“Salt” – An Essential Calling for Christians
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© March 8, 2020
Scripture Reading:
Matthew 5:1–15
1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 “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 by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
What are the essential things that “salt” brings to your life?
SALT “A chemical compound composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl) used to preserve, purify, and season food.”
· Salt is Essential for Life and Health
Too much salt…risk of stroke, too little salt – cardiovascular (muscle function) and central nervous system problems. Without salt, we would eventually die.
Sodium is the primary “cation” [pronounced “cat-ion”] (a positively charged ion) in extracellular fluids in animals and humans. These fluids, such as blood plasma and extracellular fluids in other tissues, bathe cells and carry out transport functions for nutrients and wastes.
Sodium ions (Na+) are necessary as a nutrient in humans, due to their use of it for generation of nerve impulses and for maintenance of electrolyte balance and fluid balance, for heart activity and certain metabolicfunctions.[2]
Sodium is the most prominent cation in extracellular fluid: in the 15 liters (3.96 gallons) of extracellular fluid in a 70 kg (154 lb.) human there is around 50 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of sodium, some 90% of the body's total sodium content.
Sodium indirectly regulates the amount of signal transduction in the human central nervous system, which depends on sodium ion motion across the nerve cell membrane, in all nerves. The distribution of sodium ions are mediated by sodium–potassium pumps.[1]
As Salt is essential to the human body, so the “salt” that Christians bring to the world is vital for life and wellbeing in the preservation, purity, and redemptive hope for those around them in this world, Christians bring hope, healing and stability through their belief in God, faith in Christ and submission to God’s Word. Believers bring purity, principal, integrity, caution, forgiveness, morality and rebuke, to the depravity, anxiety and clouded conscience, prevalent in the world… Believers also bring the fruit of the Holy Spirit, rising from the depth of their re-born, transformed spirit – love, joy, peace, patience…etc.
· Salt has Considerable Value
“Salt is known as ‘white gold.’ It is one of the most significant substances in history, along with iron, gold, and wheat.”
“Salt was a known commodity in the ancient Near East by at least 4000 bc.” [2]
“The Golden Raft”
Documentaries on the “El Dorado gold” have postulated that the Spanish Conquistadors sought to kill for hoards of gold…because every Inca household had a display of gold in their home… But there was no “hoard.” Inca families had acquired golden items through the trade of salt. The item of gold in their home was most likely a shrine to their god. The golden raft was an Incan replica of what the chief had ridden on to offer his gold to his god on behalf of himself and his people, as a gift in the sacred lake.
“Worth Your Salt?”
It has been said that Roman Soldiers were paid a portion of their wages in salt…and thus the saying, “Are you worth your salt?”
Pliny suggested that the word salarium (salary) came from salarius (salt) and said this was because in the old days soldiers were paid in salt.[3]
Enhanced Flavor
Salt Enhances Flavor…on whatever food it is sprinkled. It does not draw the flavor of food to itself, but from itself, with the proper amount, it enhances the individual flavor of every unique piece, whether vegetable, meat, bread, pastry, fruit, or drink, etc.
Do you sprinkle salt on a slice of watermelon before you eat it?
“Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt”…?
- Job 6:6
Believers in Christ should enhance the integrity, moral uprightness, virtue, and blessing to those with whom they associate. They bring the unique “flavor” of the Creator with them, together with the graciousness, kindness, compassion and righteousness of their Savior, Jesus Christ.
· Salt has been involved in Covenants of Peace
“Salt has also served as a significant figurative symbol. Sharing salt was a symbol of friendship and hospitality, and ancient conflicts concluded with a meal consisting of bread and salt as a symbol of friendship (Aristotle, Eudemian Ethics 7.2.46; Cicero, Treatise of Friendship 19.67).
One who violated the eating of salt was a traitor (Demosthenes, On the Embassy 191).” [4]
There are many possible issues that may be included in a peace treaty such as the following:
· Formal designation of borders
· Processes for resolving future disputes
· Access to and apportioning of resources
· Status of refugees
· Status of prisoners of war
· Settling of existing debts
· Defining of as unjust behavior
· The re-application of existing treaties[5]
Peace with God: “The Salt of the Covenant”
Salt was established as part of the Levitical Sacrificial System in the Old Testament and formally called, “The Salt of the Covenant.”
Leviticus 2:11–13
13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
2 Chronicles 13:5
5 Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?
