Isaiah 28:9 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.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.
13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
The prophet Isaiah was doing quite well in verses 9 and 10 of our first passage until he reached verse 13 in which he introduces with the word “But” to start.
But meaning: a conjunction, used to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been mentioned.
In verse 9 Isaiah states that The Lord would increase knowledge to those who may be willing to move on from the elementary things that are written in the scriptures, which he refers to as milk, or baby food.
Then in verse 10 he stipulates how the scripture is to be studied to achieve such knowledge, by going line upon line and precept upon precept. However, by the time Isaiah gets to verse 13 his tone changes significantly, for he is now stating that some people who study would fall backwards, be broken and will be taken in a snare.
We were just wondering what could have gone so wrong between verses 9 and 13, so as to cause the prophet to utter those ominous, cryptic words. Just wondering!
There are scriptures for everything that folks might encounter on this planet and for any given situation the word of God contains passages and verses that can be applied, in letter and in principle.
There are verses in the scriptures which deal with depression, osteoporosis, sickness, death, conflicts, recessions, fear, pain, remedies, prayer, salvation, riches, savings, work ethics and more.
There are passages which deal with smoking, diets and foods, hygiene, emotional well-being, lending, borrowing, laziness, bravery, banking, slavery, the use of drugs, complaining, positive attitudes, laws, prophecies, snitching, and every other aspect of our lives, and that’s why The Lord stated that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that is communicated from the voice of God.
Now, even though the scriptures were intended for the benefit and well-being of the human family, it is a fact that if persons so choose, they can find many passages that might seem on the surface to justify a wrong course.
And that is just one of the reasons why in our first passage, after stating that line must be upon line, Isaiah goes on to say that many would stumble and fall after reading the scriptures.
However, before we get into the meat of the study, it is necessary for us to understand that the Bible is often used by men and demons for good as well as for evil.
Passages of scripture are quite often wrested from their true meaning to justify alternative life- styles, vices, polygamy, and a host of other activities which God never endorsed or commanded.
During the dark ages, when millions upon millions of Christians were being martyred, it’s the Bible that was being referenced and misused to try to justify those atrocities and actions which caused humanity to shudder.
That passage which speaks about Peter having the keys of heaven was used to install the vicar of Christ on earth, and since that time, various Biblical verses and a plethora of scriptural statements have been twisted, modified, distorted, and misinterpreted, to mean whatsoever persons desire them to mean.
In our day the scriptures are used to defend many spurious works of healing. Fake healers often quote verses from the Bible to show what the term slain in The Spirit means. And we have all seen congregants collapsed on the floor around some televangelist, as they are touched on the forehead, or blown upon.
Again, those passages in the Bible which deal with speaking in tongues are often used to justify various kinds of gibberish, whereas, if the scriptures were studied line upon line, precept upon precept, folks would clearly see that tongues are languages, not a multitude of disconnected, fuzzy utterances that do make persons seem illogical.
Thus, the very same scripture that was ordained to life, and inspired by the Holy Ghost, is often used in nefarious ways to try to justify a wrong course of action, because anything good can be used to do evil, a fact we must all be aware of. The freedom of speech is used for preaching as well as cursing.
Therefore, it is nothing strange if the scriptures are used by some persons who are bent on doing evil to try to shore up support for a contradictory course of action, directly opposed to what the Bible intends.
Thus, if we are to cherish and hold the truth in clear steady lines, we would have to become acquainted with the word of God so as to discern the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and error. Let’s read:
2nd Timothy 3: 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Ephesians 4: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.
What we’re referring to, as it pertains to deliberate misuse of the scriptures was manifested in real time when the tempter came to Christ in the wilderness as an angel of light. At that time, he resorted to the use of the scriptures, to try to legitimize a contrary course of action.
His forays into the word, and the resulting errors which followed are to be studied closely by those who are preparing for the final conflict between good and evil, for the same strategies used back then would be employed in our day.
The Bible warns us specifically that false Christs and false prophets would arise, and deceive many, a phenomenon that is already underway, and thus, the soldiers of the cross must be on full alert so as not to be carried away by the multitude of errors.
At this juncture, there is something that we must be mindful of, for we are instructed in the Bible not to be ignorant of satan’s devices. A deep and thorough study of the word of God forms an integral part of the daily regimen of devils.
It is indispensable to them being armed with the needed distortions and private interpretations so as to ensnare persons who might have not a clue as to what the correct interpretation is. Let’s read:
[Spirit Of Prophecy Vol. 2 pp 87] Satan is a diligent student of the Bible, and much better acquainted with the prophecies than many religious teachers. He has ever kept well-informed concerning the revealed purposes of God, that he might defeat the plans of the Infinite.
