More salt please
Salt in ancient times was valued more than it is today, but the natural qualities of salt are the same today as in bible times. They are unchanging. These qualities include its ability to preserve and enhance our food. Salt was also valued for it permanence. Salt is produced by a bonding between sodium and chlorine, and cannot be destroyed unless its bond is broken.
From Leviticus 2:13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings: add salt to all your offerings.
Did you also think salt was optional? We should be allowed to casually add a dash or pinch, or sprinkle it were we want, depending of course on the advice of our fickle taste buds. But now this worlds health experts are advising us to lay off the salt, less is better. Makes me think that there is just too much advice available and too many options. Today, options are not even optional. It is all so confusing that I want to jump off this option driven world. As I land in my chair I pick up the bible and find out that salt is not an option. Salt is a staple. It is the staple ingredient of the covenant of God with us.
God’s advice, “Season all your grain offerings with salt.”
Don’t waste the precious kernels but don’t be stingy either. Add just the right sized pinch to savour the offering making it pleasing to God. Paul says in Col. 4:6 let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. When we witness to others about God’s grace it should be done gracefully. We are to season our remarks with the right words and our listening with the right attitudes. This is a pleasing offering to God and it has an enhancing, permanent impression on people’s lives.
God commands us, “Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering.” This line is even written as a command, prefaced with the essential “Do not”. This command, like the Ten Commandments, ensures the preservation of our lives. It offers us assurance that God’s covenant bonds are permanent and unchanging. Obeying God’s law enhances the flavours of our relationship with him.
God instructs us “Add salt to all your offerings.”
Salt is to be used everywhere. Oh what freedom! Never mind the world health experts advise, we will follow the commandments. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:5 make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness knowledge; and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control perseverance and to perseverance godliness. As God’s people, all the activities we add to living are offered to God. They show the permanence, preserving and enhancing qualities of a people living in covenant obedience with God.
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