Line Upon Line - Isaiah 28:13

[momi]

Confession: I have been misquoting this scripture for a thousand years - thinking that it meant we are to study God's Word and allow Him to continue to build on what we have learned. Not so. Those who have been with me let's give this scripture another look as we seek to understand the full counsel of God.

Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept

The Church has traditionally used this verse as an admonition against taking verses out of context. The idea is that by taking line upon line and precept upon precept, it’s easier to understand what a passage is really trying to teach us. When we fail to do this we can wind up “misquoting” God making His word say something other than what He intended. It’s also used to encourage us to study all of His word, not just our favorite parts.

It’s good advice, but the passage is really God’s sarcastic indictment against Israel’s leaders for turning His word into a list of rules, repeated endlessly to the people as if they were little children, barely able to understand. (In Hebrew the passage reads, “Sav lasav, sav lasav, kav lakav, kav lakav, like a child’s rhyme.)

Instead of teaching them that He intended for their land to be a place of rest for the weary, the leaders had taught the people to live in fear of breaking His rules. In verse 13 He tells them, in effect, that since they’ve done this to His people, He’s going to bring the Assyrians to do it to them. Shortly thereafter the Assyrians over ran the Northern Kingdom and dispersed the leaders.

So I guess you could say that, however well-intended, the Church broke it’s own rule. We took the passage out of context.

http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/line-upon-line-precept-upon-precept/

 

[MrsHaseeb]

I was just reading about this verse being used out of context on a Facebook group. To be honest, we hear things in church and hear them so often that we never question them and when we read it for ourselves we can miss what it really is saying because of what we have been taught. I think an examination of all popularly quotes scriptures will reveal that much of the time it is not rightly divided.

 

[blazingthru]

Confession: I have been misquoting this scripture for a thousand years - thinking that it meant we are to study God's Word and allow Him to continue to build on what we have learned. Not so. Those who have been with me let's give this scripture another look as we seek to understand the full counsel of God.

Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept

The Church has traditionally used this verse as an admonition against taking verses out of context. The idea is that by taking line upon line and precept upon precept, it’s easier to understand what a passage is really trying to teach us. When we fail to do this we can wind up “misquoting” God making His word say something other than what He intended. It’s also used to encourage us to study all of His word, not just our favorite parts.

It’s good advice, but the passage is really God’s sarcastic indictment against Israel’s leaders for turning His word into a list of rules, repeated endlessly to the people as if they were little children, barely able to understand. (In Hebrew the passage reads, “Sav lasav, sav lasav, kav lakav, kav lakav, like a child’s rhyme.)

Instead of teaching them that He intended for their land to be a place of rest for the weary, the leaders had taught the people to live in fear of breaking His rules. In verse 13 He tells them, in effect, that since they’ve done this to His people, He’s going to bring the Assyrians to do it to them. Shortly thereafter the Assyrians over ran the Northern Kingdom and dispersed the leaders.

So I guess you could say that, however well-intended, the Church broke it’s own rule. We took the passage out of context.

http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/line-upon-line-precept-upon-precept/

Much of the bible is written in a code so to speak, We know that in order for John to get his letters off of the island of Patmos he had to write in code so that the messages would not be destroyed. So in order to understand what the text is saying we have to find that same text somewhere else in the bible and what its meaning to understand what is actually being said.

That is why its easy for me to say forever doesn't mean forever, because I read where Sodom and Gomorrah is used as in example for us to understand. Sodom was burned with in everlasting fire ( means no one can put it out) it is not burning today. It is a city of ashe. Oh and by the way someone mentioned that it is still burning on the spiritual realm well, they would have to show that in the word.

Precept is a rule of understanding. knowing the character of God, that he loves us with an undying love and he is determine to end sin forever, that makes it clear. I know my mother, I know my mother very well. There are some things she would never ever do, like drink or smoke or go to a bar or a club or curse someone out. I would know instantly that something is out of control if my mother would do any of those things, not in her nature. I know that if God says he will make an end to sin, then that is what he is going to do, not let it progress on forever and ever like folks like to believe its just not so. He said Sin will never rise again,that ends every theory about souls burning forever. Knowing one precept, sin will end forever. then continue reading knowing that one thing, other things start to become clear.

Well I been saying this for years now.

2 Peter 2:6
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

 

[momi]

I was just reading about this verse being used out of context on a Facebook group. To be honest, we hear things in church and hear them so often that we never question them and when we read it for ourselves we can miss what it really is saying because of what we have been taught. I think an examination of all popularly quotes scriptures will reveal that much of the time it is not rightly divided.

