I’m studying Leviticus this fall and just came across a verse that sparked a thought related to the Lord’s Supper…
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.
(Leviticus 10:15)
A wave offering involved the priest claiming a piece of the offered animal for himself to eat. Before he does, he holds it up and “waves it” around. It’s a symbolic gesture, designed to acknowledge God’s ownership of the animal (a part of which the priest was about to partake). The point of holding it up and waving it toward God was to remind the priest that, even though they were eating part of the offering, it wasn’t their offering. The people weren’t offering to the priest, but to God. The priests were eating a portion of God’s offering, a portion given to them by God. It is His and yet He shares it with us.
Now, take that same idea and filter it through the context of the Lord’s Supper. When we eat the bread and drink the wine, we are, in effect (but not literally, despite what our Catholic friends believe), partaking of Jesus’ body and blood (Matthew 26:26-28). We—as New Testament priests—are eating a portion of God’s offering, a portion given to us by God. It is His (only begotten Son) and yet He shares it with us. As the Apostle says, we become partakers of the Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4).
That’s all. Just wanted to share it.
~Matthew