What does it mean to be salt?

[Mem]

ps Tho I meant to comment, but was distracted, that I see the "But" referring back to the previous verse, describe how Sodom and Gamorrah was judged, saying, "Thus He destroyed these cities and the entire plain,..."

I'd be interested to hear of this new perspective, as scripture doesn't speak much about why she looked back, except, "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."

 

[Miri]

Humm I found a really interesting article which says that in the ancient world,
salt was an extremely valuable commodity and it’s where we get our word
salary from!

It also has a lot more to say as well. Maybe it was the equivalent of
saying you are the precious gems of the earth, or the gold of the earth.



https://www.seasalt.com/history-of-salt

 

[dcontroversal]

Salt can do many things....cleanses, preserves, flavors, heals etc.....now apply that to a believer....when we are "salty" in our walk, stance and lifestlye we have the above attributes in our lives.....the obvious application can be seen.
...

 

[posthuman]

I'd be interested to hear of this new perspective, as scripture doesn't speak much about why she looked back, except, "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."

scripture doesn't actually say much about Lot's wife at all. it doesn't condemn her, and it doesn't approve her. it says a lot more about Lot, and what it says about Lot doesn't paint a very respectable picture of him - but the last thing we hear about Lot is that he is righteous ((2 Peter2:7))

i'm just going to put a kind of an outline here of that perspective, so it doesn't turn into a wall-of-text post, and then it'll be easy to quote from to go on about details later if anyone wants to. all this can be fleshed out a lot more and stated a lot better, even though this is till going to be a really long post, but it's enough to give you an idea of where i'm coming from and how it differs from almost every single sermon i've ever heard about her, but that it can be supported from scripture

• Abraham asked God if He would spare the city for the sake of a number of righteous people. he 'haggled' with God, starting with a higher number and stopping at 10. he had a reason to stop at 10; there is a reason the Bible records "10"
• one makes the argument that Lot's family consisted of 10 people, and that this was Abraham's reason for choosing 10 ((he clearly loved his nephew, so the connection is natural if this is the number of relatives Abraham has in the city)):
  • Lot, his wife, and the two daughters who came out with them = 4
  • per Genesis 19:14, Lot goes to speak to his sons-in-law. there's some dispute over whether they are pledged to be married or married; the argument assumes the right literal interpretation is that they are actually married already to two of his daughters: adding these presumed 4, 2 sons in law and 2 daughters (the grammar is plural, so at least 2 pairs), brings the family size to 8
  • in verse 8, Lot tells the men of the city he would offer his two virgin daughters to them if they would give up there desire for the angels. the argument is that these are the 2 daughters that escaped the city with him. total is still 8
  • in verse 12, the angels ask Lot about other family he has, telling him to get them out. they say "do you have anyone else here? sons in law, sons, or daughters?" the argument is that the angels know exactly how many children Lot has. they are sent from God with orders regarding him and his family: clearly this info ought to be part of the heavenly 'mission briefing' -- since they mention both sons in law and sons ((plural)) the inference is that there are two additional sons -- which Lot doesn't go to, actually, and actually fits perfectly the narrative of how Lot generally reacted to the message of the angels to him -- this brings the total to 10
  • Lot (1), his wife (2), his two virgin daughters (4), his two married daughters (6), their husbands (8), and 2 unmarried sons (10)
• Lot definitely has more family in the city, at least 2 sons in law. these would not be children of his wife. but if he has 2 more daughters and 2 more sons, children of his wife, then Lot's wife has a really big reason to be looking back. a mother's love. motive, established.
  • the whole context has a very strong theme of love for the sake of family - Abraham rescuing the whole city for Lot's sake. Abraham pleading with God for his family's sake. God rescuing Lot for Abraham's sake. the angels telling Lot to get whatever family he has - for Lot's sake. the promise that Abraham would be the father of a great family. Hagar, not Ismael, being mistreated. Ismael being blessed for her sake, ultimately for Abraham's. and significantly: Abraham lying ((sinning)) for the sake of wanting to protect Sarah: and this sin being preserved for us in the Word.
• the argument is also that the typological significance fits perfectly:
  • the symbolism is that of the church being rescued from damnation: the angels take them by the hand and they are spared from destruction.
  • Lot, his wife, and their 2 daughters then represent the saved: if he has 4 other blood-relative children who were unsaved, this jives with 'two in the field, one taken and the other left' - half. you can't arrive at this ratio with a different view of Lot's family size and assigning Lot's wife to condemnation, in symbol
  • if Lot's wife represents the church, then the fact that she is turned into salt jives with of the symbolic significance elsewhere in the Bible. so does the aspect of preservation - He remains faithful even when we are faithless, and He simultaneously chastens those He loves while He never forsakes or loses them.
  • if Lot's wife represents the church, and either a pre or mid-trib rapture event is the truth, where He comes to take His bride, then the context of Christ saying 'remember Lot's wife' makes sense in that He's answering questions about the end of the age and about His coming again and speaking to Jews: the understanding would be that she is a symbol for Jews who witness the rapture to 'remember' -- to remember that even though He chastens, He preserves, and that He is faithful to preserve from utter destruction ((because she was not destroyed with the city))
  • etc
• the argument that Lot's wife looks back missing her stuff or a sinful life in Sodom requires her to be an idiot. not just morally inept, but witless.
  • it's reasonable that she was present when Abraham ate with Melchizedek. Lot was definitely rescued at that time; why wouldn't he be with his uncle afterwards? and then it's assumed Lot was already married; he has children of marriageable age by the time of the destruction of the city.
  • she has seen the powerful things the angels did. she was taken out of the city by their very hands ((v.16)). the argument is that she's fully cognizant and not in denial about the impending doom and destruction of everything and everyone and every activity going on in the city, so that in order for her to be turning back to it the only reason she could have that isn't full-on-insane is sacrificial love.
• the argument that Lot's wife is instantly struck dead by God for looking back at the city, after having been rescued from it by angels, makes God seem capricious and unfair:
  • the reason they were taken out of the city by the angels is stated in the text: that the LORD's mercy was upon them ((v.16)). to hold that she is symbolically being damned is to have Him removing His mercy.
  • before being directly rescued by the angels, Lot had shown disrespect for everything they desired. even once out of the city, he rejects the angels specific instructions to flee to the mountains. it was because of Lots own hesitation/lingering ((v.16)) that they took the 4 of them by the hand. why isn't his hesitation - just like his wife's - punished with insta-kill? we know a lot more about his actions, and practically none of it is commendable. ((yet he's still called righteous by Peter, having been spared from the fate of Sodom. Lot's wife is also spared: she did not die in the city, with the city)).

