Bereansearching Bible Studies

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Introduction

This chapter continues what preceded it, emphasizing the various earthly (“worldly”) and therefore “temporal” features and furniture of the Tabernacle, along with the repetitive earthly priestly services and practices that were established as “types” and “figures” to point us to the “heavenly” and “eternal” Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

This chapter can therefore be viewed as consisting of three parts:

1. To show the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ over the Tabernacle, the furniture, its priesthood, and its sacrifices.
2. To show how all that had gone before as officiated by the Levitical covenant were all “Types” and figures/pictures of Jesus and His Office, thereby they had no power in themselves to save.
3. To mark an end to all Levitical ceremonies, sacrifices, and the first covenant, and to provide a more complete understanding of the Gospel of Salvation through the Atoning Sacrifice for sins by Jesus Christ our LORD.

Jesus is both the eternal High Priest offering the eternal Sacrifice (Himself), and by Him the believers also can enter the eternal Holy of Holies, Heaven, having been “typified” behind the vail (veil) before the Mercy Seat (where God is on His Throne in Heaven) and not die, but have everlasting life. Jesus Is the believer’s eternal Intercessor, High Priest, and Advocate before the Father. Hallelujah!

Hebrews 9:1, “¶Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.”

Ordinances are the priestly ceremonies outside the Holy of Holies.

Exodus 25:8&9, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, [after] the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make [it].“ Note the word “pattern” (and also “worldly” sanctuary in the first verse above).

Note to the reader: The person (artisan) assigned to the work of fashioning the furniture and instruments of the Tabernacle was named Bezaleel. Exodus 31:1-5, “¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set [them], and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.“So Bezaleel, was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi, and he was the grandson of Hur and the son of Uri. Bezaleel בְּצַלְאֵל (bᵊṣal’ēl)^H1212 , which means “Under the Shadow or Protection of God” reminiscent of Psalm 17:8. Uri אוּרִי (‘ûrî)^H221, which means “Fiery” from the root word אוּר (‘ûr)^H217 , which means “Light of Fire“. Hur חוּר (ḥûr)^H2354, which is the same as חוּר (ḥûr)  ^H2353 meaning “White, like white linen” was the man who went with Moses and Aaron up the mount when Joshua fought with the Amalekites and with Aaron upheld Moses’ arms leading to Joshua’s victory. Jesus, from the Tribe of Judah, Is Righteous and his righteousness is imputed to His Saints (His Bride) as we read in Revelation 19:8, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.“

Hebrews 9:2, “For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary (‘Holy’ place).” The first/outer room inside the tent.

Four things are listed: 1) the tabernacle, 2) the candlestick, the 3) table, and 4) the shewbread.

Note to the reader: For far more detailed information regarding the various pieces of furniture and holy vessels found in the Tabernacle and the spiritual implications of each, please see: The Holy Vessels and Furniture of the Tabernacle by Henry W. Soltau

 The Tabernacle (Made with hands, pointing to the Heavenly Tabernacle made by God)

Exodus 26:1, “¶Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle [with] ten curtains [of] fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: [with] cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.“

The Tabernacle (a two room tent) was another “Type” pointing to God tabernacling (dwelling) with mankind:

1. John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (σκηνόω (skēnoō))^G4637 among us,(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
2.  Revelation 7:15, “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell (σκηνόω (skēnoō))^G4637 among them.”
3. 2 Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle (σκῆνος (skēnos))  ^G4636 were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
4. 2 Corinthians 5:4, “For we that are in [this] tabernacle (σκῆνος (skēnos))^G4636 do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.”

And we should also remember once again what the martyred disciple, Steven, said in his very last words of testimony, about the Tabernacle (and the Temple): Acts 7:44-50, “¶Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus (Joshua) into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him an house. ¶Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?“

The “prophet” that Stephen mentioned here was Isaiah, referring back to Isaiah 66:1&2, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.“

Finally we have Revelation 21:3, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle σκηνή (skēnē)^G4633 of God [is] with men, and he will dwell (σκηνόω (skēnoō)) ^G4637 with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.“

The Three Colors of the Curtains (Blue, Purple, Scarlet)

Blue seems to relate to Heaven per Genesis 1:8, Purple seems to relate to royalty per John 19:2&5, and Scarlet definitely relates to the shedding of blood for the remission of sin per Isaiah 1:18 and Hebrews 9:22, and therefore ultimately the shed Blood of the LORD Jesus Christ. And please note how blue and purple (and white, “Hur”) show up in this verse in the Book of Esther, Esther 8:15, “And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, ^H2353 and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.“

The Candlestick or Golden Lampstand with Seven Lamps Represents the Eternal Light of Christ

Exodus 25:31(–40) and Exodus 37:17–24, “¶And thou shalt make a candlestick [of] pure gold: [of] beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.“

Exodus 27:20, “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.”

Leviticus 24:1-4, “¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: [it shall be] a statute for ever in your generations. He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.“

Numbers 8:2-4, “Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. And this work of the candlestick [was of] beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.“

Zechariah 4:2, “And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all [of] gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which [are] upon the top thereof:“

Revelation 4:5, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.“

The Light of Jesus Christ

2 Corinthian 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.“

2 Timothy 1:10, “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:“

1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.“

The Table (smaller than the ark in length and width, but the same height)

Exodus 26:35, “And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.“

Exodus 25:23–30 and Exodus 37:10–16  , “¶Thou shalt also make a table [of] shittim wood: two cubits [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about…”

The Shewbread

Leviticus 24:5-9, “¶And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake. And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon [each] row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, [even] an offering made by fire unto the LORD. Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, [being taken] from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it [is] most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.”

