The Birth of "The Wave"

Leviticus 7:28-38

God has Moses tell the Israelites that when they bring fellowship offerings, some of it goes to the priests. First off, they remove the breast from the animal and wave this breast before the LORD as a wave offering. I have no idea what the significance of "the wave" is. "hello, here's an offering for you." "Over here! The offering is over here!" Obviously not, but why a wave? It must have meant something.

So the fat is removed and burned for the LORD, and the breast and an additional thigh go to the priest as his share. This is to be for generations to come.

How much meat do the priests need? If everyone offering gives up a breast and a thigh to them, how much food are they eating? Seems like those holy robes would have to be continuously let out to allow for an ever growing sanctified gut.

Once again I'm struck by the enormous amount of detail they would have had to keep straight. And how time consuming all of this would be. And if these fellowship offerings were voluntary, this would make it so much easier to say...man, it's too much trouble, I stood in that line last week- and I really don't feel much like dismembering a carcass today.

But maybe these complications made the sacrifice an even greater expression of love for God. I'm willing to jump through all these hoops voluntarily because I recognize what You mean to me- and even with the sliver about You that I understand, I know enough to realize that I need You desperately.

And maybe our willingness to stick our necks out for each other, to complicate our lives to help someone else, to walk by faith when we don't know how it will work out does the same thing for us.