Connect Hebrews 10:5 with Psalm 40:6-8. How do they relate to sacrifice? Setting the Texts Side-by-Side Hebrews 10:5: “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.’” Psalm 40:6-8: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You opened My ears; burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come—it is written about Me in the scroll: I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within My heart.’” The Old Testament Voice – Psalm 40:6-8 • David speaks under the Spirit, recognizing that outward rituals never satisfied God by themselves. • “Opened My ears” pictures God digging out, piercing, or making the servant responsive—obedience from the heart. • The psalm points toward one who says, “Here I am… I delight to do Your will,” foreshadowing a person whose entire life fulfills God’s will perfectly. The New Testament Echo – Hebrews 10:5 • The writer places these words on Jesus’ lips “when He came into the world,” revealing that the psalm ultimately speaks of Christ. • The Septuagint renders “opened My ears” as “a body You prepared for Me,” widening the thought: true obedience requires a human body that can act, suffer, and die. • Thus, Jesus presents Himself not merely as a willing listener but as the incarnate, physical offering God desired. Why “a body You prepared for Me”? • Incarnation: John 1:14—“The Word became flesh.” God prepared Jesus’ body so the eternal Son could enter time and space. • Substitution: Hebrews 10:10—“By that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” • Fulfillment of prophecy: Isaiah 53:5—“He was pierced for our transgressions.” A prepared body allows literal piercing and bloodshed on behalf of sinners. Sacrifice Re-Defined in Christ Old Covenant – Repeated animal offerings (Hebrews 10:1-4) – Symbolic cleansing (Hebrews 9:13) – Reminder of sin (Hebrews 10:3) In Christ – Single, sufficient offering (Hebrews 10:12) – Actual removal of guilt (Hebrews 9:14) – God’s true pleasure rests on obedience embodied in Jesus (Matthew 3:17) Supporting Threads from the Rest of Scripture • 1 Samuel 15:22—“To obey is better than sacrifice.” • Micah 6:6-8—God seeks justice, mercy, and humility, not mere offerings. • Philippians 2:8—Jesus “became obedient to death—yes, death on a cross.” • 1 Peter 2:24—“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.” • John 4:34—Jesus’ food is “to do the will of Him who sent Me,” echoing Psalm 40:8. Living in the Light of the Perfect Offering • Confidence: Our standing with God rests on Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, not our performance. • Obedience: True worship now flows from hearts delighting in God’s will, just as the Son delighted. • Witness: We offer our bodies as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1), reflecting the pattern set by the prepared body of Jesus. |
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