“In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.” -Psalm 40:6
This portion of the Psalm will be quoted by the author of Hebrews in reference to Christ, another example of the Apostles’ Messianic view of the Psalms.
“Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” -Hebrews 10:5–10
Christ, like the Psalmist, consecrated his body to the will of the Father. Christ’s sacrifice confirms the institution of the new covenant. He is the “once for all” sacrifice, therefore, all that remains for us is obedience in response to his grace as an act of worship. This is our sacrifice (Hebrews 13:15 Cf. Romans 12:1-2).
Returning to the Psalm, the meaning of the passage points us to the nature of obedience—an open ear. Jesus often said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” -Matthew 11:15