Waving and Heaving

Reading:   Exodus 29

The rites of burnt offerings are given in this chapter and, except for all the bloody parts, are fairly understandable and straight forward; however, there was a sticking point that really spun my head around...

EXODUS 29:27-28

27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: 

28 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the Lord. 

Say what?  I'm sure you understood all that perfectly well, right?  I certainly did not and had to reread several verses ahead and behind to finally come to a workable understanding of it all.  Okay, so there are two kinds of offerings discussed here: a wave offering and a heave offering.  I supposed that there was some great definition to the words but, in fact, there is not...

• Wave offering:  an offering literally waved to and fro so as to signify, "Here it is."
• Heave offering: An offering literally heaved up and lowered, up and down, again to make known its presence and gift unto God.

The offering was to be displayed by waving and heaving and then a portion of the offering was placed on the alter and burned, signifying God's portion, and the other portion was to be consumed by the offering priests.  The idea being that they might feast together in fellowship, God and man...

...He supped with them, and they with him. Their eating of the things wherewith the atonement was made signified their receiving the atonement, as the expression is (Rom 5:11), their thankful acceptance of the benefit of it, and their joyful communion with God thereupon, which was the true intent and meaning of a feast upon a sacrifice. 

-Matthew Henry

I agree with the atonement concept afforded here because I do believe, through constant practice of burnt offerings and the Passover, that the partaking of the symbolic flesh and blood of the Savior was an easier transition to make; as a replacement versus an entirely new idea.  All this ritual was put into place to teach God's children of the importance of sacrifice and gratitude thereby increasing faith and strengthening power - it's a process.

~Kipling