loads more i could say and i apologize i haven't said it better or more succinctly: this is already a lot longer post than i hoped to set out. even if you think this is all nuts, thanks for reading it to the end of it

 

[Jewel5712]

the Bible doesn't say "she became a pillar of salt mixed with _______" or "she became a pillar of contaminated salt"
it says salt.

Jesus says remember her, as though she is a sign. if she is a sign the Messiah tells us to remember, is that an "evil purpose"? God made her a pillar - did He have an evil purpose?

instead of allowing her to reach the city and be destroyed with it, He preserved her as a pillar of the thing no sacrifice was to lack and the thing He calls believers: salt.

without prejudice, it's hard to see this as evil and corrupt.

This has nothing to do with the OPs scripture..TANGENT..

 

[Jewel5712]

scripture doesn't actually say much about Lot's wife at all. it doesn't condemn her, and it doesn't approve her. it says a lot more about Lot, and what it says about Lot doesn't paint a very respectable picture of him - but the last thing we hear about Lot is that he is righteous ((2 Peter2:7))

i'm just going to put a kind of an outline here of that perspective, so it doesn't turn into a wall-of-text post, and then it'll be easy to quote from to go on about details later if anyone wants to. all this can be fleshed out a lot more and stated a lot better, even though this is till going to be a really long post, but it's enough to give you an idea of where i'm coming from and how it differs from almost every single sermon i've ever heard about her, but that it can be supported from scripture

