Monday, March 30, 2009
WHAT IS A SALT COVENANT?
WHAT IS A SALT COVENANT? All Bible believing Christians believe the Covenants of God are made with His people of His Creation. A covenant establishes a spiritual relationship with His believing people. The Biblical witness makes it clear that any partnersip with God is His idea and not mankind, as it is with false religions.Agreements that are permanent between God and humans are called 'Covenants of Salt'. they are Covenants of strength and loyalty. Offerings and tithes to the priesthood, and the covenant between God and King David, are called Covenants of Salt as stated in the Bible. Treaties made between men were also Covenants of Salt. Both the covenant with David (being symbolic of God's everlasting pledge through David down to Christ, including the future), and the priesthood covenant were permanent arrangements. Numbers 2, 18:19, 20,21,26 & 2 Chronicles 13:5Salt represents preservation, stimulation of thirst, commitment, purity and loyalty, faithfulness and obedience, it seasons and is flavourable, a sign of valued friendship, it cannot lose its effectiveness.God's Word indicates His loyalty to His people, He is committed to preserving His promises with His people, satisfying them spiritually and establishing permanent relationships with them for eternity.Jesus is faithful and expects His disciples to return their faithfulness to Him, as well as being committed to each other, loyal and loving to one another, given to God in service.Jesus called His disciples to be the preserving salt in a decaying world. The kind of salt that does not suppress their allegiance to Him. Believers whose devotion to God is mixed with attachment of the world will find a weakened spiritual point in their lives. The Covenant of Salt represents also might and constant faithfulness. Salt is the distinctive mark of Christian discipleship, of those who have allegiance to Jesus and The Gospel.Jesus died so that mankind could be reconciled with God and to those who receive the message of The Gospel is given a gift of being members of a priesthood unto God, with Jesus Himself, as their High Priest. (The Book of Hebrews) Believers are given the privilege and honour of serving God in a Covenant relationship which is also personal, via the everlasting Covenant of Salt.The Old Testament was a shadow of things to come and salt was a big part of Israel's worship. Salt had to be added to their offerings and firstfruits (the priestly tithes and their tithe of tithes) and the priests were instructed by God that it must not be left out for it was a Covenant which called to remembrance God's loyalty and faithfulness towards them and His people. Salt also had to be added by the priest. The Covenant of Salt was also known as The everlasting Priesthood Covenant.Salt was a sign of a covenant that required God's ministers, His co-workers, to receive provision through His people. Salt was costly and prized, it emphasised durability and was used to remind worshippers to be faithful to God, and Jesus used this illustration when He told His followers that they are the salt of the earth, and their inheritance was Christ Himself.Salt being a precious preservative, was everlasting like God's promises. It was a good reminder of God's faithfulness, of His activity in peoples lives for salt penetrates throughout, preserves and aids in healing. Pure salt maintains its flavour, impure salt is useless. The quality of salt improves taste, in the same way believers should 'say and do' what leaves a 'good taste' for others, their godly wholesome living, as Christ's ambassadors should influence others for eternity, showing forth Christ's examples of sincerity, courteousness, honesty, integrity, compassion and mercy, including the Fruits of The Holy Spirit which are the Salt of Christian virtues. Pure salt required considerable commitment to separate the sand and other impurities to make it valuable. Christians are to be totally committed to Christ, full of flavour, retaining His teachings. Anything 'salted' mixed with the sand of the world would be of no value. Salt is a necessary part of a person's natural diet, as God is, spiritually and interacting daily with His people, which strengthens the symbolism of salt and covenant making. Trust, fidelity and loyalty is seen in the Covenant of Salt. Saltiness in a Christian symbolised preservation from corruption, bringing to memory loyalty to Jesus as he asked Christians to be faithful to Him, just as He was faithful for their sake. This is especially noticeable in the seven letters to the Churches in The Book of Revelation.Salt addresses the morality in a Christian's life; being examples as morality declines around them in a dying world. Power of The Holy Spirit loses flavour in the sight of others if believers compromise and become lukewarm towards God when they do not resist the prevailing spirit of deception in the 'saltlessness' of the world system. Only salt with flavour is useful in The Kingdom of God. Believers compromise most in their conversation. God asks that His people speak with 'seasoning of salt', but this does not rule out stern words when necessary.Salt in the Old Testament days was considered as a sign of treasured friendship, so it was easy for the Israelites to equate salt in their offerings and tithes to remind them of God's unchanging love. They knew that the motive for the Covenant was a relationship and salt, a personal friendship, that it was to take first priority. It was a bond, to be taken seriously of a permanent relationship and if broken, had serious consequences because of the violated and damaged fellowship. Enemies when warring always parted ending a truce or treaty with a seasoned meal, with the container of salt visible, so they would know the seriousness of the bond of the treaty. This is also shown in parts of The Old Testament, before and after the Law was given to Moses, including Melchizadek's meal of friendship and hospitality with Abraham. Both with a pledge made with God or man, a Covenant of Salt was known as a principle of God and was irrevocable. In making a Covenant between God and man, it is God who sets the terms by promise and oath, bonded by His personal loyalty. All Covenants by God are everlasting. He is a covenant making God, seeking friendship and alliance between Himself and mankind. He takes on the obligation of fulfilling the conditions Himself.Today Christians are under the Covenant of Spirit and Grace but the principles of The Covenant of Salt remains the same.INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SALTThe Bible mentions salt more than 30 times. Salt has a religious significance and symbol of purity. Salt is essential to health. Body cells must have salt in order to live and work. Blood, sweat and tears are salty.Salt is an antiseptic (germ killing) property that make it useful for bathing of infections including being used as a mouth wash. It is also used for cleaning teeth.It is estimated that salt has 14,000 uses.Among people today salt is still used as a sign of honour, friendship and hospitality. A saying is "there is salt between us" meaning "we have eaten together, we are bonded friends".Salt was once so scarce and precious that it was used as money. Caesar's soldiers received part of their pay in common salt. This was known as salarium from which the word salary comes. Dating back to the days when workers were paid their wages in salt is the modern expression "not worth his salt", and it literally means not working good enough to earn his wage.Salt was a chief economic product of the ancient world. It was important in the development of the earliest highways of trade. Roman soldiers built one of the great military roads in History, the Via Salaria (Salt Road), from the saltworks at Ostia to Rome.SCRIPTURES Numbers 18:19, 20; 21, 26, 2 Chronicles 13:5. QUESTIONS 1] What makes the Covenant of Salt important? 2] Does the priesthood carry on through the New Testament under Christ today? 3] What did Jesus call His disciples? 4] Who sets the terms of covenants between God and man?