How does Psalm 40:7-8 connect with Hebrews 10:7's message?

◄ Psalm 40:7-8 and Hebrews 10:7 link? ►

“Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’ ”

Psalm 40:7-8

“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.’ ”

Immediate Context in Hebrews

• Hebrews 10:5-10 cites Psalm 40 to contrast ritual sacrifices with the once-for-all obedience of Christ.

• Verse 5: “A body You prepared for Me”—identifies the Messiah’s physical incarnation as God’s ordained means of salvation.

• Verses 8-9: God “takes away the first to establish the second,” meaning Christ’s self-offering replaces animal sacrifices.

• Verse 10: “By this will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Key Connections between Psalm 40:7-8 and Hebrews 10:7

• Prophetic Self-Identification

– Psalm 40 speaks in first person; Hebrews shows Jesus as the ultimate “I” who fulfills the text.

• The Scroll of the Book

– Both passages assert that Scripture itself foretold Messiah’s mission (Luke 24:27; John 5:39).

• Centrality of God’s Will

– “I have come to do Your will” (Psalm 40:8; Hebrews 10:7).

– Jesus models perfect obedience (John 4:34; John 6:38).

• Internalized Law

– “Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8) realized in Christ, who embodies the law perfectly (Matthew 5:17).

• Replacement of Sacrifices

– Psalm 40:6 already hints that burnt offerings are insufficient; Hebrews 10 develops this into Christ’s once-for-all atonement (Hebrews 9:26).

• Joyful Obedience

– Psalm 40:8 “I delight” → Hebrews emphasizes willing submission, fulfilled at Gethsemane (Luke 22:42; Philippians 2:8).

Linked Themes in Other Scriptures

• Isaiah 53:10—“It pleased the LORD to crush Him”; God’s will accomplished through the Servant’s suffering.

• Romans 5:19—“Through the obedience of the one Man the many will be made righteous.”

• 1 Peter 1:18-20—Christ foreknown before the foundation of the world, revealed in these last times.

Implications for Believers Today

• Assurance—Because Christ completed God’s will perfectly, salvation is secure (Hebrews 10:14).

• Worship—We respond not with repeated sacrifices but with lives offered in gratitude (Romans 12:1).

• Obedience from the Heart—Like Christ, believers internalize God’s word (Colossians 3:16; James 1:22).

• Confidence in Scripture—The seamless link between Psalm 40 and Hebrews 10 validates the unified, prophetic nature of the Bible (2 Peter 1:19-21).