What is a wave offering?

The terms in which this grant was made distinguish between the heave-offering and the wave-offering. The heave-offering was a portion of their gifts — "heave-offering of their gift;" the wave-offering might be the whole of the thing offered. The idea conveyed by a heave-offering was the taking up a part to offer it to God; whereas the idea of the wave-offering is more general, implying consecration to God, for it was waved before the Lord. A gift might therefore be termed both a heave-offering and a wave offering; but every wave-offering could not be also called a heave-offering. To heave required a residue from which it was lifted up; to wave, the gift itself only was requisite.

When the people were permitted to contribute of their substance for the tabernacle, their gifts were called heave-offerings (Ex. 25:2-3; 35:5, 21, 24; 36:3-6), for they offered of their possessions; but in Exodus 35:22; 38:24, 29, the gold and the brass which they brought were called wave-offerings, because consecrated to the service of God. Again, in Leviticus 9:21, we read of the breasts and right shoulder of the peace-offerings of the congregation, at the consecration of Aaron and his sons, being waved before the Lord. But in Exodus 29:28 the breast and right shoulder are termed a "heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace-offering, even their heave-offering to the Lord;" for looked at as a part of the sacrifice of their peace-offering, they could together be called a heave-offering. The distinction between these terms is clear, and always kept up; for whilst, as above, the breast and the right shoulder could together be called a heave-offering, scripture, when describing them as separate portions, with one exception, noticed lower down (Num. 6:20), speaks of the wave-breast and the heave-shoulder; for the whole breast was waved, but only one shoulder was heaved. A portion of that which the shoulders symbolise was thus claimed by God, whilst all that the breast shadowed forth was declared to belong to Him. By the shoulder, capability for service seems to be symbolised; and by the right shoulder, that that, which was best able to bear the burden, should be yielded up to Him. (See Gen. 49:15; Joshua 4:5; Ps. 81:6; Isa. 9:4, 6; 10:27; 22:22.) Compare also Nehemiah 9:29; Zechariah 7:11, where disobedience is described as "withdrawing the shoulder." By the breast affection would appear to be symbolised.

The terms in which this grant was made distinguish between the heave-offering and the wave-offering. The heave-offering was a portion of their gifts — "heave-offering of all their gifts;" the wave-offering might be the whole of the thing offered. The idea conveyed by a heave-offering was the taking up a part to offer it to God; whereas the idea of the wave-offering is more general, implying consecration to God, for it was waved before the Lord. A gift might therefore be termed both a heave-offering and a wave-offering; but every wave-offering could not be also called a heave-offering. To heave, required a residue from which it was lifted up; to wave, the gift itself only was requisite.

When the people were permitted to contribute of their substance for the tabernacle, their gifts were called heave-offerings (Ex. 25:2-3; Ex. 35:5, 21–24; Ex. 36:3-6), for they offered of their possessions; but, in Ex. 35:22, Ex. 38:24-29, the gold and the brass which they brought were called wave-offerings, because consecrated to the service of God. Again, in Leviticus 9:21, we read of the breasts and right shoulders of the peace-offerings of the congregation, at the consecration of Aaron and his sons, being waved before the Lord. But in Exodus 29:28 the breast and right shoulder are termed a "heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace-offering, even their heave-offering unto the Lord;" for looked at as a part of the sacrifice of their peace-offering they could together be called a heave-offering. The distinction between these terms is clear, and always kept up; for whilst, as above, the breast and the right shoulder could together be called a heave-offering, Scripture, when describing them as separate portions, with one exception noticed lower down (Num. 6:19), speaks of the wave-breast and the heave-shoulder; for the whole breast was waved, but only one shoulder was heaved. A portion of that which the shoulders symbolize was thus claimed by God, whilst all that the breast shadowed forth was declared to belong to Him. By the shoulder, capability for service seems to be symbolized; and by the right shoulder, that that which was best able to bear the burden should be yielded up to Him. See Gen. 49:15; Joshua 4:5; Psalm 81:6; Isaiah 9:4, 6; Isaiah 10:27; Isaiah 22:22. Compare also Neh. 9:29; Zech. 7:11, where disobedience is described as "withdrawing the shoulder." By the breast, affections would appear to be symbolized.