• Abraham asked God if He would spare the city for the sake of a number of righteous people. he 'haggled' with God, starting with a higher number and stopping at 10. he had a reason to stop at 10; there is a reason the Bible records "10"
• one makes the argument that Lot's family consisted of 10 people, and that this was Abraham's reason for choosing 10 ((he clearly loved his nephew, so the connection is natural if this is the number of relatives Abraham has in the city)):
  • Lot, his wife, and the two daughters who came out with them = 4
  • per Genesis 19:14, Lot goes to speak to his sons-in-law. there's some dispute over whether they are pledged to be married or married; the argument assumes the right literal interpretation is that they are actually married already to two of his daughters: adding these presumed 4, 2 sons in law and 2 daughters (the grammar is plural, so at least 2 pairs), brings the family size to 8
  • in verse 8, Lot tells the men of the city he would offer his two virgin daughters to them if they would give up there desire for the angels. the argument is that these are the 2 daughters that escaped the city with him. total is still 8
  • in verse 12, the angels ask Lot about other family he has, telling him to get them out. they say "do you have anyone else here? sons in law, sons, or daughters?" the argument is that the angels know exactly how many children Lot has. they are sent from God with orders regarding him and his family: clearly this info ought to be part of the heavenly 'mission briefing' -- since they mention both sons in law and sons ((plural)) the inference is that there are two additional sons -- which Lot doesn't go to, actually, and actually fits perfectly the narrative of how Lot generally reacted to the message of the angels to him -- this brings the total to 10
  • Lot (1), his wife (2), his two virgin daughters (4), his two married daughters (6), their husbands (8), and 2 unmarried sons (10)
• Lot definitely has more family in the city, at least 2 sons in law. these would not be children of his wife. but if he has 2 more daughters and 2 more sons, children of his wife, then Lot's wife has a really big reason to be looking back. a mother's love. motive, established.
  • the whole context has a very strong theme of love for the sake of family - Abraham rescuing the whole city for Lot's sake. Abraham pleading with God for his family's sake. God rescuing Lot for Abraham's sake. the angels telling Lot to get whatever family he has - for Lot's sake. the promise that Abraham would be the father of a great family. Hagar, not Ismael, being mistreated. Ismael being blessed for her sake, ultimately for Abraham's. and significantly: Abraham lying ((sinning)) for the sake of wanting to protect Sarah: and this sin being preserved for us in the Word.
• the argument is also that the typological significance fits perfectly:
  • the symbolism is that of the church being rescued from damnation: the angels take them by the hand and they are spared from destruction.
  • Lot, his wife, and their 2 daughters then represent the saved: if he has 4 other blood-relative children who were unsaved, this jives with 'two in the field, one taken and the other left' - half. you can't arrive at this ratio with a different view of Lot's family size and assigning Lot's wife to condemnation, in symbol
  • if Lot's wife represents the church, then the fact that she is turned into salt jives with of the symbolic significance elsewhere in the Bible. so does the aspect of preservation - He remains faithful even when we are faithless, and He simultaneously chastens those He loves while He never forsakes or loses them.
  • if Lot's wife represents the church, and either a pre or mid-trib rapture event is the truth, where He comes to take His bride, then the context of Christ saying 'remember Lot's wife' makes sense in that He's answering questions about the end of the age and about His coming again and speaking to Jews: the understanding would be that she is a symbol for Jews who witness the rapture to 'remember' -- to remember that even though He chastens, He preserves, and that He is faithful to preserve from utter destruction ((because she was not destroyed with the city))
  • etc
• the argument that Lot's wife looks back missing her stuff or a sinful life in Sodom requires her to be an idiot. not just morally inept, but witless.
  • it's reasonable that she was present when Abraham ate with Melchizedek. Lot was definitely rescued at that time; why wouldn't he be with his uncle afterwards? and then it's assumed Lot was already married; he has children of marriageable age by the time of the destruction of the city.
  • she has seen the powerful things the angels did. she was taken out of the city by their very hands ((v.16)). the argument is that she's fully cognizant and not in denial about the impending doom and destruction of everything and everyone and every activity going on in the city, so that in order for her to be turning back to it the only reason she could have that isn't full-on-insane is sacrificial love.
• the argument that Lot's wife is instantly struck dead by God for looking back at the city, after having been rescued from it by angels, makes God seem capricious and unfair:
  • the reason they were taken out of the city by the angels is stated in the text: that the LORD's mercy was upon them ((v.16)). to hold that she is symbolically being damned is to have Him removing His mercy.
  • before being directly rescued by the angels, Lot had shown disrespect for everything they desired. even once out of the city, he rejects the angels specific instructions to flee to the mountains. it was because of Lots own hesitation/lingering ((v.16)) that they took the 4 of them by the hand. why isn't his hesitation - just like his wife's - punished with insta-kill? we know a lot more about his actions, and practically none of it is commendable. ((yet he's still called righteous by Peter, having been spared from the fate of Sodom. Lot's wife is also spared: she did not die in the city, with the city)).

loads more i could say and i apologize i haven't said it better or more succinctly: this is already a lot longer post than i hoped to set out. even if you think this is all nuts, thanks for reading it to the end of it

Again..the OP isn't just bout "salt" but particular scripture...

 

[Jewel5712]

Salt can do many things....cleanses, preserves, flavors, heals etc.....now apply that to a believer....when we are "salty" in our walk, stance and lifestlye we have the above attributes in our lives.....the obvious application can be seen.
...

THANK YOU for getting this thread back on track

 

[Jewel5712]

The Bible interprets itself.

The Bible "speaks" the person reading..with God's help is the interpreter...

 

[Mem]

loads more i could say and i apologize i haven't said it better or more succinctly: this is already a lot longer post than i hoped to set out. even if you think this is all nuts, thanks for reading it to the end of it

Thanks for taking the time. and showing a 'good' eye perspective of how that which others might consider to be a bad attribute may well actually be a good attribute after all (I've considered a similar perspective to that of the general consensus of Job's wife). This thought, along with dcon's comment, caused me to consider how salt would still be of good purpose even if the purpose is to hinder the productivity (of the tares for example).

 

[posthuman]

This thought, along with dcon's comment, caused me to consider how salt would still be of good purpose even if the purpose is to hinder the productivity (of the tares for example).

i read that salt was used as an insulation, in a thick layer under outdoor brick ovens. 'preventing heat loss' is a sort of hindrance, in a way. salt used in this way would eventually lose its effectiveness as an insulator through repeated heating/cooling cycles and be scattered in roadways or on dirt rooftops etc (wherever it wasn't desired that any plant should grow), where it would be 'trampled underfoot'

 

[garee]

I'd be interested to hear of this new perspective, as scripture doesn't speak much about why she looked back, except, "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."

Looking back seems to be synonymous to not being fit to enter the kingdom of God .In that way no man can serve two masters.

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.