Our Text today is Isaiah 28:9-13. (Yes, I am investing more time on this chapter than any so far! But it is so “typical” of Isaiah’s lucid teaching, preaching.) “Lucid” is from the Latin, where “lux” means “light” and “lucere” means “to shine!” Thus, brilliant, informative teaching and preaching!
But our Text now: “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. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 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.” Isaiah 28:9-13, let me explain.
Likely the words are a replication of an actual conversation (or confrontation) between leaders of Judah in Isaiah’s day and the Prophet. (Leaders whom we have learned are sensual drunkards, backslidden from God! Read Isaiah 28:1-4 again.
They are describing Isaiah’s teaching, mocking him: “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.” They here accuse the man of God of “baby talk!” Not “deep” enough for their astute intellectualism!
The next verse continues their attack; “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little;” which merely amplifies their belittling attitude! This repetition is like teaching the simple ABC’s, to little preschoolers! Isaiah is a simpleton! (In Hebrew this string of words, monosyllables, sounds like “sav,” “sav,” “sav,” “sav” then “qav,” qav,” “qav,” qav!” Baby babble! Isaiah is really not relevant to their world! Or so they think.)
Then Isaiah speaks! So … they want talk that’s “gibberish,” equivalent to “nonsense?” (As in “sav, sav, qav, qav.”) That’s then what God will send them! An invasion, by an army whose language sounds unintelligible! (“Blah, blah, blah!”) The Romans coined the word “barbarian” because their attackers spoke such a foreign tongue that it sounded to their untrained ears like “bar, bar, bar, bar!” Hence, barbarians! Oh, back to my verse: “For with stammering lips and another tongue (language) will He (the Lord) speak to this people.” Through the Assyrian army!
Wow!
God had offered them peace, forgiveness, repeatedly. But they just as often refused! “To whom He (God) said, This is the REST wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the REFRESHING they would not hear.” Isaiah 28:12 … sounds just like Jesus! “Come unto Me and I will give you rest!” Matthew 11:28
So our Passage/Text ends: “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” … (still rejecting, mocking God’s Word, despising Isaiah’s preaching!)
And the result of their foolish actions? “That they might go, AND FALL BACKWARD, AND BE BROKEN, AND SNARED, AND TAKEN.” Isaiah 28:13, cause and effect.
Scoff at Scripture … prepare for a fall!
I admire Isaiah more than ever. He remained faithful in the midst of all this ridicule!
Let us learn the Lesson as well. We may need it some day, some day soon in fact.
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
By the way, this “precept upon precept and line upon line” business could also (indirectly) be a compliment to the Word of God, to Isaiah’s exposition! Though that is NOT how these erring Jews meant it. God’s Word, so practical, so down-to-earth … that even a child can understand, when properly guided!
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