What is a "covenant of salt?' and what does that have to do with Jews and evangelism?

 

Salt, Covenant, and Witness:  A Jewish Framework for Evangelism

I.              Introduction: Recovering a Jewish Metaphor

Modern discussions of evangelism often revolve around method—programs, persuasion, apologetics, or cultural engagement. Sometimes they revolve around personality or venue. I am often asked what is “the best way to share Messiah with Jewish people?” I love the biblical juxtaposition of chapters 3 and 4 of the Gospel of John. There we see contrasted:

A woman     A man

Socially shunned (at the well)     Significant: a rabbi

Daytime (midday)     Nighttime

Yeshua approaches her     Nicodemus approaches Yeshua

There is not a simple and singular method for evangelism. One must be led by the Spirit of God. Beyond method and personality, and within the Jewish Scriptures and rabbinic tradition, a far older metaphor provides a deeper framework: salt.

Salt in Jewish thought is not merely culinary; it is covenantal.

When viewed through Torah, Temple practice, and rabbinic interpretation, salt emerges as a symbol of permanence, as well as loyalty, wisdom, and sacred preservation. Against this backdrop, Yeshua’s declaration, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), becomes profoundly Jewish—and profoundly missional.

Jewish evangelism is best understood not as innovation, but as covenantal preservation: living and speaking in a way that embodies the enduring “salt” of God’s covenant. 

If it were up to all the enemies of the Jewish people, there would not be a Jew alive in the world today. If Haman or Hitler or Pharaoh had their way, we Jews would not exist. God in his mercy salts the world with us, and salts us, preserving us against all odds. 

II.             Salt in Torah: The Covenant of Permanence

The foundational text appears in Leviticus:

“Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.” – Leviticus 2.13

Salt here is mandatory. No offering may be presented without it.

The phrase “salt of the covenant” (מֶלַח בְּרִית) suggests that salt functions symbolically within Israel’s covenantal relationship with God.

Two additional passages reinforce this idea:

God’s covenant with the priests is called a “covenant of salt.” (Numbers 18.19)

The Davidic kingship is described as given “by a covenant of salt.” (2 Chronicles 13.5)

Why Salt?

In the ancient Near East, salt symbolized durability and loyalty. Because salt preserves from decay and resists corruption, it became a natural metaphor for permanence. A “covenant of salt” implied an enduring, binding agreement.

Rabbinic tradition deepens this meaning. The Sifra (Torat Kohanim on Leviticus 2:13) links salt directly to covenant permanence, noting that salt never spoils and therefore symbolizes an unbreakable bond.

Salt, then, represents:

• Endurance
• Fidelity
• Preservation
• Incorruptibility

From the outset, Israel’s covenant identity is inseparable from this preserving function. 

III. Salt in Rabbinic Thought: Creation, Judgment, and Wisdom

A.   Salt and Creation

The Talmud (Menachot 20a) connects salt with creation itself, teaching that when the waters were divided in Genesis 1, the lower waters wept at being separated from the divine presence. God comforted them by promising that salt (drawn from those waters) would be placed upon every altar. Rashi explained that the ‘covenant of salt’ refers to a promise established during the six days of Creation, where the lower waters (oceans and such) were assured they would be included in the Tabernacle service through the salt on the altar and the water libation on Sukkot.

Also, according to halakhic interpretation, while a sacrifice lacking salt is generally still considered kosher, if the salt is omitted from a grain offering (mincha), it invalidates the offering.

This striking midrash accomplishes two things:

• It ties salt to cosmic covenant.
• It locates salt permanently in sacrificial worship.

Salt thus becomes a bridge between creation and avodah (the service of worship for Jewish people)—a reminder that the covenant touches the entire cosmos.

B.    Salt and Judgment

In Scripture, salt also appears in contexts of judgment (e.g., Sodom, Genesis 19; the “salt land” imagery of Jeremiah 17:6). Rabbinic literature recognizes this dual symbolism: salt preserves, but it can also desolate.

Salt preserves what is living—but reveals what is dead.

Witness functions similarly. It both preserves truth and exposes decay.

C.   Salt and Wisdom

The sages also used salt metaphorically for wisdom.

The Ethics of the Fathers records (Pirkei Avot 3:17):

“If there is no Torah, there is no proper conduct; if there is no proper conduct, there is no Torah.”

