Bible Discussion Thread

What does it mean when scripture says line upon line and precept upon precept

Hi Jacgueline This is where God through His prophet Isaiah is saying with repetition have I told you what to to and how to do it and their priests were so spiritually gone they would not here it and rejected. Its also a figure of speech emphasizing a point. So another nation came in and took them captive again.

Hello Jacqueline. Just to add further to GiGi's good comments on the Scripture's personal application, I look at the background of that situation there in Isaiah chapter 28. The first half of this chapter shows God denouncing Ephraim (the chief tribe of the Northern Kingdom of Israel). They sinned against the Lord in many ways (vv7,8) & will be taken into Assyrian captivity one day soon. So Isaiah kept on warning them with the Word often, even causing the leaders to become indignant with Isaiah for treating them like children with such constant repetition ("precept (command) upon precept, line (every detail) upon line) - they grew tired of Isaiah's continual warnings from the Word.

But God says that day of suffering will come upon them "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people" (v11): God will use even their captors to speak in their language (unintelligible to Israel) to this disobedient people. But even with this warning, the leaders of Israel still reject Isaiah's warnings & make fun of him (v13). However, if they heeded the precepts & the lines therein, they may have ceased in their sins & averted the Judgement of God, but verse 15 says, "Because ye (Israel) have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves". By their own admission, they sealed their fate.

And yes, it's so important to understand & heed God's Words to us for therein is life & liberty, now through Jesus Christ our Saviour & not trust in our own ideas & efforts to gain God's approval. Israel forsook their God & so were judged by Him - and so judgement lies before all who mock the Holy One of Israel & despise His Word.

Hi, Line upon line, precept upon precept, is in reference to learning from Scripture how to live God's way. Reading and studying Scripture, and perhaps, somewhat systematically instead of haphazardly, will profit the learner over time. Line by line, is to avail yourself to the whole counsel of God in Scripture, reading the whole bible repeatedly over your years here; reading the Scripture in context, not going here and there, plucking verses out of context; and reading Scripture with comprehension one sentence at a time, so to speak. Precept upon precept is to build up your knowledge of God's revelation to mankind, one idea upon another to deepen your understanding of God's work in history and how to apply the concepts to your life. It is building upon a foundation of faith in Jesus into the full measure of what God would have you become in Christ. There are other ways to consider these concepts and I hope others will chime in. I wrote what it means to me. Thank you for asking. I was thinking about that verse just a day ago!