Topical Bible: Salt: All Animal Sacrifices Were Required to be Seasoned With

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In the biblical context, salt holds significant symbolic and ritualistic importance, particularly in the sacrificial system outlined in the Old Testament. The requirement for salt in animal sacrifices is explicitly stated in the Book of Leviticus, which serves as a foundational text for understanding the sacrificial practices of ancient Israel.

Biblical Mandate for Salt in Sacrifices

The command to season all offerings with salt is found in Leviticus 2:13: "You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant of your God. You are to add salt to each of your offerings." While this verse specifically mentions grain offerings, the principle extends to all sacrifices, as salt is emblematic of the covenant between God and His people.

Symbolism of Salt

Salt in the biblical narrative symbolizes purity, preservation, and the enduring nature of the covenant between God and Israel. Its preservative qualities make it a fitting symbol for the eternal and unbreakable nature of God's promises. In Numbers 18:19, the term "salt of the covenant" is used to describe the perpetual covenant between God and the priests: "All the holy contributions that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring."

Theological Implications

The use of salt in sacrifices underscores the holiness and purity required in offerings made to God. It serves as a reminder of the covenantal relationship and the need for faithfulness and integrity in worship. The inclusion of salt signifies that the offerings are not merely ritualistic but are deeply connected to the spiritual and moral obligations of the covenant community.

New Testament Reflections

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention the use of salt in sacrifices, the metaphorical use of salt continues. Jesus refers to His followers as "the salt of the earth" in Matthew 5:13, emphasizing their role in preserving and purifying the world through their witness and conduct. This reflects the ongoing spiritual significance of salt as a symbol of covenant faithfulness and moral integrity.

Conclusion

The requirement for salt in all animal sacrifices highlights its integral role in the worship practices of ancient Israel. As a symbol of the covenant, purity, and preservation, salt serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring relationship between God and His people, a theme that resonates throughout the biblical narrative.

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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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Ezra 6:9
And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:
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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

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... her love for her husband were merely an animal passion; she ... was turned into a pillar
of salt, that being ... Lot consent to receive from his daughters all the cups ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... had routed the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, one of ... centres adoration was rendered
to the animal presentment of ... of Levi, but was recruited from all the tribes ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

The Pilgrim's Progress
... Again, He had them into His field, which He had sowed with wheat and corn; but when
they beheld, the tops of all were cut off, only the straw remained; He said ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the pilgrims progress.htm

part i
... of the ruin of the unfortunate souls that were redeemed by ... fell away from God, he,
like an animal that was ... him to sincerely believe in God, and in all that He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part i.htm