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Awesome Hands – part 107

“Breast and Wave Offering”

November 25, 2016

Exo 29:26  And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.
Exo 29:27  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:
Exo 29:28  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.

During our next few studies, we are going to cover to several important offerings unto the Lord. These offerings are being implemented first in these verses and were supposed to be followed by Aaron, Aaron’s sons and the children of Israel “for ever”.

Tonight, we will cover the wave offering, and in particular, the breast portion of the offering. In the next study, I plan to cover the shoulder.

Breast and Wave Offering

It’s important to understand the wave offering because it is one which can easily be overlooked but also has a lot of meaning for Christians.

The first time we see a “wave” offering mentioned in English, is here in Exodus, but it is not the first time we see it mentioned in Hebrew.

Exo 29:26  And thou shalt take^{H3947 (H853)} the breast^H2373 of the ram^{H4480 H352} of Aaron’s^H175 consecration,^H4394 and wave^H5130 it for a wave offering^H8573 before^H6440 the LORD:^H3068 and it shall be^H1961 thy part.^H4490

H8573

tenûphâh
ten-oo-faw’
From H5130; a brandishing (in threat); by implication tumult; specifically the official undulation of sacrificial offerings: – offering, shaking, wave (offering).
Total KJV occurrences: 30

H8753 mentioned as wave offerings is rooted in H5130. The first time we see H5130 is in Exodus 20.

Exo 20:24  An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
Exo 20:25  And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

Exo 20:25  And if^H518 thou wilt make^H6213 me an altar^H4196 of stone,^H68 thou shalt not^H3808 build^H1129 it of hewn stone:^H1496 for^H3588 if thou lift up^H5130 thy tool^H2719 upon^H5921 it, thou hast polluted^H2490 it.

I mention this to point out that the Lord started out telling Israel from the beginning that if they build a stone altar to Him it was not to be polluted. This has always been a “rule” with God. This happened as Moses was speaking with the Lord when the rest of Israel didn’t want to approach Him.

When we meet the Lord at His altar, we cannot bring pollution with us, and the only way this is accomplished is that we have Christ in us covering our nakedness. It is from this premise, as Christians, that the wave offering is acceptable to the Lord. As a result we are given to partake of the alar with the Lord be receiving certain items from the Lord.

In different places in Leviticus, we see more details mentioned as it pertains to the wave offering.

Lev 10:12  And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:
Lev 10:13  And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons’ due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded.
Lev 10:14  And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons’ due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.
Lev 10:15  The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons’ with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.

Here in Leviticus we see that wave breast and the heave shoulder shall be eaten in a clean place, but the meat offerings were to be eaten without leaven and beside the altar.

Then, we are told that the wave breast and heave shoulder are to be eaten in a clean place but also that “thy sons and daughters with thee” may eat these offerings because these offerings are “thy and thy son’s due”.

There is an obvious distinction that is being made between where these offerings can be eaten and who can partake of each offering. In this study, we are only going to briefly be able to cover these distinctions, but we will cover them in depth as we move through the next few studies.

Lev 7:28  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 7:29  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
Lev 7:30  His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD.
Lev 7:31  And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.
Lev 7:32  And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.
Lev 7:33  He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part.
Lev 7:34  For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel.
Lev 7:35  This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the priest’s office;
Lev 7:36  Which the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.

Reading above we see that “he that offers the sacrifice ….. ‘with his own hands’ shall bring forth the offerings of the LORD made by fire”. Then, the priest shall burn the fat, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons.

Next, the right shoulder goes to the son of Aaron who offers the blood offering of the peace offering. These are all taken from the offerings made by fire.

Breast offering

So, what is the spiritual significance of the breast and shoulder? We will cover the breast offering today and the shoulder in the next study.

H2373
châzeh
Total KJV Occurrences: 13
breast, 11
Exo_29:26-27 (2), Lev_7:30-31 (3), Lev_7:34, Lev_8:29, Lev_10:14-15 (2), Num_6:20, Num_18:18
breasts, 2
Lev_9:20-21 (2)

H2373

châzeh
khaw-zeh’
From H2372; the breast (as most seen in front): – breast.
Total KJV occurrences: 13

The Hebrew word used for breast is straight forward since it means “as most seen in the front”. What then is the root of “breast” in Hebrew?

H2372

châzâh
khaw-zaw
A primitive root; to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically to have a vision of: – behold, look, prophesy, provide, see.
Total KJV occurrences: 54

H2372
châzâh
BDB Definition:
1) to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to see, behold
1a2) to see as a seer in the ecstatic state
1a3) to see, perceive
1a3a) with the intelligence
1a3b) to see (by experience)
1a3c) to provide
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 633

Well, that is interesting, isn’t it? A verb meaning, “To perceive or contemplate …. specifically, to have a vision or prophesy”.

