INTRODUCTION

Salt was a very important addition to the sacrifices brought to the altar of burnt offerings.

Thank you for joining us in this chronological bible study called COME AS A CHILD. 

Last week we discussed how God commanded Moses to build an altar for the burnt offerings.  If you missed that lesson you can read it here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/offerings/.    

Today we will discuss how salt was used to season the offerings.

SALT WAS REQUIRED FOR EVERY OFFERING

When the people began to bring their sacrifices to the altar of burnt offerings; no sacrifice could be offered without the seasoning of salt.

Even those sacrifices that were required to be totally consumed by God which were completely burnt up without the priest or the people ever tasting or receiving a portion; had to be salted.

It was very important to remember that these offerings were being offered up to God as sacred acts of atonement.

THE SALT HONORED GOD

God was an honored guest; visiting the earth from Heaven.  

If you were serving a meal within your own home, would you serve your honored and respected guest a plate of  meat cooked without any seasonings?  Of course not!

The sacrifices from this altar required a sweet savory aroma which would go up into the heavens from the smoke of the altar.  The savory smell was like an invitation inviting God to come closer.

AN ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE WAS A SACRIFICE OF THE VERY BEST ONE HAD TO OFFER

Just as important as the bringing of a perfect, unblemished sacrifice, was the fact that the person bringing the sacrifice was bringing of the very best of his best to God.

Hence; the preparation of the sacrifice had to be exactly right.  It could not be sloppy, or casual.  The presentation to God should show honor and respect.

To gain an even deeper explanation of this subject see:  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/seasons-coming-into-the-spring-holy-days-counting-the-omer-part-two/.

THE ALTAR WAS TO BE APPROACHED WITH TOTAL HUMILITY AND SINCERITY

The sacrifice had to be offered from a heart with pure intentions.  The person approaching must present a true desire to be forgiven and cleansed by God.

If you offered your sacrifice for atonement of sins then immediately went out  afterward to commit those same sins again; God would not receive your sacrifice.

The blemished, unacceptable offering would simply lay on the altar until the next day without ever being consumed by the fire of God.  The serving priest would eventually have to remove it from the camp.

No fire would ever consume an offering until that offering met God’s specifications.

A PERFECT OFFERING WAS ONE THAT WAS PERFECTLY SEASONED

God always looks on the intentions of our hearts.  This fact was true during the times of the wilderness tabernacle; and it remains true today.

We must be thorough and sincere when we come before the sacred altar of God with our offerings and sacrifices.

All offerings and sacrifices must be seasoned with faith and love.

ONLY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST COULD MAKE AN OFFERING PERFECT

Even with all of this care and attention to detail; all of the sacrifices before the offering of Christ were temporary and imperfect.

Other elements had to be added to these ancient rituals to make the temporary sacrifices pleasing and acceptable to God.  Some of the offerings required frankincense and some of them required oil.

The sweet fragrance that God smelled from the smoke of the offerings did not come from the burning flesh of the animals; it came from the spices and seasonings that were added into the sacrifices as they savored over the fire.

More important than the frankincense and the oil was the salt.  

Salt was the most important seasoning of all.

No offering was ever offered without  adding the salt.

THE SALT OF THE SACRIFICES SYMBOLIZED CHRIST AT WORK PROVIDING THE SEASONING FOR OUR LIVES

The ancient sacrifices, flavored with salt were very symbolic of the way Christ works within our lives.

Nothing that we do for God is possible unless Christ has first come to reside within our souls.  

Like the salt which added the correct flavors to the meat at the altar of burnt offerings;  Jesus seasons the days of our lives and makes us acceptable before God.

Without Christ; we would have no flavor at all.

We would have to present ourselves before God and before the world as bland and uninteresting and useless.  

To put this bluntly; we would not smell very good.  We would stink!  There would be nothing desirable about us.

A PLEASING AROMA BEFORE GOD

With Christ living within our souls, our service is like a sweet, savory and pleasing aroma to God.  We can come before Him with assurance that we will be accepted as part of The Beloved.  

Like a lover always remembering the perfume of the one He loves; when we have been flavored with the scent of Christ; God will seek us out.  He will want us to be with Him.  He will smell the perfume of Christ upon us and He will invite us into his Kingdom.

Through Christ living within us, the eyes of those who are hungry and thirsty for the meat of The Gospel will be satisfied and filled whenever they begin to see Him living through all that we do and say.  

When we walk through a room others will smell the lovely fragrance of Christ upon us.  It will linger in the air, and they will be intrigued to draw closer.

THE WAY WE APPROACH THE ALTAR OF GOD MATTERS

Christians cannot simply stumble up to the altar and throw down their sacrifices.

They must approach God with the same humility and honor given in the example of the people of long ago who were worshiping God by bringing their acceptable salted sacrifices to the wilderness tabernacle.

We must very carefully and thoughtfully approach God to give of our very best.  This act should be seasoned with humility, love, grace and mercy.  These things are the true salt offerings of today’s Christianity.

In ancient times salt was considered to be very valuable.  

Jesus is the most valuable seasoning that could ever be added to the sacrifice of our lives in order to create the special blended recipe that becomes acceptable to God.  All of these ingredients together make for a prize-winning, blue-ribbon meal of faith.