Exodus 25:30, “And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.“

Numbers 4:7, “And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:“

Hebrews 9:3, “And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

Inside The “Holy of Holies” (A “Type” of the Throne Room of God in Heaven)

The Veil

Exodus 26:31, “¶And thou shalt make a vail [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:“

We again see the same three colors presented as with the curtains of the Tabernacle.

Hebrews 9:4, “Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein [was] the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;“

NOTE to the reader: It is clear from 1 Kings 8:9 (and 2 Chronicles 5:10), That at the time of the completion and dedication of the Temple built by king Solomon, that “[There was] nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.” So we are faced with somewhat of a contradiction, because Hebrews 9:4 would at least seem to suggest to us that there were two other items in the ark besides the two table of stone (“the Ten Commandments”). One solution is, given the somewhat ambiguous phraseology of the King James English Translation, that the verse can be interpreted as saying either 1) that the pot of Manna and Aaron’s rod were always placed within the Tabernacle and near (“before“, and not actually “in“) the Ark, or 2) that, possibly, IF both the golden pot of manna and the rod of Aaron were originally placed within the Ark, then at some point prior to the Temple dedication they were subsequently removed from the Ark. The pot of manna and Aaron’s rod could have been removed after the Philistines captured the Ark in 1 Samuel 4:11, because we read that the men of Beth Shemesh “had looked into the ark of the LORD” in 1 Samuel 6:19. Nonetheless, we also know that they were slaughtered by God as a result “And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten [many] of the people with a great slaughter.” Moreover, we also know that even if someone just touched the Ark without using the designated staves that they would be immediately be struck dead as a result as we read in 2 Samuel 6:6&7, ¶And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth [his hand] to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook [it]. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for [his] error; and there he died by the ark of God.” We are therefore forced to consider then that both the pot of Manna and Aaron’s rod were more likely always only placed within the Tabernacle near (“before“) the Ark of the Covenant, and not necessarily within the Ark itself at any time. Nonetheless, we can only say that the reality remains unclear.

Ark of the Covenant

Exodus 25:10–22 , and Exodus 37:1–9  “¶And they shall make an ark [of] shittim wood: two cubits and a half [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about….“

The Pot of Manna

Exodus 16:33&34, “And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.“

Aaron’s Rod that Budded

Numbers 17:8-10, “¶And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. ¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.“

The Tables of the Covenant that Moses put in the Ark

Exodus 25:16, “And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.” and

Deuteronomy 10:1–5, and Exodus 34:1–9,”¶At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.“ 

Hebrews 9:5, “And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.“

The Mercy Seat

Exodus 25:18-22, “And thou shalt make two cherubims [of] gold, [of] beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: [even] of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth [their] wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces [shall look] one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which [are] upon the ark of the testimony, of all [things] which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.“

Leviticus 16:2, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy {place] within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”

Hebrews 9:6, “¶Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service [of God].”

Laws of Continual Offerings Outside the Vail

Please See Exodus 29:38–46 and Numbers 28:1–8 

Hebrews 9:7, “But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:“

Exodus 30:10, “And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto the LORD.” and Hebrews 7:27, “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.“

Hebrews 9:8, “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:“

This is the key to this verse: Hebrews 10:19&20, “¶Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;” and John 14:6, “¶Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.“ Remembering also what we read in John 6:44 where Jesus also said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Noting the harmony with Psalm 65:4, “Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple.“)

Hebrews 9:9, “Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;“

Note the use of the word “figure”…again it is saying that these temporal earthly things in the sanctuary and performed within in the sanctuary of the tabernacle for the time then present are “Types” (symbols, pictures) of heavenly eternal accomplishments via the Person and Work of the LORD Jesus Christ. (This is also a segue to Hebrews 10:1-4)

Galatians 3:21, “¶[Is] the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.“

Hebrews 9:10, “[Which stood] only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on [them] until the time of reformation.“

Meat and Drinks

Colossians 2:16, “¶Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]:“

Washings

Numbers 19:7, ”Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.”

Ordinances (rights or ceremonies)

Ephesians 2:15, “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;”

Hebrews 9:11, “¶But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Please again see the points made earlier for Hebrews 9:2

We know that when the appointed time came, Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest of God things to come (peace, righteousness, reconciliation, grace and mercy) came in a body prepared for Him by God the Father and Who Was ordained by God the Father.

Galatians 4:4&5, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.“

Hebrews 3:1, “¶Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;“

Hebrews 10:1, “¶For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.”

Hebrews 8:2, “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.“

Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].“

Hebrews 10:4, “For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.“

Psalm 69:30&31, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. [This] also shall please the LORD better than an ox [or] bullock that hath horns and hoofs.“

Ephesians 1:7, “¶ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” and Colossians 1:14, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:“

Zechariah 3:9, “For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone [shall be] seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.“

Daniel 9:24, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.“

Hebrews 9:13, “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:“

Leviticus 16:11-14, “¶And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which [is] for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which [is] for himself: And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it] within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that [is] upon the testimony, that he die not: And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.“

Numbers 19:2-4, “This [is] the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein [is] no blemish, [and] upon which never came yoke: And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and [one] shall slay her before his face: And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times: And [one] shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn: And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast [it] into the midst of the burning of the heifer.“

Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?“

1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Romans 1:3&4, “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:“

Hebrews 10:22, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.“

Hebrews 6:1, “¶Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,“

Luke 1:74, “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,”

Hebrews 9:15, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.“

1 Timothy 2:5, “For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 7:22, “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.”

Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” (propitiation is another word for atonement and appeasement)

Hebrews 3:1, “¶Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;“

Hebrews 9:16, “¶For where a testament [is], there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.”

This is fairly straightforward.

Hebrews 9:17, “For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”

Galatians 3:15, “¶Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though [it be] but a man’s covenant, yet [if it be] confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.“

Hebrews 9:18, “Whereupon neither the first [testament] was dedicated (purified) without blood.”

Exodus 24:6, “And Moses took half of the blood, and put [it] in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.“

Hebrews 9:19, “For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet (purple?) wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,“

Exodus 24:8, “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.“

And does not this at least bring to mind that Jesus, as He was going to the cross was robed with purple and out of His side came blood and water? John 19:34, “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. and John 19:2, “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,”

Hebrews 9:20, “Saying, This [is] the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.”

Matthew 26:27, “¶And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Hebrews 9:21, “Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.“

Exodus 29:12, “And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.“

Leviticus 8:15, “And he slew [it]; and Moses took the blood, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.”

Hebrews 9:22, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.“

Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul.“

Hebrews 9:23, “¶[It was] therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.“

Hebrews 8:5, “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.“

Hebrews 9:24, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:“

Hebrews 6:20, “Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.“

Hebrews 8:2, “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.“

Hebrews 9:25, “Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;”

Hebrews 9:7, “But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:“

Hebrews 9:26, “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

Hebrews 7:27, “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.“

1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.“

Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.“

Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.“

Ecclesiastes 3:20, “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.“

2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.”

Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Romans 6:10, “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.“

1 Peter 3:18, “¶For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:“

1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

1 John 3:5, “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

Matthew 26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.“

Romans 8:1, “¶[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.“

Romans 5:15, “But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.“

Romans 8:33&34, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? [It is] God that justifieth. Who [is he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yearather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.“

Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. ¶These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

Genesis 19:26, “¶But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

Introduction

In Luke 17:32, The LORD Jesus Christ, when speaking in the context of the coming Judgment Day, made this terse statement, “Remember Lot’s wife.” When we look at that context, provided by the preceding four verses in Luke 17:28–31 , we learn the following: “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. ¶In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.“

Jesus was referring us back to the wife of Lot in Genesis 19:26, “¶But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

Again, for the context, we read in the preceding verses of Genesis 19:12-17, where the Angels of God, having the appearance of “men”, spoke to Lot as follows:

“¶And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring [them] out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. ¶And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. ¶And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand,and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.”

And then, a little later, after Lot petitioned the Angels of God to flee to the small village of Zoar, we read in Genesis 19:23-26, “¶The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. ¶But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

The Spiritual Meaning of Salt in the Bible Is Judgment

When we see how God employs the use of salt in the Bible we see a consistent theme. Salt is used to bring God’s Wrath and Judgment. The meat sacrifices for sin were salted. When a land was cursed it was salted. God referred to His Covenant as one of “salt” that entails an eternal offering as an atonement for sin, wherein Jesus had to endure God’s wrath in judgment for the sins of God’s people. Finally, the just judgment to come is an inherent part of the Gospel. We cannot speak of the love of God and his mercy if we do not speak of God’s judgment and wrath for sin that is to come. How can people understand their need for Jesus as Savior if they do not hear what they will be saved from? Our speech must therefore also be seasoned with salt. (For more on this subject, particularly expositing Colossians 4:6, please see The Meaning of Salt in the Bible, which is excerpted from a longer Bible Study guide by my dear friend and former Bible teacher, the late Thomas A Schaff.)

Leviticus 2:13, “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.“

Numbers 18:19, “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.“

Deuteronomy 29:23, “[And that] the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, [and] burning, [that] it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:” Note in particular the linkage with the word “salt” here together with “brimstone” and “burning” and “Sodom and Gomorrah”. This is scary stuff!

Judges 9:45, “And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that [was] therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.”

Sin offerings were to be salted, Ezekiel 43:23&24, “When 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. 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.“

Mark 9:49&50, “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 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.” and Luke 14:34, “Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?“

Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

The bottom line to this is that when we bring the Gospel of Salvation, we must clearly also warn of God’s coming judgment for sin in order for mankind to see its need for a Savior. Jesus Is The Only Savior, and the Only Way of Escape from that penalty which is destruction in Hell. 2 Corinthians 5:11, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.“

God Warns Us To Remember Israel’s (And Lot’s Wife’s) Errors To Avoid the Coming Judgment

1 Samuel 12:19-24, “¶And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins [this] evil, to ask us a king. ¶And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for [then should ye go] after vain [things], which cannot profit nor deliver; for they [are] vain. For the LORD will not forsake his people for his greatname’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great [things] he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.“

1 Corinthians 10:1-11, “¶Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. ¶Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” And likewise, Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.“

2 Timothy 3:14-17, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them]; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¶All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.“

Hebrews 10:31, “[It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.“

2 Corinthians 5:11, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

Conclusion: The Believers Cannot Look Back!

