We’re introduced to the wave offering in Exodus 29:22-27. Moses is to take from the ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh because this is the ram for the ordination, Exodus 29:22 / Leviticus 8:25.
From the basket of bread made without yeast, Moses us to take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf, Exodus 29:23 / Leviticus 8:26. Moses is to put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the LORD as a wave offering, Exodus 29:24 / Leviticus 8:27.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There are three names applied to this sacrifice of the second ram: 1. burnt-offering, Exodus 29:25; 2. peace-offering, Leviticus 3:1-17, and 3. wave-offering, Exodus 29:24.’
Moses is then to take the one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf, then from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD, a food offering presented to the LORD, Exodus 29:25 / Leviticus 8:28.
After Moses takes the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, he is to wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be Moses’ share, Exodus 29:26 / Leviticus 8:29. Moses is to consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons, the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented, Exodus 29:27.
The wave offering was a symbolic waving of the sacrifice that indicated its dedication to God, though the sacrifice was eaten. Except for the sin offering and burnt offering, sacrifices were to be eaten either by the priests, the one who gave the sacrifice, or both.
The eating of the sacrifice symbolised fellowship between God and the one who made the sacrifice, as well as fellowship between the priest and the one who made the offering.
The wave offering is in reference to the manner in which those portions were handled before God’s altar. The breast was waved, passed from right to left and left to right after being elevated in the hands of the worshipper. It was lifted up toward heaven and lowered perhaps several times.
Notice, though, that the meaning of this was the portion that actually belonged to God, hence why they lifted it up, and the lowering of the offering indicates that God is returning it to the priests as a gift.
In Leviticus 7:28-34, it speaks about the breast of a peace offering. Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the LORD is to bring part of it as their sacrifice to the LORD, Leviticus 7:28-29.
Notice that with their own hands they are to present the food offering, Leviticus 7:30. This offering was offered purposely, in other words, it was what they had decided beforehand to give, Exodus 35:5 / Exodus 35:21 / 2 Corinthians 9:7.
They are to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the LORD as a wave offering, Leviticus 7:30 / Exodus 29:27. The wave offering is in reference to the manner in which those portions were handled before God’s altar.
The breast was waved, passed from right to left and left to right after being elevated in the hands of the worshipper. It was lifted up toward heaven and lowered perhaps several times.
Keil and Delitzsch, in their commentary, say the following.
‘The priest laid the object to be waved upon the hands of the offeror, and then placed his own hands underneath, and moved the hands of the offeror backwards and forwards in a horizontal direction, to indicate by the movement forwards, i.e., in the direction towards the altar, the presentation of the sacrifice, or the symbolical transference of it to God, and by the movement backwards, the reception of it back again, as a present which God handed over to His servants the priests.’
The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons, Leviticus 7:31. Within the fellowship offering, there was a free-will offering involved, which we would call a gift. Notice they are to give the right thigh of their fellowship offerings to the priest as a contribution, Leviticus 7:32 / Exodus 29:27.
This means that no payment was made for the offering; otherwise, the gift would be cancelled because the offeror would be receiving a reward for the offering they brought.
In this sense, it was a freewill offering that cost the offeror something. If the offeror didn’t sacrifice something, then the offering would be useless because it meant nothing. In other words, the offering had to be a sacrifice by the one who brought it because no one else could pay for someone else’s sacrifice; it had to be personal.
The son of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat of the fellowship offering has the right thigh as his share, Leviticus 7:33. Notice though that the meaning of this was the portion actually belonged to God, Leviticus 7:34, hence why they lifted it up and the lowering down of the offering indicates that God is returning it to the priests as a gift. The various portions of these sacrifices were given to the priests, but it is God who is actually the giver.
In Leviticus 14:12, we read more about the wave offering. The priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and he is to wave them before the LORD as a wave offering, Leviticus 14:12 / Exodus 29:27 / Numbers 8:11-15 / Leviticus 7:38.
The wave offering is in reference to the manner in which those portions were handled before God’s altar. The breast was waved, passed from right to left and left to right after being elevated in the hands of the worshipper. It was lifted up toward heaven and lowered perhaps several times.
Finally, we see the wave offering was involved with the Feast of Weeks, Leviticus 23:15-21. This took place fifty days after the first Sabbath of the week of unleavened bread, that is, Pentecost, Leviticus 23:15.
It would also take place on the first day of the week, Leviticus 23:16. The date of the Feast of Weeks varied from late May to early June of each year. The purpose of this feast was to commemorate the completion of the grain harvest.
Several offerings were to be made on this day, a grain offering of two loaves of bread, but these loaves were to be baked with leaven Leviticus 23:16-17. A burnt offering of seven lambs of the first year, a bull, two rams, Leviticus 23:18 / Numbers 28:27-30. Note the drink offering is also to be made, Leviticus 23:18 / Leviticus 23:13 / Leviticus 23:37 / Exodus 29:40.
A sin-offering of a male goat, a peace offering of two male lambs, Leviticus 25:19. The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits, and they are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest, Leviticus 23:20.
The feast of weeks is the feast of harvest, whilst the feast of firstfruits begins at the start of the harvest, the feast of weeks begins at the end of the harvest. This feast was a time of celebration as they thanked God for providing the harvest in the first place.
Israel was to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work, Leviticus 23:21 / Leviticus 23:7-8 / Leviticus 23:25 / Leviticus 23:35-36, and this was to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever they live, Leviticus 25:21.
Notice again that God always takes care of the poor, and anyone travelling through the land was to leave the grain which stood in the corners of the fields for those people, Leviticus 25:22 / Leviticus 19:9-10. However, if anyone who was poor received any food, they had to do work in return for that food.
The day of Pentecost is important for Christians as this is the day the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, Acts 2:1-4. It was also the day the church was established when Peter preached the first Gospel message, Acts 2:14-41. The only other times the day is mentioned in the New Testament are in Acts 20:16 and 1 Corinthians 16:8.
The largest wave offering was of an entire tribe, and because of their loyalty during the episode with the golden calf, Exodus 32, God accepted the Levites in the service of His temple in place of the firstborn male of each Israelite family, Numbers 3:12.