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Leviticus 7:34 meaning

God calls this community to offer their best and care for those who minister to them.

“For I have taken the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution from the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their due forever from the sons of Israel.” (v.34) In this verse, the LORD specifically describes how a portion of the peace offerings was to be set apart for Aaron and his sons. The “wave offering” refers to the symbolic lifting or waving of the sacrifice before the LORD, an act of dedication that recognized God as the true recipient of all worship. The portion designated (the breast and the thigh) underscores a divine principle: those who minister before the LORD should receive provision from the offerings of God’s people. This is a deep reminder that faithful service and communal worship share a close bond, because by caring for the priests, the community itself remains tied to the LORD.

The expression “sons of Israel” points to the entire community of Israelites, who traced their lineage back to the patriarch Jacob (later named Israel). These people lived in the region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, with Canaan as a central geographical context in the biblical narrative. The peace offerings were a unique class of sacrifice that emphasized fellowship and harmony between worshipers and God, an early foreshadowing of the perfect fellowship believers would find in Jesus Christ (John 15:4). This gift to the priests was also an everlasting ordinance, which symbolizes the perpetual covenant relationship God maintained with His people.

Aaron, the recipient named in this verse, served as the first high priest of Israel around the 15th century BC, approximately during the time of Moses. He was chosen to oversee the sacrificial system instituted at Mount Sinai, and his lineage would continue in the priestly role for generations. By giving the selected parts of the peace offerings to Aaron and his sons, Scripture demonstrates God’s design for sustaining spiritual leadership within the nation. Throughout the Old Testament, this practice foreshadows the New Testament teaching that “the laborer is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7), reminding believers of the enduring principle to support those who serve in ministry.

Leviticus 7:34