Lot’s wife was evidently too enamored with the sinful world of her day. Rather than being obedient to God’s commandment to NOT look back, her heart was set upon this carnal evil world and NOT with God. She looked back, and she was judged for not loving God first and foremost…which she would have otherwise exemplified by keeping God’s commandments like her husband did. God’s illustrative use of the “pillar of salt” underscores that God’s judgment was brought upon her.

Once we, as believers, have committed ourselves to the cause of Jesus Christ to bring the Gospel to this condemned, sin cursed, world, we can never look back or desire to. Luke 9:62, “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.“

Jesus said plainly in John 14:15, “¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Jesus also said in Matthew 6:19-21, “¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” and likewise in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Jesus also warned us in Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” and similarly in Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.“

1 Corinthians 10:12, “¶Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.“

1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. ¶Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.”

This is an excerpted word study on the meaning of “Salt” as given in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, …..” by the late Thomas A Schaff, as published in the small pamphlet entitled “Personal Bible Study”. Please also see the post on “Remembering Lot’s Wife“

Introduction

It is commonly thought that the Bible uses the world salt to emphasize preserving, purifying or flavoring. Interpreters will usually say “seasoned with salt” means that our speech should include things which are a blessing for our hearers, words that are flavorful, dynamic, and that to say good things about the person two whom we are talking. If we use our common experience to decide what “salt” means when used in the Bible, that would be a fair conclusion. There are also a number of historical and MiddleEastern cultural aspects relating to the value of salt over the past two millennia that can be found in this review: What is a Salt Covenant?. But those insights, valid as they may be when only viewing this Biblical passages from an earthly perspective, are not necessarily what can be found as a result of careful Bible study. We must ask, “What does the Bible really tell us about the word ‘salt’?“

What Does the Old Testament Teach Us About Salt?

First we must find all the places in the Bible where the word salt appears. We can do this by using a printed and bound concordance like Young’s or Strong’s or simply do a word search on the internet with an online concordance such as the one provided here: “Salt“. This link shows us where the English translators of the King James Bible interpreted each of the various words in the original Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic as “salt”. Almost always the word translated as salt in the Old Testament is from the Hebrew word מֶלַח (melaḥ)^H4417. We can then find that this word is translated in the King James Bible in the following manner: salt (27x), saltpits (with H4379) (1x).

A partial list of the Old Testament occurrences of the Hebrew word מֶלַח (melaḥ)^H4417 translated as salt includes:

Genesis 14:3, “All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt ^H4417 sea.” (Note that Sodom and Gomorrah were located in the plain of Siddim.)

Genesis 19:26, Speaking of Lot’s wife it says, “…and she became a pillar of salt. ^H4417“

Leviticus 2:13, Salt occurs three times this one verse. For example, “with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. ^H4417“

Deuteronomy 29:23, This is a curse. “…the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt ^H4417, [and] burning, [that] it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:”

Judges 9:45, Abimelech fought against Shechem and “…beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.^H4417” This was a curse from God, as we see in Judges 9:57, “And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.”

Zephaniah 2:9, “Therefore [as] I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, [even] the breeding of nettles, and saltpits^H4417, and a perpetual desolation: …”

These scriptures can therefore be divided into three categories. One is the obvious reference to the curse and judgment of God.

The second are the ones that simply mention the salt sea. While salt sea can be viewed as a neutral term, we know that in the Bible we are reminded of its close association with the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Therefore, this second set is also to a certain extent associated with the curse and judgment of God. And let us not forget that the Brook Kidron, which is an allegorical picture of Hell, flows down to the salt sea (which we know today as the Dead Sea). Please see the significant role and meaning of the Brook Kidron in Nehemiah here.

A third set of verses contains references to the Old Testament sacrifices. Notice in Leviticus 2:13 the instructions are that all of the sacrificial offerings must included salt. Numbers 18:19 and Ezekiel 43:24 also show this. These sacrifices are a figure or “Type” of the LORD Jesus Christ and they represent His Atoning Sacrifice upon the cross for the believers as He endured the wrath of God. This was Judgment Day for Jesus as He paid for the sins of those who would believe on Him. This can be supported by Galatians 3:13, Hebrews 10:4-14, and 1 Peter 2:24. Therefore there is good agreement between this set of verses with the other two sets, namely, that “salt” as found in the Old Testament is associated with the curse and judgment of God.

What Does the New Testament Teach Us About Salt?

Now Let us look at the New Testament. When we search for the word “salt” in the New Testament, as is expressed in the original Greek, we find the words ἅλας (halas)^G217,  ἅλς (hals)^G251, ἁλυκός (halykos) ^G252, and ἁλίζω (halizō)^G233.

At this point it is important to note which Greek word is the counterpart to the word salt as found in Colossians 4:6. It is the word ἅλας (halas)^G217. That is the Greek word that is important to us in this study because it is the one which is translated salt in the verse we are trying to exposit. However, in this case all four of the Greek words that are translated as salt are sufficiently similar to be admitted as evidence for this study.

In the New Testament, the word ἅλας (halas)^G217 is only translated salt (8x). ἅλς (hals)^G251 is one found as salt (1x) and the same with ἁλυκός (halykos) ^G252 salt (1x), while ἁλίζω (halizō)^G233 occurs as to salt (3x).

