Even though the priests had something to offer to God, they did not yet have anything to eat themselves. They were still hungry, still empty within. In verse 26 the Lord said to Moses, “And you shall take the breast from the ram of the filling of hand which is for Aaron, and wave it as a wave offering before Jehovah; and it shall be your portion.” The word “wave” here indicates movement. This typifies Christ moving in His resurrection. In other words, the wave offering is a type of Christ in resurrection. Since the breast signifies love, the waving of the breast as a wave offering signifies the resurrected Christ in love.
According to the Gospels and the first part of Acts, the Christ who is now in resurrection came back to His disciples in love. His appearing to them after His resurrection was in an atmosphere of love. When the Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples in John 20, He said to them, “Peace be to you.” This word was spoken in an atmosphere of love. The resurrected Christ comes to us in love. This wave offering, the offering that typifies the resurrected Christ in love, was given to Moses as his portion.
Two parts of the ram of the peace offering still remain: the left breast and the left shoulder, or thigh. Verses 27 and 28 say, “And you shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which was waved and which was heaved up from the ram of the filling of hand, from that which is for Aaron and from that which is for his sons. And it shall be for Aaron and for his sons for an eternal statute from the sons of Israel, because it is a heave offering; and it shall be a heave offering from the sons of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, as their heave offering to Jehovah.” The heave offering signifies the exalted Christ, Christ in ascension. Thus, the wave offering signifies Christ in resurrection, and the heave offering signifies Christ in exaltation, in ascension. Furthermore, whereas the breast is a symbol of love, the shoulder is a symbol of strength, power. Christ in resurrection is with love, and Christ in ascension is with power. After He ascended to the heavens, Christ poured power upon His disciples. As their portion, the priests have the wave breast and the heave shoulder. This means that they enjoy Christ in resurrection with love and Christ in ascension with power. This is their portion for them to eat.
God had something to eat, Moses had something to eat, and all the priests had something to eat. God’s portion was the right shoulder, the inward parts, the fat, the bread, the cake, and the wafer. The portion for Moses, the ministering one, was the right breast. The priests’ portion was the left breast as a wave offering and the left shoulder as a heave offering. This indicates that all these parties—God, Moses, and the priests—were involved in feasting. When there is such a feasting, there is peace, and everyone is satisfied. God is satisfied, Moses is satisfied, and all the priests are satisfied, for they all enjoy Christ, the all-inclusive One. Praise the Lord for this picture!
If our hands are filled with Christ according to the picture in Exodus 29, we shall be able to say, “Our hands are full of Christ, and our inward being is also full of Him.” This is the filling of hands, and this is true sanctification.
Now we can see that the priests were fully sanctified. They were separated to God from uncleanness, from nakedness, and from their sinful nature. Furthermore, no longer were they empty-handed or empty within. They had all the aspects of the rich Christ to be the mark of their sanctification. They now bore a mark which separated them unto God and which indicated that they had been sanctified from uncleanness, nakedness, sin, empty-handedness, and hunger. No longer did they have any problem of uncleanness, nakedness, sin, emptiness, or hunger. Instead, they had Christ as their clothing and food. Now they were sanctified and qualified priests.
In the Scripture sanctification implies many things. It includes washing away our uncleanness, covering our nakedness with proper clothing, redeeming us from our sinful nature, and filling us with Christ. Those who have been sanctified in this way truly are marked out, set aside, separate, from what is common.
When Aaron and his sons were sanctified to serve as priests, they were separated from uncleanness, from nakedness, from the sinful nature, from being empty-handed, and from being hungry. They bore as a sanctifying mark the all-inclusive Christ. They could satisfy God, and God could satisfy them. Thus, they enjoyed a mutual feasting on Christ with God. In this feasting there were enjoyment and satisfaction. This is the filling of the hands of the priests, and this is the sanctification of the redeemed ones to be God’s priests.
God’s portion of the second ram included the right shoulder. The left shoulder and the left breast were given to the ministering priests, and the right breast was Moses’ portion. The bread, the cake, and the wafer were only for God to enjoy. Furthermore, the inward parts and the fat were absolutely for God’s enjoyment. The inward parts and the fat signify what Christ is in His being. In His inner being Christ is altogether sweet. With Him there is the rich fat. The riches and sweetness of Christ are not outward; rather, they are within Him. In the sight of God, the inward being of Christ is rich and sweet. The inward parts and the fat of the peace offering were surely the topmost holy gifts.
In a previous message we spoke of a fourfold holiness: the holy land, the holy produce, the holy tithe, and the topmost holy part offered entirely to God for His enjoyment and satisfaction. The inward parts and the fat of the second ram were the most holy things among the holy things. Furthermore, the bread, the cake, and the wafer were among these most holy things. This topmost portion of the most holy things is what Christ is in His inward being. The bread, the cake, and the wafer signify Christ in His outward behavior. All these items typify Christ’s behavior. What Christ is inwardly is entirely for God’s satisfaction, and Christ’s conduct and behavior outwardly are also a holy portion for God’s satisfaction.
What I have presented thus far is simply a very brief sketch as a hint related to the experience and enjoyment of Christ. I have the assurance that if you are faithful to pursue the experience of Christ, you will come to realize that Christ’s inner being is rich and sweet and that His outward conduct and behavior are precious. But these holy portions are only for God to enjoy; they are absolutely for His satisfaction. According to Exodus 29, these portions are offered by those who have been sanctified to serve God as priests. After this process of sanctification, we may present such a portion to God.
We have seen that sanctification includes being washed and clothed, being redeemed, offering the first ram as the burnt offering, and the second ram as a peace offering. Hallelujah for such a sanctification! After we have been sanctified in this way, we are filled up with Christ and qualified to serve God as priests. We are covered with Christ outwardly, and we are filled with Him inwardly. Therefore, we have the qualifications to serve God as His priests. Moreover, we have something in our hands with which to serve Him: the all-inclusive Christ as the topmost holy portion for God’s satisfaction. There is also a portion of Christ for us. All this is included in the peace offering. In the priestly service we enjoy a peaceful feasting on Christ with God.