Recorded on March 15, 2009. In this episode Richard talks about salt covenants. Numbers 18:19 refers to a salt covenant between God and Israel’s priests and Levites. In Biblical times people carried pouches filled with salt. Among other things, two parties would exchange salt to seal a covenant (contract) between them. The salt would become forever mixed with the other person’s salt. This symbolized that the covenant could never be broken.
The following is the text in the handout Richard referred to in this podcast episode:
In biblical times men carried a pouch of salt on their belts to prevent dehydration as well a trading it as a form of currency. When two men desired to finalize a business transaction or enter a covenant [or contract] of loyalty with each other, they would recite the conditions of their covenant and then exchange salt from each other’s pouch. Once they exchanged salt, they shook the salt grains within their pouches symbolizing the sealing of the covenant which became binding, for it was impossible to retrieve their original salt grains from one another.
Some Bible passages referring to salt covenants are:
Genesis 14:3; Genesis 19:26; Exodus 30:34-35; Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; 2 Kings 2:19-21; 2 Chronicles 3:15; 2 Chronicles 13:5; Mark 9:49-50; Luke 14:34; Colossians 4:6
If you wish to look up these passages on line, you can go to BibleGateway.com. BibleGateway provides access to the Bible in many languages including English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic.
Find out more about what Richard has to say about salt covenants by visiting our podcast page. As always we encourage you to subscribe to From Richard’s Heart on our podcast page.
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