A Sacrifice Of Obedience

The contrast continues, with the focus now on the sacrifices made under the old covenant and the new—and especially on the Lord God’s attitude to them. Even under the old covenant, sacrifices were supposed to be indicators of genuine faith. The Lord was “not pleased” (6) with sacrifices which had become no more than trite, hypocritical ritual, as was spelled out in Amos 5:21–24. The cause of his displeasure was that his people were not doing his will, as expressed in his Law. F.F. Bruce comments, “Whole-hearted obedience is the sacrifice that God really desires.”

The implication is that Jesus Christ, who came to do God’s will, perfectly completed his task and thereby both perfectly fulfilled the requirements of the Law and perfectly pleased his heavenly Father.

The quotation in verses 5–7 is from Psalm 40:6–8. Originally a psalm of David, it is identified here as the words of Jesus Christ, though the exact occasion on which he spoke them is not recorded. They explain that, because the Lord was not pleased with the animal sacrifices of the old covenant, he set them aside (9) and prepared instead his own sacrifice, which would please him. Thus the same body which was prepared by God for Christ was then required back by God in sacrifice (5). Jesus Christ was born to die. Note that all this planning and preparation was for our benefit (10). There are significant implications in the use of the perfect passive: “we have been made holy”—this means the holiness in which, by grace, all true believers stand. It is, therefore, an assurance that, in Christ, we are always acceptable to God and may always “draw near” (1) in prayer. Read verse 9 carefully several times. Then think about how Christ establishes God’s will.

What are the implications for your life of being “made holy through the sacrifice… of Jesus Christ once for all” (10)?