A wave offering in the Bible refers to a specific type of offering or sacrifice mandated by God for the Israelites to perform. It was a ritual during which the worshiper would present an offering to God by waving it before the altar.
The purpose and meaning behind the wave offering are deeply rooted in God’s instructions to Moses regarding the sacrificial system He was establishing for the Israelites. By looking closely at the biblical texts where wave offerings are mentioned, we can gain insight into the significance and symbolism of this unique act of worship.
Instituting the Wave Offering
God first institutes the wave offering during the establishment of the priesthood in the book of Exodus:
“Then you shall take from the ram the fat and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord. You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord.” (Exodus 29:22-24, ESV)
Here, God commands that specific portions of the ram being offered are to be placed in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved before Him. This takes place during the ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons as they are being consecrated as priests.
So the first mention of the wave offering is in the context of setting apart the priesthood and the initiation of the sacrificial system. The waving of these offerings appears symbolic of presenting them before the presence of God to be accepted by Him.
Elements Used in Wave Offerings
In addition to portions of animal offerings, other food elements were prescribed by God to be used in wave offerings:
“The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil. It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord. The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” (Numbers 28:4-8, ESV)
In addition to animal sacrifices, grain and drink offerings were to be included in certain wave offerings. So there was a variety of food and drink elements that could be used in these rituals.
The Priest’s Portion
A key aspect of many wave offerings was that a portion of the offering was to be kept by the priest and his family:
“You shall receive the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from Aaron and his sons. It shall be a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the Lord.” (Exodus 29:27-28, ESV)
“And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion.” (Leviticus 7:32-33, ESV)
This indicates the wave offering was in part meant to provide for the material needs of the priesthood. By reserving portions of the offerings for themselves, the priests and their families were cared for through their temple service.
The Wave Offering Ritual
Instructions are given regarding how the priest was to physically perform the wave offering:
“The priest shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion… It is a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the Lord.” (Leviticus 7:30-31, ESV)
“You shall present the breast and the thigh they have contributed to wave as a wave offering before the Lord… It shall be a perpetual due from the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.” (Leviticus 10:14-15, ESV)
From these descriptions, we see the ritual involved literally waving or moving the offerings horizontally before the altar in dedication to God. The offerings were first placed in the priest’s hands, waved back and forth, then a portion was kept by the priests while the rest was burnt on the altar.
The Purpose and Meaning
What was the deeper spiritual meaning behind the wave offering? By analyzing the symbolism, we can identify key purposes and significance:
– Dedication and Consecration to God: By waving offerings before God’s altar, the Israelites were presenting a symbolic gesture of dedicating those offerings to the Lord. Just as the priests were consecrated through this ritual, the offerings were set apart for God’s purposes.
– Recognition of Provision: Since God required specific food items for the wave offering from the Israelites’ agricultural produce and livestock, the ritual reflected a grateful recognition that these provisions came from God’s gracious hand.
– Shared Blessing: Just as a portion of the wave offering went to feed the priests and their families, the offering represented the shared blessing between the giver and the receiver. God provided for the needs of His priests through the voluntarily given offerings.
– Worship and Respect: Performing the wave offering demonstrated the Israelites’ respect, obedience, and devotion to God. It was a physical expression of submission to God’s instructions for proper worship.
So while a simple motion, the waving of offerings powerfully represented deeper spiritual truths regarding God’s faithful provision and the Israelites’ humble worship and obedience. When performed with a sincere heart, this ritual offering allowed the people to draw near to God in a shared communion of blessing.
Examples of Wave Offerings
Now that we have surveyed some of the key purposes and instructions around the wave offering, let’s look at a few examples from Scripture:
– At the inauguration of the Tabernacle, the leaders of the 12 tribes brought wave offerings of gold dishes filled with grain and incense to dedicate the new altar:
“On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers’ houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached and brought their offerings before the Lord, six wagons and twelve oxen… They brought as their offerings before the Lord six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. These they offered before the tabernacle. Then the Lord said to Moses… take these things from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites… So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites… And he gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon… and four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari.” (Numbers 7:1-8, ESV)
Here the leaders bring offerings to the Lord for the service of the Tabernacle, and Moses in turn assigns them to the Levites – demonstrating the provision made for the priests through the wave offering.
– As part of the peace offering, the breast of the animal was to be presented as a wave offering:
“If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil. With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread.” (Leviticus 7:12-13, ESV)
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone would bring an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord… Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the Lord, the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys.” (Leviticus 3:1-3, 6, ESV)
As part of the thanksgiving peace offering, the breast of the animal would be waved before the Lord then eaten by the priest and offerer in a shared meal.
– For the consecration of the Levites, two lambs were waved as an offering:
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves… And you shall take the Levites for me – I am the Lord – instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel… And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the Lord.” (Numbers 8:5-6, 18, 11 ESV)
As part of setting the Levites apart for God’s work, two lambs were waved before the Lord as offering to consecrate them for service.
So the wave offering featured prominently in many of the key transitional moments for the nation of Israel – from Moses’ leadership, to the establishment of the priesthood, to pivotal offerings bringing the people before God’s presence. It connected the people to God through symbolic sacrifice each time it was performed with sincerity.
Significance for Today
For modern readers, the wave offering provides a rich picture of the surrender, trust, thankfulness, and shared blessing God desires in our relationship with Him. Though no longer bound to fulfill the ritual offering, we can live out its heart meanings:
– We give ourselves fully to God, waving our lives before Him as a sacred offering through humble devotion and obedience.
– We acknowledge our daily provision comes from His hands and give back generously.
– We worship God in community, together experiencing the shared blessing He pours out on His people.
May the wave offering continue to reflect God’s loving care and provision, calling us to respond with grateful and sincere hearts lifted toward Him.