Numbers 18:19 (to the priests)
19 All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the Lord I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and for your offspring with you.”
“Jewish believers still dip the weekly Sabbath bread in salt.” [6]
Salt is part of the Incense Fragrance in the Temple Worship of God
Salt was part of the incense formula offered on the altar of incense in the holiest places in the Tabernacle and Temple
Exodus 30:34–35
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
Even in the sweet-smelling incense of our worship of God, God asks us to also include a seasoning of salt.
Christians carry about an “Aroma of Christ” – “sweet” to those who know Christ and follow Him, “foul” to those who want to live in rebellion against all that stands for God, righteousness, truth and purity.
2 Corinthians 2:15–16
15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
1 Corinthians 1:18
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Salt Evokes Purity (cleanses) and Preservative (surrounds and protects cells, kills germs and keeps from decay)
Ezekiel 16:4
4 And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.
“In ancient Egypt it was a symbol of luxury, and Egyptians used it in the mummification of their dead and to preserve olives and fish.”
“Salt can delay the rotting or decaying process when rubbed into meat, it is a symbol of incorruptibility.” [7]
Salt in Punitive Actions
Salt could also be used in Punitive actions against adversaries. The killing of life-giving vegetation – “sowed with salt,” to render an adversary’s land infertile.
Judges 9:45
45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
The Judgment of God invokes Brimstone and Salt
Deuteronomy 29:23
23 the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lordoverthrew in his anger and wrath— (Deut. 29:23;18-28; Zeph. 2:9)
Psalm 107:33–34
33 He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, 34 a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.
Why Did Jesus Compare His Followers to “Salt”?
Jesus said that His Followers should be the “Salt of the Earth!”
What makes a Christian like “Salt”?
Some Christians seem to be too “salty” for those around them, and other Christians seem to have lost their saltiness altogether!
“Salt” tends to Irritate and brings discomfort and burning when it Cleanses if something is not healthy or right…if there is a cut, wound or raw sore – when Godly “salt” confronts a problem or points out an issue at conflict with God’s Truth, from His Word. The effects of salt may point out something that has not been recognized or in need of being healing (like an invisible “paper cut”), until it started “burning” because of the contact with “salt”.
Being “Salt,” as a Christian, can be quite aggravating (even obnoxious) to the passive, all-tolerant world.
Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me!” (John 14:6)
This is too “salty” for those who feel there are many paths…many “ways” to God.
What about condemnation before God to those who cannot accept only Jesus’ redemption?
John 3:18
18 Whoever believes in Him [Jesus] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Mark 9:42–50
This passage concludes with another “salt” emphasis.
In reading the words of Jesus below in Mark 9:42-50, is there any part that causes us to feel a little uncomfortable – something a bit too “salty”?
The Salty Problem of Justice – Whose Justice and What Justice?
Do we condemn God for dealing Righteously and Justly?
Mark 9:42 “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.
The Salty Problem of Dealing with Sin – and the Salty Problem of the reality of “Hell”
Mark 9:43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where “ ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
Revelation 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Salty Problem of Everyone’s True Accountability before God
Mark 9:49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
1 Corinthians 3:11–15
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
The Sad Plight of Tasteless Salt
When saltiness is leached out of companion minerals, which may still look salty, how can the medicinal, taste and preservative qualities of salt be restored? It can no longer bring the benefits or tastiness of salt…it is thrown away, instead, having left only a disgusting taste of unsavory minerals.
Mark 9:50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?
“Salt from the Dead Sea could ‘lose its saltness,’ acquiring the alkaline taste of other compounds present as the salt was dissolved out.” [8]
Matthew 5:13
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
Let the prickliness of Salt-Speaking be balanced with the Discernment and Compassion of Peace-Seeking
Mark 9:50b Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Colossians 4:5–6
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Conclusion
The Necessity of Salt – Practically and Spiritually
· Essentials for Life and Health
· Value and Covenant
· Purity (cleanses), Preservative (surrounds and protects cells, kills germs and keeps from decay) and Preventive (kills vegetation – “sowed with salt”)
· Enhances Flavor…on whatever food it is sprinkled.
· Creates Thirst
A Believer who truly knows Christ and is a Light to this World, will also be one who with create a thirst for others around them to drink of The Water of Life!
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ENDNOTES
1 Peter 4:12–13
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Salt Creates Thirst
At a meeting some young people were discussing the text, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” One suggestion after another was made as to the meaning of “salt” in this verse.
