More Than Ever Before

Matthew 5:17 - Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

I love how Old Testament words often are so prophetic. I love how Jesus shows in the New Testament how He fulfilled those words.

I was reading in Hebrews 10 this morning. It described how the law demanded constant sacrifices by the people to atone for their sins...yet those sins were never taken away. What was the purpose of hundreds of years of sacrifices? Verse one says the law of that day was a shadow of the good things to come (Jesus). The purpose was to show through Old Testament events and accounts who Jesus would be when He arrived to be the New Testament. Old Testament, Jesus concealed; New Testament, Jesus revealed.

It is also clearly pointed out that none of the sacrifices was ever enough or they would have ceased. Hebrews 10:4 - For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

But God...made a way, the Way, in Jesus Christ. By His blood and righteousness.

I'm going to switch from Hebrews 10 to Psalm 40 where the words were first formed in the mouth of David through his prayer.

Psalm 40:6-8 was quoted in Hebrews 10 as words Jesus would have spoken. I became absorbed in this psalm. The words quoted were: Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, "Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart."

Granted David spoke these words in the psalm, but little did he know he would have been speaking of the Messiah that was to come. Of course we read them and it's obvious who he was speaking of. In the scroll of the book it was written of Him! Do you see it? This is not all new to me, but I am excited to share this.

Earlier in Psalm 40 David says: He (the Lord) set my feet upon a rock, established my steps, put a new song in my heart...because He heard David's cry for mercy. Sounds like what Jesus does to those to believe. David goes on to say that those who trust in the Lord will be blessed. And He does not require sacrifices and offerings but that we do His will when we allow our ears to be opened to hear the truth of who He is and allow His law into our hearts.

These, people, are words--no, a song--of salvation! From the Old Testament...words that speak of Jesus and the perfect work of salvation He alone gives. They are words that are encouraging and freeing. We do not need to work for any of this. We just need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and with the very depth of our heart and soul receive Him as our Savior. But it doesn't stop there. We then become disciples and do His work...HIS work, the works that are now deemed good.

Oh, how David continues by saying he is proclaiming the "good news" of God's righteousness. His lips cannot be restrained. This is Old Testament David speaking about Savior God, who has yet in David's lifetime come to become the last perfect sacrifice for all mankind. He is last sacrifice given for us all that we no longer need to work out our salvation through good works that do nothing because how much is really enough??

Today many still believe going to church is a sign of goodness. Some believe their philanthropic giving to very worthy, for sure, organizations will satisfy God's idea of goodness. Yes, we do good things in our lives, but when we do them in the name of Jesus, they are better. Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. I delight to do Your will, O my God. We cannot work out our salvation on our own. Jesus did it for us. We need only earnestly seek Him.

David calls out to God that His lovingkindness and truth preserve him. Lovingkindness...in that He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins because He knew we could never attain the perfect sacrifice on our own. But God...could, through His Son Jesus. The willingness of one Man to do this for the sins of all mankind. And nothing we could do of our own would be enough. Nothing.

Oh, I'm sure I'm repeating myself....

David goes on to admit that his sins were innumerable...greater than the number of hairs on his head. Might I add, greater than the sand on earth. How many times have we committed the same sin, no matter how great or small, repeatedly in our lifetime? Imagine the immeasurable number of sins, past, present and those yet to come. You can't, can you? But Jesus knows them all. And He will forgive us.

Psalm 40:13 - Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me! David's enemies were after him. We have an enemy too and he relies on our sins to botch up our lives. Let Jesus deliver from those sins. Let those who seek God rejoice and be glad for all He is wanting and able to do in the lives of those who truly do look for Him and learn His truths. He offers the hope of salvation. David unknowingly prophesied about that. David trusted in God, but knew not Jesus.

More than ever before this world needs to know that Jesus does save. Many will agree that this world is changing. Things we have little control of are happening in our own individual lives, too. Many in our country see that. I believe, well, I pray, in the next year or so even more will see the destruction that is coming...and how much closer, biblically, we are to Jesus' return. He does not require ongoing sacrifices to become a child of God; He only requires we seek Him and then are obedient to Him.

He desires that none should perish, although many will. For those of us waiting for His return, we pray that He come quickly...but it will be in His timing alone. More good news, there's still time to receive Christ. But I wouldn't wait too long.

Psalm 40:17 - But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.