Day 7: Heave Ho

Exodus 29:27-28

New King James Version (NKJV)

Heave Offering, from VisualBibleAlive.com

²⁷ And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons. ²⁸ It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons by a statute forever. For it is a heave offering; it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, that is, their heave offering to the Lord.

There are so many types of offerings in Exodus & Leviticus that it's hard to keep track. Yesterday I read the wrong chapters, getting a day ahead of myself, so "tomorrow", which is actually yesterday, you'll see more info on various types of offerings. But today I'm explaining the "heave" and "wave" offerings.

The heave and wave offerings were actually a part of the ritual for the peace offering. This was a voluntary offering, often used for giving thanks, or for making vows, or other occasions. With this offering, All of the fatty parts and organs belonged to God. The breast and the thigh was to be food for the priests, and the remainder of the animal was to be food for the offerer, and presumably, his family.

The heave offering was the right thigh of the animal. The offerer would lift it up towards the alter, symbolizing giving the sacrifice to God in heaven, and receiving it back. This portion of the meat was given to the priests. The wave offering was the breast of the animal. In similar manner, the offerer held the portion in his hands, with the priests hands under his, and waved it from side to side before the altar, symbolizing giving the sacrifice to the God of all creation, and receiving it back. The breast was then given to the high priest.

I obtained this information from various sources, but this table lays everything out very nicely and is easy to understand.

Day 8, Lev. 1-14

From Northrop's "Treasures of the Bible" 1894

Scripture: Leviticus 5:18 (New King James Version)

18 And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him.

Observation: this is a recurring thing throughout what i read today... it's always the priest that makes atonement for the people.

Application: we don't have to have a priest make atonement for us anymore. Jesus not only became the perfect sacrifice for our sins, but He is the only intercessor we need. and i'm so grateful for that, because i don't think i'd have even wanted to try to remember all the rituals regarding all the many kinds of sacrifices and offerings! i'd be so afraid of screwing it up and being cast out and killed for it. all i have to do when i sin, knowingly or not, is to just ask forgiveness!

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving us your Son! thank you for the simplicity of being able to have a personal relationship with you, with Jesus, and not having to rely on a fallible human to be our middleman.