Thus, as the scene in the wilderness temptation of Christ opens up, the tempter appears as an angel of light, but because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, the first word out of His mouth gives him away. The word “if” suggests that Christ is possibly not The Son of God, and therefore, if he were an angel from heaven, such doubt would be contraindicated. Let’s read:
Matthew 4: 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Once the devil realizes that Jesus knows scripture, he abruptly changes his strategies to meet the urgency of the moment. From here on out he would counter Christ with scriptures, which have been strategically selected and modified to suit his own diabolical purposes.
First, he would quote the verses partially, and out of context, to accommodate what he desires, and then he would misinterpret those doctored verses, so as to have them mean what God never intended.
These two strategies are quite often used when a Christian is the target of some temptation, for when unbelievers are to be tempted, there is no need for him to quote scripture, since they are in most cases not familiar with what the word of God says.
Thus, the very next temptation will include scripture that has been strategically doctored, and his spin on it would be made to mean what God strictly forbids anyone to do, because no one is advised to jump off a skyscraper, and reasonably expect God to deliver or save in such a situation. Yet, the words he uses have been lifted from the scriptures. Let’s read:
Matthew 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and sets him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Persons are never to put themselves, unbidden by God, in harm’s way and then expect God to work a miracle to save, for it generally does not work that way. Even though God is merciful, His mercies are never to be abused by the human agent, for as was stated before, He often let’s the laws of sowing and reaping run their natural course.
The thief, who accepted Christ on the cross, at the very last moment, had spent his entire life stealing things from many persons, and as he saw eternity looming before him, he had a change of heart. But the results of his actions were not removed, and he died the first death like any other bandit.
Repentance, in the overwhelming majority of cases, does not automatically include a reversal of fortune, especially if persons knew what was right, but then disregarded the light God shed on their pathway.
It is left with God alone to decide if He would heal or deliver in such and such circumstance, but for us to expect or demand deliverance as part and parcel of repentance is an absolute misnomer.
If Jesus, in this instance were to jump off from the pinnacle of the temple, persons in our day would then follow His example, and we would see teens on TikTok and YouTube attempting the same feat, and dying in the process.
Thus, the suggestion, or inference that satan made to Christ was not born of faith, but of presumption, for he deliberately left out the qualifying factors for deliverance after the godly sort. Here is what the scripture actually says. Let’s read:
Psalms 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
The word “thy” is rendered with a lowercase T, and therefore to someone who does not study line upon line, “thy” could be interpreted to mean either you, the human being, or God. If the human agent is the “thy” being referred to, then the scripture will mean that God has promised to protect us, regardless of any reckless choices and actions we may take.
But if the “thy” is referring to God, then the promise would obviously be applying to all the ways of God’s choosing. Thus, in His reply, Jesus used the Biblical line upon line method, to correct those erroneous views that were being put forward by the enemy of souls. Let’s read:
Matthew 4: 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Thus, the strategies employed, the methods used, and the private interpretations put forward by the enemy, form the bedrock of temptations that are tailormade to appeal to Christians especially, and these strategies are often duplicated and adopted by persons who desire to justify a wrong course of action, or, who may try to quiet their consciences.
The following passages are examples of what we are speaking of, for if persons are dead set in their minds to disregard truth, they, like our mortal foe, will most likely find a scripture somewhere, to show the Biblical basis for what they desire to do.
For instance, if folks want to eat any and everything without restraint, or interference from God, there are several passages in the Bible that may seem to give them the leeway to do so. Let’s be very careful as we read, lest verse 13 of Isaiah 28 cause some to stumble or fall backwards. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 12: 15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusts after, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
Romans 14: 14 I know, and I am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteems anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
1st Timothy 4: 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
However, these are not the only scriptures which treat upon the matter of diets and foods, because, according to our first passage, line must be upon line and precept upon precept. Therefore, before we run away with those texts we just read, let us examine other passages which deal with the issue. Let’s read:
Leviticus 11:9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And all that have not fins, and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you.
11 You shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcass in abomination.
Sharks, oysters, stone crabs, shrimp, mussels, and a multitude of other crustaceans obviously do not fit this stipulation, and thus, when Paul says that The Lord revealed to him that there is nothing unclean of itself, persons should not run with that passage alone, to quiet their consciences.
Again, if persons desire to consume alcohol such as your Johnny Walker black, or a Bud light, or any of those rare French wines that are sold, without any compunctions of conscience, there are scriptures that could be lifted from the Bible, to try and show support for that indulgence too. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 14:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusts after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desires: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household.
2nd Samuel 6:18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to everyone a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So, all the people departed everyone to his house.