A complete list of the New Testament occurrences of the word “salt” is:

ἅλας (halas)^G217

Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt ^G217 of the earth: but if the salt ^G217 have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

Mark 9:50, “Salt ^G217 [is] good: but if the salt ^G217 have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt ^G217 in yourselves, and have peace one with another.“

Luke 14:34, “Salt ^G217 [is] good: but if the salt ^G217 have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?”

Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, ^G217 …”

ἅλς (hals)^G251

Mark 9:49, “For every one shall be salted ^G233with fire, and every sacrifices hall be salted^G233 with salt. ^G251“

ἁλυκός (halykos) ^G252

James 3:12, “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so [can] no fountain both yield salt ^G252 water and fresh.“

ἁλίζω (halizō)^G233

Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt^G217of the earth: but if the salt^G217 have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? ^G233 it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

Mark 9:49, “For every one shall be salted ^G233 with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted ^G233 with salt.“

Most of the occurrences listed above are fairly neutral as far as explaining the quality, or meaning, of salt as used the New Testament. However, Mark 9:49 provides the key link in understanding because it points us back to the Old Testament sacrifices as found in Leviticus 2:13. These sacrifices were figures of God’s wrath against sin. In this case, as we saw previously, it anticipated the reality of God’s wrath upon the LORD Jesus Christ. This concept of judgment agrees with another phrase in Mark 9:49, “salted with fire“, since fire is also associated with God’s wrath Hebrews 12:29, “For our God [is] a consuming fire.“

However, Mark 9:50 states that “salt is good.” So how do we reconcile that salt represents the wrath of God? We saw the same in Luke 14:34, and while Matthew 5:13 does not state the exact same words, all three verses continue with a reference to “salt losing its savor”. As noted earlier, Matthew 5:13 reads where Jesus said, “¶Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.“ By comparing these verses we can tentatively conclude that the good that is in salt is related to the fact that it is in a Christian. This conclusion is reinforced by a statement found in Mark 9:50: “have salt in yourselves“. It is because the Christian does something with the salt that makes it “good”. Whatever salt means, it is referring to something very important, because if it does not have its salty character is it counted as worthless.

Before we proceed further, we should take a moment to consider that we are correctly searching out the meaning or the Bible’s use of the terms salt and saltiness. They are such common words in our everyday experience that we might be overly influenced by what we think that they obviously must mean (e.g., applying a literalistic hermeneutic). Although God chooses words that are very familiar to us on an earthly basis, a little reflection on the way that God uses the words “salt” and “saltiness” reveals that He has something quite different in mind that the physical substance we use everyday to flavor our food. God (Jesus) stated “if the salt have lost his savour“. In the physical world, salt cannot lose its savor! Salt is either salty, or it is NOT salt. The chemical composition and savor of salt does not change. We must therefore look for a spiritual concept that is not obvious. We either have salt or we do not. Losing our savor must mean losing our salt. God uses words from the physical world, but those words are used in a way that forces us to seek a spiritual understanding… and there is a spiritual analogy, as we shall see. Note also that the many parables of Jesus are reflective of God’s consistent use of physical earthly terms to convey spiritual and heavenly meanings.

Conclusion

According to Colossians 4:6, it is our speech that must be salted. And we know from the preceding in both the Old and New Testaments that salt is associated with the spiritual danger or the wrath and judgment of God for sin. Therefore, tying all of these threads together, we can see that Colossians 4:6 is telling us that while always bringing the Gospel of the Grace of God through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ in our speech, we must also include the wrath and judgment of God for sin that will fall upon all those who refuse that Grace.

The Covenant of Salt

In Numbers 18:19, we read, “¶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.” The “…covenant of salt ^H4417 pertains to the covenant of the firstfruits. This verse follows Numbers 18:8-18, which discuss the beasts which are “redeemed” and that form the Priests’ portion. Note also in particular what is stated in Numbers 18:12, “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.“

God makes clear that this is an everlasting covenant. (Please also note that this “covenant of salt” is mentioned again in 2 Chronicles 13:5, “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^H4417?“). Although the meaning of the salt covenant is never explicitly stated in the Bible, the implication is that the “covenant of salt” is one that also involves sacrifice for sin (which points to Jesus Atoning Sacrifice, Jesus came under the Judgment of God for sin), involves redemption, and is eternally binding between God and man (and the believers are made priests according to Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10.

Validating the Above Conclusion

First of all, this conclusion fits the immediate context of Colossians 4:6, because it is set within the context of witnessing that we find preceding in Colossians 4:3-5, where the Apostle Paul expressed his desire for an open door to speak the Gospel. He prays that he might have the wisdom to speak to unbelievers and that he might know how to answer every man.

And what was the content of Paul’s witness? His own assessment is found in Acts 20:27 making clear that he had declared the whole counsel of God. Paul was careful to include in his speech not only the grace of God but also the necessary prerequisite to salvation, which is the realization that we are born under the wrath and judgment of God for sin (and we are born sinners), for which the substitutionary grace by Jesus is the ONLY solution. Furthermore, notice the effort that Paul makes in the first three chapters of Romans to emphasize that salt of the judgment of God in his witness.