Some rabbinic commentaries compare wisdom to salt: a small measure enhances, but excess ruins. The Talmud (Berakhot 5a) associates suffering, covenant, and salt, suggesting that covenant depth—like salt—comes at cost.

In later Jewish thought, “seasoned speech” became synonymous with measured wisdom.

Thus, salt in rabbinic literature conveys:

• Covenant endurance
• Sacrificial loyalty
• Measured wisdom
• Moral preservation

IV. Israel’s Missional Calling: Preserving the Knowledge of God

The biblical literature of the Prophets consistently affirms Israel’s outward-facing purpose:

“I will give you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:6)

“That My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

Israel was not chosen for isolation but for representation and for bringing God’s love, mercy, covenant and blessings to the peoples of the world.

Within Second Temple Judaism, Jewish communities in the Diaspora functioned precisely this way—preserving monotheism in pagan societies. Synagogues became centres of ethical monotheism that attracted “God-fearers” (see Acts 10:2, 13:16, 43)

Jewish existence itself was preservative.

Israel’s faithfulness maintained the knowledge of the One God in a polytheistic world. That preservative function parallels the symbolism of salt.

V. Yeshua’s Declaration: “You Are the Salt of the Earth”

When Yeshua declared to His Jewish disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), he is invoking covenant language deeply embedded in Jewish consciousness. He is not introducing a new metaphor. He is bringing Leviticus back to mind.

The implication is not “You are morally flavourful.” It is “You are covenant carriers in a decaying world.”

A warning follows. “But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” This would have resonated considering Israel’s historical struggle with covenant faithfulness.

Salt that loses its distinctiveness no longer preserves. So too, covenant identity diluted by assimilation or other forms of unfaithfulness loses its witness

VI. Paul and Seasoned Speech: A Rabbinic Echo

Paul’s instruction is “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). I believe this fits squarely within Jewish wisdom tradition.

The metaphor aligns with rabbinic sensibilities:

• Speech should enhance, not overpower.
• Wisdom should preserve truth.
• Words should provoke reflection, not coercion.

Evangelism divorced from wisdom contradicts the salt metaphor. Salt persuades by presence, not pressure. 

VII. Implications for Jewish Evangelism Today

If salt is the governing metaphor, Jewish evangelism must be:

A.    Covenantal, Without Cultural Erasure

Jewish witness rooted in Messiah does not lead a Jewish enquirer to abandon his or her Jewish identity; it fulfills covenant continuity. We are ever Jewish, and this also might include congregational affiliation. Any erasure of our identity is counter the salt motif. 

I remember seeing a diorama in Tel Aviv in 1983. Perhaps it is still in place in the Museum of the Diaspora. It showed a scene at a plaza with some messianic Jews (Yehudim notzrim) on one side and some church people (in robes and a large cross on a pole) across the plaza. The churchmen were calling to the Jewish believers to leave the past, leave their community, and bear the cross. This continuing misunderstanding of the role of Jewish believers as Jews has only hurt the church and has seriously damaged the evangelism of Jewish people from the earliest season of the community of faith.

B.    Preservative, Not Combative

The goal is to preserve the knowledge of God—not to dominate discourse. And to include all the continuing revelation of God even through Messiah, his Son, whom he “appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world.” (Hebrews 1.2) The Torah isn’t the end; Prophets and Writings carry on; they are not the end of the Word either. The Brit Hadasha (New Testament) is in God’s economy to preserve. 

C.   Wise, Not Strident

Like salt, witness must be measured. Too much overwhelms; too little disappears. While their elemental forms are indeed lethal, as dsodium metal is explosive and chlorine gas is toxic, they are essential for basic survival. Of note, is that we can die from too much chloride: It is the most abundant negative ion in your fluids. Its roles include digestion and cellular function. 

Similarly, sodium is vital for the transmission of nerve impulses and muscle contraction. It regulates fluid balance and blood pressure. 

The "Salt" Paradox

In nature, these two "deadly" elements bond together to form sodium chloride (table salt). This bond stabilizes them, turning them into a safe and necessary nutrient. While most people consume too much, a diet with absolutely zero salt would be fatal.

D.   Distinct, Not Assimilated

Salt, when it is diluted into its environment, ceases to function correctly. Jewish distinctiveness remains central to Jewish witness. 

VIII. Conclusion: The Salt Has Not Lost Its Taste

Salt in Torah, Temple, and rabbinic thought symbolizes covenant permanence. It speaks of loyalty, wisdom, and sacred preservation.

