We are in chapter ten of Leviticus with our word for today. תְּנוּפָה swinging, waving, shaking, uplifted offering, wave offering. It is used 30 times in the Old Testament, 3 times in our chapter. Our word is used in the sense of waving something back and forth. In this sense it is seen with God coming to fight against the enemies of his people. Isaiah 19:16-17 In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the Lord of hosts תְּנוּפַת֙ shakes over them. And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the Lord of hosts has purposed against them. Isaiah 30:30-32 And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones. The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the Lord, when he strikes with his rod. And every stroke of the appointed staff that the Lord lays on them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres. Battling with תְּנוּפָ֖ה brandished arm, he will fight with them. Our word is used most of the time as the wave offering as part of the tabernacle worship. This offering involved the breast of the animal that was sacrificed. Exodus 29:26-27 You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's ordination וְהֵנַפְתָּ֥ and wave it for a תְּנוּפָ֖ה wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion. And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests' portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron's and his sons'. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Leviticus 10:13-15 You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons' due, from the Lord's food offerings, for so I am commanded. But the breast that הַתְּנוּפָ֜הis waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons' due from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of Israel. The thigh that is contributed and the breast that הַתְּנוּפָ֗הis waved they shall bring with the food offerings of the fat pieces to wave for a לְהָנִ֥יף תְּנוּפָ֖הwave offering before the Lord, and it shall be yours and your sons' with you as a due forever, as the Lord has commanded.” I find it interesting that some of the food offering was to be consumed by the priests in a specific holy place as part of the offering to YWHW. This is different than the wave offering that after it was waved to YWHWH this meat was then to be given to the Priest and their family as a way to provide for them since their whole time was serving at the tabernacle worship. This concept of full time service to helping people connect to God in worship is seen throughout the Bible. The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul says this. 1 Timothy 5:17-18 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” We are talking about paying a teaching elder or we would call pastor today to free up his time to focus on leading the church. I’ll close with this great passage about the purpose of the church and the role of a church leader. Notice the reference to the desired result of lifting holy hands. The wave offering involved the priest raising up the sacrifice to God with his hands. When we serve Christ and his church God changes people to be able to life up holy hands to him. 1 Timothy 2:3-8 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.
