Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do thy will, O God . ~ Hebrews 10:7
This is a reference to Jesus. The volume of the book refers to the entirety of the Old Testament scriptures which testify of Jesus. In the volume of the book it is written of Jesus.
At the beginning of this verse he says, “then said I.” This is a response to what has been said in the previous verses concerning God not desiring the sacrifices which were offered under the Law.
Now consider this: according to the testimony of the Law, God never desired those sacrifices on which the law covenant was ratified and renewed year by year.
There are some who have claimed that the new covenant is actually the renewed covenant. This is not correct. The new covenant is an entirely new covenant, better and far superior to the first.
There was a renewing of the Law Covenant every year on the Day of Atonement. The reason the law covenant had to be renewed is because it’s representatives were imperfect and it’s sacrifices could not take away sin. Every year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest had to first offer sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of the priesthood before he could offer sacrifice for the people.
Jesus however, is our perfect representative. He does not need to offer sacrifice every year for himself and for us. He offered himself once and for all and is perfected forever as our Great High Priest. By his blood he has put away sin in the presence of God once for all.
God is so eternally pleased with Jesus that there will never again be the necessity of another representative for God’s people, that is, a high priest to offer sacrifice for sin.
The first Covenant could not give this. It had to be renewed every year and as long as that system was in place there was a remembrance of sins again year after year. Yet in his mercy and grace, God so ordained that the first Covenant be set up in such a way that it would foreshadow the one to come in Christ.
Those things which were only a shadow were never the things which God desired. Jesus, on the other hand, pleases God in every respect. He is unblemished and holy in every respect and he fulfills and fulfilled God’s will perfectly and completely.
It is not merely that he is holy because he never sinned. Rather, he never sinned because he is holy!
He did the will of God, not against his own will as one forced to serve, but as the expression of his own will, for it was his continuous delight to please the Father in everything. Jesus did the will of God from the heart because God’s will was his will and this is what God had always desired. This is what made Jesus the perfect representative to take away our sins.Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ~ Hebrews 10:5-10