Jewish evangelism, rightly understood, is not a departure from Israel’s calling. It is its extension.

To bear witness as a Jewish believer in Messiah is to live as salt:

• Preserving covenant truth
• Embodying faithfulness
• Speaking with wisdom
• Remaining distinct

The world does not decay for lack of noise. It decays for lack of preservation.

And preservation, in Scripture, has always required salt. And that salt which is required is the salt of God’s covenant with the Jewish people. 

A final thought about those grafted in.

 The Gospel is for the Jew first, and also for the Greek! (Romans 1.16) God used the Jews to salt (preserve) the world. At the same time, he preserved the Jews by his faithfulness. In the same way, he will continue with the widened covenant people of God, the Church. He is faithful to all who trust in Yeshua. No wonder the apostle said, “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1.6) And again, “Faithful is he who called you, and he will also bring it to pass” (1 Thes. 5.24)

Colleagues in ministry

Last month we conducted a colloquium, and this month began as many of our colleagues in ministry returned to their homes after a conference in which we participated in suburban Melbourne. At each, I was blessed to be part of something bigger, knowing full well that the work we conduct in the harvest fields of the Lord is but a sampler of so much of what He is doing to accomplish His plan. But at each of these gatherings, one for a single day, and the other over several days, I was challenged and informed of that once again.

The picture of the jigsaw puzzle reminds me, that is, it puts into my mind once again, that a part may well represent the whole, but it is NOT the entire whole. That one puzzle piece on the left when held in my hand is the representative. If I hold it up and have a look of curiosity on my face, you might think, "Bob needs to find his place" or "Bob is trying to finish something of a puzzle" or "Bob stole a puzzle piece off Larry's card table and is being cheeky." Whatever your conclusion, it's clear that synecdoche is in play.

Synecdoche is the figure or trope in which a part is used to represent the whole. Like 'cutthroat' for 'assassin' or "threads" for 'clothing' or "wheels" for "automobiles." This puzzle piece represents the whole, and thus is a synecdoche.

Now, grammar lesson aside, what prompts this consideration today is that my work is part of the whole. And when people at Keysborough last weekend or Rowville this weekend, or in Houston at the beginning of next month or... wherever I travel... when they say to me, "I love your work--" what they mean is they love the whole puzzle, that is, the work (and the workers) who are participating in the work of Jewish evangelism. They are commending the work of God, all the work and all the ministry, of all the workers in Jewish evangelism. Wow, that's a significant amount of folks, in a wide swath of territory from Geraldton in Western Australia to Sydney to Israel and London, from San Francisco to Johannesburg and Essen and Berlin. From 187th Street to Wall Street in NYC. And it's not only geographical. It's from Jews for Jesus to Celebrate Messiah, from Chosen People to Friends of Israel, from the HIT network (Hosting Israeli Travelers) to Awake to Israel, and every messianic congregation worldwide.

Sometimes workers in a particular field, like Jewish evangelism or marriage strengthening or pastoral homiletic development or campus "ministry" battle with one another. They hear about another similar work and about someone commending it. All of a sudden they become territorial. I remember at the university which I attended and where I was part of a ministry team back in the 1970s. Our campus ministry was significant and to this day continues under a new name. One of the wrong behaviors I remember and about which I'm embarrassed concerned other ministries. We called one of them "The Ohio House" although I don't think they ever titled themselves as such. Our work was similar to theirs on many levels. We both had Bible classes. We each had the university as our major focus. We both believed in Jesus as the only Savior and hope for the world. Theologically and at times sociologically we were indistinguishable. But they were 'the competition' and thus when I heard about what they did, I had difficulty in celebrating their successes. Shame, I know, but it's in part true.

I guess that's what made this collegiality I experienced the last week, and last month so pleasant. Under the rubric of the Lausanne Movement and specifically one of the 36 subgroups, the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism,  the conference this week highlighted to me the beauty of real fellowship and real support. To outsiders, there is probably competition among us, but when it's only us, it was a great feeling. We started each morning in public prayer together and it's almost impossible to badmouth or compete with someone with whom you pray.

Synecdoche is the word today.
And prayer.
And this Scripture: Romans 12:15: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
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If you want to see photos from either the colloquium or the LCJE conference they are here:
Colloquium:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobmendo/albums/72157689572066053
LCJE:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobmendo/albums/72157689987616123

History of LCJE (with hint of JFJ) Australia/ What's happening

International report on the LCJE Australasia

By Bob Mendelsohn

australia@lcje.net

Given in August 2015 

Shalom to my colleagues of the LCJE here in Jerusalem.  

