December 16, 1838 Day Of The Covenant, Battle of Blood River

Norwegian historian/explorer Thor Heyerdahl says:
“Our lack of knowledge about our own past is appalling”.

Hi everyone! Today in Israelite history, we observe the Battle of Blood River, which happened 187 years ago, in today’s South Africa. This story was relayed to me by a South African Pastor at the British Israel bookstore in Vancouver British Columbia Canada in the early 1980’s.

Day of the Covenant Battle of Blood River

Israelite Settlers head inland…

For a week before Dec 16th, 1838, a wagon train of about 500 Dutch settlers had been surrounded by some 7,000 Zulu warriors. These Dutch Afrikaner settlers of 500 were made up of men, women, and children. With no military protection, they were on their own. They had left the safety of the coast port and travelled inland to settle the interior to help create the new nation of South Africa. This was also the homeland of the Zulu nation.

The Zulus had heard of people wanting to settle on their homeland and were getting prepared to confront these Dutch Afrikaner settlers. When the settlers realized the Zulus were near with thousands of warriors, they formed a wagon train circle which is known as a Laager. The back of the circle had two steep cliffs from the area they chose atop a bluff and high ground that led down to the river below; their back was covered. The area to the front of the Laager was open plain and easier for the Afrikaners to focus and defend with their firepower in a more concentrated area. This is where the main battle would be fought.

These settlers knew they were surrounded and had no way out, and no help in sight. So, for seven days these Zulus laid siege but never attacked. But inside that Laager, these Christians (Brethren in Christ) prayed to our “God Almighty” for the full seven days for a holy intervention from the coming battle. Near the end of those seven days, while on their knees praying to our Heavenly Father, they made a covenant with God that if He delivered them from the battle, they would build a church in His honour and dedicate that day of the battle forever as an observance to Him for deliverance from the coming battle.

Only God, the Father, could save these 500 souls.

“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9

The Battle Begins

The next day, Sunday December 16th, 1838, the battle commenced in the late morning and continued all through the afternoon. Zulus picked Sunday? Is it not God’s Day? The day of the week where Christians pay tribute, giving praise and glory to the Father?

The Zulus had a deadly three-foot dagger-type stabbing weapon. The settler men had single-shot muskets. Women could only load the guns unless their husband had been killed; only then were they allowed to pick up the gun to join the fight. The settlers also had hundreds of cattle inside the centre of the circle for the cattle’s protection.

They battled each other for hours. Charge after charge after charge by the Zulus, they could not break through the protection of the Laager. After an immense battle, three thousand Zulus lay dead on the battlefield. These Israelites claimed this godly victory to God Himself. The Father gave them victory that day. Glory to God.

During the battle, not one man, woman, or child was killed or hurt—not one of them. Divine protection? Not one of their horses or cattle were hurt or killed either. Give all glory to God.

After the Battle

Sometime after the battle, the leaders of the Afrikaner settlers and the Zulu chiefs met to discuss the battle. The Zulus had lost over 3,000 warriors and the settlers none. The Afrikaner leaders asked the Zulu chiefs what happened during the battle. They claimed that their spears could not penetrate the mist that surrounded the Laager that protected them. The settler leaders responded to these Zulu chiefs that it was a sunny day with no clouds and no mist. Glory to God.

That day, Dec. 16th, 1838, God delivered these God-fearing Israelites from harm’s way. To honour God, they kept their promise to Him and made this day, December 16th, a South African national holiday and called it “The Day of the Covenant.” They built the church in Pretoria that they promised Him, and on Dec 16th of every year there is a hole in the roof of that church, and on that very same date of the battle the sunshine from that hole shines directly onto the Holy Bible.

This Day of the Covenant, Dec 16th, is a testimony to the power of prayer to our Heavenly Father. It shows that He cares for His people Israel. That day He showed His mercy on those 500 souls and gave them divine holy protection. The hand of God was involved that day because they were believers in the true God of Israel. He intervened that day, and those settlers showed their deep gratitude and respect to Him by establishing that day as “The Day of the Covenant” to our God.