Topical Bible: Offerings: Must Be: Salted

◄ Offerings: Must Be: Salted ►

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In the biblical context, the requirement for offerings to be salted is a significant aspect of the sacrificial system established by God for the Israelites. This requirement is rooted in the covenantal relationship between God and His people, symbolizing purity, preservation, and the enduring nature of God's promises.

Biblical Mandate

The command for offerings to be salted is explicitly stated in the Book of Leviticus. Leviticus 2:13 instructs, "You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering. Add salt to all your offerings." This directive underscores the importance of salt as a covenantal symbol, integral to the offerings presented to God.

Symbolism of Salt

Salt in the ancient Near Eastern context was a valuable commodity, often associated with purity and preservation. In the sacrificial system, salt served as a symbol of the covenant between God and Israel. It represented the enduring and unbreakable nature of God's promises. The "salt of the covenant" mentioned in Leviticus 2:13 signifies the perpetual and binding agreement between God and His people, emphasizing the faithfulness and constancy expected in their relationship with Him.

Theological Implications

The requirement for offerings to be salted carries deep theological implications. It highlights the necessity for purity and holiness in the worship of God. Salt, as a purifying agent, signifies the need for offerings to be presented in a manner that is acceptable and pleasing to God. This reflects the broader biblical theme of holiness, where God calls His people to be set apart and to approach Him with reverence and sincerity.

Furthermore, the use of salt in offerings points to the preservation of the covenantal relationship. Just as salt preserves food from decay, the inclusion of salt in offerings symbolizes the preservation of the covenant and the enduring nature of God's promises to His people. It serves as a reminder of the eternal and unchanging character of God's covenantal love and faithfulness.

New Testament Reflection

In the New Testament, the symbolism of salt is echoed in the teachings of Jesus. In Mark 9:49-50 , Jesus states, "For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another." Here, Jesus uses the metaphor of salt to convey the importance of maintaining one's spiritual integrity and influence in the world. The call to "have salt among yourselves" reflects the ongoing need for purity, preservation, and peace within the community of believers.

Conclusion

The requirement for offerings to be salted is a profound aspect of the biblical sacrificial system, rich with symbolic meaning. It underscores the themes of purity, preservation, and covenantal faithfulness, serving as a powerful reminder of the enduring relationship between God and His people. Through the lens of the New Testament, the symbolism of salt continues to hold relevance, calling believers to live lives marked by holiness, integrity, and peace.

Nave's Topical Index

Leviticus 2:13
And every oblation of your meat offering shall you season with salt; neither shall you suffer the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meat offering: with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
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Ezekiel 43:24
And you shall offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to the LORD.
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Mark 9:49
For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
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Library

In Jerusalem when Herod Reigned
... who came to pay vows, or bring offerings for purifying ... were sold (the Beth haShevaqim),
[568] must have been ... served with some dish: fresh or salted fish, fried ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter i in jerusalem when.htm

The Morning-Meal in the Pharisee's House - Meals and Feasts among ...
... an introductory course, consisting of appetising salted meat, or ... it never sought
to remove, must have lain ... prevent the eating of sacred offerings in defilement ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xii the morning-meal in.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... an one, no not to eat." This must necessarily imply ... souls of other men; wherewith
shall ye be salted? ... seeing God "delighteth not in burnt-offerings," in outward ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 24 upon our lords.htm

The Miraculous Feeding of the Five Thousand
... evening' when the disciples, whose anxiety must have been ... puts it, while all other
meat-offerings were of ... in the Lake, and which, dried and salted, would form ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxix the miraculous feeding.htm

The Dialogue against the Luciferians.
... the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? ... as a general admonition,
how much more must care be ... shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the ...
/.../the principal works of st jerome/the dialogue against the luciferians.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... In that case it must have been brought to Egypt from remote antiquity, for it ... ansato,
as symbols of life; or bears a flat tray, full of offerings"bunches of ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... provided offerings, guaranteed from the three towns Anaugasa ... These distributions
must have stimulated a passion for ... the Lebanon,** smoked and salted fish, live ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

An Essay on the Scriptural Doctrine of Immortality.
... According to this view it must be supposed that "the wicked heart" is in ... at the
threshold of the world's history, on the occasion of offerings being brought to ...
/.../an essay on the scriptural.htm

Chaldaean Civilization
... much advantage as those of our own day have done, and which must have saved ... tombs
of his ancestors, at such times as were customary, the offerings and prayers ...
/.../chapter iiichaldaean civilization.htm

Ancient Chaldaea
... Their country must have presented at the beginning ... They consumed them either fresh,
salted, or smoked ... destroyed, who would then make the accustomed offerings? ...
/.../chapter iancient chaldaea.htm