Worth Your Salt?
Salt played a fundamental role in the bible. Salt was used within Hebrew society of the Testament periods as seasoning, preservative, disinfectant, a unit of money, and a crucial component of all ceremonial offerings required by God.
In the days of Jesus, King Herod held a monopoly on salt coming from the Dead Sea. This is where the priests got their supply of salt needed for Temple rituals and offerings. Roman soldiers were often paid with salarium argentum, or salt money. Even our word “salary” comes from the Latin word sal, meaning salt. Slaves were often traded in salt, this is the origin of the expression that someone is “not worth his salt.”
Flavorless Witness
Jesus knew the mentality mindset of the Romans, priests, Jews, and Gentiles. So when Jesus said,“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13) Everyone knew the ramifications of this insult.
Salt that had lost its flavor could not be throw out onto the dunghill as fertilizer to spread on crops. Even flavorless salt will not allow vegetative growth. Salt without flavor was good for nothing else except the construction of Roman roads.
In ancient times the Romans used salt as a binding agent in the crude cement and mortar used to hold stones, dirt, and aggregate together when building roads. Salt left roads barren and void of vegetation; some even to this day. This is the salt that Jesus is referencing when He says, “Trampled under foot.”
The Bible teaches us that we, as Christians, are to be salt of the earth. We are to be a seasoning that tastes good to others, our witness should enhance the flavor of God’s Word to sinners. (Job 6:6) Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
As Believers we should preserve the Word of God, ‘in context’ like salt preserves food. We should be vigilante, not letting Satan’s influence decay its meaning and power by turning our witness and walk into a fowl rotten stinch in the nostrils of the unsaved.
A Christian Believer who has lost their salt has no flavor and is no longer any good as a reliable witness of a Holy God. This wishy washy behavior and lack of backbone to stand up for biblical laws, ethics, and morals is rotten food; wasted before God and sickening to the souls of mankind.
Shine as Light
Jesus goes on to say, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
A Believer who is “worth his salt” is a beacon shining out into the darkness to sinners. Unashamed of God and His Word. A Christian’s light should shine so bright in a dark and chaotic world, that it draws people into the convicting light and warmth shown by the glory of our Father God in Heaven.
This is one way we can take up our cross and follow Jesus. (Matthew 16:24-26) This is how Christian’s can show God’s love through the control of ones own actions and fleshly nature. We show a bright mirror reflection of Jesus to others.
Jesus explains the intrinsic necessity of spiritual salt saying, “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” (Mark 9:49-50)
As Believers, we will go through adversity. These tribulations will season your faith and walk through your sacrifices made for the Lord. In the end; A Believer’s goal is the help sinners make peace with God unto salvation.
Jesus not only taught us how to be the Salt of the Earth. Jesus gave His life for its cause. Jesus proved He was “Worth His Salt” and ‘Walked the Walk.’ (Romans 5:8)
Salt Covenant
Have you ever really thought about what true spiritual significance salt played in the bible. The main source of salt in the region is the area of the Dead Sea, The salt cliffs of Jebel Usdum is a whopping ten mile long stretch of salt. This rock salt washes down off of the cliffs into the Dead Sea.
In ancient times as well as today the waters of the dead sea can be poured into a hole or pit and left to evaporate leaving the salt behind.
This natural resource has great physical as well as spiritual significance to the people as well as God. God made a Salt Covenant as recorded in scripture three times.
The first is in (Leviticus 2:13). Here it is phrased ‘salt of the covenant.’ The passage first instructs that every grain offering is to be seasoned with salt. However; notice that God does not stop with just the grain offerings. God added, in the latter part of the verse, that all offerings should be offered with salt.
This is essential as we will learn a little latter in this text.
And
every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you
shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from
your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.(Leviticus 2:13)
“All
the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel
offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with
you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the
Lord with you and your descendants with you.” (Numbers 18:19)
Should
you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel
to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt? (2 Chronicles 13:5)
Let us not forget, that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this covenant as King and Passover Lamb offered on the Cross for your sins. Jesus came from the seed of David and born to be King of the Jews, King of Israel, and King of Kings. (Matthew 2:2) (John 12:13) (1 Timothy 6:15) (Revelation 19:16)
Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” (John 7:42)
Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,(Romans 1:3)
Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, (2 Timothy 2:8)
Satan’s Perversion
The perversion of Satan is to hide the truth of God’s word from the Church. Here the truth is exposed. Jesus Christ came from the seed of David. The fulfillment of the Salt Covenant is in the Blood of Jesus.
Jesus became the ultimate salted sacrifice to atone for your sins. Jesus as the Passover sacrifice was also salted at birth.
This proves the Harmony between the Old/New Testaments, fulfillment of prophesy, and trust, through truth of the covenant words of God.
You may ask, “What do you mean salted at birth?” Here is the hidden wisdom nugget of truth. Satan does not want you to know. Jesus was swaddled at birth.
And
she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling
cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in
the inn. (Luke 2:7)
And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)
Swaddling cloths is tranlated from the greek σπαργανόω transliterated sparganoō Strongs G4683 meaning to strap or wrap with strips. In the Book of Job they are called bands. (Job 38:9) When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band;
During ancient bible times infants at birth, had their umbilical cord cut and tied, they were rubbed with salt and oil, washed, and then with legs together, and arms to the sides, they were wrapped with linen or cotton bandages. These were four to five inches wide and five to six yards long.
These bands were for warmth and believed to help in the correct formation of limbs. It is also believed that all babies were cleaned but not all could afford the swaddling strips and only covered with blankets, items on hand, or left naked.
Abandoned
Due to the abominations committed by Jerusalem. The prophet Ezekiel describes this swaddling process by its omission for the swaddling of Jerusalem. If it were not for God’s intervention, Jerusalem would have died in its bloody iniquity, just as an infant abandoned in a field would certainly die. The following passage in Ezekiel is used as a analogy for abandonment.
As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.
No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have
compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you
yourself were loathed on the day you were born.
“And
when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said
to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I
made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and
became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you
were naked and bare.
“When
I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the
time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness.
Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord God. (Ezekiel 16:4-8)
Salt Covenant Fulfilled
Knowing that Jesus was salted at birth shows the harmony of the Testaments when God said, “With all your offerings you shall offer salt.” (Leviticus 2:13) God’s offering was His only son Jesus who became the final blood sacrifice required for salvation and eternal life. (John 3:16)
God’s own offering honored His requirement of the Salt Covenant; Jesus was salted at birth.
“Men
of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God
to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your
midst, as you yourselves also know — Him, being delivered by the
determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless
hands, have crucified, and put to death; (Acts 2:22-23)
Let
it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised
from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.(Acts 4:10)
To this day there is an Arabic expression, “There is salt between us”; “He has eaten of my salt,” which means by eating and socializing a meal together with salt; Cements their friendship commitment one to the other. This is a reminder of the forever enduring Salt Covenant with God.
Jesus died for All. Please Pass the Salt.