The warnings that we saw in the three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) which state that salt must not lose its saltiness can be viewed as a warning for every believer to be sure when witnessing that we do not neglect the truth that Judgment (on Judgment Day) is coming! The larger context of the whole Bible is in agreement with that conclusion, not only in the remarks that we constantly rind in the Bible (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9), but also as an explicit command that we do not neglect talking about the wrath of God in our own witness (e.g., Ezekiel 3:17).

It is good to recall the fact that salt cannot really lose its saltiness but only seems to be salt and in reality is not salt at all if it does not have its savor. The spiritual analogy her is that he witness who does not bring the whole counsel of God is not a true witness and in God’s eyes is worthless and to be cast out (into Hell).

In addition, the fact that the Bible states that “salt is good” is a reflection of the fact that unless we tell people the truth about their sinfulness and the consequential wrath because of it, the witness will not be helping them one wit. People must face the truth before it is too late. And a witness that is faithful to the whole Bible is a witness that can really be used of God to save souls. That salty witness is “good”, to the highest degree, when it arrests people in their headlong race toward Hell, and turns them so that they flee the wrath to come by fleeing to Jesus for God’s mercy. It is “good for nothing” to bring a false gospel of only peace and love, when there is none (Ezekiel 13:10&11). Without the “salt”, there is no clear need for repentance nor an understanding of the need for Jesus as The Only Substitute Who already endured the wrath and judgment of God on behalf of all who would believe. It is a “good thing” to warn people of the wrath to come while they can still be saved (Jonah 3:4-5, 10).

We also know very well from Matthew Chapters 22 & 23 that Jesus had very condemning words to say to those who were enemies of the Gospel. Jesus’ speech was also salted with Hell, judgment, and wrath.

Application

We can go back to Acts 20:27 to see again how we should act in light of the above conclusion. The believers have a responsibility, like the Apostle Paul, to tell the whole truth as the Bible presents it. It is up to God to let God’s Word do Its Work. After all, according to Hebrews 4:12, the Bible, The Word of God, is a sharp two-edged sword which we must expect to cut both ways. When we bring the news of wrath and judgment for sin, as well as grace, some will be save and some will turn away.

2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:”

The believer must apply this conclusion to his or her attitude. The believer must trust God at His Word, that He will accomplish His purposes through it (Isaiah 55:8-11, and please also see The Parable of the Talents). Also, we know that according to 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the Gospel is not particularly popular in the world and we do not focus on the results. The believer must not be only concerned about how many people are saved when witnessed to, but rather the believer must desire to be a faithful steward of God’s Word (1 Corinthians 4:2). It is the believer’s job to make sure that his or her speech is both “always with grace and seasoned with salt.“

Introduction

This study is an excerpt from a much longer study on the Book of Nehemiah Chapter 2, but can stand alone as an illustration of God’s perfection in the recording of His Word to convey spiritual truth to the believers. May it be a blessing to all who read it.

Nehemiah “VIEWED” the walls; Jesus “PURCHASED” the walls

In Nehemiah 2:13 and Nehemiah 2:15 we read the following in the King James English Translation, “And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.” and “Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.“

The word “viewed” was placed there by the King James translators, because it made more sense from and earthly perspective given the historical temporal context, but that word was, nonetheless, NOT in the original Hebrew texts. The translators therefore must have “assumed” that there was an otherwise inexplicable “error” in the transcription in the original Hebrews manuscripts. This misinterpretation was despite the fact that the original Hebrew word transcribed the same precise way, TWO TIMES, in the original manuscripts!

Here is how you can find this difference described (as being due to an error) on the Internet (Blue Letter Bible) as follows: “שָׂבַר sâbar, saw-bar’; erroneously שָׁבַר shâbar; (Nehemiah 2:13,15)“.

How was that possible? Well, we first have to acknowledge that it could only have happened that way because God ordained it to serve God’s own purposes. How and why could that be? Let us take a close look at the original Hebrew word that this author is claiming was “misinterpreted” by the King James Translators and was in fact NOT erroneously transcribed.

So to repeat, the Hebrew word for “viewed” שָׂבַר (sâbar), saw-bar’ ^H7663 was put there by the translators because they evidently assumed that the word in the original text was written “erroneously” as שָׁבַר (šāḇar), shâbar ^H7666  in both Nehemiah 2:13 and Nehemiah 2:15).  

While שָׂבַר sâbar is a primitive root; meaning “to scrutinize”; or “to inspect”, by implication (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience):—hope, tarry, “view”, wait; alternatively שָׁבַר shâbar is interpreted as “buy” or “purchase” as in buying wheat or corn.  The only difference between the two words in the original Hebrew is the placement of a single “jot” (dot) in the word. The fact is that the jot (dot) was on the top of the right arm rather than the top of the left arm of the Hebrew letter in the original manuscripts was NOT an error or accident!  And we know this has to be the case, because God made sure that it was repeated twice for confirmation! 

So then, while it would seem perfectly correct and logical from a temporal, earthly, historical perspective for the King James translators to expect that Nehemiah would have “viewed/examined” the wall(s); nonetheless, from a the spiritual perspective, we know that Jesus (who is clearly being presaged by Nehemiah in this particular Biblical account), would not only have viewed the living wall(s) from an eternal perspective… but far more importantly, because of His Atoning Sacrifice (that started on Passover night in the Garden of Gethsemane after crossing the same Brook Kidron/Cedron in the night), Jesus “purchased” the living wall(s)!