John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they have no wine.
6 And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bore it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was
(but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
Notice that the scripture does not say exactly what type of wine it was that Jesus made, whether it was the pure juice of the grape, or whether it was wine fermented with alcohol. It leaves the conclusion up in the air, so that if persons desire to interpret it as booze in this instance, he/she is free to do so.
But to a reasonable thinking mind such a conclusion would obviously raise some serious questions, given that the very same Jesus inspired prophets to write sternly against the use of fermented beverages. So, it is unlikely that He will in one breath sanction the use of booze, and then in another instance, utterly rail against it.
Again, what we have just read about Jesus turning water into wine, is not all the Bible has to say about the issue for as we have stated before the scripture can be used in many circumstances to justify a right or a wrong course of action.
We were just wondering again, why Isaiah says in our first passage, that some will fall backward after reading the scriptures, just wondering!
It all depends on the readers in question whether or not they are genuinely in search of God’s ideal will, or whether they are looking for scriptures to justify a course of action that is antithetical to the truth in the matter. Let’s read:
Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Isaiah 5: 11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.
Proverbs 23: 29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moves itself aright.
32 At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not:
when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
[The Desire of Ages. Pp 143] The wine which Christ provided for the feast, and that which He gave to the disciples as a symbol of His own blood, was the pure juice of the grape. To this the prophet Isaiah refers when he speaks of the new wine “in the cluster,” and says, “Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it.” Isaiah 65:8.
1st Corinthians 6: 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Again, depending on the purposes of the reader, a person might seem to be able to justify polygamy, since many God-fearing men in times past had a duplicity of wives. In fact, the twelve tribes of Israel descended from polygamy, and if one so desires, the scripture can be referenced in an attempt to sanction the practice.
Solomon was Bathsheba’s son, David had at least eleven wives, and Solomon, who is called the wise man steals the show with over one thousand. These men wrote many chapters in the Bible, and to folks who are looking for an extramarital affair, some of the passages in scripture might seem to provide the necessary support he or she needs. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 12: 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus, saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
Genesis 29:30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he
loved also Rachel more than Leah …
31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
Genesis 30:1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took
Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.
But these instances stand in marked contrast to other passages written in both the Old and New testaments, and therefore, if the reader desires a rendezvous in the Appalachian trail, or a mistress outside of the marriage, there you go.
But if he or she is a sincere seeker for truth they will not stop at these passages alone since God has very plainly revealed His will on the matter in question. Just wondering again why Isaiah says that many will fall backward and stumble, after reading the word of God. Just wondering! Let’s read:
Genesis 2: 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Matthew 19: 3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
The words “Because of the hardness of your hearts” go much further than a lack of compassion. Those words hearken back to our freedom of choice to do good or evil, which God respects, and permits if we insist on a contrary course of action.
In all of the deviations written about what righteous persons did or did not do, one fundamental fact has to always be considered, that God often runs into push-back from the human agent, after telling us plainly what His ideal will is.
Then, after repeated efforts to guide us in the right path have failed, He would at times relent, allowing us do what we desire to do, because God will never coerce any person to do right, for if he were to do so we would become the human version of Alexa.
God could have taken the fruit out of the hands of Adam and Eve by force, He could have stopped the murderous Cain from shedding innocent blood. He could have prevented Noah from having that first drink of alcohol after the flood, and He could have caused Jacob to fumble the lies he and his mom had concocted.
God does not prevent false prophets from using the Bible to present false doctrines, neither has He ever banned satan from studying His word. Everyone is left free to search for and choose the right, if we are thus disposed, or conversely, if we are searching for justification in false paths, then there is a scripture for everything.
Again, God could have stopped Putin from doing the unthinkable, and He could force you and me to yield unquestioning obedience. But if He were to do so, our freedom of choice would evaporate, and our intelligence would be rendered worthless.
Thus, when we read the Bible we must keep in mind that there is a scripture for everything and there is a scripture for everyone. God reveals His ideal will for the human family, but He also causes to be written, the various alternatives persons chose, or insisted on.
Therefore, the reader is left free to pick and choose their own private interpretation, if folks so desire, although God issues a warning against doing so. A person’s private interpretation would never alter in in anyway God’s revealed, ideal will, and at the end of the day, those who desire to serve, love and obey God, will know of the doctrine.
Therefore, we’ll end with that first cryptic passage from Isaiah, which speaks eloquently about how the scriptures are to be studied and interpreted. But we will also include the caution issued, so that we may avoid the snares of unscriptural doctrines which are based on convenient manipulations of God’s word. Let’s read:
Isaiah 28:13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
God Bless!