Started in on Leviticus this morning. A lot of “pleasing aroma to the Lord” here with all the different offerings. “Pleasing”, I think, because at its essence is atonement and worship. In the array of Levitical offerings there is a way for man to acknowledge his sin before a Holy God and a way for a Holy God to own as His own, a people entangled by a fallen nature. In the offerings there is a way for men of earth to bring before the God of heaven their acknowledgment that He alone is worthy of sacrifice . . . that He alone is worth the price of bulls and goats and grain, such that they would know His abiding presence. And this morning, I encountered a term in one of the offerings that I don’t think I’ve noticed before . . .

“You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.” (Leviticus 2:13)

Now, if you had asked me what was NOT to part of the offering, I would have known that answer to be leaven. But, ask me what must not be missing . . . uh, I don’t think I would have gotten salt. But, I got to admit . . . if I liked the flavor adding aspect of salt before . . . I’m liking it a bit more now. I don’t think our offerings can ever get too salty.

It is referred to here as “the salt of the covenant,” thus linking salt to the eternal promises of God to those He would own as His people. A reference to the covenant made with Abraham and then ratified with Isaac and Jacob . . . the promise to make them into a great nation and a source of great blessing to all “the families of the earth” (Gen. 12:3). And as I think about it, what a wonderful dimension this adds to bringing offerings before God . . . that within them, there is a reminder of God’s promises to men.

Salt is a preservative . . . purifying and preventing decay . . . and, it adds taste. And so in the offerings there is this “secret sauce” . . . a subtle, underlying flavor . . . an active, purifying agent . . . founded in the promises of God. Every offering having the potential to act as a reminder of God’s faithful covenant to His people. As the grain offering was prepared the salt would be mixed in and with it a recollection of God’s steadfast and unmovable word.

It comes to mind that Paul would tell the Galatians that, as believers, we are “children of promise” (Gal. 4:28) . . . and so shouldn’t there also be a bit of salt in our offerings?

Now, I’m pretty thankful that I’m not living at time where part of my regular routine is taking “Lamb Chop” to be sliced and diced and burned on an altar. When I’m not required to grab ol’ Bessy from the back forty and haul her off to be bled out, splayed, and made an offering by fire. But I do have my own “pleasing aroma” to offer to the Lord. I’m to “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name” (Heb. 13:15) . . . not just Sunday morning worship, but lips that confess His lordship and desire to walk in a manner worthy of His calling. That confession then giving way to the other offering I’m called to make, presenting my body “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom. 12:1). And whether it be the fruit of my lips . . . or the offering of my life . . . both, I think, are enhanced with meaning when they are seasoned with the salt of the covenant . . . when they are flavored with the reminder of His sovereign determination to love me and provide the way for me to love Him.

Oh, to bring the promises of God more regularly into my worship. To call to remembrance the covenant of God when “presenting my body” becomes difficult and I have second thoughts and perhaps consider holding something back. The salt of the covenant will preserve . . . will purify . . . and, praise God, will spice things up a bit. Can I add too much salt? I’m thinkin’ not! Never too salty . . .