The heave-offering included the right shoulder of the peace-offering (excepting in the case of the Nazarite referred to below), and one cake out of the whole, but which accompanied the animal offered up as a peace-offering; the first of the dough (Num. 15:20), and all the tithes (Num. 18:24) including the corn, wine, and oil for the priests' use. (Neh. 10:39.) Besides these regular heave-offerings, the atonement money when the congregation were numbered (Ex. 30:13–15), the Lord's portion of the spoil of Midian (Num. 31:21), and the king's present, and that of his counsellors, with the offering of the children of Israel for the second temple (Ezra 8:25), are called heave-offerings. And when the land shall be divided among the tribes afresh, the portion to be set apart for the Levites and the sanctuary will be regarded as a heave-offering. (Ezek. 45:6-7; Ezek. 48) Differing as these offerings do, the one from the other, they have one feature in common, viz., that they are all portions taken out of a residue, whether of fruits, of animals, of money, or of land, and as such are called heave-offerings.

Turning to the wave-offerings, beside the breast of the peace-offering, and the rites at the consecration of Aaron and his sons already referred to, there was the sheaf waved before the Lord, the firstfruits of the harvest, on the morrow after the sabbath in the passover week; and the two wave-loaves with their accompanying sacrifice offered in the feast of weeks. (Lev. 23:10, 17–20.) In addition to these were the offerings of the leper on the eighth day of his cleansing (Lev. 14); the jealousy-offering (Num. 5); that of the Nazarite at the completion of his vow (Num. 6); and the taking of the tribe of Levi for the service of the priests in lieu of all the firstborn of Israel. (Num. 8)

THE HEAVE AND THE WAVE OFFERINGS. These are not separate offerings, but on some occasions certain portions of an offering were heaved or waved before the Lord. Thus at the consecration of Aaron and his sons, the fat, the fat tail, the caul, the kidneys, and the right shoulder of the ram, together with one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, were placed in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons, to wave them for a wave offering before the Lord, and then they were burnt on the altar for a burnt offering. Lev. 8. The breast of the ram was also waved for a wave offering before the Lord, and the shoulder was heaved up for a heave offering; these were eaten by Aaron and his sons. Ex. 29:23-28. Of the peace offerings, the breast was always a wave offering, and the right shoulder a heave offering, and were for the priests. Lev. 7:30-34.

The rabbis explain that the heave shoulder was moved up and down, and the wave breast waved from side to side. The actions were done 'before the Lord,' and seem to symbolise that those who moved the offerings were really in His presence, with their hands filled with Christ.

‘And the priest shall wave them as wave-offering before Jehovah; it is holy for the priest, with the breast of the wave-offering and with the shoulder of the heave-offering’ (6:20a).

The priest was now to present the peace-offering as a ‘wave-offering’ and a ‘heave-offering’.

The term ‘wave-offering’ suggests that the sacrificial offering was moved to and fro and was shown before all, and especially before God. The expression for the heave-offering, on the other hand, emphasizes upward movement towards God, in other words, the gift offered was for God[7].

Corresponding instructions had been given referring to the ‘ram of consecration’ that was offered on the occasion of the consecration of Aaron and his sons as a peace-offering: the breast was brought as a wave-offering and the shoulder[8] as a heave-offering (Ex. 29:24, 26, 27). So had it also been laid down in the ‘law of the peace-offering’ for peace-offerings in general.

The waving is presenting before God; and the heaving is a little stronger. It is all owned as Jehovah's - all for the priests' eating, and then they eat it.

"By his own hands shall he bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire, the fat with the breast" (v.30); the fat speaks of the excellency of the offerings, and it always goes to God, the fat comes first. Before we can help the brethren, we must be going on with our own souls before God, and there must be the presentation of the thing to God Himself, the excellencies of that offering, if the saints of God are going to get the benefit of a food offering in that divine circle. The fat was for God, but the breast was for the priests. The breast was to be waved for a wave offering before the Lord. The priest was then to burn the fat upon the altar, God's portion ascending for a sweet savour for the delight of His heart of love, but the breast was to be Aaron's and his sons'. The breast speaks of the love of the Christ. A wave offering was waved horizontally, and following that the right shoulder of the heave offering was waved vertically. One speaking of the movement of affection, the other speaking of the movement of strength, but the wave breast always preceded the heave shoulder; that is, love, underlying the vertical heave offering, the ability underlying the movement of strength is love.

The breast of the wave offering and the shoulder of the heave offering were to be “sanctified,” and are spoken of in verse 27 as being for Aaron and his sons. Feeding upon the shoulder would speak of our entering into the reality of the strength of the Lord Jesus on our behalf, such as is seen in Ephesians 1:18-21. The difference between a wave offering and a heave offering seems to be that the heave offering emphasizes the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from among the dead, while the wave offering indicates His ascension into heaven.

