None of us should miss this important point. The writer takes pains to indicate clearly in Hebrews 10:8-10 the meaning of the quote from Psalm 40. Let us take a quick look. “First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them,’ though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:8-10 NIV).

Now back to Psalm 40. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him” (Psalm 40:1-3 NIV).

The psalmist invites others to make God their hope, as he did, by pronouncing those happy that do so. “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” (Psalm 40:4 NIV). Notice that it is him only, that has great and good thoughts of Him and is entirely devoted to Him, and respects not the proud, does not do as those do that trust in themselves, nor depends upon those who proudly encourage the many others to trust in them. For both the one and the other turn aside to lies, as indeed all those do that turn aside from God.

This is applicable, particularly, to our faith in Christ. Blessed are those that trust in Him and in His righteousness alone, and respect not the proud Pharisees that set up their own righteousness in competition with that, that will not be governed by their dictates, nor turn aside to lies with the unbelieving Jews who submit not to the righteousness of God. “Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness” (Romans 10:3 NIV).

The joyful sense he had of this mercy led him to observe, with thankfulness, the many other favors he had received from Father God. When Father God puts a new song into our mouth we must not forget our former songs, but repeat them: “Many, O Lord my God! are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, both for me and others; this is but one of many.” Many are the benefits with which we are daily loaded both by the providence and by the grace of God.

First, they are His works, not only the gifts of His bounty, but the operations of His power. He works for us and therefore He favors us with matter, not only for thanks, but for praise. Second, they are His wonderful works, the affirmation of themselves, His condescension to us in bestowing them upon us admirable. Eternity itself will be short enough to be spent in admiration of them. All His wonderful works are the product of His thoughts toward us. Third, He does all according to the counsel of His own will. “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11 NIV).

Now if we pursue this passage we will also be able to see the eternal purpose. “According to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:11-12 NIV). They are the projects of His infinite wisdom, a design of everlasting love. Now for those who are not truly convinced you can see this same thought in 1 Corinthians. “No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 NIV).

Now back to where I started. The writer takes pains to indicate clearly in Hebrews 10:8-10 the meaning of the quote from Psalm 40. The writer acknowledges that though God authorized the animal sacrifices of the past, He did not delight in them. Then he stresses the fact that Christ deliberately set Himself to do the will of the Father, though He knew it would lead to pain and separation. The implications of Gethsemane are certainly present in these words, though it was on the Cross that they were fully carried out.

Here the writer also declares the death of Jesus, by fulfilling the will of the Father, completely replaces the provision of animal deaths which had provided some degree of forgiveness before. Finally he announces the only possible conclusion: that it is by the fulfillment of the will of God in the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ, note the double name, only here in Hebrews, that we, all believers, have been made holy.

The Greek expression for made holy indicates action with a lasting effect. We have been made holy by the death of Jesus, and we remain holy even though we struggle with daily weakness and sin. This should be borne in mind when we come to the statement in the book of Hebrews. “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV).

Yes, we can see this in the book of Romans. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2 NIV). “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3 NIV).

God lifted the psalmist out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. He set his feet on a rock and gave him a firm place to stand. And then, then He put a new song in his mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. This is the pattern of redemption. From the pit to the rock. From the mire to the firm place. From despair to a new song.

But notice what enabled this transformation. It was not the animal sacrifices of the old covenant. God did not delight in them. They could not truly make us holy. They could not give us a firm place to stand. They could not put a new song in our mouths. What God desired was obedience, the obedience of His Son who said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”

And by that will, by that once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we have been made holy. Not temporarily. Not conditionally. Not partially. We have been made holy with a lasting effect. We remain holy even though we struggle with daily weakness and sin. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death.

This is why we can sing a new song. This is why many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him. This is why we are blessed when we trust in the Lord and do not look to the proud or turn aside to false gods. Because God has lifted us from the pit, set our feet on the rock, and put a new song in our mouths. And that song is the song of His wonderful works, the song of His eternal purpose, the song of His once-for-all sacrifice. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.