Don't Forget the Salt!

by Ann Musico
(Wallkill, NY)

I have begun reading through the Bible again this year and right now I am in Leviticus. I try to read in a different version or paraphrase each time because each one brings something else out to me. I am using the Message and Leviticus 2:12, 13 just jumped out at me:

“Season every presentation of your grain offering with salt. Don’t leave the salt of the covenant with Your God out of your grain offerings. Present all your offerings with salt.”

That really spoke to me on several different levels. We are told in Matthew 5:13 that we “are the salt of the earth.” Colossians 4:6 tells us that our words are to be “always full of grace, seasoned with salt.” These are only two scriptures. It’s mentioned over 30 times in the Bible. Salt was a very precious commodity. In fact, soldiers were sometimes paid in salt! That’s where the saying “worth his salt” originated.

As I meditated on this scripture in Leviticus, I thought about all the uses for salt. It’s a preservative, a flavoring agent, an essential mineral and a cleansing agent. Salt was used to preserve foods before there was refrigeration. When Jesus tells us we are the “salt of the earth” I believe it means we are the “life preservers” – in this corrupted world we are to be the agents of preservation.

When we read in Colossians that our speech is to be seasoned with salt – I believe we are to flavor this world with the flavor of Christ. You know how tasteless food can be if it has no salt. Life is flavorless without Christ. Salt is also a very effective cleansing agent. When you have a sore throat you gargle with salt water and it cleanses the area.

I believe what this scripture in Leviticus is warning us to do is to keep the covenant always in mind and to give our offering in light of our covenant, with the right attitude – gratitude!

So may I ask you – do you feel you are “salty?” Do you bring the flavor of faith and love everywhere you go? Do you preserve the peace and joy of the Lord in your environment? How about your words – do they carry the flavor of truth and grace? Next time you bring an offering before the Lord, stop for a moment to thank Him for the covenant, being sure that whatever you offer is seasoned with the salt of gratitude.

You may be wondering how this relates to health. I mentioned that salt is an essential mineral – actually sodium is. We’ve been hearing for years that we should eliminate salt from our diets because it’s unhealthy and raises blood pressure. Chemically processed, white table salt is sodium chloride and it does raise blood pressure. But that’s because we have moved away from natural, unprocessed salt, which includes all the essential minerals our bodies need in balance – not just sodium. So, I encourage you to find a good source of natural, unprocessed sea salt and begin to use it in your daily meals. Don’t forget the salt!