What is the covenant of salt? The “covenant of salt” is a phrase found a few times in the Bible, and it represents a binding, enduring, and incorruptible agreement, one that cannot be broken or spoiled. This covenant is seen only three times in scripture.
Leviticus 2:13 NHEB Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt; neither shall you allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
Here, salt symbolizes purity, preservation, and permanence. Every offering had to include salt as a sign of the unbroken relationship and covenant between God and His people.
Numbers 18:19 KJV All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee
and to thy seed with thee.
This covenant refers to the permanent priesthood given to Aaron and his descendants.
2 Chronicles 13:5 KJV Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
This refers to the everlasting covenant God made with David, promising that his descendants would rule forever, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David.
Jesus fulfills all of these Old Testament salt covenants. First lets look in the book of Matthew 26:27-28 (ISV) Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, because this is my blood of the new covenant that is being poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins.
The covenant of salt points to the new covenant sealed by Jesus’ blood, pure, enduring, and incorruptible. His blood covenant is pure and holy, it preserves us and it is everlasting.
Jesus is a priest for ever (Hebrews 7:17 KJV).
And as stated previously Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant with David. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:32-33 KJV).
Jesus preserves and purifies us. He has made an everlasting covenant with us. Jesus is our King. Furthermore Jesus called us “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) meaning we are to preserve the truth, bring purity, and reflect the permanence of God’s covenant of grace in our lives. We are living symbols of the covenant of salt, a people set apart to represent God’s unbreakable, preserving relationship with humanity through Christ.
Let us go forth and share this everlasting covenant made through Jesus. Let’s share the Gospel with others and be the salt of the earth.
Matthew 5:13 BBE You are the salt of the earth…
1 Peter 2:9 KJV But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: