Sounding The Trumpet?

Trumpets and horns/shofars are mentioned many times in Scripture. The trumpet/shofar was used to call the Hebrew nation to assembly and was most commonly used as a warning of, and summons to, war; and throughout the Bible during Appointed Times of the Lord, in processions, musical performances, and acts of devotion. 

Judg. 3:27; 1 Cor. 14:8. 

Only the Priests were allowed to sound these silver trumpet shofars.

The trumpets most people think of are those in the Book of Revelation, seven trumpets are sounded, one at a time, to cue apocalyptic events seen by John in his vision Revelation 1:1,9. The seven trumpets are sounded by seven angels and the events that follow are described in detail from Revelation Chapts. 8 -11.

Readers may be familiar with the term the last Trump/trumpet which is part of the description in the Paul’s 1st letter to the assembly in Corinth. It is actually a reference to the 100th trumpet blast sounded during the Feast of Trumpets. The 100th Trump is the final or the last trump; and this is one of those references in which Hebrew idioms must be understood as it represents a specific moment at the very end of the proceedings.

The Trumpet Shofar blasts have names:

The Tekiah – is a long, single blast. It was straight, plain, smooth, continuous note and it is to symbolize the expression of joy and contentment.

The Shevarim – is three short blasts. A combination of three broken notes to symbolize weeping.

The Truah – Extremely short blasts which are a combination of nine staccato notes in a very quick succession of short trill. This symbolizes trepidation, sorrow and sobbing.

The Tekiah Gedolah – Means “the last trump.” This one symbolizes the hope of redemption. It is a very long, final note.

For more in depth on this subject links below:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-the-sound-of-the-trumpet/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/blowing-your-own-trumpet-2/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/apocalypse-of-the-trump-shofar-notes-and-numbers-the-sound-of-a-mystery/

In the 100 trumpet blasts during the Appointed Time/feast of trumpets, the first of the three categories above are combined back and forth until there is a total of 99 sounds. Then comes the 100th, the Tekiah Gedolah, a very long-sustained note – as long as the trumpeter had breath to hold it, and this is known as the last trump.

Mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 and Matthew 24:31 “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

This scripture below in Matthew 6:1-4  includes the words

sounding a trumpet

and it is Jesus/Yeshua warning His disciples about their attitude to giving and it hearkens back to instructions about giving in Deuteronomy 15:7-11.

7 if there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.  8 Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.…9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.… 10 Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand.… 11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.…

Below versions of Matthew 6:2

1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. KJV.

New American Standard Bible
“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 

do not sound a trumpet before thee is an idiom meaning:

when giving alms don’t announce it with trumpets.

We have an idiom which is similar when we say:

‘sounding your own trumpet’

its’ meaning: a person is boasting of their own deeds.

This figure of speech/idiom, describes a vain/prideful person as being “their own trumpeter,” or making a “flourish of trumpets” about their own acts, probably common in every country where trumpets have been used. What is meant in scripture is that, whether it is in the offering receptacles of the synagogue, or the alms given to beggars in the streets; there was such a show of generous giving designed to cause men to stare and admire.

To better understand Messiah Jesus, it is beneficial to try to understand the social and cultural background of His Life and times.

Using the Hebrew language is the best way we can get an authentic concept for the culture that has so influenced our lives today. 

WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY DEFINES “IDIOMS” AS:
A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements

A. A specialized vocabulary used by a group of people; jargon: legal idiom.
B. A style or manner of expression peculiar to a given people.

We look and no doubt when we read this phrase

we naturally think…

Sounding the Shofar

is referring to

sounding the trumpets/blowing the shofar.

Sounding the trumpet as found in Matthew 6:1-4, is a warning by the Messiah to His Disciples, not to sound the trumpet when giving Alms.

During the first century, Alms was a synonym for a charitable gift that was required to be given to the poor.

The word alms

in the Aramaic language is the word

zedhqatha

which means:

a right, or righteous act, the proper thing to do.

Jesus/Yeshua was obviously not against giving to the poor as He had already agreed with the need for these Alms to be given as commanded in the Torah, God’s teaching and instruction in Deuteronomy 15:10; and that there was a reward for all who offered gifts to the poor. The Ancient Hebrews believed that there were 3 evidences of the purity of a man’s heart that would be seen, if the man or woman had repented of sin and was faithfully following the Lord.

These 3 qualities were: Prayer, Charity and Repentance.

Collection boxes are still in Jewish Communities today, and are called tzedakah boxes or righteousness boxes.
Every person is expected to do mitvahs = good deeds.
Tzedakah box,

also known by its Yiddish word, pushke, is a:

receptacle for collecting money that is designated for charity.

The Hebrew word tzedakah comes from the root tzedek,

meaning: justice.

Giving money and resources to those in need

is understood to be an act of justice.

Many families decorate boxes or cans, and make a habit of putting money in them before Shabbat. When they are full the money is taken out and given to a person or organization in need.

Tzedakah (צְדָקָה) often translated as charity, is a mainstay in Israel of Jewish life. The sages teach that the world was built upon kindness. Tzedakah goes one step beyond.

The name “ Tzedek Box” comes from the Hebrew root צ.ד.ק. meaning “righteousness.” 

Tzedakah is a way of looking at the world and understanding the human role in creating a more perfect world—and by doing so, imitating qualities of the Divine. 

tzedakah (charity and righteousness),

chesed (kindness), and

mishpat (justice).

The “right hand” is the higher spiritual element in us that leads to acts of true charity; 

the “left” is the baser, self-seeking nature.

As far as 

Let not thy left hand know…..

This phrase was probably proverbial, and points to and in a way, overemphasizes, extreme secrecy. It’s possible that there may be some reference to the practice of using the right hand as was usual in offering gifts at the altar and was thought to exclude the mingling of motives.

Many people were forced into begging because of unjust rulers who placed heavy taxes and tributes on them, reducing some people to a level of poverty. They were then forced to beg to survive, yet these were hardworking people, the ones who found it extremely embarrassing to beg for a handout. That is maybe why Jesus/Yeshua used this old Aramaic expression when He said do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, in other words do not let anyone know that you are giving alms so as not to embarrass the person who is receiving the support. Jewish sages teach that to humiliate a person in public is as bad as committing murder, so was Jesus/Yeshua only enforcing this understanding of a zedhqatha or alms, the doing of a righteous act?

To understand Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, as a proverbial expression for doing a thing secretly is also to do it as secretly as it is done consistently, first with the fact that an individual is choosing to do it at all; and secondly, doing it in the most effectual manner for the need and never speaking of it afterward, unless there be good reasons for making it known.

That thine alms may be in secret. May be known to none but God, whose glory thou must have in view in all thy works, whether of piety, justice, or charity, and whose will it must be thy intention to obey in all things. And thy Father, which seeth in secret. Who knows every circumstance of mews most retired and private actions; himself shall reward thee openly.  

Tamara qarna are the exact words used in the Aramaic Bible for sound the trumpet.

However the rabbinic textual experts, render this as do not pass the trumpet. Qarna means the horn of an animal, which would fit the description of a shofar. In the first century synagogues the poor box or the alms box was in the shape of a shofar and in many cases was a real shofar. It would be in a quiet area of the synagogue where people could discretely drop in coins for the poor and was western equivalent to the poor box in a church. 

It was not the act of giving in public that Messiah had a problem with, but the fact that the men in the synagogue had started passing around the shofar and taking note of who gave what and how much. Sometimes the religious men in the synagogue would even take the shofar out into the streets and call upon people to drop some coins in the trumpet; and this may be what Messiah was addressing, not blowing a trumpet but passing a trumpet or offering plate?

More than likely it was the attempt by some religious people to bring attention to how much they gave that He was addressing.

The words probably refer to the clang of the coins as they fell into the metal trumpet-shaped alms-boxes in the synagogue. This clanging sound came as sweet music to the ears of the proud giver; and it seems the pharisees never missed an opportunity to show off their self righteousness and would drop large handfuls of coins into these wooden containers which would make a very loud sound as the coins raced through the narrow funnel!

In the tzedakah boxes,

this was known as 

“sounding the trumpets”

in an attempt to draw peoples attention to

the givers act of “righteousness”. 

Giving is about our neighbor not ourselves, so He cautioned the disciples and apostles to not sound the trumpets when giving, as they were required to do!

In the time of the 2nd Temple, in the Outer Court known as the Women’s Court; and under the colonnades is where 13 wooden collection boxes for alms for the widows, the poor, and the orphans were. They were narrow at the mouth and very large and wide at the bottom, with trumpet-shaped bronze funnels to guide the coins into the box.

This area was the actual Temple Treasury, a storehouse; in Hebrew אוצר ‘otsar.

A related term, the korbanas, is found in the New Testament Matthew 27:6 where the money of Judas Iscariot couldn’t be received into the temple “treasury”, or κορβανᾶς korbanas, because it was “blood money”. 

Josephus explains this term korbanas as the temple treasury – 

ton hieron thesauron, kaleitai de korbanas 

(War of the Jews 2.9.4; #175).

The glazophylakion or “treasury,”

a repository of treasure, especially of public treasure, a treasury.

Strongs # 10049

glazophylakion – gad-zof-oo-lak’-ee-on

גלזופילאקיון

The Temple was surrounded by a court called the

Temple Court or azarah in Hebrew.

The inner area of the Temple contained 3 courts. As noted the Eastern most court was the Court of the Women and it contained the Temple treasury where people donated their money Mark 12:41 – 44. Three gates lead into this court; one on the north, one on the south and a third on the east. This third gate on the east side is almost certainly the Beautiful gate that was mentioned in Acts 3.

The Nicanor Gate which was much larger and ornate. It led from the Court of the Women west into the Court of Israel which was elevated by 15 steps. Women were not allowed to go any further than this.

Hieron is the word used to designate the Court of Women, it was closed to Gentiles but open to Jewish women. Jewish men could congregate in that area as well, but the men could also move on to the Court of Israel, into which the women had no access. As well as being the area in the Temple where the women could pray, Luke 2:37, the Court of Women was the one place in the Temple where all Israelites could gather. Because of this, it naturally became the place where Messiah spoke when He taught in the temple, John 8:20; 18:20. It was there that His enemies found Him sitting and teaching one morning, when they came dragging a woman who had been taken in adultery during the preceding night (8:2).

The illustrations above show the colonnade around the court and within it, against the wall were placed the 13 chests.

Maimonides wrote: “There were always thirteen collection boxes available to the public in the Holy Temple. Each box was in the shape of a ‘horn’, the first was for the collection of the half-shekel donations of the current year. The second was for the collection of the previous year’s half-shekel donations…” The collection boxes were in the shape of a ‘horn’, narrow on top, to prevent thieves from reaching inside and taking money.

11 of these chests were carefully marked and were for the voluntary offerings of money and there were 2 at the Shushan gate for the half shekel tax. Nine of the 13 were for the receipt of what was legally required by worshipers, the other 4 were strictly for voluntary gifts.

Historical documents show that Trumpets 1 and 2 were set aside for the annual half shekel temple tribute. It was into Trumpet 3 that the women who had to bring turtle doves for a burnt and a sin offering, dropped the equivalent in money. This was removed daily and a corresponding number of turtle doves were offered. This saved the work of so many separate sacrifices and also shielded the modesty of those who did not want their offering to be known publicly. In Luke 2:22, 24 it may have been into this trumpet that Mary put the value of her offering. Trumpet 4 also received the value of the offerings of young pigeons or doves.

Trumpet 5 was for contributions towards wood used in the temple. Trumpet 6 was for the incense.

Trumpet 7 was for contributions towards the golden vessels for the ministry.

Trumpets 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13 were for what was left over from trespass offerings, offerings of birds, the offering of the Nazarite, of the cleansed leper, and voluntary offerings.

It’s possible this is where John 7 & 8:20, records that Messiah was teaching on the Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot. Because each one was specifically marked for its’ purpose, it also shows that this is how Jesus/Yeshua could distinguish between the contributions of the rich from that of the poor widow in Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1.

Messiah was observing the people and what they were bringing. He had an advantage over other would be observers, in that He knew the hearts of each of those in this gathering.

Jesus/Yeshua made the comparison between the gifts that the rich people gave with the two mites. The two small coins donated by the widow might not have made much noise when she deposited them; (Greek: lepta, singular: lepton). These coins (lepta) were so small that they had no designated equal in the imperial monetary system of the day and it is significant that she gave both of them, holding back nothing for herself.

This woman was giving, all her life (holon ton bion in Mark 12:44). Messiah knew that, if a woman was reduced even to ten coins, the loss of a single one of them, was a huge concern. Luke 15:8–10.

Giving her all for God, this widow became a symbol, or type, of Messiah Himself, who will lay down his life (bios) His ALL, to further and fulfill His Fathers’ Kingdom plan and purpose.

How did He know that this widow had cast in two little coins? The sound these coins made against the metal would have indicated how much people were offering.

‘And he sat down opposite the Treasury and watched how the crowd dropped money into the Treasury, and many who were rich dropped in large amounts.’

He sat down opposite 

He wanted to watch men as they gave, so that from it, He could teach a lesson to His disciples. No doubt some of the richer walked up flamboyantly dropping large sums of money in and were no better than the Rabbis who had been described previously. They were not giving to God with the right attitude but were buying publicity and respect, then there were others, humbly and truly expressing their gratitude to God. Mark 12 41.

It is not given exactly where Messiah was sitting while He made His observations, unless He was sitting on the steps. Neither are we told into which of the receptacles she dropped her life savings, her small yet profound gift. One wonders if she put her coins into the treasury for a sin offering rather than for the voluntary offering? There was a precise amount given for the different sin offerings, such as the price of the turtle dove or pigeon, but this amount probably didn’t even meet the requirements, but it was all she had. Was she desperate for forgiveness for some sin at that time? Could she have been a victim of manipulation on the part of the scribes? Maybe she in danger of losing her home to the scribes, as Jesus had alluded to earlier?

Messiah doesn’t speak to the woman or draw anyone’s attention to her actions, except to His disciples. Was she trying to go unnoticed? If she was, Jesus let her remain anonymous; however He used her heart to teach His disciples a lesson. Showing them that the size of the gift means nothing compared to the heart and motive behind it.

The people coming before and after this woman were bringing the required amounts plus their offering, over and above requirements.

We don’t know if His comments on the rich givers were referring to all that day’s contributors, or just to some of them. The account doesn’t tell the reader of their heart condition. However we do know that they could easily afford what they gave and it didn’t cause them any hardship.

The widow had nothing else to live on, because she gave everything she had. It does raise some questions, first being, why did she do that? We aren’t told if she was fulfilling a promise or was she giving in faith, expecting God to care for her because she could no longer care for herself? How much would that penny have bought in food for her?

