How does Hebrews 10:8 connect to Psalm 40:6-8 regarding sacrifices and offerings? Key Text Hebrews 10:8: “First He says: ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor did You delight in them’ (which are offered according to the law).” Psalm 40:6-8 at a Glance • “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but ears You have opened to me; 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.’” Hebrews 10:8 in Its Flow • Hebrews 10:5-7 cites Psalm 40, then verse 8 highlights God’s disinterest in the old sacrifices. • Verse 9 states, “He sets aside the first to establish the second,” pointing to Christ’s once-for-all offering. • The writer shows that Scripture itself (Psalm 40) predicted the insufficiency of animal blood and the coming of a better sacrifice: the obedient, incarnate Christ. Four Clear Parallels 1. Same fourfold list: “sacrifices … offerings … burnt offerings … sin offerings.” 2. Same verdict: God “did not desire” or “delight in” them as ultimate means. 3. Same emphasis on obedience over ritual (“ears You have opened” → listening heart). 4. Same forward look: a willing servant who says, “Here I am … I delight to do Your will.” Why God Was Not Pleased With Animal Blood • Levitical sacrifices were commanded, yet they were provisional pictures (Hebrews 10:1). • Blood of bulls and goats could not remove sin’s guilt completely (Hebrews 10:4). • God values obedient hearts more than routine offerings (1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8). Christ’s Perfect Fulfillment • Psalm 40’s servant ultimately describes Jesus: “a body You have prepared for Me” (Hebrews 10:5, citing LXX). • His incarnation supplied what animals could never provide: a sinless human life offered voluntarily (Hebrews 7:26-27; 9:12). • On the cross He accomplished the Father’s will, securing eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). • By one offering He perfected forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). Practical Implications for Today • Approach God through Christ’s finished work, not personal merit. • Cultivate a heart that “delights to do His will,” letting Scripture shape motives and actions. • Offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5)—praise, generosity, compassionate service (Hebrews 13:15-16). Supporting Passages • Isaiah 53:10—“The LORD was pleased to crush Him … He will render Himself as a guilt offering.” • John 4:24—true worshipers “worship in spirit and truth,” not merely by ritual. • Romans 12:1—present your bodies “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” |
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