Covenant of Salt

In the old days, salt was very rare, therefore its value was rather high. Technology wasn’t as abundant as it is today, thus at some point, it could be traded for gold. When Jesus calls us salt of the earth, He means to say we too are of much value especially at that point at which He was speaking from in history.

Salt is (was) used for many things. Firstly, it was used as an object of covenant. To become friends, two men, each with a pouch of salt, could pick a pinch from their individual pouches and pour it into the other’s saying, ‘This friendship will end if you find my salt in yours…’ It is impossible to find that salt, so basically, it meant that that new covenant made by the friends would never end. This is what God did for us as explained in the scripture below;

Leviticus 2:13 states that “You shall season every grain offering with salt so that the salt (preservation) of the covenant of your God will not be missing from your grain offering.” God sprinkled His salt in our pouches so that if we could find it, His covenant with us would end … but it won’t because we can’t separate His salt from ours.

In Numbers 18:19, God talks about this covenant again, and in 2 Chronicles 13:5, it is elucidated that this is the covenant by which David has dominion. Christ is David’s son, and David is Abraham’s son. Galatians 3:29 says that if we are Christ’s then we too, get to be David’s. This means we bear the covenant of salt too. Firstly, since salt was rare those days, it means this thing we have going on with God is precious, secondly; it is enduring, (since we can’t find God’s salt in ours: thus longevity), and, thirdly & mainly, because of the purposes of salt (seasoning and preservation).

We are called the salt of the world by Jesus. If we translate that statement into what we know so far; it means we are not only in covenant with God, but are now the objects of the covenant by which others come into covenant with Him. We are the salt God poured in the world so that it could be PRECIOUS, and be in precious relationship with Him (by grace), so that God would find a contract by which, regardless of how much evil is being manufactured per second, He would still have that ‘preciousness’ state subjected to longevity, shunning away the wrath which comes whenever God’s holiness beholds sin.

More importantly, just like salt gives that precious taste to food, or preserves it from corruption (rotting and wasting) especially back in the day where there were no refrigerators, we ought to view ourselves in the same light. No wonder it is mentioned that the rapture will happen and the end will come. Why? WE — the salt — would have been removed from the food (the earth), and so the eater (God) will only think about disposing of it, just like you too would, for it will have no flavor, no taste, and if it is perishable, it would be going bad anytime!

Yesterday, I met up with some friends. Most of them work-study abroad, so it was mostly online meetings. However, the photographer that I am, or the pictophile in me, couldn’t resist forcing them out of each of their comfortable zones to take photos of them and us. In that moment, as some attendees expressed disgruntlement, this is what God whispered to me,

“Being the salt means you preserve things. You preserve both MOMENTS and people. If the Bible writers didn’t preserve the moments, the miracles, and the monuments by writing them in scrolls, none of you people today would have anything to base on your faith. I’d have to reintroduce myself to every new person, and perform sea-splits to prove my potential, which would not have been sustainable. So go on ahead and take those photos, it’s the way I have given you to use … to preserve moments!”

That greatly reinforced my action, and I did my best to capture everyone, with their best smiles…

Being a writer, and a photogenic person, the ways God hinted on were already my passions. Maybe it is different for you, but I pray He opens your eyes to show you the ways of preservation that He has handed to you to use. In the meantime, know that your very existence is a way of preservation — not just for you, but for the sake of nations and worlds to come.

See how Joseph preserved millions and millions of people through those seven years of famine. You too preserve millions and millions of people through famine. On top of preserving, your very existence adds color and flavor to the world. Abraham preserved Lot and his household from the enemy kings. Moses preserved the Israelites on their journey during the exodus. Joshua and Caleb preserved Rahab and her tribe. Naomi preserved Ruth’s future. This effect applies to you as well. You’re not a waste. You matter, you blessed being! You preserve men from going ‘stale’. You preserve men from sicknesses, from poverty, and from death.

Jesus, even after Lazarus rotting, redefined salt’s element of preservation. If Lazarus was food, Jesus practically undid his staleness, and resuscitated him. He was fit to be thrown in the trash, wait, he was already in the trash, and Jesus (salt) walked to him and returned him to a worthy state. You didn’t get it! Jesus didn’t go by ‘prevention is better than cure’. He showed that we as the salt of the world transcend the limits of sodium chloride. We can choose to apply ourselves to spoilt food, and make it fine edible again! O what power! O what glory! Now that is some new level FLAVOR!

As you step into this new week, carry this understanding; that God’s in an unalterable and everlasting covenant with you, by which He has enabled you to add color, bring flavor and preserve lives, businesses, families, systems, institutions, generations, foundations, ECONOMIES … and NATIONS! … having the power and choice to resurrect and cure whichever of these that you’d wish!

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Matthew 5:13 “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.

There’s a disclaimer to this state though. Instead of the food being thrown out, Jesus says it can be the salt getting trashed 😳. Science says salt loses its flavor when it contains impurities which in our case would include ignorance — the lack of knowledge by the salt that it carries the mantle of preservation. This is the main reason God mentioned as He reinforced the disclaimer.

Impurity could be a mindset — having no ground whether in being free or being under bondage still. Some saints for example still consider themselves sinners. That’s equivalent to salt doubting its ability to preserve — which is its primary identity, and thinking that it’s already ‘stale’ itself yet its superpower is to keep staleness away!

That confusion is like Jesus being told He is Beelzebub, yet He kicks out demons. How then can He be the king of demons, yet He is the same king displacing these demons in the earthly realm?!

So, watch out for how much understanding you carry of your identity as a preserver and a preservative. It will dictate how much of the world you’ll be able to preserve and keep from rotting!

The more revelation you have of your saltiness and how you can keep away from impurities, the more nations and peoples you’ll be able to add flavor to!