRACE? ABIDE IN HIM
The Grace of God invites all – but forces none
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the
door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20
In John 15 we read about the True Vine:
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does
not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may
bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to
you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears
much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he
is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into
the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified,
that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

OUR ROLE IN GRACE? BEAR FRUIT
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give
you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another. John 15:16-17
So we are to bear fruit and to love one another – if we do not bear much fruit we are not
abiding in Him and will perish v5-8 and v16-17
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who
works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philipians 2:12-13
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of
His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:9-10
So the Church teaches – we have been saved, we are being saved and we will be saved.

OUR ROLE IN GRACE? BEAR FRUIT
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your
faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You
believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and
tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without
works is dead? James 2:18-20
Because of the grace of the Spirit which has been given to us, we abide in
Him, and He in us (1 John 4:13)... 1 We, apart from the Spirit, are strangers
and distant from God, and by the participation of the Spirit we are knit into
God the Head, so that our being in the Father is not ours, but is the Spirit's
which is in us and abides in us. St. Athanasius

OUR ROLE IN GRACE? HAVE CONFIDENCE
❖ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ
Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1
❖So long as we dwell in our Father’s home we are protected and experience
his blessing, care and love. Every night we fall asleep without fear knowing He
protects us
❖If we, by our own will, leave his protection we will not experience his
protection, blessing care and love as much.
❖While we are in his home, yes we may make mistakes but we are in Him and
we should be confident that we are protected and need only to run to him to
receive His blessings and love
❖While we are in Him 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

OUR ROLE IN GRACE? BEWARE RELIGIOUS
MORALISM
In the parable of the prodigal there were two groups of
people who had come to listen to the Lord Jesus:
The ‘tax collectors and sinners’ – These men and women
correspond to the younger brother in the parable. They
observed neither moral or religious laws. They left the home of
their tradition.
The ‘Pharisees and the teachers of the law’ who correspond
to the older brother. They studied and obeyed the Scripture.
They worshipped faithfully and prayed constantly. They never
left the home of their traditions.

MORALISM
It is to the second group, the scribes and Pharisees. It is
in response to their attitude that Jesus begins to tell the
parable.
The parable climaxes with a powerful plea from the
Father to the elder son for him to change his heart.
He is not on the side of the irreligious or the religious.
But the Lord singles out the religious moralism as a
particular deadly spiritual condition.

MORALISM
In every case where the Lord meets a religious person
and a sexual outcast (Luke 7) or a religious person and
a racial outcast (John 3-4) or a religious person and a
political outcast (Luke 19), the outcast is the one who
connects with the Lord.
The elder brother type does not connect.
Jesus says to the respectable religious leaders that the
‘tax collectors and prostitutes enter the kingdom
before you” (Matth 21:31)

MORALISM
Q. Why is it easier for the
young son to accept the
Father’s love?

MORALISM
The division of the estate only occurred when the father
died. To ask while the Father were alive is to wish him
dead.
He wants his fathers things but not his Father.
A traditional middle eastern father would be expected
to respond to such a request by driving the son out of
the family with nothing except physical blows.
The younger brother asks the Father to tear his life
apart.

MORALISM
The son intended to make restitution and say
‘Father, I know I don’t have the right to come
back but if you take me on as a hired man I
will repay my debt.’
The Father runs to him – middle eastern
patriarchs do not pick up their robes, showing
their legs and run. But his father does.

MORALISM
The best robe in the house is the Father’s own robe, the
sign that he is restored in the family standing
The Father is saying, “I’m not going to wait until you’ve
paid off your debt. You are not going to earn your
way back – I will simply take you back and cover your
nakedness and restore your riches, returning your
honour
There is no evil that the Father’s love cannot pardon
and cover – not only is there food to spare but Grace
to spare

MORALISM
Q. What makes it hard for
the older son to accept?

MORALISM
He remains outside the door, publicly
showing he disagrees with his Father’s
actions.
By bringing the younger brother back
into the family he has made him an heir
of his own share of the father’s wealth.
And I’ve earned what I’ve got!

MORALISM
He addresses the Father with no respect
– “Look..” Such behaviour is outrageous.
The Father instead of disowning him tries
to convince him.
The Lord is speaking to the Pharisees and
trying to plead with those who would
crucify Him to follow Him.

MORALISM
The message of the Lord is that both sons
are wrong. This parable shows the radical
alternative…
The lover of prostitutes is saved because
he accepts the Father’s love, but the man
of good morals is still lost because he
feels he has earned it.

MORALISM
His own pride in his own moral record of
keeping the law is keeping him away
from his Father.
The elder brother thinks ‘I have never
disobeyed you! Now you have to do
things in my life my way.’
Neither son loved the Father for Himself

MORALISM
If we, like the elder brother, believe that God ought
to bless us and help us because we have worked so
hard to obey Him and to be a good person, then
Jesus may be:
Your helper
Your example
Even your inspiration
But He will not be allowed to be your Saviour
You are serving as your own saviour!

MORALISM
21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is
the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved
by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself
to him." John 14:21
It is important to obey with the right Spirit.

MORALISM
During a British conference on comparative religions,
experts from around the world debated what, if any,
belief was unique to the Christian faith.
C.S. Lewis walks in and asks ‘what’s the rumpus about?’
they explain and he says – ‘oh that’s easy. It’s Grace.’
Think about it, what other religion has that concept or
could even accept that?

MORALISM
But what’s so amazing about it, anyway?
Ask people what they must do to get to return to God
and most reply, “Be good.” Jesus’ stories contradict that
answer.
All we must do is cry, “Help!” God welcomes home
anyone who will have him and, in fact, has made the
first move already.
And at home with home we will out of love for Him grow
more like Him
That’s what’s so amazing about grace.

MORALISM
If you were to ask St. John the Gospel writer who he is,
what would he say?
‘I am the one who Jesus loves.’
There is a story of a priest passing a peasant village
who sees a peasant praying on the side of the street
and says to him ‘you must be close to God’.
The peasant answers – ‘Yes He’s very fond of me’
If I truly believed that God Loved me and I really
accepted it – how different would I be?

Understanding Grace - Blood Covenant and Prodigal.pdf

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Understanding Grace - Blood Covenant and Prodigal.pdf

Similar to Understanding Grace - Blood Covenant and Prodigal.pdf (20)

More from Ehab Roufail

More from Ehab Roufail (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Understanding Grace - Blood Covenant and Prodigal.pdf