Today, verses that are so familiar to us from music and from their use in penitential services. I have a hard time simply reading verses 10-12 without singing them! Verse 15 is another verse that we recognize from liturgical use.
Verses 16-17 spoke to me today: For You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. A few days ago I posted that God prefers our prayers of thanksgiving, praise, and asking over our “sacrifices” of service (our time, talent, and treasure). Today we see that He also prefers our broken and contrite hearts to these “burnt offerings” of service. That is, we need to add repentance to our prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and asking.
One other item with reference to verses 16-17. My more liberal academic Study Bible suggested that verses 18 and 19 were added later by “liturgists” who did not want sacrifices of burnt offerings to be so soundly diminished. Interesting…