Salt Of The Earth
Salt Of The Earth
As I prepared for our Wednesday young adult class at Hopewell, I intended to discuss a passage from Matthew 5 about "being the salt of the earth" to conclude our study on being a separate, sanctified people. This led me on a fascinating exploration of salt's significance in the Bible, revealing far more references than I had realized.
Scripture frequently mentions salt in various contexts:
Leviticus explains its use in grain offerings, Numbers describes a covenant of salt with priests, 2 Chronicles references a similar covenant with King David, Ezekiel uses salt to symbolize a covenant relationship, Genesis recounts Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt, Matthew's Sermon on the Mount calls disciples the salt of the earth, Mark 9 highlights salt's preserving qualities during trials, and Colossians likens salt to our speech.
Salt holds deep symbolic meaning in the Bible. In ancient Rome, soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, underscoring its value. This is partly why God required it in Old Testament sacrifices—it was a precious commodity, making it a significant and expensive offering. Salt was essential in ancient times, serving as a seasoning, preservative, disinfectant, ceremonial element, and even a unit of exchange.
In Leviticus 2:13, Moses instructs the Israelites: "You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of your covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt."
Salt was vital in these offerings, symbolizing purity, preservation, and cost. Every sacrifice to God should be pure, enduring, and valuable. Salt slows decay and acts as an aseptic, preventing contamination and spoilage—a critical function in an era without refrigeration.
Salt also represented friendship and deep relationships in ancient customs. Sharing salt with someone established a lifelong bond. God used this symbolism to remind His people of the relationship He desired with them. This "salt covenant" appears again in Numbers 18:19, where God promises the priests: "Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings… I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring."
Similarly, 2 Chronicles 13:5 references God’s covenant with David: "Don’t you know that the Lord… has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?" These covenants were seen as enduring because they included salt.
Ezekiel 43:23 reinforces this symbolism: "The priests are to sprinkle salt on the offerings and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord," reminding the people of God’s lasting commitment.
Thus, requiring salt in offerings wasn’t arbitrary—it reflected God’s desire for a pure, enduring relationship with His people and their role as a preservative in the world.
This theme carries into the New Testament, notably in Matthew 5:13 from the Sermon on the Mount, which I’ll emphasize in our Wednesday study:
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."
Jesus tells His disciples they are precious and valuable, tasked with preserving the world. Without their godly influence, society would decay. However, if salt loses its flavor—its preserving power—it becomes useless, fit only to be discarded and trampled, as was done in Jesus’ time with worthless salt. The people at that time would put the useless salt on pathways to make the path better.
This is a sobering warning for Christians. If we lose our influence and godly qualities, we fail to serve God’s kingdom. Lot’s wife exemplifies this in Genesis 19:23-26. She became a pillar of salt after looking back longingly at her sinful life, losing her preserving role and merging with the world—a cautionary tale echoed in Luke 17:32:
"Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it."
Mark 9:49 adds: "Everyone will be salted with fire."
Many interpret this as trials and tribulations in this life preserving us, like salt, strengthening our faith and deepening our relationship with God as we learn to rely on Him during these times.
Colossians 4:6 ties salt to speech: "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." Our words should be pure, flavorful with truth and love, reflecting God’s grace and mercy.
Salt symbolizes the deep relationship God seeks with us and our call to preserve and flavor the world with His love and mercy. Jesus called His disciples—and us—to be the salt of the earth. Are we leaving a loving, impactful taste? Are we purifying society with God’s grace? Let’s strive to be His flavor in a lost world.
As I prepared for our Wednesday young adult class at Hopewell, I intended to discuss a passage from Matthew 5 about "being the salt of the earth" to conclude our study on being a separate, sanctified people. This led me on a fascinating exploration of salt's significance in the Bible, revealing far more references than I had realized.
Scripture frequently mentions salt in various contexts:
Leviticus explains its use in grain offerings, Numbers describes a covenant of salt with priests, 2 Chronicles references a similar covenant with King David, Ezekiel uses salt to symbolize a covenant relationship, Genesis recounts Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt, Matthew's Sermon on the Mount calls disciples the salt of the earth, Mark 9 highlights salt's preserving qualities during trials, and Colossians likens salt to our speech.
Salt holds deep symbolic meaning in the Bible. In ancient Rome, soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, underscoring its value. This is partly why God required it in Old Testament sacrifices—it was a precious commodity, making it a significant and expensive offering. Salt was essential in ancient times, serving as a seasoning, preservative, disinfectant, ceremonial element, and even a unit of exchange.
In Leviticus 2:13, Moses instructs the Israelites: "You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of your covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt."
Salt was vital in these offerings, symbolizing purity, preservation, and cost. Every sacrifice to God should be pure, enduring, and valuable. Salt slows decay and acts as an aseptic, preventing contamination and spoilage—a critical function in an era without refrigeration.
Salt also represented friendship and deep relationships in ancient customs. Sharing salt with someone established a lifelong bond. God used this symbolism to remind His people of the relationship He desired with them. This "salt covenant" appears again in Numbers 18:19, where God promises the priests: "Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings… I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring."
Similarly, 2 Chronicles 13:5 references God’s covenant with David: "Don’t you know that the Lord… has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?" These covenants were seen as enduring because they included salt.
Ezekiel 43:23 reinforces this symbolism: "The priests are to sprinkle salt on the offerings and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord," reminding the people of God’s lasting commitment.
Thus, requiring salt in offerings wasn’t arbitrary—it reflected God’s desire for a pure, enduring relationship with His people and their role as a preservative in the world.
This theme carries into the New Testament, notably in Matthew 5:13 from the Sermon on the Mount, which I’ll emphasize in our Wednesday study:
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."
Jesus tells His disciples they are precious and valuable, tasked with preserving the world. Without their godly influence, society would decay. However, if salt loses its flavor—its preserving power—it becomes useless, fit only to be discarded and trampled, as was done in Jesus’ time with worthless salt. The people at that time would put the useless salt on pathways to make the path better.
This is a sobering warning for Christians. If we lose our influence and godly qualities, we fail to serve God’s kingdom. Lot’s wife exemplifies this in Genesis 19:23-26. She became a pillar of salt after looking back longingly at her sinful life, losing her preserving role and merging with the world—a cautionary tale echoed in Luke 17:32:
"Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it."
Mark 9:49 adds: "Everyone will be salted with fire."
Many interpret this as trials and tribulations in this life preserving us, like salt, strengthening our faith and deepening our relationship with God as we learn to rely on Him during these times.
Colossians 4:6 ties salt to speech: "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." Our words should be pure, flavorful with truth and love, reflecting God’s grace and mercy.
Salt symbolizes the deep relationship God seeks with us and our call to preserve and flavor the world with His love and mercy. Jesus called His disciples—and us—to be the salt of the earth. Are we leaving a loving, impactful taste? Are we purifying society with God’s grace? Let’s strive to be His flavor in a lost world.
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