before the LORD
The phrase "before the LORD" indicates the presence of God, emphasizing that the offering is made directly to Him. In the Hebrew context, "before" (לִפְנֵי, lifnei) suggests being in the presence of or facing God. This act of worship is not merely ceremonial but relational, fostering a direct connection with the Divine. It reminds believers of the importance of living coram Deo, before the face of God, in all aspects of life.

so that it may be accepted on your behalf
The acceptance of the offering "on your behalf" highlights the mediatorial role of the priest and the grace of God in accepting the offering. The Hebrew root "רָצָה" (ratzah) for "accepted" conveys the idea of favor and pleasure. This acceptance is not based on the merit of the offerer but on God's gracious provision. It prefigures the ultimate acceptance believers have through Christ, our High Priest, whose sacrifice is eternally pleasing to God.

the priest is to wave it
The priest, as God's appointed mediator, performs the waving. This role underscores the necessity of mediation between God and humanity, a theme that finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest. The priest's actions are a foreshadowing of Christ's intercessory work, bridging the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity.

on the day after the Sabbath
The timing "on the day after the Sabbath" is significant, marking the beginning of the Feast of Firstfruits. This day, the first day of the week, holds prophetic significance as it points to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who rose on the first day after the Sabbath. This connection highlights the fulfillment of the Old Testament types and shadows in the New Testament reality. The resurrection is the ultimate firstfruits, guaranteeing the future resurrection of believers and the consummation of God's redemptive plan.

On the morrow after the sabbath.--The interpretation of this phrase also constituted one of the differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees during the second Temple. According to the Pharisees, the term sabbath here, as elsewhere (see Leviticus 23:24; Leviticus 23:32; Leviticus 23:39), is not the weekly sabbath, but the next day, or the first day of the holy convocation, the first day of Passover, on which the Israelites had to abstain from all unnecessary work. It is the 16th of Nisan. The Sadducees, however, maintained that it is to be understood in its literal sense as denoting the weekly sab-bath in the Passover week, which might happen to fall within the seven days, and possibly the fifth or sixth day of the festival. But this is against the import of Leviticus 23:15. Here the feast of Pentecost is to be reckoned from this sabbath, and if this sabbath might either be on the second or sixth day of the Passover, not only would the feast of Pentecost have no definite day, but the Passover itself would, in the course of time, be displaced from the fundamental position which it occupies in the order of the annual festivals. Hence the Pharisees, rightly regarding the word sabbath here as an alternative term for the day of holy convocation, took the morrow after the sabbath to denote Nisan 16. On the afternoon of this day, therefore, the inhabitants of the neighbouring towns of Jerusalem assembled together "so that the reaping might take place amidst great tumult." As soon as it became dark, each of the reapers asked, "Has the sun gone down?" To which the people replied, "Yes." They asked twice again, "Has the sun gone down?" to which the people each time replied, "Yes." Each reaper then asked three times, "Is this the scythe? "to which the people each time replied "Yes." "Is this the box?" they next asked three times. "Yes," was again thrice the reply of the people. "Is this the Sabbath?" the reaper asked three times; and three times the people replied, "Yes." "Shall I cut?" he asked three times; and three times the people replied, "Yes." When cut it was laid in boxes, brought into the court of the Temple, threshed with canes and sticks, that the grains might not be crushed, and laid in a roast with holes, so that the fire might touch each grain. Thereupon it was spread in the court of the sanctuary for the wind to pass over it, and ground in a barley mill which left the hulls unground. The flour thus obtained was sifted through thirteen different sieves, each one finer than its predecessor. In this manner was the prescribed omer or tenth part got from the seah. . . .

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