“Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt”
Leviticus 2:13
The fact that the Lord requires that every grain offering be seasoned with salt is such an interesting concept. It’s one of those verses in Scripture that makes you stop and wonder what in the world is the big deal about salt? The term “covenant of salt” is only used three times in Scripture. We see it here in Leviticus 2:13, then in Numbers 18:19, and finally in 2 Chronicles 13:5. As I pondered the importance of salt and it’s references in Scripture I opened my search to just the word “salt” instead of covenant of salt. I discovered the word “salt” is used forty-one times in the NASB translation of the Bible, and at least fourteen of those occurrences were in reference to a location, the Salt Sea. Therefore, I looked into the Salt Sea.
The Salt Sea is also known as the Dead Sea. This sea was given as a boundary to the land that the Lord promised to Abraham and his descendants and to this very day it remains a west border of the nation of Israel. What I found very interesting about the Salt Sea was that it is currently 430.5 meters (1,410 feet) below sea level. It is the lowest elevation of land on earth. It is actually not a sea at all, but is a lake with the Jordan River its only tributary.
As I pondered these facts the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:13 came to my mind, “You are the salt of the earth.” We often take this verse and its use of salt to say that we, as believers, are to be the purifiers of the earth, but what if we were to take this verse and its use of salt and see it from another perspective. What if we considered the fact that the salt that Jesus most likely would have been referring to would have been coming from the Salt Sea, the lowest point on earth. What if instead of us seeing salt as its purifying agent we saw it for its lowliness? What if we connected this lowliness with humility?
What if the salt of the covenant was to remain humble before our God. To remember that we are low and all that we are and all that we have comes from one source, our Creator, our YHWH, our God. What if every time the Lord refers to salt in the Word we also choose to connect it as a reminder to be humble before Him. Every offering was to be seasoned with salt. Every offering was to be brought before the Lord with humility. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
The physical properties of salt do act as a purifier and as a means to preserve from corruption. The Encyclopedia Britannica also states that “Covenants were ordinarily made over a sacrificial meal, in which salt was a necessary element. The preservative qualities of salt made it a peculiarly fitting symbol of an enduring compact, sealing it with an obligation to fidelity. The word salt thus acquired connotations of high esteem and honour in ancient and modern languages” (https://www.britannica.com/science/salt). Salt was used as a symbol and as a necessity. It is both spiritual and practical. Would not our willing habitual readiness to remain humble before our God keep us from corruption and lead us to maintain the integrity of our lives? Humility is both spiritual and practical.
Let’s consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:13 again, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” We are the humble of the earth, but if the humble become full of pride, how can they be made humble again? They are no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. As believers, we are not to walk around all high and mighty, but we are to remain humble and low so that we can be used by God to lift others up, just as He lifted us up.
Colossians 4:6 teaches us, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” 1 Peter 5:4-7 teaches, “and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Let every offering be seasoned with salt. Let every offering be seasoned with humility.
We need not ever forget that we can bow low before our God and lay all things at His feet knowing that our supply for every need flows from Him. This was, after all, the whole point of the gift offerings. They were an opportunity to bring any and every need and all praise and thanks before the Lord. For these offerings to mean anything they have to come in humility. Humility is an attitude of our heart and the Lord sees our hearts. As the Salt Sea is the lowest elevation on earth, we who have been born again, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, should be the most humbled people on earth, for we know what we have been forgiven and the holiness of the One who has forgiven us.
Oh Father,
It is so easy to find ourselves puffing up with pride, even as we appear to be bringing an offering to You. Our lips and actions can claim to honor You while our heart remains far from you. My Jesus, help me to never forget that You are my God. In Isaiah 66:2 You declare, “For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being, but to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Lord, I know that Your hand has made all things and I do desire to be someone on which You can look. Lord, I so tremble at Your word. May the truth of Your word teach me to be humble and contrite of spirit so that I will not choose my own way, but will walk in Yours.
My Jesus I love you and it is in Your name I pray,
Amen