There was also a special treasury chamber and on certain occasions the contents of the 13 chests were placed, as well as what was called a chamber of the silent, which was where individuals secretly gave money for the education of children from poor families.

The top left picture depicts the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur. The top right picture depicts the kohanim carrying the vessel of water filled in the Shiloach spring, into the Holy Temple’s inner courtyard. The 2nd down left picture depicts the nightly Simchat Beit Hashoeva festivity during Sukkot.

The Nikanor Gate, the eastern gate of the Court, served as both entrance and exit from the Women’s Court to the Court of Israel. It was named after the man who donated the brass doors of the gate, which he brought from Alexandria, Egypt.

As previously noted, the name, Court of the Women was not because it was exclusively for the women but because they were not allowed to go any further except for sacrificial purposes. It was probably the commonplace for worship. The musical instruments used by the Levites were kept in two rooms under the court of the Israelites and the access was from the Court of the Women. There were 15 steps which lead through the gate of Nicanor into the court of Israel. It was on these steps the Levites sang the 15 Psalms of degrees or Psalms of Ascent (psalms 120 to 134), on the Feast of Tabernacles and this is where they got their name. Here was where all that was ordered to be done before the Lord took place; it was here that the cleansed leper and the women coming for purification presented themselves to the priests.

These steps were shaped as a semicircle.

Each step was half a cubit in height.

These steps led up from the Women’s Court to the Court

(which was higher by 7.5 cubits). 

As we think about the widow, her gift has another level if by looking at her heart instead of focusing on the coins. Some individuals who only give a small portion, could represent people trying to withhold a portion of their heart from the Father?

It would be like saying to our Heavenly Father, that He can have this section of our heart, but we’ll take care of the rest on our own, whereas the widow placed her whole heart in the Fathers’ hands.

Was her heart saying? I know it’s not much, but it’s all I have, please take it and do with it as You see best. I trust You with all that I have. Please take all of me.

This is the heart condition our Heavenly Father is searching for and desires above all else – a heart that is wholly His. He doesn’t want us closing the doors of our lives against Him, where we hide the dirty washing. He wants to be able to see and have complete access to every hidden corner, because only then can we truly be His.

Maybe the following words apply to us today…

Father in Jesus Name, I truly believe I have given You access to all the rooms in my heart and life, but I admit that sometimes I try to hurry and push You out, or I only let You in after I think I have cleaned things up. There are times that things sneak in and I try to quietly shut the door thinking You won’t see it. But You always see it and yet in your loving patience You sometimes allow me to wait a little while before asking me to deal with it. Even though You speak to me gently, it often takes a louder voice and brighter light before I deal with it completely. Thank You that You don’t give up on me, or on helping me clean up my life, again. I know you gave Your all for me and I want to be fully Yours, holding nothing back….

One day soon we will hear that welcome sound of the last trump it will not be the sound of coins dropping, but the sound of the trumpet of our Heavenly Father calling us home. Lets make sure we are as ready as we can be….

Shalom shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

You are loved, appreciated and prayed for..

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are precious in His sight.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen

R U Salty?

We are no doubt very familiar with

Yeshua/Jesus’ words in the verse 

Matthew 5:13

You are the salt of the earth. 

Also referenced in the other gospels:

 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness,

how can you make it salty again?

Mark 9:50

Luke 14:34, 35 Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the [a]dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

All these references are traced back to

Leviticus 2:13 & Numbers 18:19

All the Holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you and your offspring.

In the Scriptures the Creator of the universe made a

Covenant of Salt

with Aarons sons, the children of Israel

and the Davidic Kingdom.

Our Heavenly Father keeps His Covenants and in this ancient ritual of middle-eastern covenant making, we can see how faithful and loyal He is towards us. When we realize how permanent the salt covenant is, this reference is a scriptural answer/rebuttal, to the replacement theology theory because…

It is a covenant of salt

FOREVER

before the Lord unto thee and thy seed with thee.

Covenant of Salt/Salt Covenant

in Hebrew:

b’rith melah,

ברית מלח

In paleo 

is the most extraordinary of all HIS Covenants.

It is symbolic of endurance, preservation,

and freedom from corruption.

It is a perfect picture of our CREATOR,

and it is generously sprinkled

on HIS Ancient Path

to preserve it and

keep it pure.

This is the WAY of Holiness,

The Kings’ Highway.

Isaiah 35:8 & 2 Tim. 2:19

This act of eating another’s salt has always been regarded as a token of fidelity friendship.

Sometimes bread and salt are eaten together making a covenant.

There is bread and salt between us we are brothers.

Covenant of Salt.

A Biblical phrase for a two-way agreement, the sacredness of which was symbolized by the salt

A Middle Eastern saying, “There is bread and salt between us,” meant that a relationship had been confirmed by sharing a meal. 

Salt symbolized the life and enduring nature of the alliance.  

It means “we are now friends.”

In ancient Middle East salt was a rare commodity, and one also shared salt with their friends as a flavor enhancer. 

This custom came down from remote antiquity and the covenant can never be forgotten or renounced.

 

To understand the fullness of the reference, we must go back to the old testament – Tenakh/Tenach, specifically Torah. Where we read about the gifts to the Priesthood/the Kohanim.

Remember everything is connected.

In Bemidbar/Numbers 16:1-18:32 we’ve read that the Levites and the Kohanim would receive no portion of the land in the promised land of Israel; the people were instructed to support them by means of gifts – mattanot.

For reference they are are listed at the end of this section of scripture.

Numbers 16:1-18:32.

gift – matana

מתנה

Strong’s Hebrew: 4503. מִנְחָה (minchah) — a gift, tribute

A gift (the act of giving) is ‘ma•tan,’ very close to the word of the day, ma•ta•na. The first time ma•ta•na, gift, is mentioned in the Bible, is in reference to the Levites that are given as a gift by God to the Israelites:

The Torah lists 24 of these gifts to the priests including the regular portion of crops terumah; offerings,

bikkurim, first fruits;

parts of various sacrificial offerings, and revenue from the redemption of the first born son’s pidyon haben.

Pidyon HaBen – פדיון הבן

Redemption of the (firstborn) son.

The ceremony wherein

the father of

a firstborn male born to Israelite

(non Kohen or Levite)

parents is redeemed from a Kohen –

(a priestly descendent of Aaron) –

in exchange for 5 silver coins, 30 days after his birth.

Our Heavenly Father calls this agreement

pidyon haben, or 

“redemption of the firstborn son,” 

a covenant of salt.

ברית מלח

Brit melach.

Strong’s Hebrew: 4417. מֶ֫לַח (melach) — salt

KJV: of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

INT: which sea is the Salt.

Genesis 19:26 HEB: וַתְּהִ֖י נְצִ֥יב מֶֽלַח׃   

KJV: and she, (Lots wife), became a pillar of salt.

A covenant of salt.

Specifically, in Leviticus,

God tells Moses that the Israelites are to:

Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings. Leviticus 2:13

It’s interesting that God talks about the salt of the covenant. He instructs Moses that all the offerings are to have salt added to them; and then, tells Moses that because they don’t have a land inheritance Aaron and the Levites can have all the offerings except the burnt offerings; explaining that this agreement is

an everlasting covenant of salt:

Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD for both you and your offspring. Numbers 18:19

All the wave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever: it is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your seed with you.

The tribe of Levites were promised that they will always have food, that this is an everlasting covenant as long as they do the work necessary in the temple;(conditional). The covenant of salt did not only have to do with meat or grain offerings in the tabernacle (temple). According to scripture the covenant of salt was in effect when there was no offering, at the time when the kingship of Israel was given to David and his progeny forever:

Don’t you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? 2 Chronicles 13:5.

Here it seems to clearly imply that the covenant of salt is

a lasting agreement,

something that goes on forever.

Salt is a mineral that preserves foods without refrigeration.

 Salt is good, it makes meat savory, and keep this flesh from becoming corrupted; and so it is with our Heavenly Fathers grace which seasons men’s hearts, and makes their conversations savory.

Col. 4:6  Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (that is: Our words should be with SALT – wholesome and palatable). 

It preserves them/us from the corruption of sin.

Following salvation, believers become partakers of the grace of God; and, both by their words and actions are good and useful to others, all true ministers of the Gospel, are the salt of the earth.

Our bodies require salt to survive. These bodies cannot make salt so must get it (sodium) from the foods we eat, because without salt, the body would die.

So what is the meaning of the covenant of salt?

Is it our Heavenly Fathers’s way of saying that it is a

covenant that is preserved,

one that lasts forever?

Could it infer that without this covenant, we die to the things of God?

Salt is NaCl. 

An ion of sodium (Na), which is a metal, reacts with chlorine ion (Cl), a poisonous gas, to create Sodium Chloride (NaCl) which becomes a stable rock called salt.

We add it to our foods, and we use it on our roads to melt ice.

Salt is Sodium chloride.

Sodium ions (Na+) are required in small amounts by some plants. Sodium is needed in large amounts by animals to generate nerve impulses and to maintain electrolyte and fluid balance. Sodium chloride is vital for maintaining extracellular fluid in multicellular organisms.

In medicine, saline, the solution of sodium chloride, is used for intravenous infusions.

An interesting point is that a permutation of the Hebrew word

melach, salt; is chalam,

which means healing.

On the other hand, excessive salt consumption can aggravate hypertension in our bodies and soil with a high concentration of salt is infertile. However in a measured quantity salt can kill weeds and we know if you do nothing to a garden you still get/grow weeds. This is symbolic of the garden/ground of our lives we will get spiritual weeds growing if we don’t tend and keep it, planting seeds that will produce a beneficial harvest. This thought brings to remembrance the original directions to Eden’s occupants!

As the Torah says,

Sulfur and salt have burnt the entire land.

Deuteronomy 29:22

 Another scripture tells us that when Abimelech destroyed the city of Shechem, he

“sow[ed] salt on it” Judges 9:45,

to render it barren and prevent its repopulation.

When Elisha the prophet came to Jericho:

And the men of the city said to Elisha, ‘Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord may see; but the water is bad, and the ground causes untimely births.’ And [Elisha] said, ‘Bring me a new flask and put salt in it.’ And they brought it to him. And they went out to the spring of waters, and cast salt in there, and said, ‘Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; there shall not be from there any more death or miscarriages.’ So the water was healed to this day, according to the saying of Elisha. 2 Kings 2:19-22.

No matter who they are or what they do, the bottom line for each and every person, is that they will serve somebody/something. This is a black and white statement; and it is either the devil and his kingdom or Our Heavenly Father and His Kingdom whom we serve.  People can cover up/camouflage satan with all the religious pomp and finery they desire; 1 Cor. 8:4-6, but in the end, its’ roots are still in satans kingdoms of this world, and are not of the one True God, The Creator of His universe. 1 Cor. 10:18-22.  Our thoughts, words, and/or actions will indicate the one we serve as scripture says you will know them by their fruit. Matt. 7:16

Can this truth be found in the Tenach/Tenakh, this phrase

Covenant of Salt?

Scripture only refers to it 3x, yet it has great significance to the believer in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus today. 

For many, it is an integral part of their commitment one to the other in the marriage covenant.

Leviticus 2:13

is the first time this phrase is found,

where the order of the words is

salt of the covenant.” 

Salt was to be added to the grain offering which is the context of this passage.

However our Fathers’ Spirit did not stop with the grain offerings; in the same verse, He directed Moses to write that the Israelites were to add salt to all your offerings.  Specifying that not just grain offerings, but ALL offerings made to Him by the Israelites, were to have salt added to them. 

In Numbers 18:19, is the second time it is mentioned, and it’s also in the instructions concerning offerings.  Here, the word order has been changed to covenant of salt.  In Numbers 18, Moses is told to instruct Aaron and the Levites that the care of the Tabernacle was their responsibility to fulfill.  Moses was also to inform them that

all the holy offerings the Israelites give Me I give to you and your sons as your portion and regular share. 

This was their share/allotment, as they would not receive any inheritance in the Promised Land because

He was their inheritance. 

All the offerings, belonged to them apart from the burnt offerings; this was because He was letting them know that through the offerings given by the people, He Himself would provide for them. The Priesthood/Kohenim were to serve the Lord and trust Him for their livelihoods. This has a counterpart in the New Testament as we are now a royal Priesthood and to rely on our Father in Heaven to provide for us. 1 Peter 2:9 & Matthew 6:8, 25-34.

 Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you…It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD.  

2 Chronicles 13:5 is the last time the phrase is found when the Lord gave to David and his descendants the kingship of Israel forever through a covenant of salt. 

The previous two scriptures are concerning offerings, but this one is not.  2 Chronicles is seemingly totally unrelated to the 2 previous references, but is it connected somehow?  The scripture references never directly define the phrase in any of these passages, so how do we find out what our Father was trying to tell us through them?  More importantly for us reading it, what does it mean to believers in Yeshua/Jesus today?

And Why Salt?

Salt is a symbol of eternity because of its preservative properties; as opposed to leavening /chametz.

Salt does not ferment and so preserves food against rot and decay.

Because salt does not ferment …. it does not change its base elements!

As we read all these facts we must apply their meaning spiritually.

The Word of God is spiritually discerned and the precepts laid out in scripture are to be applied to our lives as we gain understanding.

This is the meaning of Proverbs 4:7:

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

It is the application of His Word to our lives and applying that knowledge to ourselves. If we don’t have understanding, how will we know what to do with the knowledge we gain?

So when Yeshua/Jesus said you are the salt of the earth/world…

It suggests that we are

to stay the same, to be permanent,

we are not to change,

we are not to be blown around by every wind of doctrine

but remain stable, unmoved,

firmly planted on the Rock of our salvation,

Jesus Christ the Messiah/Yeshua HaMashiach.

We are to be consistent, committed and unshakeable in our faith and stand for the Lord, enduring to the end.

Remember salt is an element found in huge quantities all around the world and we are formed from the dust of the ground which includes salt. Ever tasted tears? They are salty and so is the sweat of our brow!

Because of this, Salt is essential to our bodies and they will not function properly without salt; and a lack of it can cause serious health issues. Any element which ferments is caused to expand due to the chemical process and this gives rise to volatile gases with explosive qualities!

We are not to be explosive in our conduct and manner of life. We are to be seasoned with salt and therefore not given to any explosive gases; instead to be calm, even tempered, bringing forth the fruit of His spirit and filled with His shalom.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The most interesting element of salt is: it a natural long term preservative and will keep food fresh for a long time. Before refrigeration technology, meat and fish were salted and many who preserve those, as well as fruit and vegetables, use salt techniques today.

He will preserve us until the day of our full redemption.

Apparently, Salt contains all of the 84 elements found in our bodies.

Some of the Health Benefits

 of natural Himalayan Crystal Salt include:

Regulating the water content throughout your body.

Promoting a healthy pH balance in your cells, particularly our brain cells.

Promoting blood sugar health and helping to reduce the signs of aging.

Assisting in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body.

Absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract.

Supporting respiratory health.

 

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT 

It is estimated that salt has 14,000 uses;

below are just a few.

The 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.

Among people today, salt is still used as a sign of honor, friendship and hospitality. A saying, mentioned earlier, 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 salt works at Ostia to Rome.

How is this relevant?

Salt enhances the taste of food.

Can the plain be eaten without salt? asks Job 6:6

On the other hand, over salted food becomes inedible. Drinking sea salt water will cause madness and death.

We are to seek the spiritual meaning. 

Salt changes everything it comes in contact with but the salt itself remains unchanged!

So as we walk through life we are to initiate change in others lives and circumstances but remain unchanged ourselves. Directing them to Yeshua/Jesus His Ruach HaKodesh who always point to the Father.

As salt preserves food against decay and rot; if we are the salt of the earth, then we are to preserve the bread of life, which is the food of His Ruach/Spirit. It is that which feeds His sheep daily and it needs to be fresh, not stale or moldy. Just as the manna/manhu fed the children of Israel in the years of their wilderness journey. We are pilgrims, as Moses said, traveling through this land, sojourners not residents! This is not our home; and as we travel through our personal wilderness, passing between Egypt (type of the world) and the Promised Land; (Future Resurrection /Ascension life/chaim;) we are also receiving daily manna from Heaven seasoned with salt for our walk. Jesus/Yeshua said He was the bread of heaven, the bread of life; we eat of Him continually and are satisfied.

We are to be in receipt of His meat in due season and this food is the same that Yeshua/Jesus said He had,

I have meat that you know not of. John 4:32

We are to

and not become saltless and tasteless

and have the fate of being thrown to the side and trampled underfoot.

This is in reference to the fact that when salt had become tasteless it had no further use and was thrown into the streets and literally trodden underfoot by the roman armies marching along these roads.

This was probably also a reference to those living at that time under the oppressive Roman regime.

Some scholars point out that salt was used as a preserving element and it was added to the meat to help it stay fresh longer, until the priests could eat it.  Others point to the prohibition of eating meat containing blood; salt was applied to the offering (after it was killed and the skin removed) to aid in the removal of the blood from the carcass.  Salt was therefore seen as a cleansing or purifying agent as well.

If we read the scriptures there seems to be a question with these two lines of thought.

Salt was to be added to all your offerings, including the grain offering, which had no blood.  The burnt offerings, which were to have salt, were never to be eaten by the priests as the entire animal was consumed by fire. Lev. 1. Therefore in those cases no preservation or cleansing agent would be needed.  Furthermore, it couldn’t just be related to the Kohenim/Kohanim, as the phrase covenant of salt was also used with David, who was from the tribe of Judah.  So it would seem that the meaning of the salt covenant was something other than preservation, prevention from eating blood, or cleansing.

One scholar noted that “salt had an enduring quality and therefore in the Middle East salt was used in ceremonies to seal an agreement.  Hence, the idea may simply be that God’s call upon the Kohenim and their service should endure, i.e., overcome all things.” 

It sounds right but it doesn’t explain why it’s used in connection with the House of David and the Israelites who presented the offerings.

There seems to be much more to this covenant of salt.  Is it possible that the covenant of salt was all about a relationship with the Father based upon trust?  

Faith in Him alone?

The people were to trust Him by giving the salt that was put into their offering.  He would provide for them and they were to give back out of love and obedience. 

The priests and Levites were to trust Him by serving Him without a land inheritance like their brothers. 

He would provide for their livelihood while they were away from their cities which were all throughout Israel. 

David and his sons were to trust God as their King and serve Him, believing He would keep the throne moving through David’s line long after David and his sons were gone; fulfilling prophecy.  

It seems most likely that this is the truth Our Father is trying to express when He uses the phrase covenant of salt.

Is it not Truth that He desires a relationship with His people based upon trust? One that can be witnessed in their actions and, the end goal will be seen through a changed life?

The first Hebrew word in the phrase, covenant, is

bĕriyth

בּרית.  

This word basically means an agreement or alliance between two parties where each party makes a pledge to keep their part of the agreement.

Genesis 6:18. is the first time this word is found.

One scholar states: “In the essence of salt is the power of water and the power of fire, which signify two of the [Divine] attributes on which the world is established: the attribute of Compassion (midat rahamim) and the attribute of Justice (midat hadin), and for this reason . . . it is called the salt of your covenant with God.

The covenant of salt

is one of permanence;

if it were not important or relevant to us,

Jesus/Yeshua would not have talked about it.

Remember His listeners were Jewish and knew Torah and Tenakh. Even if they did not read scrolls for themselves, the Rabbis read portions of scripture in the synagogues each week through the year; cycling through the Torah Prophets and Writings annually. These sections are called parashat and served as a calendar for the people. Appropriate teachings accompanied the readings. This is the reason that Yeshua/Jesus went to His hometown that particular week because it was the week for the reading of the Isaiah scroll. It was not random. He would of course have known that, and so would all those listening. In every synagogue, everywhere, at that time, all of them would have been reading the same portion of Isaiah as Messiah declared

this day it is fulfilled in your hearing! Wow!

It was the Fathers perfect timing as they literally read through Torah and later the Tenakh every year. The second reading, called haftorah, was added when the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon and they were forbidden from reading Torah. They took the time to locate scriptures within the writings and the Prophets that spoke of, and had reference to, the subjects of the Torah parashat readings; that way they were neither in rebellion to the authorities to whom they were captive, nor lacking in their yearly readings.

Ma’aser, tithes to the levites. God made an agreement with the Kohanim, so He made one with the Levites, who would receive the first 10% of each farmers’ produce. This regular tithe amounted to the supporting the servants of the priests of the Lord. This is the origin of the tithes commonly referred to in many of todays denominations. Interesting when it comes to money that this old testament observance is included in modern Christianity and other old testament scriptures are ignored or ‘done away with’!

These tithes were to feed those who were 100% dedicated to the Lord and had no other means of support. In obedience to doing the Lords will for their life they owned no land and had no other source of income but the Lord. These tithes were not given for constructing buildings or other projects; or to be used by the kohanim to make themselves comfortable. Somewhere along the way we have missed the real reason for the tithe and since 70AD with no temple, and no priesthood, no tithes were given/received? And now instead of produce its mostly in the form of money, not physical food etc. So this was given to the Israelites and all those connected to the covenant which revolved around the annual harvests and Gods’ Appointed Times; yet we dismiss that part as not relevant to our walk….hmmmmm!!!? One wonders is this selective observance of scripture, just doing what we feel comfortable with or what we are told to do??? Nowhere does Yeshua/Jesus tell us to give of our income just for projects inspired by men, but rather to give where there is real need, to the poor, to the needy for food, clothing, shelter, etc. We are to give liberally and joyfully.

2 Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Prov. 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD, and his good deed will he pay him again.Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father.

Deuteronomy 15:10. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; 

Jesus said “When you give . . . ; your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:3-4).

ברית מלח

Brit – melach – salt

מלח

tav lamech mem

Many things have natural salt and salt is added to food to enhance the original flavors.

We see the equivalent in our spiritual walk salt, when we are salty we give flavor to life, to ours and to those around us.

In many recipes, it is an ingredient that needs to be carefully measured or too much will spoil the result; so with us, we are to be led by His Ruach and give out just the right amount; not over salting but in a balanced portion so it can be enjoyed and ingested and not overdone. In the same way as Proverbs 25:16,27, tells us to be cautious about overeating honey!

The food we are to eat in order to feed our spirits and maintain a healthy walk, is found in His Word,

Our daily bread, our manna from heaven.

Added salt increases its satisfying properties, and we all know how salty food makes us thirsty, so then we look for water and again a type of His Word.

Washing of the water of the Word and when we come to Yeshua/Jesus, we will never thirst again spiritually, for He is the source of the wellspring, the water of the river of eternal life/chaim.

The covenant of salt symbolizes:

loyalty,

honesty,

and it represents that which is

a lasting or preserved covenant.

 

Mentioned earlier, some of the Eastern people still use the phrase:

There is salt between us. 

In Bible times, they understood that the

covenant of salt

meant that they would keep their word at all costs!

It is important that we are aware of these things as we immerse ourself into the world of our Heavenly Fathers’ people and their spiritual life.

Salt in Water Produces Fire!

In this context salt is employed to express the preserving, purifying, divine spiritual energy, which is also spoken of as fire.

The two emblems produce the same result.

They both salt….

That is, they cleanse/purify and keep/preserve.  

Mark 9:49-50 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another”

  1. 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one”. John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends”. 

There is also a custom of a Salt bath for newborn babies. Newborn babies were rubbed with salt symbolizing that they would grow up and

say what they mean, and mean what they say!

Ezek. 16: 1 Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations; 3 and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem: Your birth and your birth is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was your father, and your mother was a Hittite. 4 As for your birth, in the day you were born your navel was not cut, neither were you washed in water to cleanse you; you weren’t salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

Mark 9:50. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

The question is

R U salty

are we salty

are we the salt and light of this world??

Or

are we the ones being trampled underfoot

by the feet of the oppressing enemy?

This enemy is to be under our feet;

so let’s be the salty ones.

Those who are full of His flavor, then, when truth seekers come to us we can say… taste and see that the Lord is good.

And the food that we offer them will be seasoned in perfect quantity.

It is our responsibility to fill up with this meat in due season and be seasoned with salt, so that we have an encouraging and appropriate, right in the moment word in that season, for every hungry heart. 

We are the seasoning of this age

and in this hour

we

MUST

May His true Shalom rest upon each one in Yeshuas’ Name.

You are greatly loved Mishpachah Family

משפחה

and prayed for daily..

 make sure you are secure in the knowledge you are saved

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.