Precept Upon Precept
TEACHER: Today’s lesson reviews some fundamentals of The New Age. First, we are going to show you from the scriptures why the churches are lacking in knowledge and stimulation. Next, we are going to talk about Jesus Christ and the mystery of his name. Then we will go into the real purpose of baptism and the Holy Spirit. Finally, we will show that the Bible itself teaches that it does not contain a fullness of His word and prophets, and revelation exists today as much or more than it did in ancient times. We think you will find this and other lessons we have quite stimulating and interesting.
TEACHER: There are certainly a large number of churches in the world today. There are thousands of Christian as well hundreds of non-Christian faiths. Why do you think there are so many?
STUDENT: I guess people have different ideas and interpretations.
TEACHER: Do you think they could all be right?
STUDENT: Not really.
TEACHER: There are many opposing doctrines taught in the churches where both sides cannot be correct. For instance, some teach that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, a perfect man. Others teach that he was a fraud and imposter. Both teachings could not be correct now, could they?
STUDENT: I guess not.
TEACHER: On the other hand, none of the churches are entirely wrong either. They all teach us to submit to God and love our brother and sister, don’t they?
STUDENT: Pretty much.
TEACHER: A person with pure intent will get some good out of any church. The problem is that they all have some good things about them, but they do not take the people far enough. The Bible talks about these problems connected with our day. Let us read here in Isaiah: [Read Isaiah 29:9-10] “Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.” It tells us here that the people of our day will not be drunk with regular wine, but with what?
STUDENT: A deep sleep.
TEACHER: Yes. The scripture tells us that this condition of sleep has caused the prophets and rulers to be “covered” and the people’s eyes will be closed. Have you noticed that many of the religious people of today seem to have their eyes closed to new knowledge and new and better ways of doing things?
STUDENT: It seems so.
TEACHER: Let us read more about this subject. Here in Chapter 28 the prophet is talking to people of our day that he calls the “drunkards of Ephraim.” [Read Isaiah 28:7] “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgement.” We have seen from the last quote that drunkenness is not always caused by a literal wine. The wine the ministers of today are drunk with is the scriptures. That may seem funny that the religious leaders and followers are drunk on the scriptures but when you think of all the things that people do in the name of God, it makes sense. Have you heard of people going to war because of some literal interpretation of the Bible or some other religious book?
STUDENT: Yes I have.
TEACHER: And have you heard of people abusing children because of something written in the scriptures?
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: Have you heard of people quoting the Bible to prove the earth is flat?
STUDENT: Indeed.
TEACHER: There are many other strange things people do who are drunk with scripture. They handle poisonous snakes and many men are tyrants over their wives in God’s name. Others believe babies are in a state of sin. Some hate other races because of the Bible. Some will die rather than take a blood transfusion. Many believe their priest or prophet cannot make a mistake when talking about religion because they have a special place with God. Others sell everything they have and go to a mountain top to await the return of Jesus believing he will destroy everyone but themselves. Others will not let their children go to school because they think it is controlled by Satan. Others think the Bible contains all the truth in the world. One of the most common signs of drunkenness is that most religious people think that God is going to send everyone to hell that does not have the same belief system as they do, even if they are good and loving people. Now when you think about it, doesn’t it seem like people would have to be drunk to believe and do these things?
STUDENT: It would seem so.
TEACHER: Would you say that Isaiah is right when he says they err in vision, they stumble in judgement.
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: Now read verse eight. “For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.” Do you think that some religious leaders, like the child abusers we read of, helped to fulfill this prophecy?
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: There are many other things besides infidelity that cause uncleanliness. The only real sin condemned by Jesus was hypocrisy. Do you think that this is a problem with the teachers today?
STUDENT: Definitely.
TEACHER: One of the biggest problems in this area is that many people teach love, but do not demonstrate it. Have you noticed this before?
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: Now read verse nine: “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.” The apostle Peter tells us that milk is the scriptures. [See I Peter 2:2] and breasts are linked with organizations that claim to be God’s people [see Isa 66:11]. Isn’t it interesting that God says that people will have to look beyond the scriptures and churches to find knowledge and understanding?
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: Next read verse 10: “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” What does the scripture say “must” be added?
STUDENT: Precepts must be added.
TEACHER: Wouldn’t it be difficult to continue to add precepts, knowledge and understanding if we used nothing else but the Bible?