“Salt imparts a desirable flavor,” said one.
“Salt preserves from decay,” another suggested.
Then a Chinese Christian girl spoke out of an experience none of the others had. “Salt creates thirst,” she said, and there was a sudden hush in the room. Everyone was thinking: Have I ever made anyone thirsty for the Lord Jesus Christ?[9]
Salt, Light and Our Great High Priest
Matthew 5:13-15
13 “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 by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Hebrews 4:14–16
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
“Salt is found in abundance in the area surrounding the Dead Sea, which is the saltiest body of water in the world at over 25 percent salinity (the open ocean is only 3.5% salinity). Salt from this area can be mined from salt cliffs, gathered from the marshland, or harvested from evaporating salt water. However, Dead Sea salt was not of the highest quality, as it was mixed with other minerals (e.g., gypsum) and the outer layer could be tasteless. People of the biblical world could also import salt from the east.
The Bible picks up on the destructive properties of salt in its associations of salt with barrenness, judgment, and disobedience. For example:
• Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt for her disobedience and became a monument to God’s wrath (Gen 19:26).
• Deuteronomy associates disobedience with salted land (e.g., Deut 29:16–28; see also Psa 107:34).
• Wisdom literature and the Prophets use terms like “salt” and “salty” synonymously with “barren” (Job 39:6; Jer 17:6; Zeph 2:9).
• Jeremiah contrasts those who have been blessed in the covenant with the cursed, who inhabit a salt land (Jer 17:6–8).
• Ezekiel prophesies that in the age to come, the water of the Dead Sea will be made fresh even though its swamps will remain salty (Ezek 47:9, 11).
• James associates fresh water with blessing and salt water with cursing (Jas 3:9–12; compare Ezek 47:7–9).
• Wisdom of Solomon sees the salty area around the Dead Sea as evidence of human impurity and sin (Wisdom 10:7).
It is possible that the association of salt with judgment for disobedience might also symbolize ritual cleansing, a break from the past, and the opportunity to move forward (compare 2 Kgs 2:20–21).
Salt and the Covenant
Scripture refers to God’s covenant as a “covenant of salt,” reflecting salt’s unique place in the covenant. Wenham suggests that salt may symbolize the covenant itself (Wenham, Leviticus, 71), while Darlington states that salt is a “covenantal concept” (Darlington, “The Salt of the Earth,” 716).
The phrase “covenant of salt” is usually understood to refer to the perpetual obligation of the covenant, perhaps due to the concept of loyalty to the provider of salt (Num 18:19; 2 Chr 13:5; Kurlansky, Salt, 7). The salt of the covenant is necessary for life (compare Tractate Sopherim 15:8, Strack and Billerbeck, Kommentar, 1:235; 2:23). It is also a sign of stability (compare 1 Esdras 6:30; Letter of Jeremiah 6:28; Jubilees 21:11). The use of salt in Scripture to describe the covenant mixes themes of blessing and curse, judgment, and salvation (Minear, “The Salt of the Earth,” 37).
Salt and Discipleship
Several New Testament passages connect salt with discipleship, including:
• Jesus calls His disciples to be the “salt of the earth,” perhaps referring to salt’s preserving or flavoring properties (Matt 5:13; Mark 9:49–50; Luke 14:34–35).
• Jesus calls His disciples to have salt within themselves and to live at peace, perhaps referring to God’s word and the effect it was to have on their lives (Mark 9:50; compare Heb 4:12, Strack and Billerbeck, Kommentar, 2:23).
• Paul admonishes the Colossians to season their speech with salt (Col 4:6).
Darlington argues that the association of salt with the people of God reminds them that their discipleship and its effect on the world carries with it a strong covenantal context (Darlington, “The Salt of the Earth,” 731). It also serves as a reminder of the final judgment, when “everyone will be salted with fire” (Mark 9:49 ESV).[10]
[1] Gleaned from Wikipedia (copyright free and reproducible online encyclopedia) articles on “salt” and related topics.
[2] Myers, A. C. (1987). In The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (p. 904). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1f5wrj/did_roman_soldiers_actually_get_paid_in_salt/
[4] II, R. G. R. (2016). Salt. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[5] Peace Treaties: Wikipedia
[6] II, R. G. R. (2016). Salt. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[7] Ibid.
[8] II, R. G. R. (2016). Salt. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[9] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (pp. 735–736). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.
[10] II, R. G. R. (2016). Salt. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.