10.30.24

 Good morning!


My trip back to Kansas City has been filled with amazing events...Oh my, Yahweh is so good!

Over the past week, I've revisited the passage where Yeshua speaks of us as being salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16). Too often, and I am guilty of this, we just superimpose our modern day meaning on Yeshua's statements that fit a culturally accepted paradigm. This morning, I want to take you on a journey to reconsider some salty thoughts.

Good hermeneutics teaches us to always go back to the first mention of a term in Scripture to establish its original meaning. The first time 'salt' is found is in Leviticus 2:13 where the order of the words are “salt of the covenant.”  The context of this passage is the grain offering, which was to have salt added to it.  But the Spirit didn’t stop with just the grain offerings.  He had Moses write in the same verse that the Israelites were to “add salt to all your offerings.”  Thus, all offerings made by the Israelites to the Lord, not just grain offerings, were to have salt added to them.

The second usage, found in Numbers 18:19, is also in the context of offerings.  This time, however, the word order has been changed to “covenant of salt”.  Huh? Is that important? Enquiring minds want to know!

In Numbers 18, the Lord tells Moses to instruct Aaron and the Levites that it is their responsibility to take care of the Tabernacle.  Moses was also to let them know that all the holy offerings the Israelites give Me I give to you and your sons as your portion and regular share.

This was their allotment, as they were not going to receive any inheritance in the Land because God was their inheritance.  All the offerings, except for the burnt offerings, belonged to them (Lev. 1-5).  God was letting them know that He Himself was going to provide for them through the offerings given by the people.  “Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I (God) give to you…It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord.”  The Kohanim/priests were to serve God and trust Him for their livelihoods.

The last time the phrase is found is in 2 Chronicles 13:5.  In this particular passage the Lord gave the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever through a “covenant of salt.”  Although the previous two usages are found in the context of offerings, there are none mentioned here.  The 2 Chronicles passage appears to be totally unrelated to the previous two usages, yet is it?  Since the Bible itself never directly defines the phrase in any of these passages, how does one discover what God is trying to tell us through them?  Equally important, what does it mean to the believer in Yeshua today? Enquiring minds really want to know how this affects my salty life.

Traditionally, salt is defined as a cleansing or preserving agent. And though that sounds good, within Scripture there must be more to its meaning; especially since it's used in grain offerings, which have no blood, and the burnt offering which isn't eaten by anyone. And, the modern definition needs to be expanded because of its connection with the Priest and the King. Thus the meaning of the “salt covenant” had to mean something other than preservation, prevention from eating blood, or cleansing. Could it be that the “covenant of salt” was all about a relationship with God based upon trust?

The people were to trust God by giving the salt that was put into their offering.  Their God would provide for them and they were to give back out of love and obedience.  The priests and Levites were to trust God by serving Him without a land inheritance like their brothers.  Their God would provide for their livelihood while they were away from their cities which were interspersed throughout Israel.  David and his sons were to trust God as the King and serve Him, believing He would keep the throne moving through David’s line long after David and his sons departed the scene.

Before we stop for today's study, our thoughts beg the question: Am I trusting God by living a salty life? Thoughts to ponder as we head into our day.

Shalom!

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