Agreed. An examination is definitely in order!

 

[momi]

blazingthru - thanks for your response!

How do you interpret precept upon precept being used in the context of this particular verse?

 

[blazingthru]

blazingthru - thanks for your response!

How do you interpret precept upon precept being used in the context of this particular verse?

I can't really comment on the passage above, just can't get past the word sarcastic, its unnerving to me.

precepts is a rule of understanding. knowing a fact for sure, God cannot lie, so if I read something that makes it seem that God was not telling the truth, I know that i have to recheck it because first rule of thumb, God cannot lie.

Its exhausting explaining something over and over to a person when they should have the basics down pack, for instance, I am learning fractions. I learned this in high school thirty something years ago, but now its like i am relearning it and I can see my teachers frustration with some folks because they are struggling because they forgot one of the basics, you must know your times tables, you should be able to cancel numbers out and stuff like which is the basics of fractions. But the teacher has to reteach something they should have never forgotten, I forgot fractions, but not my times tables.

When God points out to us a rule of thumb, we should never forget it, it makes it easier for us to understand the scriptures and not fall off the path when we get to a difficult text. As most folks even pastor do and its really the very basics that they forgot or never understood in the first place, which is dangerous to their salvation, as in the math if I don't get the basics and the formula I fail.

There are three basic rules for understanding the bible.

Luke 24:45
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

Christ must open the understanding. The Bible is different than other books. It takes spiritual conception, perception and spiritual discernment to understand the Bible.

1 Corinthians 2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Never should the Bible be opened without prayer. Before we open the Bible we should pray: "Lord, open my mind to understand what I am about to read, and then open my heart to obey what I shall find in thy Book." This will put you where God will be your teacher.

Proverbs 1:23
23 Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

According to this scripture, knowing the meaning of God's Word and the receiving of the Spirit go together. The Bible cannot be understood without the Holy Spirit for it was given by the Spirit.

2 Peter 1:21
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The key to unlock truth's mightiest secret is to follow three simple rules. The first rule is found in 1 Corinthians 2:13, "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual." May I illustrate what Paul was talking about. Here in Luke 21:5-7 we read, "And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, as for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?" Here was a question about the destruction of Jerusalem and sign of the Second Coming of Jesus. The text does not tell who asked the question. Let's allow the Bible to tell us exactly who asked this question. Matthew 24: 3, 4 speaking of the same event says, "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceive you." Who asked this question? Matthew says it was the disciples. But the disciples were many , there were 12 of them. Which of the 12 disciples asked this question or are we to assume it was all of them? Now notice Mark 13:3, 4, "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?" According to the Bible explanation it was Peter, James, John and Andrew who asked this particular question.

Luke says "they" asked him. Matthew says "the disciples" asked him. Mark tells us which of the disciples asked him. This is comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Next let us read Psalm 50:3, "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him." Then we notice that in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that the Bible explains what not keeping silence means and involves. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." So He does not keep silence because he comes with a shout. Let's read Isaiah 66:15, "For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." What does this mean or who are the Chariots of God? Psalm 68:17 explains, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place." Christ goes a step further and tells how many angels will come with him. "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of His glory." Matthew 25:31. So the Bible reveals that the Lord will come with chariots, and these chariots are angels, and all the angels come with Him.

The first rule is to compare scripture with scripture. It does not mean to merely read the marginal references. These are not inspired. As to just how you can gain a true knowledge of the true doctrines of the Bible, listen, "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept: line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." Isaiah 28:9, 10. To know what the Bible says about baptism read Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans, and Galations. You will then have the Bible teaching on this topic. Do the same for any other topic or doctrine. The second rule for an understanding of the Bible is to take everything on a given subject and put it together. This was Christ's method according to what we read here in Luke 24:27, "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." You can be sure there is no better method than the one Jesus used. In Romans 3:10-18 the apostle Paul proves everyone is under sin. Practically all he says is quoting from the Old Testament. In fact, in 9 verses Paul quotes from 8 chapters, and 10 verses, and 3 books.

The third rule for the better understanding of the Bible and it is to be willing to obey the truth of the Bible as fast as it is made plain to you. The Bible says, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." John 7:17. Progress in the discovery of truth ceases if we are unwilling to follow the truth as it comes. As you read and study the Bible be sure that you have an open mind and be willing to change and shape your life by whatever the Bible may teach. Remember too that God doesn't give all the truth at one time. John 16:12 says, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." So "Walk in the light as ye have the Light." You wouldn't expect a flashlight to shine a mile ahead but just a step at a time. To be a Christian simply means to obey the truth as fast as it is made plain from the Bible.