STUDENT: I suppose so.
TEACHER: All of our schools and universities add much knowledge that is not in the Bible. On the other hand, there is much spiritual knowledge that the Bible does not clearly explain. For instance, it does not plainly tell us what happens after we die or how the universe was created. Have you ever had questions that have not been answered from the Bible?
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: Verse eleven tells us why he repeated himself in verse ten: “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.” We are taught in English today which is a different language than Isaiah used but the word “stammering” is particularly interesting. It comes from the Hebrew LAEG [Law-ayg] which indicates a silly or imperfect repetition of a foreign speech or a foreign person. Therefore he is prophesying that the people of today will be taught out of the Bible [which was written by a foreign people in another tongue] with silly repetition. Does this prophecy seem to be fulfilled?
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: Now read verse 12: “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.” God has always promised his people a rest and refreshing. He did through Moses [Exodus 33:14] and also through Jesus. You may remember the words of Jesus when he said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” [Matt 11:28-30] Would you say that the ministers of the world have made the burden of the people easier or heavier?
STUDENT: It would seem to be heavier.
TEACHER: The burdens they have heaped upon the people have been great. They expect them to give large sums of money and the people get nothing in return but a large stone building and a sermon once a week. Followers give ministers their dedication, but they receive no new precepts, they give of their spirit yet they get no healing. Lastly, they give them custody of their souls yet they have much more guilt and a heavier yoke than the so-called heathen. All the teaching of the scriptures is directed toward lifting our burdens and entering into the rest of God, but how does it say that people will react toward the invitation of rest?
STUDENT: That they would not hear it.
TEACHER: It is amazing that people almost seem to want to have guilt, worries and heavy burdens. Now read Isaiah 28 verse thirteen: “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.” Here he repeats or stammers on the words, “precepts” and “lines” again. Why do you suppose he does that?
STUDENT: To emphasize that the people will be taught with great repetition.
TEACHER: The little light they are given with great repetition will cause the people to do what?
STUDENT: To fall backward, and be broken, and snared and taken.
TEACHER: How do the scriptures, even if they are true, make the people fall backward?
STUDENT: The teachers and the people are asleep and do not understand them.
TEACHER: The word “taken” comes from the Hebrew Lâkad [Law-kad] which means “caught in a trap.” The great repetition and misunderstanding of simple scriptures will actually lead the people backward, instead of forward, into a trap that God has set for the Bible teachers of today. Isaiah tells us in this same chapter that a “report” [verse 19] or message of light will be given and certain calamities will follow it to get the people’s attention. But the trap will be seen when regular church teachings are compared to this message. Is a light more visible in daylight or darkness?
STUDENT: In darkness
TEACHER: The people will see the trap set for the Bible teachers when their darkness is compared with the light of the New Age. The Bible tells us that people will not only stumble with the scriptures, but with Christ himself. Peter here talks about this. [Read I Peter 2:8] “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” Here Peter tells us that those who stumble at the word, or the scriptures, and do not fulfill their appointments will have Jesus as “a stone of stumbling.” We talked about how teachers are often blind to the scriptures. Do you think that many of them are also blind to the Living Christ and who he really is?
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: In the days of the early Christians Paul wrote concerning those who thought they had a corner on the scriptures in that day; [Read Romans 11:8-10] “[According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear;] unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap. and a stumblingblock, and a recompense to them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.” Do you think that history is repeating itself and that this scripture applies to the religions today?
STUDENT: Yes.
Who is more foolish, the child afraid of the dark, or the man afraid of the light? – Maurice Freehill
Nov 13, 2011
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This is a really well-written article. I appreciate the effort you put into this. Thank you for sharing your insights! (ref:2d69af5deba4)
What’s most interesting here is that you’re able to recognize others’ abuse of the Bible, but you’re still too dense to see this in yourself, as you are clearly using the Bible and other works as a prop for promoting your own brand of spirituality, which is basically just “millions of words” for you and your readers to get drunk on and feel like they’re engaging with something important. From an outsider’s perspective, it looks like a hopeless addiction.
Have you or your readers ever wondered what life would be like if you never picked up the Bible or engaged any spiritually-related content ever again? I bet simply contemplating that question would evoke feelings of withdrawal.
You are so predictable. Figured you would say that.
You are also predictable in that you can’t or won’t answer the question, which is unusual for someone who is supposedly confident in what they believe.