Spice up the world with some salt! The Godly recipe for a tasty world Mathias Bavay [email protected]

Heritage Christian Church

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Introduction

salt cellar, 1536-1790

chaise à sel

So, what is so special about salt?

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What is salt? NaCl : Na+ + Cl− cubic structure.

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Usage necessary for health: between 0.5 and 10g per day taste enhancement preserves food (hygroscopic) necessary for cattle for momies, for sterilization of ennemy fields (Judges 9:45), . . .

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Rock salt extracted from mines contains between 95% and 99% NaCl does not contain trace elements, can lead to deficiencies

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Sea salt sea water contains 2.7% salt in mass extracted by evaporating sea water contains between 99% and 99.99% NaCl trace elements necessary for a good health

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Extraction, production by collecting it on the beaches by mining by evaporating sea water Salt extracted by the hebrews on the Dead Sea was mixed with sand. Therefore it could contain few salt and then be tasteless and worthless (cf Mt 5:13).

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Value: a kind of currency Roman workers paid with salt, then with coins (salarium: wage to buy salt) XIth century China created paper certificats allowing for a given amount of salt: ancestor of bills Across the Sahara, salt had been echanged for its weight of gold Taxable good of choice

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Value: strategic good for empires salt is needed for armies: the loss of control of salt mines by the confederates imposed them to be hunting every couple of days for the rest of the war (after battles from both sides to take control of the other’s salt mines). more wars fought over salt than gold! salt is needed for civilization! The salt roads have a strategic importance (roman and medieval times) salt is the most important good for trade in medieval times

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Interesting properties of salt So, the properties of interest of salt are: highly precious (up to XIXth century) necessary for health (personal/nation) preservative: prevents decay other interesting properties could also be: when it is used for purifying, it gets invisible after doing its action (humility) a very small amount has a big effect we can be confused with salt that is not pure anymore (and so less effective)

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The salt in the Bible A covenant of salt (Nu 18:19; 2Ch 13:5) is a sign of eternity and friendship (traditional symbol). Salt was used to seal covenants and friendship. It is: everlasting irreversible precious? uncorruptible (no shifting winds of doctrines)

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The salt in the Bible Seasoning sacrifices (Le 2:13; Eze 43:24): leaven (changing) / salt (unchanging) honey (appeasing gods, bribe) / salt (faithful) sweetness does not come from offerings (honey) but from faithfulness and close relationship

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The salt in the Bible Seasoning sacrifices, II (Le 2:13; Eze 43:24): abiding, eternality, steadfastness, stability, permanence -> the offering seasoned that way calls for the everlasting sacrifice of Christ salt symbolizes the restoration of friendship -> the sacrifice restores a relationship grain seasoned with salt = symbol of provision

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The salt in our life Seasoning our words (Col 4:6): purity (no sand mixed in it!) preserving from corruption healing (2Ki 2:21, another property of salt: it hurts on a wound, but it cleanse) necessary for life (of the individual and of the nation!) everlasting, unchanging precious

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A very high calling Mt 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. . . preserves, heals, purifies, protects from corruption mixed with corruptible things to bring its qualities to them (in a discreet, yet perceptible way) irritates, creates thirst for the water of the Word before healing necessary for life and for nations! extremely precious!

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A very high calling . . . but if the salt have lost his flavor, with which shall it be salted? it is thereafter good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

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