A wave offering was an Old Testament sacrificial presentation in which a portion was set apart before the Lord, apparently by being ritually presented or moved before Him. It signified that the offering belonged to God and was accepted for His service.
A wave offering was an Old Testament sacrificial presentation in which a portion was set apart before the Lord, apparently by being ritually presented or moved before Him. It signified that the offering belonged to God and was accepted for His service.
A wave offering was a ceremonial presentation of part of a sacrifice or gift in the worship life of Israel under the Mosaic covenant. Scripture uses the term for portions of offerings that were presented before the Lord as holy to Him, including in connection with peace offerings, priestly consecration, and firstfruits. While interpreters commonly understand the act to involve some kind of back-and-forth or lifted presentation, Scripture does not explain the physical motion in detail, so the safest conclusion is that it was a formal ritual by which the offering was acknowledged as belonging to the Lord. In several contexts, what was waved was then given for priestly use, showing that it was first presented to God and then received as His appointed provision. For Christian readers, the wave offering is best understood as part of the ceremonial law fulfilled in Christ rather than as a practice binding on the church.
