Psalms 40:6

_SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU DIDST NOT DESIRE; MINE EARS HAST THOU OPENED: BURNT OFFERING AND SIN OFFERING HAST THOU NOT REQUIRED._ The second half of the first part, Psalms 40:6. The petitioner testifies that he doeth God's will from the heart, not merely in external forms. SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU DIDST NOT DESIRE. The Hebrew _ ZEBACH_ (H2077) and _ MINCHAAH_ (H4503) are, respectively, the bloody and the unbloody offerings. The natural man vainly tries to compound for obedience with sacrifice. Obedience of heart and act, the moral duty, is the main thing, and is the end for which the positive ordinance was instituted. Where the sacrifice was the expression of faith and obedience, there it was accepted; otherwise it was valueless before God (cf....

6_In sacrifice and oblation thou hast not taken pleasure. _Here David offers not only the sacrifice of praise, or, as the prophet Hosea calls it, (Hosea 14:2,) “the calves of the lips,” but, in token of his gratitude, offers and consecrates himself entirely to God; as if he had said, I am now wholly devoted to God, because, having been delivered by his wonderful power, I am doubly indebted to him for my life. At the same time, treating of the true worship of God, he shows that it consists not in outward ceremonies, but rather that it is spiritual. Accordingly, the meaning is, that he came into the presence of God not only in the outward pomp or ceremony and figures of the law, but that he brought with him the true devotion of the heart. We know, indeed, that all men have some sense of religion impressed upon their hearts, so that no one dares to withdraw openly and wholly from his ser

6-10 The psalmist foretells that work of wonder, redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. The Substance must come, which is Christ, who must bring that glory to God, and that grace to man, which it was impossible the sacrifices should ever do. Observe the setting apart of our Lord Jesus to the work and office of Mediator. In the volume, or roll, of the book it was written of him. In the close rolls of the Divine decrees and counsel, the covenant of redemption was recorded. Also, in all the volumes of the Old Testament something was written of him, John 19:28. Now the purchase of our salvation is made, the proclamation is sent forth, calling us to come and accept it. It was preached freely and openly. Whoever undertook to preach the gospel of Christ, would be under great temptation to conceal it; but Christ, and those he calls to that work, are carried on in it. May we believe his testimony,...

Verse Psalms 40:6. _SACRIFICE AND OFFERING_] The apostle, Hebrews 10:5, c., quoting this and the two following verses, says, _When he_ (the Messiah) _cometh into the world_-was about to be incarnated, _He_ _saith_-to God the Father, _Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst_ _not_-it was never thy _will_ and design that the sacrifices under thy own law should be considered as making atonement for sin they were only designed to point out my incarnation and consequent sacrificial death: and therefore _a body hast thou prepared me_, by a miraculous conception in the womb of a virgin; according to thy word, _The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent_. _A body hast thou prepared me_. - The quotation of this and the two following ver

SACRIFICE AND OFFERING - The first of the words used here - זבח _zebach_ - means properly a bloody-offering; the other - מנחה _minchāh_ - an offering without blood, as a thank-offering. See the notes at Isaiah 1:11. The four words employed in this verse - sacrifice, offering, burnt-offering, sin-offering - embrace all the species of sacrifice and offerings known among the Hebrews; and the idea here is, that such offering as they were accustomed to offer was required of him who is here referred to. A higher service was needed. THOU DIDST NOT DESIRE - The word here rendered desire means to incline to, to be favorably disposed, as in reference to doing anything; that is, to will, to desire, to please. The meaning here is, that he did not will this or wish i

EXPOSITION THE occasion of this psalm is some great deliverance which has been vouchsafed to the author of it, for which he desires to praise and thank God. Of this deliverance he speaks in Psalms 40:1, which form a sort of introduction to the whole. He then passes on to a more general praise of God for all his glorious manifestations of himself in the history of his people (Psalms 40:5). The thought next occurs—How is he (the writer)to manifest his gratitude? And this leads to the noble outburst in Psalms 40:6. Not by sacrifice and offering, not by a mere legal and formal obedience, but by complete devotion of the inner man as regards himself ...

SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU DIDST NOT DESIRE,.... These were desired, willed, and appointed by God, and that very early, even from the times of our first parents; and, when performed aright, were acceptable to God, quite down to the times of the Messiah: indeed, when offered without faith in Christ, and with a wicked mind, to merit any thing at the hand of God, they were always abominable to him; and he likewise ever preferred love to himself, and of the neighbour, obedience to the commands of the moral law, and works of mercy to men, before all the sacrifices of the ceremonial law, 1 Samuel 15:22; nor were these ever in such esteem with him as the sacrifices of a broken and contrite heart, or of praise and thanksgiving, Psalms 51:16; nor were they ever regarded by him but as they respected Christ; nor w

These are the words of David: they are the words of all God's tried and believing people; but above all they are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. So complete is the union between Christ and the believer that it is possible to describe them both at the same time. The experience of a child of God, sin alone excepted, is very like the experience of the great Firstborn. But Christ is ever above us, so you will find words in this Psalm which belong to nobody but Jesus in all their fullness. Yet the title of it is «A Psalm of David.» Psalms 40:1. _I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry._ You and I can say that, so could our Divine Master. Oh the wondrous patience of the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer! In that agony in the garden when the bloody sweat showed how great were the wrestlings of his spirit he could then say, «I waited pati

Psalms 40 Christ the Obedient One and the Fruit of His Work _ 1. The path of the Obedient One (Psalms 40:1)_ 2. His prayer and His comfort (Psalms 40:13) Psalms 40:1. The Fortieth and Forty-first Psalms are Messianic. Our Redeemer and Israel's Redeemer is blessedly revealed in them both and with the testimony to Him the first book of the Psalms closes. Psalms 40:1 begins with what may be termed “Christ's resurrection song.” He came and went as the sin-bearer into the horrible pit (Hebrew: the pit of destruction) and the miry clay

XL. A. PSALMS 40:1. A THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. The Psalmist believes that his own gratitude will give confidence to others. God, he says, takes no special delight in sacrificial worship. It is gratitude and submission to God's will which find acceptance with Him. Do the contents of the Ps. furnish any real indication of its date? It has been attributed to Jeremiah for reasons which, though plausible, are not convincing, and have now been generally abandoned. (_a_) Psalms 40:2_ a_ certainly recalls the prophet's fate as told in Jeremiah 28:1. But the language of the Ps. is evidently metaphorical, and the words set me on a rock have no parallel in Jeremiah's case. (_b_) The Ps., like Psalms 50, 51,