The result is that God had effectively concealed the spiritual meaning within the text, such that it could easily be misinterpreted by translators who were evidently not sufficiently trusting the original texts to be without error. Moreover, because of the misinterpretation that resulted (despite appearing to be reasonable from a human perspective), the correct spiritual understanding could only discovered through Holy Spirit led searching out the meaning of the the Hebrew word as it was originally transcribed and not the English translation misinterpretation of it as being a different word (that only differed from the original by the placement of a single “jot”). The only reasonable explanation for why such things are only now just being revealed to us by God is that it is His Will…because we are all now living in the last of the latter days leading up to the end of the world and Judgment Day.

We can know the spiritual interpretation of the original Hebrew word שָׁבַר (shâbar) is correct because it is consistent with all other Biblical scripture and the Gospel. We should remember that all believers are “purchased” by the shed blood of Jesus as we read in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Also in 1 Corinthians 7:23, “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”  

And, moreover, all the believers, the elect and chosen people of God, are the “lively stones” that are built into the wall of the  spiritual temple of God of the spiritual New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2) of which Jesus Christ is the “Chief Cornerstone.”  See 1 Peter 2:5-8, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in scripture, (Found in Isaiah 28:16 and Psalm 118:22) behold I lay in Si-on a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.  Unto you therefore which believe he (The Lord Jesus Christ) is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” (See also Isaiah 8:14-16, Matthew 21:42, Mar 12:10&11, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, and Romans 9:33)

See also Ephesians 2:19-22, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”  

The believers are also not only the “lively stones” in the wall, but are also “co-builders” of that wall with Jesus Christ, as we are informed in 1 Corinthians 3:9-11. “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Note how this is also consistent with the last words of Nehemiah 2:16…as “the rest that did the work” is historically referring to those co-laborers with Nehemiah in building the earthly wall(s) of the physical Jerusalem, who spiritually represent the believers with Jesus Christ in building the eternal church encompassing the New Jerusalem.

The New Jerusalem

To see that the new Jerusalem is a spiritual representation of the kingdom of God that is made up of the body of believers, we just have to turn to Revelation 3:12, where we read, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall no more go out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.” 

This truth is also evident in Galatians 4:25&26, which contrasts the earthly Jerusalem and her children (the Jews of national Israel), described as being in bondage (to the works of the law), with the heavenly spiritual “Jerusalem which is above is free (through the grace of God), which is the mother of us all (all true believing Christians).”

For more detail on the New Jerusalem and the Heavenly Temple of God, please also see: “The Holy Temple of God, Will It Ever Be Rebuilt?“

Introduction

This is the first in a planned series (The Lord willing) exploring how God has masterfully hidden profound spiritual truths—“hidden gems”—within Scripture. These gems are meant for believers to diligently search out, celebrate together, edify one another, and strengthen the faith of the saints. This study on the Hebrew word דָּבָר (dāḇār)^H1697 is drawn from a broader examination of Hidden Treasures in the Bible and to try to explain God’s purpose in concealing them.

Proverbs 25:2 (KJV) declares this extraordinary verse: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Examining the original Hebrew (via interlinear tools like Blue Letter Bible) reveals a deeper layer. The word translated “thing” is דָּבָר (dāḇār) H1697—a masculine noun often rendered “word” (over 800 times in the Old Testament). The word translated “matter” is the same original Hebrew word, דָּבָר (dāḇār)^H1697. 

Thus, the verse can also read as: “It is the glory of God to conceal a word: but the honour of kings is to search out a word.” This suggests God is glorified by concealing “The Word” (Jesus Christ, see John 1:1–14) throughout Scripture, while believers—who are honored by God, spiritually, as “kings”—by being made able to search out Jesus when reading the Bible. Remembering also that 1 John 1:1 tells us that Jesus is  “the Word of life;” And to make the connection between Jesus (the Son of God) and the Word as unmistakable as possible, we read in 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.”

Believers Are Made “Kings” and “Priests“

Understanding Proverbs 25:2 requires recognizing believers’ exalted status. Revelation 1:5&6 states: “…Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father…”. This is reiterated in Revelation 5:10, where we see from the preceding verses that Jesus, as the Lamb of God, has redeemed the believers by His shed blood, “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Believers are become a “holy and royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5 & 9), called to spiritual reign now and in the New Earth “wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

This is reinforced in Job 36:7 where we read, “He (God) withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings [are they] on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.” Ephesians 2:4-6 “¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.“ In Luke 22:29&30 we read that Jesus (The “King of kings, and Lord of lords“! see: 1 Timothy 6:15 &Revelation 19:16) said to His disciples, “And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.“

Jeremiah 33:3 promises, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” The Hebrew for “mighty things” (בָּצַר (bāṣar)^H1219) can also be translated as “hidden” or “concealed.” Similarly,  in Isaiah 48:6, “Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare [it]? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things (נָצַר (nāṣar))^H5341, and thou didst not know them.” The original Hebrew word that is translated here as “hidden things” could also be translated as “guarded”, “protected”, “preserved”, “kept close”, or “kept secret”, which indeed is a synonym for “hidden” things or “concealed” things.

