The Spiritual Significance of Salt

[Study Posted November 11, 2017]

As Christ’s firstfruits, we are still living in fleshly bodies with earthly honey and leaven, being humbled and shown our wretched earthly condition by God’s fiery words (Romans 7). Even in this state, while we are being set free from all earthly entanglements and attachments, we are indeed the good salt to those in whatever situation we are placed by God, even as we go through much tribulation daily to be an offering “unto the Lord”!

Lev 2:12 As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them [the honey or leaven] unto the LORD: but they [the honey or leaven] shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.
Lev 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

A few of the natural attributes of salt come to mind. We indeed understand and apply these spiritually (Rom 1:20):

Salt is not always visible in food, but what a difference it makes! It emphasizes the foundation and growth of the faith of Christ in us to affect everything and everyone in our lives. God’s spiritual salt (us) brings healing and salvation!

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Col 4:5 (NKJV) Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
Col 4:6 (NKJV) Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

2Ki 2:19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
2Ki 2:20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
2Ki 2:21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
2Ki 2:22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

Rom 11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Salt preserves freshness. The life of Christ in us is giving us a new and fresh Godly approach to everything we encounter, even when others see things totally differently:

Num 13:30 (NKJV) Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
Num 13:31 (NKJV) But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”

Num 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

Num 14:6 (NKJV) But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
Num 14:7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
Num 14:8 If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’

Salt binds together in the sense that it spreads throughout the whole meal (the positive application of leaven also connects here = “one event for all”/the whole “lump” will be holy). The one spirit of the Father drags us into the Christ, and elevates us to the one mind of the Christ, being “seated in heaven” through grace and faith (Eph 2:6-10). We learn how to be very careful with the salt (Jas 2:13).

Jas 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Num 18:19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.

2Ch 13:5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Mar 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
Mar 9:50 Salt is good; but if the salt becomes saltless, with what will you season? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

Gal 5:14 For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Gal 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another.