“Here I Am”

Although the old covenant established a sacrificial system (8), there is a strong counterpoint within the Old Testament that the sacrifices themselves were never the main thing. God required mercy, not sacrifice (Hos. 6:6). Samuel asked Saul “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22). The same theme is found in Psalm 40:6-8, quoted here in vs. 5-7, where it is presented as a statement by Christ. He makes the words his own, and it is he who fulfills them (and there is a hint that they were written under his inspiration as pre-existent Son of God). 

God is looking for people to do his will. The Son of God was born into a fallen, disobedient race, to offer the obedience we had failed to give. The sacrifices could never change disobedient hearts, but the death of Christ can make imperfect people “holy” (10).

The life of Jesus, summed up as “I have come to do your will” (9), demonstrates what the new humanity in Christ should be like. Loving obedience to God is its DNA. God is creating a people who say to him, “Here I am” (7,9). Jesus revealed both the cost and the motivation for obedience. His motivation is love for the Father (“I have come to do your will”), love for us and, later in Hebrews, “the joy set before him” (12:2). This passage speaks of “the good things that are coming” (1). The cost of obedience was that it was learned through suffering, (5:8), culminating in the cross. Christian discipleship only begins with forgiveness; it is then learned in obedience to Christ. Despite the claims of our instant culture, it is worth suffering now for a future that is guaranteed.

What are you learning about Christian discipleship? What role does obedience play? How can you grow more in discipleship?