The act of waving indicates that the offering was given to the Lord. Some also see in it an indication of ascension (cf. v.11). Christ risen ascended to heaven, and the church is a heavenly people that also has a heavenly destination.

In the Nazarite we have special consecration, separation to the Lord. When that time of special dedication was ended, the Nazarite presented himself at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and brought his sin-offering, his burnt-offering, and his peace-offering, with the accompanying meat and drink-offerings. The sin and burnt-offerings having been properly offered up, he presented his peace-offering, a ram, with the basket of unleavened bread. The ram was brought because it was a question of special dedication to God, just as in the consecration of the priests, the ram of consecration was enjoined to be offered up. When the ram had been killed and dismembered, the right shoulder sodden, with one unleavened cake and one unleavened wafer, was placed in the Nazarite's hand by the priest, and then waved by him (that is, the priest) for a wave-offering before the Lord. (Num. 6:19-20.) In the ordinary peace-offerings the shoulder was heaved with the cakes, here it was waved; for this offering did not spring from a thankful heart rejoicing in its blessings, and desiring to present something of its substance to the Lord in recognition of His goodness; but it was the public declaration that the time of special separation to God had ended, so the right shoulder, with the cakes, was waved before the Lord. The man had been wholly separated by his vow to God; now he was to pass out of that state which he had voluntarily entered. Hence all was waved, not heaved, and the shoulder symbolising service was the portion commanded thus to be offered.

One more wave-offering has to be noticed — that of the Levites, taken for the Lord's service, instead of the first-born in Israel. When that was done in the wilderness, the Levites did not only bring a burnt-offering and sin-offering, but were waved by Aaron as an offering themselves. "And Aaron shall wave the Levites before the Lord for a wave-offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord." (Num. 8:11-21. See marginal reading.) On that day all the Levites were publicly consecrated to God's service — all the first-born in Israel belonged to Him (Ex. 13:2), but He accepted the Levites in their stead, as far as they would go, man for man. A heave-offering here, as in the other cases, would have been out of place. It was not some of the first-born whom God claimed, nor some of the Levites that He accepted. He claimed all the first-born, but took all the Levites, as far as they would go, in their stead, a wave-offering of the children of Israel.

In the Nazarite we have special consecration, separation unto the Lord. When that time of special dedication was ended, the Nazarite presented himself at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and brought his sin-offering, his burnt-offering, and his peace-offering with the accompanying meat and drink offerings. The sin and burnt-offerings having been properly offered up, he presented his peace-offering, a ram, with the basket of unleavened bread. The ram was brought because it was a question of special dedication to God, just as in the consecration of the priests the ram of consecration was enjoined to be offered up. When the ram had been killed and dismembered, the right shoulder sodden, with one unleavened cake and one unleavened wafer, was placed in the Nazarite's hand by the priest, and then waved by him (i.e., the priest) for a wave-offering before the Lord. (Num. 6:19-20.) In the ordinary peace-offerings the shoulder was heaved with the cakes, here it was waved; for this offering did not spring from a thankful heart rejoicing in its blessings, and desiring to present something of its substance to the Lord in recognition of His goodness: but it was the public declaration that the time of special separation to God had ended, so the right shoulder with the cakes was waved before the Lord. The man had been wholly separated by his vow to God; now he was to pass out of that state which he had voluntarily entered. Hence all was waved not heaved, and the shoulder symbolizing service was the portion commanded thus to be offered.

One more wave-offering has to be noticed — that of the Levites, taken for the Lord's service, instead of the firstborn in Israel. When that was done in the wilderness, the Levites did not bring a burnt-offering and sin-offering, but were waved by Aaron as an offering themselves. "And Aaron shall wave the Levites before the Lord for a wave-offering of the children of Israel that they may execute the service of the Lord." (Num. 8:11, 13, 15-21. See marginal reading.) On that day all the Levites were publicly consecrated to God's service — all the firstborn in Israel belonged to him (Ex. 13:2), but He accepted the Levites in their stead as far as they would go man for man. A heave-offering here as in the other cases would have been out of place. It was not some of the firstborn whom God claimed, nor some of the Levites that He accepted. He claimed all the firstborn, but took all the Levites as far as they would go in their stead, a wave-offering of the children of Israel.