Some history of the LCJE AustralAsian corner

In Pattiya in 1980, one Jewish believer from Melbourne, Miss Betty Baruch, a former schoolteacher, was appointed representative of LCJE for Australia.  Her participation was limited and mostly figurehead. Following her in the role was Miss Joy Hickman, an accountant and host of Israeli travelers from Auckland, New Zealand. After her tenure, Lawrence Hirsch, who heads Celebrate Messiah in Melbourne took the helm. No national meetings took place during anyone’s tenure. Each made reports to the LCJE at the international level.

In 2007, at the LCJE 8^th International conference in Hungary, I was appointed AustralAsian representative, a new term with a wider geographic perspective.  This new territory includes New Zealand, Singapore and other South Pacific islands.  In Hungary, I met with the representatives of LCJE Japan and Hong Kong as well as others from Australia, and we purposed to conduct an LCJE AustralAsian conference before the next international which would take place in four years.

After meeting with some members from Melbourne a few monhts later, we decided to conduct that conference in 2009 in Sydney. This was historic.  And since 2009 we have had three other such gatherings (2010, 2012, 2014), in other words, now, every two years, with the purpose to convene those interested in Jewish evangelism along the principles and under the rubrics of the Lausanne covenant. Major speakers at these past conferences have included Darrell Bock twice, David Brickner and Wayne Hilsden. Our own representatives including Mark Warren, our prayer chiarman here at this confedrnce, as well as Lawrence Hirsch, Ashley Crane, Kon Michailidis, Paul Cohen, Scott Brown among others have brought wonderful papers and to lead discussions. Our next conference will be in Sydney in 2016 with Michael Brown as our main speaker. One of our members, Natasha Michailidis continues as our historian and reporter of our conferences to the Bulletin of the LCJE.

Prayer matters

One of the major activities at each of our four conferences is prayer. We seriously pray together. At the start of each day, over 90% of the participants gather to seek God together and to listen to one another. It sets the tone for the rest of our interactions and we also pray for our works back home and situations that might arise.

Also as we are a network we have had two different prayer chairwomen whose ministry among us, throughout the years, month by month, is to collect prayer requests from each ministry and each individual member, collate them, and distribute these prayer targets electronically. We owe a great debt to both Marion Hall and now Juanita Doody, who continues in that voluntary post.

Locally

In Sydney since 2001, every four months on average, we have a meeting of leaders we title “JOOS” (Jewish Outreaches Of Sydney). It is sort of a mini-LCJE without papers being delivered. During this fellowship evening we hear stories from one another and pray for each other. We eat together first and have dessert after the somewhat formal gathering. We move from house to house over the years. It’s a very helpful method to seriously care about each other in Messiah.

What about the churches…who gets it?

There is significant interest in Jewish evangelism among Asian Christians. The “Back to Jerusalem” movement is a Chinese-driven, 10/40 evangelism scheme, but features an ending in evangelism in Israel, even among Jewish people.  Many Israeli Jewish ministries visit Singapore each year and find good reception.  The Anglican cathedral there features “One New Man” meetings which highlight the linkage of the Christian church to her Jewish roots.

Simply put, ethnic churches ‘get it’ when we speak about Jews needing a particular outreach to them. Generic (sometimes I title them ‘vanilla’) churches don’t get us at all. This is true in New Zealand and Australia especially.

In Australia there is increasing interest in Jewish evangelism among only a small section of the Church. For most pastors, Jewish evangelism is not on their radar. The issues the opponents of Jewish evangelism raise are usually either sociological or theological. For some Christians any issue related to Jews is linked with Zionism, and in their view usually ultra-Zionism, and as such is political only and not biblical. For others, particular evangelism, that is, reaching any subset of humanity, is not in keeping with  biblical universalism, by the which I mean reaching the whole planet, without emphasis on any one people group. For them, our emphasis on reaching Jews is racist. For other Christians, Jewish people had their chance in the first century, and now are cast aside as a special people. Therefore our interest in reaching Jewish people is seen as unhistorical and certainly irrelevant. For other Christians our interest in Jewish people is theologically inaccurate since the Jewish people will be saved in a rapture-begun, dispensation to come, so our interest in them today is too early and thus a waste of resources.

