Topical Bible: Offerings: Wave: Ordinances Concerning

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In the Old Testament, wave offerings were a significant part of the sacrificial system instituted by God for the Israelites. These offerings were a subset of the broader category of offerings and sacrifices, each with specific instructions and purposes. The wave offering, in particular, was a symbolic act of presentation before the Lord, signifying the offering's dedication to God and His acceptance of it.

Biblical Instructions and Purpose

The wave offering is first mentioned in the context of the peace offerings and the consecration of the priests. In Leviticus 7:30-31, the wave offering is described as part of the peace offerings: "With his own hands he is to bring the offerings made by fire to the LORD. He shall bring the fat together with the breast, and wave the breast as a wave offering before the LORD. The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons."

The wave offering was also integral to the consecration of the priests. In Exodus 29:24-26, God commands Moses regarding the ordination of Aaron and his sons: "Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering as a pleasing aroma before the LORD; it is an offering made by fire to the LORD. Take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your portion."

Symbolism and Significance

The act of waving the offering before the Lord symbolized the presentation and dedication of the offering to God. It was a gesture of acknowledgment that everything comes from the Lord and is ultimately for His glory. The wave offering was not burned entirely on the altar; instead, portions were given to the priests, signifying God's provision for those who served in His sanctuary.

The wave offering also had a communal aspect, as it was often part of the peace offerings, which were shared between the altar, the priests, and the offerer. This sharing symbolized fellowship and peace between God and His people, as well as among the community of believers.

Specific Instances and Variations

The wave offering was not limited to animal sacrifices. In Leviticus 23:10-11, the firstfruits of the harvest were also presented as a wave offering: "Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘When you enter the land I am giving you and reap its harvest, you are to bring to the priest a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD so that it may be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath."

This offering of the firstfruits was a declaration of trust in God's provision and a recognition of His sovereignty over the land and its produce. It was a way for the Israelites to express gratitude and dependence on God for their sustenance.

Theological Implications

The wave offering, like other offerings, pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As the perfect High Priest and the Lamb of God, Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial system, offering Himself once for all. The wave offering's symbolism of dedication and acceptance before God finds its ultimate expression in Christ's atoning work, which reconciles believers to God and provides eternal fellowship with Him.

In summary, the wave offering was a vital component of the Old Testament sacrificial system, rich in symbolism and theological significance. It underscored themes of dedication, provision, and fellowship, all of which find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

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Exodus 29:22,26-28
Also you shall take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covers the inwards, and the lobe above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:
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Leviticus 7:29-34
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, He that offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring his oblation to the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
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Leviticus 8:25-29
And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was on the inwards, and the lobe above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder:
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Leviticus 9:19-21
And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covers the inwards, and the kidneys, and the lobe above the liver:
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Leviticus 10:14,15
And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall you eat in a clean place; you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they be your due, and your sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.
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Leviticus 23:10,11,17-20
Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you be come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest:
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Numbers 5:25
Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it on the altar:
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Numbers 6:19,20
And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:
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Library

The Deputation from Jerusalem - the Three Sects of the Pharisees ...
... [1554] What seem the original ordinances, [1555] directed ... sprinkled with the ashes
of all sin-offerings, and kept ... 11, 15, 16, as meaning that the wave-sheaf (or ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ii the deputation from.htm

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day ...
... as to circumcision, the passover, and other ordinances for worship. ... offering, with
meat offerings and drink offerings, &c ... For as the wave sheaf and the bread of ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/questions about the nature and.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and ... it in which they boiled
the trespass-offerings, and in ... of their number and length I wave, and come ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
... of a later period, and attempt to glean from them some details concerning the close ...
the rise of the XXth Egyptian dynasty, and from thenceforward a wave of new ...
/.../chapter iithe power of assyria 2.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... We possess no original documents which owe their existence to this nation, and the
whole of our information concerning its history is borrowed from Assyrian ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... Yea, the Three of themselves, in their manifesting to the church what she should
believe concerning this matter, hath thus expressed the thing: "Let us make ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

Justification by an Imputed Righteousness;
... more. Second. 'Remember me, O my God, concerning this; and wipe not out
my good deeds that I have done' (Nehemiah 13:14). These ...
/.../justification by an imputed righteousness.htm

part i
... "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed," says the Apostle James; "for let not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part i.htm