Christ in the Old Testament

Psalm 40:6

Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll. (NIV)

Today’s Reading: Psalm 40 and Hebrews 10:5-18

Psalm 40 is considered by some as the “Psalm of the Incarnation.” The main theme of the psalm is Jesus becoming a man and coming into the world to do God’s will. This is another psalm where we can read it in its entirety as the words of Jesus. We lean on Hebrews chapter ten for this insight as well. Let’s focus on verses six through eight since Hebrews draws our attention to them.

The author of Hebrews explains that God finds no pleasure in the sacrificial offerings prescribed in the book of Leviticus. “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb 10:4). However Jesus came to be the perfect offering that would take away our sin.

I think it’s interesting that the psalmist mentions each of the different types of Levitical offerings all found in Psalm 40:6:

1. The Peace Offering (“sacrifice”)
2. The Meal or Grain Offering (“offering”)
3. The Burnt Offering
4. The Sin Offering

All of these offerings from Leviticus point to Jesus. However, “the law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship” (Heb 10:1). “Those sacrifices are simply an annual reminder of sins” (Heb 10:3).

A perfect sacrifice was needed in order to take away sins. And as the psalmist beautifully writes from the lips of Jesus:

“Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:7-8).

Jesus volunteered to come to earth to be our perfect sacrifice. Using the “body you [God] have prepared for me,” Jesus said, “Here I am, send me!” And “when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Psalm 40:12). This singular event ended the sacrificial system and “made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb 10:14). That’s us if we are a Christ-follower. We are now made perfect forever.

Today’s Prayer: Lord Jesus, it never gets old reading about your sacrifice for me. I praise your name!