Young People's Group

Precept Upon Precept

by Pastor Mitch
May 15, 2015

The Context Of A Nation That Had Stopped Learning From God

The people of Israel were in a sorry state of affairs during the times of the prophet Isaiah. Both princes and people had sinned against God so much so that they had pretty much stopped learning from Him (Isaiah 28:1-8). They had become compulsive drunkards. The priest and the prophets were so caught up with intoxicating drinks that they erred greatly in their vision and in their judgment. They too had stopped learning from the Lord. The whole nation had blatantly sinned and rebelled against Him and His ways. Even though the Lord sought to bring judgment against them, they continued to rebel against Him. The nation of Israel refused to learn and repent from her sins.

The Principle Of Learning The Word Of God One Step At A Time

The Lord God had to teach the people of Israel how to learn once again.

2. Learning Through The Natural Process Of Being Trained

“Whom will he teach knowledge? 
And whom will he make to understand the message? 
Those just weaned from milk? 
Those just drawn from the breasts? 
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, 
Line upon line, line upon line, 
Here a little, there a little.” 
Isaiah 28:9-10

Babies can learn bit by bit how to be weaned from their mother’s milk. It is only natural that they learn to do without mother’s milk through being trained to do so. Learning from the Lord is a most natural thing. Anybody, if he is willing and will seek to, can learn about the precepts of God, one precept at a time. He learns one line of thought at a time with regards to each precept. He understands a little this week and next week, he learns a little more. This is the most natural process of learning about God just as a baby also learns to be weaned from mother’s milk. In contrast, the rebellious adults in Jerusalem did not know how to learn from the Lord at all.

2. Learning Through The Hard Way

“For with stammering lips and another tongue 
He will speak to this people
…
But the word of the Lord was to them, 
‘Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, 
Line upon line, line upon line, 
Here a little, there a little'” 
Isaiah 28:11, 13

When people do not learn things the easier and natural way, they will learn things the hard way. The Lord judged the people of Israel because of their sinfulness and they ended up in exile. And so the word of the Lord was taught to them by their leaders in a foreign language and with stammering lips. They would still learn about God precept upon precept, line upon line. They would learn it the hard way in the midst of suffering in exile. Young people, we do not need to learn things the hard way. Let’s always seek to learn humbly from the Lord.

The Spiritual Rest That Will Come When We Learn Well

“To whom He said ‘This is the rest with which 
You may cause the weary to rest,’ 
And, ‘This is the refreshing'” 
Isaiah 28:12

Even as they learned the word of God, there would come spiritual rest for their soul. Those who are weary and tired would find special rest for the soul. The people of Israel would be in exile for 70 years but they would learn about the ways of God and how they had sinned against God. This would bring much sorrow and regret in their hearts. And when they repent, they would find renewal, comfort and hope in their hearts. Young people, let’s seek to learn to find rest from the Lord. Let’s always seek to be refreshed by the word of God as we seek to learn from His word each day.

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