Where is this root of “breast” found in the Old Testament?

H2372
châzâh
Total KJV Occurrences: 51
see, 15
Job_19:26-27 (2), Job_24:1, Job_34:32, Job_36:25, Psa_58:8, Son_6:13, Isa_13:1, Isa_26:11 (2), Isa_33:17, Isa_48:6, Eze_13:23, Eze_21:29, Hab_1:1
seen, 9
Job_15:17, Job_27:12, Psa_63:2, Lam_2:14 (2), Eze_13:6-8 (3), Zec_10:2
saw, 8
Exo_24:11, Num_24:4, Num_24:16, Pro_24:32, Mic_1:1 (4)
behold, 7
Job_23:9, Psa_11:4, Psa_11:7, Psa_17:2, Psa_17:15, Psa_27:4, Psa_46:8
look, 3
Son_6:13, Isa_33:20, Mic_4:11
seeth, 3
Job_8:17, Psa_58:10, Eze_12:27
prophesy, 2
Isa_30:10 (2)
seest, 2
Pro_22:29, Pro_29:20
provide, 1
Exo_18:20-21 (2)
sawest, 1
Isa_57:8

I obviously do not have time to read all the entries listed here, so I will read a few to give a good comparison of the root of “breast” in Hebrew.

Eze 13:23:
Eze 13:1  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 13:2  Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;
Eze 13:3  Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Eze 13:23  Therefore ye shall see^H2372 no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Num 24:4:

Num 24:2  And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
Num 24:3  And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
Num 24:4  He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw^H2372 the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

Isa 30:10:

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy ^H2372 not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy^H2372 deceits:

Exo 18:21:
Exo 18:20  And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Exo 18:21  Moreover thou shalt provide^H2372 out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Exo 18:22  And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

As you can see from these verses above, there are some significant spiritual concepts that are linked to the breasts of the offerings that are given BY GOD to those whom He is using in His tabernacle and priesthood.

Given that these verses speak about slightly different aspects of the root of the breast, what can we conclude as we put them altogether?

Remember, breast itself is “as most seen in front”. The breast offering is given to those who are given sight or taken from those who have no sight!

Just as Moses, Aaron and Aaron’s sons, none chose to be chosen for the work of the tabernacle, those who are in Christ do not choose of themselves to be the prophets or prophetesses of the Lord.

Who are these prophets or prophetesses?

Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

These prophets and prophetesses have the SPIRIT of PROPHECY!

We know that Christ has wrapped all of these offerings in Himself, but what is the significance of the breast being given out of the offerings?

Eph 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
Eph 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

There is nothing more concise in the New Testament than Hebrews 10 in explaining what all the offerings represent to us, but I submit that one of the most hidden messages of who we are to Christ is hidden in plain sight in this chapter.

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

“But a BODY hast thou prepared for me….” What a profound statement to consider! Obviously, the flesh of Christ was offered up on the cross and was crucified. Christ, Himself was offered!

However, knowing that Christ’s flesh was still flesh, what could Christ also be saying about His body being prepared for Him?

Consider this question as we read some more in Hebrews 10.

Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Heb 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Do you see it? It’s there in “plain sight”. He that has eyes let him see.

1Ti 1:8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Christ came to do the will of God, but does this only pertain to Jesus Christ, or does His mind EXTEND to His body?

If the old testament is for the lawless and disobedient, and it is, and the first is taken away that the second may be established, can we see that the flesh of Christ contained within His personal flesh was taken away that the SECOND, in HIS BODY, is ESTABLISHED in US?

In other words, Jesus came as a bridge from the Old to the New Testament. He came in the flesh to establish the NEW. What then is the new testament?

Mat 26:26  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Mat 26:27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Mat 26:29  But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

Luk 22:15  And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Luk 22:17  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Luk 22:18  For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Luk 22:19  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Even while in the flesh, Christ spoke of His body in the SPIRIT. Can His body, in the SPIRIT, be seen right now?

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Consider this following statement. Jesus Christ pointed out, right after telling us what His blood and body are in the new testament, who it is who would betray Him. Of course, He was speaking immediately of Judas, but did anyone else betray Him?

Luk 22:21  But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
Luk 22:22  And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

I humbly submit to you that EVERYONE who partakes of the blood and body of Christ has betrayed Christ and sits with Him at this spiritual supper.

However, do not despair because this MUST be the case. This is also how and why we are able to have the testimony of Jesus Christ while in the flesh.

For the study today, we are able to receive the breast of the offerings because we have been chosen to offer up ourselves in sacrifice on the cross with Christ. Thereby we fulfill the command to pick up our cross and follow Christ.

Of course the breast is not the only thing to consider in all of these offerings, but it is another layer of the spiritual onion which reveals to us who and what we are to Jesus the Christ.

In our next study, we are going to continue to look at what the shoulder reveals to us about our calling in Jesus Christ.