Add salt to all your offerings. (Leviticus 2:13)The inclusion of salt in the grain offering was probably linked to the idea of it preserving quality. In the absence of their Egyptian Frigidaires, the traveling Israelites preserved their food supplies with salt. Salt in the grain offering signified the lasting nature of the covenant between Israel and its God.
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What significance does this have for us today? Or should we just clip these verses out of the Bible as irrelevant?
I have a fascinating book on the history of salt - glad to lend it to anyone if you're interested.
ReplyDeleteSalt preserves, purifies and adds savor. I can't think of a better analogy for what God does for and to us! Without him we die, stink and taste icky. ;-)
I would say that the requirements of the Mosaic covenant are very relevant to believers today. Reading through these passages give us a better understanding of God's character and His high expectations for our personal holiness. Studying the Levitical instructions for sacrifices gives us a greater appreciation of the self-sacrifice that Christ made, once and for all, so that we would not be bound by the old covenant.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Leviticus 2:13, I agree with Amy that adding salt to sacrifices is an apt analogy for God's work in us. I would add that Christ calls us to add flavor to the world by being the "salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13), and that Paul urges us to offer ourselves as a "living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1).
Admittedly, neither of these verses should be taken out of context to form a progression of thought from today's passage. However, if we ourselves are the sacrifice that God requires, then we should offer ourselves to Him by living in a way that brings out the flavor of new life.