Isaiah 28:9-10

Isaiah 28:9-10 (ESV): “9  “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? 10  For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,line upon line, line upon line,here a little, there a little.”

Expositional teaching is mocked by some, but there is no better way to learn the whole counsel of God. How else can we know what God expects of us unless we consider precept upon precept by reading His Word line upon line—from Genesis to Revelation? Get in the Word!

Isaiah was mocked by the drunkards of Ephraim and Jerusalem. These ungodly prophets and priests wanted to “go deeper” into the mysteries of God without being held accountable to the full weight of the Law. Isaiah, however, was systematic and thorough, and they dismissed his teaching as elementary and irrelevant. As John Trapp put it, “Thus this good prophet became the drunkard’s song. Any man may be witty in a biting way, and those that have the dullest brains have commonly the sharpest teeth to that purpose.”

How do you read the Word? Do you randomly flip it open and start reading? Do you search only for specific topics you need guidance on? Never forget—context is king. The best way to rightly divide the Word is to study it line upon line. It is the most straightforward approach because it requires you to know all of God’s Word. Take in the whole counsel in context—precept upon precept, line upon line. Amen?

Father, thank You for giving us a complete guide to life in Your Word. Help us to know it from cover to cover and rightly divide it. Reveal Yourself to us as we read line upon line. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.