The spiritual significance of salt: Preserving faith, purity, and purpose

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” (Matthew 5:13).

Long ago, Job asked: Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any taste in the juice of the mallow (or, in the white of an egg)? (Job 6:6). In other words: Can tasteless food be eaten without salt? The answer of course is no because we cannot enjoy eating any food without salting. Let us share some quick thoughts on salt:

1) The source of salt: In ancient times, salt was more necessary for food than it is today, due to the high cost and scarcity of spices. It was collected from salt lands, where salt accumulates, especially near the seas (Jeremiah 17: 6; Zephaniah 2:9). In the land of Canaan, salt was abundant in the Dead Sea area, which is called in Hebrew "Yam HaMelach" or the Salt Sea (Numbers 34: 12).

2) Uses of salt: Infants` bodies were rubbed with salt to strengthen the skin (Ezekiel 16: 4), but salt was mostly used to season food, either to eat it or to cover it for preservation from spoilage. In Jewish worship, all offerings were seasoned with salt, which is called the salt of the covenant of God (Leviticus 2:13; Mark 9:49), and the holy offerings given to the priests were called an everlasting covenant of salt. We also read that God gave David the kingdom with a covenant of salt indicating the permanence and purity of the covenant (Numbers 19: 18; 2 Chronicles 13: 5).

3) The value of salt: The origin of the word "salary" is from the Latin word "salarium" derived from the root "sal" meaning salt. A sum of money was allocated to the Roman soldier to buy salt, which was an expensive commodity in ancient Rome.

In later eras, the value of salt decreased. For example, when the Ottoman empire ruled the Middle East (16th- 20th  cent.), as its inspectors searched the merchandise for customs duties, when they saw salt bags, they simply said in Turkish: "Tuz " (salt) meaning it’s nothing (no tax on salt). The word entered colloquial Arabic dialects as " ṭuz" which is an insult in Arabic, said mockingly for something or someone of no value.

4) The corruption of salt: In a Talmudic discussion, a question was raised: “When salt is spoiling, with what does one salt it to preserve it?" Rabbi Yehoshua: "With the placenta of a mule". They said to him:" But is there a placenta of a mule (as it does not give birth)?" Rabbi Yehoshua answered: And does salt spoil? (Bekhorot 8, b). Actually, salt as a substance does not spoil, but if it is not pure or mixed with other substances, then it can spoil. Believers are the salt of the earth, but if their salt spoils (loses its saltiness) due to mixing with dirt (the evil world), then it is no longer good for anything. One of the meanings of the verb becomes tasteless "moraino" in Greek is to become moron (fool). What a loss when a believer lacks spiritual understanding and behavior enough to lose his distinctive taste and look like a fool!

5) Urgent salty questions:

A. If every sacrifice was seasoned with salt, do we today constantly offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, and do we live in everything that concerns God with purity and incorruption?

B. Do we have salt in our souls, meaning that we live and behave in a holy manner? It is the only kind of salt which does not raise the blood pressure.

C. Is our difference in thought and behavior from the people of the world clear? If you work for the Lord with the purity of salt, trust that the Lord’s mark will be obvious in and through you. Let God be present in your life so that you may be a worker who does not need to be ashamed, and do not accept a life of laxity that does not catch any prey! (2 Timothy 2: 15; Proverbs 12: 27).

D. We are the salt that preserves the world, so is our flavor (taste) notable? May we not lose our taste (saltiness) and become useless, failing to achieve the purpose for which God created us.

“Salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or the manure pile, so it is thrown out” (Luke 14: 35). Without pure life and faithful walk, we lose our influence in the world, and we might be trampled on by people (metaphorically), losing our Christian testimony.

Summary: Spiritually speaking “we eat the salt of the king’s palace” (Ezra 4: 14), the King of Kings, by whom we live, move, and exist, so let our deeds and words be seasoned with salt – sanctified, balanced and constructive. May we be sound and blameless, so that the opponent, who strives to poison the souls, may be put to shame!