The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. This is a holy portion for the priest, in addition to the breast of the wave offering and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine. The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.In the context of ancient Israelite worship, the wave offering was a symbolic act of presenting a sacrifice to God. The priest would physically wave the offering, signifying its dedication to the LORD. This act demonstrated the priest's role as an intermediary between the people and God. The wave offering was part of the Nazirite vow, a special commitment to God involving abstinence from wine, not cutting hair, and avoiding contact with the dead. The waving of offerings is also seen in other parts of the Old Testament, such as in Leviticus 7:30-34, where it is part of the peace offerings. This act signifies the offering's acceptance by God and the priest's role in facilitating this sacred transaction. This is a holy portion for the priest,
The term "holy portion" indicates that this part of the offering was set apart for the priest, emphasizing the sanctity and provision for those serving in the temple. In the Levitical system, priests did not have a land inheritance like the other tribes of Israel; instead, they were provided for through portions of the offerings (Numbers 18:8-20). This provision underscores the principle that those who serve in spiritual roles are supported by the community they serve, a concept echoed in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14. in addition to the breast of the wave offering and the thigh that was presented.
The breast and thigh portions of the sacrifice were specifically designated for the priests, as outlined in Leviticus 7:31-34. These parts of the animal were considered choice cuts, symbolizing the honor and respect given to the priestly office. The allocation of these portions highlights the structured and orderly nature of worship in ancient Israel, where specific roles and responsibilities were clearly defined. This practice also reflects the broader biblical theme of God's provision for His servants. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
The conclusion of the Nazirite vow allowed the individual to resume normal activities, including drinking wine, which had been prohibited during the vow (Numbers 6:3-4). This marks the completion of a period of special dedication to God, symbolizing a return to ordinary life after a time of heightened spiritual focus. The Nazirite vow is a precursor to the concept of temporary vows or fasts seen in later Jewish and Christian traditions. The lifting of the wine restriction signifies the fulfillment of the vow's requirements and the individual's renewed freedom, paralleling the New Testament theme of freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1). Persons / Places / Events 1. NaziriteAn individual who has taken a special vow of consecration to the LORD, abstaining from wine, cutting hair, and avoiding contact with the dead. 2. PriestA mediator between God and the people, responsible for performing the wave offering and other sacrificial duties. 3. Wave OfferingA ritual act where offerings are presented and waved before the LORD, symbolizing dedication and consecration. 4. Heave OfferingA portion of the sacrifice lifted up as an offering to God, often given to the priests for their sustenance. 5. LORD (YHWH)The covenant name of God, to whom the offerings and vows are dedicated. Teaching Points Holiness and DedicationThe Nazirite vow exemplifies a life set apart for God. Believers are called to live holy lives, dedicated to the LORD in all aspects. Role of the PriestThe priest's role in mediating offerings points to Jesus Christ, our ultimate High Priest, who intercedes for us and sanctifies our offerings. Symbolism of OfferingsThe wave and heave offerings symbolize giving our best to God. Christians are encouraged to offer their lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Completion of VowsThe completion of the Nazirite vow, marked by the ability to drink wine again, signifies the fulfillment of a period of consecration. It reminds believers of the importance of fulfilling commitments made to God. Community and SupportThe offerings provided for the priests highlight the importance of supporting those who serve in ministry, ensuring they have the resources needed to fulfill their calling. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the concept of the Nazirite vow challenge us to consider areas of our lives that need greater dedication to God? 2. In what ways can we support those in ministry today, similar to how the offerings supported the priests? 3. How does understanding Jesus as our High Priest enhance our appreciation of the sacrificial system described in the Old Testament? 4. What are some modern-day equivalents of a "wave offering" that we can present to God in our daily lives? 5. How can we ensure that we fulfill the commitments and vows we make to God, and what steps can we take to remain faithful in our spiritual journey? Connections to Other Scriptures Leviticus 7:30-34Discusses the wave and heave offerings, providing context for the priestly portions and their significance. Judges 13:5Relates to the Nazirite vow, as seen in the life of Samson, who was consecrated as a Nazirite from birth. 1 Samuel 1:11Hannah's vow for her son Samuel, which reflects the Nazirite dedication to the LORD. Acts 18:18Paul’s Nazirite vow, showing the continuation of this practice in the New Testament. Hebrews 7:26-28Highlights Jesus as our High Priest, who fulfills and surpasses the priestly roles and offerings. People Aaron, Israelites, Moses, NaziriteshipPlaces SinaiTopics Belong, Breast, Drink, Holy, Nazirite, Offered, Offering, Presented, Priest, Thigh, Wave, Waved, WineDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 6:20 4436 drinking, abstention
5140 breasts
5190 thigh Numbers 6:1-20 5155 hair Numbers 6:1-21 4544 wine
5741 vows Numbers 6:13-20 4530 unleavened bread Numbers 6:17-20 4418 bread Library Separation to God.
