Ever have a meal totally without salt? Not very tasty is it? We are all aware that salt brings out the flavors of food and makes it more enjoyable to eat. It also has the ability to soften the pain of certain physical ailments. Many of us are familiar with mixing salt in warm water and gurgling it for a sore throat; it does make the soreness go away. Salt is a wonderful mineral that God has created. But the biblical purpose of salt in God’s kingdom goes far beyond taste and comfort.
In 2 Kings 2:18-22, the men of Jericho said to Elisha, “The city is a pleasant place, but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.” In other words, the land was cursed; they knew this because they drank it every day; the taste was stagnant, and certainly not refreshing. To add to the water’s inadequacy, the land proved to be unfruitful. Interestingly, this meant that the women were barren.
Taking a walk back into history, we find that the water and land of Jericho was indeed cursed. Many of you may remember the story of Joshua and the priests who marched with the people of Israel around Jericho; they marched around the city six times, then the seventh time they blew the trumpets and the people shouted; then the walls come tumbling down. Once the walls were down they were able to take hold the city, destroy everything and everyone in it, except the silver, gold, articles of bronze and iron. They also saved Rahab and her family, because she hid the spies that previously scoped out the land before taking it.
At this time in history when Joshua led the people of Israel, he made the people take an oath after the overthrow of Jericho. “…Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and builds this city of Jericho; with the loss of his first-born he shall lay its foundations, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.” (Joshua 6:26). And that is exactly what happened centuries later. “Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid it’s foundation with the loss of Abiram his first-born, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son, Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.” (1 Kings 16:34). The land was cursed by death and disobedience.
Now returning to Elisha and the men of Jericho who said to him that the water was bad and unfruitful, he responded with telling them to get a new jar and put salt in it. They did as he asked them; Elisha went to the spring and threw the salt in it. After throwing the salt, Elisha said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.” Thus the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha.
We find many wonderful lessons in this small significant passage. This purification of the waters signifies the lifting of a curse and the mercy of God showering over this land. Salt was used in this passage to purify the water because it represented the covenant God made with His people. We find this covenant in Numbers 18:19, “All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offered to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your descendants with you.” Leviticus 2:13 explains the purpose of the salt which is to employ the above covenant, “Put salt on every grain offering, because salt represents the covenant between you and God. (You must put salt on all your offerings.)
Salt plays a very important role; in addition to the binding covenant God has made with His people, we find that adding salt to the incense that was burned in the Tent of Meeting kept the incense pure and holy. (Exodus 30:35). Elisha shows us that its purpose provides healing and restoration to the bitter and barren. Amen! We, who are the bitter and the barren of eternal life have found healing and restoration in Jesus the salt of the sacrifice!
Jesus has been this salt for us in our current state of sin and His sacrificial life was given for the curse sin has held over us. Jesus represents that covenant God ultimately promised to His people and has extended to the Gentile world. Interestingly, salt itself can lose its saltiness; however, Jesus represents the everlasting salt that solidifies God’s covenant with us forever. Jesus, who never loses His saltiness, became human flesh, the unsalted, yet without sin, to be the perfect, holy and pure sacrifice for us to find redemption and salvation.
Bringing the purpose of salt to our reality, we find that while this salt is a mineral of the earth and a commodity of God’s creation, it obviously shows a tangible functional parallel in our relationship with God. The New Testament takes this salt and brings it to a whole new level of intimacy.
In Mark 9:50, Jesus says, “"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." Notice where the salt resides in this passage: “in” you is what Jesus stated. “In” us is where it resides. With salt living inside us, what are we able to be with others in our lives? We are able to be at peace. This is impossible without the sacrifice of Jesus; this is impossible without the Spirit of God living inside us. Without salt, we are unable to be who Jesus says we are: at peace with others. When we find ourselves not at peace with others, we need to question ourselves with, “Where is the salt?”
Jesus takes it further, “You are the salt of the earth…” (Matthew 5:13). Just before this verse Jesus describes what this salt looks like in virtue:
• poor in spirit, those who recognize that they have great spiritual needs;
• those who mourn here on earth for the lost, destitute, and the hurting;
• the humble who are always putting themselves out there for others, even the unlovely;
• those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and know that the only thing that truly satisfies is Christ and His Word;
• the merciful that grant mercy to the undeserving and guilty;
• the pure in heart who seek the good to dwell on and the clean to live by even when tempted to do otherwise;
• the peacemakers who seek peace when all they want to do is get even;
• and those persecuted for righteousness for they realize that looking up is superior than looking out.
In summary, salt represents purity, holiness, an agreement with God, healing, and peace with others.
Understanding what salt was used for in the Old Testament, and what Jesus said it represents gives Colossians 4:6 whole new meaning: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Grace in this verse means to turn people to Christ; to keep, strengthen, and encourage them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindle them to exercise the Christian virtues as aforementioned in Matthew 5 above.
Looking at Colossians 4:6 with new meaning, let us see it for what it really is to us, “Let your conversation turn people to Christ, encourage them to live virtuous lives; season your words with purity, holiness, constant agreement with God, and healing; and why should we do this? So that everything we say to others will promote peace and foster unity in God’s Spirit.”
This Christmas season, when you salt your turkey or those yummy mash potatoes, think of salt’s purpose in your life? Ponder your part in being the salt of the earth. Do you possess the virtues God can use to heal others, turn others to Christ, kindle Christian virtues in the lives of others; does your life promote peace with others, healing, and illuminate the covenant God has with His people?
Spiritual salt has a source. It’s Jesus. He is the salt that should impede our sinful lives. He is the One who interrupts our will with His Father’s will. He is the One Who makes us tasty and useful to flavor and spice our life with holiness and purity. He salts us with His word and He uses His word to savor our influence around us. I pray to the Lord “Lord, don’t just pass me the salt, frost me, cover me, saturate me with Your salt!”
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