THE PERFECT SEASONING

Have you ever noticed how we humans tend to add salt to everything?  This habit comes from the ancient ritual of salting the offerings.  Salt is known for being a perfect seasoning. 

This symbolism of adding the salt into the best foods that we have carries over to our religious practices of today.  All religious rituals need to be seasoned carefully with the seasons of Christ’s grace and love.

Without salt (our lives anchored in Christ that produce grace and love); these rituals would lose all of their flavor.  

They would become useless to God’s Kingdom.  

Without the salt any sacrifice would be useless.

BECAUSE OF THE SWEET SAVOR OF CHRIST UPON THEM THOSE COMING PROPERLY BEFORE GOD ARE MADE TO BE USEFUL IN GOD’S KINGDOM

Christ puts this theory into terms that we can better understand when he says in Matthew 5:13; “Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its savor; wherewith shall it be salted? 

It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under the foot of men.”

We MUST stay filled up with the love of Christ; we must remain salty!

STORIES CONCERNING THE QUALITY OF SALT

There are a million interesting facts and stories centered around the usefulness and the qualities contained in salt.  

There are even stories that tell us of the types of salts that exist in the land around the Dead Sea which apparently can actually lose flavor and become useless; even though it is typically impossible for the chemicals that make up salts to ever lose their flavor.  

Many interesting theories have evolved around these discussions of certain regions and their salts and the words of Jesus concerning the warning about salt losing its flavor.  

YOU MUST SIMPLY REMEMBER TO BE SEASONED WITH CHRIST

We will speak more of these many stories and the interesting facts they contain for a believer at a later point in time; for now it is most important for us just to focus and realize that Christians are seasoned by the life-giving salt of Christ.

Without Christ; we lose all of our usefulness to The Kingdom of God.

With this thought in mind; It is very appropriate that God required salt for the sacrifices of the altar in the wilderness tabernacle.  

THE MAKING OF LIVING SACRIFICES

Our bodies are temporary temples and because of the sacrifice of Christ they now serve as living sacrifices.  Christ living within our spirit seasons us and makes us acceptable unto God.  It is the addition of Christ that makes our sacrifices acceptable.  He is our saltiness.

Looking back from where we stand today, it is easy to see this element of adding salt to the sacrifices.  We can easily appreciate how this adding of the salt became a very important factor for the sacrificial system of the wilderness tabernacle.

Once again; the Master Weaver was telling His story through the daily lives and rituals of His people.

THE SALT OF THE EARTH

Hence; Christianity has become  known as “the salt of the earth.”

In almost every nation of the earth, salt has come to symbolize the essence of friendship and loyalty among God’s creatures.

In many Arab countries the traditional custom is to sprinkle salt on the edge of a sword.  Each person takes a bit of salt and places it on their tongue.  This symbolizes their mutual agreement, and their firm desire to look after and care for one another forever; like family.

In the ancient times this custom of using salt always constituted a covenant.  Without the salt; the covenant could not be sealed.

Groups of people taking salt in this way perceived each other to be the same as blood relatives.  They would loyally defend one another and protect one another because of this pact that was made through the taking of the salt.  If you entered into or formed a salt covenant with someone; you were willing to lay down your life to defend their honor.  Your loyalty could not be broken.

LEAVEN AND SALT ARE OPPOSITES

Leaven and salt are polar opposites.

Just as leaven in bread eventually brings decay and corruption; salt brings the opposite traits of preservation and long life.

God commanded the Israelites to eat their bread without leaven as they were leaving the land of Egypt.  The leaven symbolized sin.  Leaving the leaven out of their bread symbolized the willingness of the people to put aside their sins and follow the commandments of God.

THE ADDING OF THE SALT WAS THE MAKING OF A COVENANT

When the salt was added to the sacrifices it became a symbolic reminder to God of the covenant He had promised to Moses.  This covenant  was a covenant of preservation and long-life.  

As often as the people of God living through the wilderness journey were to take the bad elements out of their lives (the leaven); they were also to put the good elements into their lives (the salt.)  The salt being a part of their lives brought healing and cleansing.

THIS PROCESS OF LEAVING OUT THE BAD AND PUTTING IN THE GOOD WAS PLEASING TO GOD

The people of God left out the leaven from their food; and they added the salt to their meat.  This was pleasing to God.

The salt was the one element that was never absent from the accepted offerings. 

Since salt was a preservative, it stood for the fact that God’s love for His people would never perish.  This love would remain forever.  

Just as the salt kept the meat from becoming putrid; God’s ways kept the people from becoming evil and unacceptable before Him and each other.

A ROOM FOR THE BRINGING OF SALT

This tradition of adding the salt was handed down through the ages.

In much later times, when God’s people were performing the worship rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem; there was actually a physical room designed inside the temple where the salt was collected and laid up specifically for this purpose.  This room was called “the salt room.”

The salt in this room was provided solely by the offerings of the congregation of God’s faithful people.  

To bring the offerings of salt was to bring one of the best things that honored God.

Salt being used in all of the offerings of the wilderness tabernacle signified the everlasting covenant the people had with God.  

The inclusion of the salt into the daily sacrifices underlined the fact that this covenant between the people and God could never be broken.