NUMB. VI. 1-21. THE INSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF NAZARITES. The first twenty-one verses of Numb. vi. give us an account of the institution and ordinances of the order of Nazarites. And let us note at the outset that this institution, like every other good and perfect gift, came from above; that GOD Himself gave this privilege--unasked--to His people; thereby showing His desire that "whosoever will" of His people may be brought into closest relationship to Himself. It was very gracious of GOD to permit …
James Hudson Taylor—Separation and ServiceTenth Day. Holiness and Separation.
I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. And ye shall be holy unto me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from other people that ye should be Mine.'--Lev. xx. 24, 26. 'Until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy.... All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.'--Num. vi. 5, 8. 'Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered without the …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ Of the Duties which we are to Perform after Receiving the Holy Communion, Called Action or Practice.
The duty which we are to perform after the receiving of the Lord's Supper is called action or practice, without which all the rest will minister to us no comfort. The action consists of two sorts of duties:---First, Such as we are to perform in the church, or else after we are gone home. Those that we are to perform in the church are either several from our own souls, or else jointly with the congregation. The several duties which thou must perform from thine own soul are three:--First, Thou must …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety These Things, My Brother Aurelius, Most Dear unto Me...
38. These things, my brother Aurelius, most dear unto me, and in the bowels of Christ to be venerated, so far as He hath bestowed on me the ability Who through thee commanded me to do it, touching work of Monks, I have not delayed to write; making this my chief care, lest good brethren obeying apostolic precepts, should by lazy and disobedient be called even prevaricators from the Gospel: that they which work not, may at the least account them which do work to be better than themselves without doubt. …
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks. The Worship of the Synagogue
One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is that connected with the existence of a synagogue within the Temple. That such a "synagogue" existed, and that its meeting-place was in "the hall of hewn stones," at the south-eastern angle of the court of the priest, cannot be called in question, in face of the clear testimony of contemporary witnesses. Considering that "the hall of hew stones" was also the meeting-place for the great Sanhedrim, and that not only legal decisions, but lectures …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Peace
Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. I Pet 1:1. Having spoken of the first fruit of sanctification, assurance, I proceed to the second, viz., Peace, Peace be multiplied:' What are the several species or kinds of Peace? Peace, in Scripture, is compared to a river which parts itself into two silver streams. Isa 66:12. I. There is an external peace, and that is, (1.) (Economical, or peace in a family. (2.) Political, or peace in the state. Peace is the nurse of plenty. He maketh peace in thy borders, …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Things to be Meditated on as Thou Goest to the Church.
1. That thou art going to the court of the Lord, and to speak with the great God by prayer; and to hear his majesty speak unto thee by his word; and to receive his blessing on thy soul, and thy honest labour, in the six days past. 2. Say with thyself by the way--"As the hart brayeth for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 6:20 NIVNumbers 6:20 NLTNumbers 6:20 ESVNumbers 6:20 NASBNumbers 6:20 KJV
Numbers 6:20 Commentaries
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