In Psalm 40, the prophet David spoke of the great desire of his heart which he no doubt was enabled to fulfill. Sacrifice and meal offering Thou hast not desired; my ears Thou hast opened; burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not required. Then I said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart.”
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, Thou knowest. I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation. Psalm 40:6–10.
It is easier to grasp the full import of this passage where it is repeated in the tenth chapter of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews interprets this Scripture as speaking of Christ. Although this psalm refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, its first application was to David. No doubt he was applying it to himself, even though he was prophesying of our Christ who was to come. David was saying that God did not really desire a sacrifice or a burnt offering from him. His ears were opened by God to hear what He really wanted, and He so opened up David’s heart that he said, “In the scroll it is written of me; I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” David sensed his destiny in God.
In his psalm, David told how he had proclaimed the righteousness of the Lord. He had not kept it hidden in his heart. He knew that his faith was not to be hidden; Christ’s righteousness was to be manifested through him. This psalm also reveals what the Lord expects of us. He is not looking for burnt offerings and sacrifices, although those rituals of the Old Testament in times past were expressions of faith. Those expressions of faith were meant to embrace the provision of God that was to come in Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The prophet David had seen that God was not really looking for sacrifices. He was not counting how many lambs were slaughtered or how many meal offerings were given. God was not looking at the Israelites’ quantity of religious works, but at the quality of all that was to come forth through their lives. Even in his own life David did not strive to appear righteous in his flesh, but he declared, “I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation. I have not hidden Thy righteousness in my heart.” He did not hide what God was to him—he openly proclaimed it. He became one who expressed the righteousness of God by what he spoke and manifested through his life: “Lo, I come to do Thy will.” Everything of God within him was manifested through what he spoke, through what he did, through the way he lived the will of God.
Let us see what the book of Hebrews says concerning the Old Testament sacrifices. For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. Hebrews 10:1–3. What is this Scripture saying? The Old Testament sacrifices and burnt offerings, referred to in Psalm 40, would not have been required, year after year, if there had not been a continual consciousness of sins. Imagine what it was like to be conscious of a sin and to offer up sacrifice; then week after week to be conscious of failing again and continuously making burnt offerings to the Lord.
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says… (Who “comes into the world”? Jesus.) It was David’s faith in God, his anticipation of Christ’s coming, that enabled him to say what he did. Christ, the One who came forth, said this: “Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, but a body Thou hast prepared for Me” (this phrase differs from Psalm 40 which says, “My ears Thou hast opened”); “in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the roll of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God.’ ” In other words, “I did not come to be religious in the number of sacrifices that I could give You—I really came forth to do Your will.”
After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast not desired, nor hast Thou taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Thy will.” Hebrews 10:3–9a. The Word tells us to be careful not to give God only rituals or sacrifices, good works or good deeds, thinking these are enough to please Him. He does not delight in them. He delights in the one who says, “Lo, I am here to do Your will,” someone who gives himself to express God’s will in the earth.
God is pleased with those who are dedicated to do His will. They exhibit His righteousness in their lives by what they do and say. They become the revelation of God in the earth to do His perfect will. Jesus revealed the Father’s purpose, but people did not understand it when He was saying, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). He did not magnify man’s effort to do good and to be religious. People like to build a memorial to a man: “This man was a humanitarian, a giver of gifts to men. See how he lived, all the things he invented, all the money he made and gave to charity. What a great man he was!” That man has had his reward.
Jesus is saying to the man whom the Father would glorify, “Let your light, that inner light, shine forth and glorify the Father.” We must say, “I come to do Your will. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken it forth.” We should reveal everything that the Lord is, and let our light so shine before men that they see His good works. His light from within us must shine forth, so that people glorify the Father in heaven.
What a different picture the world presents. People do not praise God when a man gives a million dollars to charity. God is not seen in that man. When a newspaper commends what a man has done, usually he has done it for praise. Because he has money, people bow to him with their hands out; and they say, “What a great humanitarian! See what he is ready to do!” That man may think he is sacrificing, but is it not merely a sacrifice to his own ego? The Lord does not accept what he does. The Lord is saying, “Let your good works be known, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” When people see an outflow of God in your life, He will be glorified.
The Lord requires you to work. As the vision of what He is doing in the earth becomes greater, you will realize day by day that you must work a little harder. You will always find a way to get another job done, not for credit, not so someone will praise you, but so that you can do the will of God. You must be an expression of His divine life. Do not hide His righteousness in your heart; let it come forth. All the works you perform are designed to glorify God. If God is working through you and manifesting Himself through you, you are doing His will.
Do you have a list of things to do today? Fine—do them, but also be aware that our Lord Jesus is doing them through you. Hebrews 10:10 says, By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. This is the sacrifice that really pleases God. It is not only what we do; it is what Christ does through us. We please the Lord, not by sacrificing or by being religious, but by realizing, “I will be a revelation of the Lord in the earth. He will shine through my life. He will be glorified, not me. He is to be magnified, not me. He must be praised, not me. He is the great One!”
Magnify the Lord. If this is your heart’s desire, you will be blessed by doing the will of God. What a blessing work becomes, when it is done purely as an expression of the will of God. The carpenter feels, “God is in me wielding the hammer.” The artist feels, “God is painting this picture. My hand is holding the brush.” He glorifies God, not his own talent or ability. He magnifies what God is able to do through him. The same must be true of us all.
Instead of saying, “Look what I have accomplished,” you should say, “Look what the Lord has done! Look what the Lord has wrought!” Glorify Him! The more you bow out of the picture, and the more you yearn to be an expression of His righteousness in the earth, the more He will be pleased, saying, “This is My goal. I want My people to work to do My will, to serve Me, to bring forth My Kingdom.” The Lord takes pleasure in this.
God’s Spirit is moving upon people to bring forth His will in the earth. His will is brought forth by expressing Him, by bringing Him forth. The will of God is that He be revealed in us, that He be seen in us, that He be manifested through us. There is no other reason to exist if we do not bring forth the will of God in the earth. There is no other reason to work on any project if it only exalts our ego. If we are looking for praise or adulation from people, we are doing wrong. We cannot expect God to give us the miracle of His perfect provision if we are not doing His will. Our projects must be the perfect will of God. We must not strive for anything less.
Oh, how foolish, how stupid it is to become discouraged, or to allow criticism to enter one’s heart, or to allow anything that could bring defeat. What dismal consequences God’s people face if they do not do His will, but begin to walk in either rebellion or withdrawal. Do not give way to either of these. Rise up to a higher level than you have ever attained in doing the will of God. Become a manifestation of His righteousness and His blessing in the earth. Why settle for only being religious? That is not what God actually wants. God is not satisfied by your merely doing a lot of work. Do the will of God. The work is incidental. If you do the will of God, then the Lord will be glorified in everything that you do. No one will have to give you any publicity, for that is not what you live for. No one has to say, “Thank you,” or give you any recognition. You work for one purpose: to glorify God, to glorify Him and do His will with all your heart.
You can be very contented with the oblivion of self in doing the Lord’s perfect will, an oblivion where there are no spotlights. To be able to do the will of the Lord is a glorious opportunity. Do the will of the Lord. Manifest Him. In the midst of His remnant, God is doing a work that is unique. May it be whispered on the winds until all men hear of it. Through you may there be seen a revelation of the Lord. This is more than all the actions and labors of His people. We are the will of God in the earth, a revelation of Him to the hearts of men.