All that said, within a slightly widening circle of Christians, Jewish evangelism is of notice and support. Income for Jewish Christian missions is up over the last decade in a dramatic fashion.  Both of the major missions, Jews for Jesus and Celebrate Messiah have taken on staff and increased national and regional activities. Other missions carry on good work among Jewish people and/or among the churches in teaching about Jewish people.

Mention “Jewish people” to most Christians in Australia and they will consider this something of an oddity. Most will use adjectives like rich, cheap, or the verb to jew someone down without thinking of the derogatory nature of the labels. Most Sydney Christians think all Jews live ‘over there’ in the Eastern suburbs, and in Melbourne Jews live in Caulfield, and are an enigma. They wear those ‘funny little hats’ and have different rules about eating and worship on a different day. Evangelism? Most admit, “I wouldn’t have a clue how to begin” or “I don’t know any Jews.” Anecdotally a pastor in Caulfield North told me that he wasn’t interested in having me speak at his church since none of his parishioners knew any Jewish people, because the Jews all live in Caulfield South, approximately only 8 minutes away!

Particular works

There are mostly-English speaking messianic congregations in Australia, most notably the one in Melbourne. There are two Russian speaking congregations. There are many small outreaches, each of which is faithful to Messiah’s calling to communicate the love of God to His ancient people.

For decades The Vineyard has been published by David House Fellowship, formerly “Jewish Evangelical Witness” and the previously-mentioned Mark along with his wife Robyn Warren, along with a great group of voluinteers send out loads of those witnessing tools throughout the region.

You have heard much already from Lawrence about the work of Celebrate Messiah in Far East Russia and their congregation in Melbourne if you went to those sessions. Also Celebrate is hoping to build on their current location a messianic centre and art gallery in the heart of Jewish Melbourne. So I don’t need to rehearse those good efforts.

Scott Brown among others in New Zealand in other organizations like HIT (with our friend Omri Jaakobovitch whose talk some heard on Monday night), and JFJ host Israeli tourists in their homes and camp to welcome them to NZ and to welcome them into the Kingdom of God, with commensurate discipleship.

Jews for Jesus continues to operate as we do worldwide with broadsiding creative Gospel tracts and visiting one-to-one in Jewish enquirers’ homes and offices.  But we have a couple distinctives. One, our newsletter is translated each quarter into Chinese, Korean and Spanish from Australia. And our major distinctive for the last 11 years in Sydney has been a book shop in the middle of the Jewish neighborhood, in the centre in what is called Bondi Junction. With over 800 products from Israel, England, the US and anywhere and everywhere, it’s a comfortable place for people to consider Yeshua for themselves. Each week at least one, and more often than not, several unsaved Jewish people enter the shop and enquire or argue or buy products.

Here is a typical example from Three weeks ago.

Chaim from Jerusalem came into the shop, wearing full chasidic regalia. Black and white with fringes abundant. He was wearing a fedora and on entry kissed the mezuzah. He asked if we had large kippot. I showed him our supply of kippot and he looked, but underneath his fedora he already had a large kippah! Why was he querying? Because he couldn’t come in and make a simple enquiry; he had to have a ‘real’ reason. He left with a shake of the head and a lot to consider about our message of faith in Messiah.

Some like Daniella came in and left with a Bible in her own language and she, a 26 year old Jewish woman from South America, returned every week this year for 4 months to our Bible class. She’s still not a believer, but we are delighted in her growth, in her Bible reading, in her questioning, and in her being ‘almost persuaded.’ And God’s not done with her yet.  Others like Zeke do come to faith, after having come to the shop, and meeting with our staff. It’s an expensive proposition, but we find it a great entry point for people, especially our Jewish people, to discuss what really matters in life.

To summarize

17 years ago I moved to Australia from New York City to found Jews for Jesus and have been privileged to preach in over 1,400 churches, Bible colleges and Christian schools. Along with my staff our total rises to 2,500. We are finding people who really do want to reach the whole world with the whole gospel. Jews are coming to faith in Jesus, one at a time.  Evangelism among Jews is happening in homes and in programs, in magazines and public events sponsored by David House, by CWI and JFJ and CPM and others.  God is putting Jewish evangelism on the map of Australia. This is a good sign; we are encouraged and hopeful for the next decade if Jesus’ return is delayed.

Thank you to each of you who participates in LCJE international and who guide it well. May you continue to remember the needs of the Jewish people in Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and beyond, and help us as required to make Jesus known among them.

(For more information, see LCJE)