Salt is necessary to life, both for man and beast, and it is a means of cleansing the body. It is present in the blood that flows throughout our bodies. “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?” (Luke 14:3434Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? (Luke 14:34)). Salt cannot salt itself, and as it does not benefit itself, it is intended to be used for others. Salt is a picture of the power of holy grace in man. A true believer is likened to salt which savors, or seasons, and preserves. He acts as a moral savor, and as long as the believer is in this world he is a preserver. Salt is the separating power of holiness, keeping us from the world and evil, within and without. “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Col. 4:66Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:6)). Separation here is concerning what we say, which should be with grace for edification for others.
Both in worship and in a consecrated offering in service there should not lack the salt of holy grace and devotion. The Old Testament speaks of offerings and sacrifices, and they do not all apply to atonement. Many of them typify the believer in his normal role, as to how he is to offer his life and service to God down here. All of this was written for our learning. This is not to imply that man can provide anything for God in or from himself, but there can be devotedness, a response from the heart, noticed by God and often a testimony on earth to His glory.
“When thou hast made an end of cleansing it [the altar], thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish. And thou shalt offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the Lord” (Ezekiel 43:23-2423When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish. 24And thou shalt offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the Lord. (Ezekiel 43:23‑24)). The bullock speaks of the largeness of appreciation of what Christ is, in His offering of Himself to God. The discernment of this is through salt, the inner intelligence as well as holy grace and devotion. How often we need to judge ourselves as to this! It is only right that God should have the utmost in devotion whether in worship or sacrifice, and salt should always accompany these. “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt” (Lev. 2:1313And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. (Leviticus 2:13)).
“Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt” (Mark 9:4949For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. (Mark 9:49)). Everything done for Christ is tested to see if it is done in devotion and by grace. Efforts of the flesh have no place in any sacrifices, either for worship or service. May these meditations refresh our spirits to true devotedness and holy grace.
C. E. Lunden (adapted)