“Dāḇār” in Other Key Verses

The word appears in significant passages pointing to Christ:

• Proverbs 16:20: “He that handleth a matter (דָּבָר (dāḇār))^H1697 wisely shall find good…” → Hebrew: “He who wisely understands/heeds the word shall find good.”
• Psalm 56:10: “In God will I praise his word (דָּבָ֑ר (dāḇār))^H1697: in the Lord will I praise his word (דָּבָר (dāḇār))^H1697.”
• Psalm 33:6: “By the word (דָּבָר (dāḇār))^H1697 of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” 
• Psalm 145:5, “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works ” → Hebrew: “…and of thy wonderous words (דָּבָר (dāḇār))^H1697 (repeated).”

Jesus Spoke in Parables for a Reason

Jesus taught exclusively in parables! In Matthew 13:34&35, we read that: ”All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” This was a reference to the prophetic statements in Psalm 78:2 and Psalm 49:3&4. (NOTE: The a Greek word κρύπτω (kryptō) ^G2928, which means “to conceal” or “to hide”).

The Meaning of “Conceal”

In Proverbs 25:2, “conceal” is סָתַר (sāṯar) ^H5641 (also “hide”, as in Psalm 64:2; or “secret” as in Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret (סָתַר (sāṯar)) ^H5641 [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children for ever, that [we] may do all the words (דָּבָ֑ר (dāḇār))^H1697 of this law.“) 

Job 28:20&21, “Whence then cometh wisdom? and where [is] the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid (עָלַם (ʿālam)) ^H5956from the eyes of all living, and kept close (סָתַר (sāṯar)) ^H5641 from the fowls of the air.”

Isaiah 45:15 profoundly states, “Verily thou [art] a God that hidest (סָתַר (sāṯar))^H5641 thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.”

Daniel 2:28-30 uses the Hebrew version of the Aramaic word רָז (rāz)^H7328 means “to conceal” or “make secret” that which can only be revealed by God alone—and not derived by human wisdom “But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets (רָז (rāz))^H7328…he that revealeth secrets (רָז (rāz))^H7328 …But as for me, this secret (רָז (rāz))^H7328 is not revealed to me for [any] wisdom that I have more than any living,..” When king Nebuchadnezzar heard the secret revealed to him by Daniel in Daniel 2:47, we read, “The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets (רָז (rāz))^H7328, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret(רָז (rāz))^H7328.”

Daniel 2:30 makes clear Who really is the Author and Reveler of secrets.  It was NOT Daniel, but rather the source was and is Almighty God!   Anyone to whom God has graciously granted the privilege of spiritual understanding will readily attest to what Daniel declared. It is entirely due to God Alone! Moreover, It is also a gift to the believer’s as an “honor” to search out God’s Word to find the Hidden Treasures that God has so miraculously concealed within His Word, the Bible.

This is a fundamentally key point! For anyone to really understand a “secret” thing of God, God Has To Be The One to “reveal” it to him or her by His Holy Spirit, and it is never because of any intellectual prowess of that person. Moreover, a person will not “hear” that secret unless that person is a true believer. A person must be “Quickened” or “Born Again” by God’s Holy Spirit to have “the ears to hear and the eyes to see“!

And PLEASE, dear reader, note the harmony with what we read in 2 Peter 1:20, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.” It is God, working through the power of His Holy Spirit, Who Alone provides true interpretations of the Spiritually inspired scriptures. True interpretations of the Bible can NEVER be derived from man’s intellect. Anyone who thinks that the latter is even possible simply does NOT know God.

Jesus Commanded “Search the Scriptures”

Few people are aware of Jesus’ specific instruction to “Search the scriptures“, but that is exactly what Jesus instructed the Jews of His day as we read in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”  The Jews thought that by simply having the words of “Moses, the law, and all the prophets” that they also had the promise of eternal life. Their legalism and literalism blinded them to the Truth, and is a caution from God for all readers. Jesus was making clear that “the scriptures” (which at that time consisted ONLY of the Old Testament) were all about Him! The reality is that only in knowing and loving the Lord Jesus Christ (as God and Savior), as He is manifested in all the holy scriptures, can there any hope of eternal life!

We therefore have been given a clear mandate by Jesus to search the scriptures, focusing first upon the Old Testament, to see how gloriously and amazingly God has embedded, and interwoven, the Lord Jesus Christ within so many of its passages. The New Testament of the Bible reveals to us how this is indeed the case, perhaps no more clearly than in Jesus’ own exposition to his two disciples after His Resurrection on Easter Sunday along the Road to Emmaus.

Conclusion: Glorify God and Be Honored by Searching Out His Word, The Lord Jesus Christ

As the prophet Daniel affirmed (Daniel 2:30), no human intellect uncovers that which God has gloriously hidden—only God reveals them by His Spirit to the born-again believer (having been quickened and thereby given spiritual ears to hear and the spiritual eyes to see). Only if a person is a true child of God can he or she be granted the spiritual discernment to understand that the entire Bible is all about God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan involving the Person and Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is hoped that the reader will, by the Grace of God, The Father, be drawn to know and love Jesus (John 6:44) and be honored to search out The Word. 

We are also reminded of what we are told in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” This will be true for all believers in Heaven! Halleluja!

May this post, and all of the Bible studies found here, be a blessing to the reader and edify and strengthen the faith of the Saints.