But aren't we supposed to read Scripture "precept upon precept and line upon line"?
No. In fact, this is the way we're NOT to read the Bible.
There are several famous teaching ministries with the word "Precept" somewhere in their title or mission statement. These ministries draw that term from Isaiah 28:13. Their focus is to teach the word of God "precept upon precept, line upon line" using what they call "Inductive Bible Study." The key to rightly reading the Bible, these ministries hold, is to convert all the Scriptures into a system of orderly precepts using rules of logic .
Here is the ironic catch.
The very passage these teaching ministries use to name themselves or their hermeneutics is quoted COMPLETELY out of context. The Isaiah passage, in point of fact, warns us NOT to read Scripture "precept upon precept, line upon line," for to do so will cause us to "fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."
Here is the full passage:
"Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; THAT they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."
Just as 2 Corinthians 3:6 warns us to NOT read Scripture "by the letter, for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life," this Isaiah passage warns us to NEVER read the Bible as mere precepts to be systematically arranged according to the logic of men. To do so will cause us to fall backward and be taken by snares of spiritless literalism.
Thus, the very usage of Isaiah's term "precept upon precept" by well known ministries to self-label violates their own central rule of interpretation which forbids taking any scripture out of context. "Precept upon precept" is, in the context of this passage, a bad thing and not a good thing. Now, some of these ministries have certainly blessed many, but not BECAUSE of their precept-based focus, but DESPITE it.
Go figure. And, in fact, the context of this Isaiah 28:9-13 passage reveals another dynamic truth.
"For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, 'This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest, and, This is the refreshing:' yet they would not hear." Isaiah 28:11–12
Paul quoted verse 11 above in 1 Corinthians 14:21 right in the middle of his teaching on tongues. This is the only New Testament reference to this Isaiah passage that I am aware of, so what is said here is crucial. His point is amazing. The people who only read the Bible "precept upon precept, one upon line" are unable to "hear" supernatural knowledge revelation from the Holy Spirit through the gift of tongues, an experience Isaiah prophetically calls a "rest" and "refreshing."
But, because those who read the Bible "by the letter" choose to view God's word as mind-formulated precepts rather than spirit-quickened rhemas, they will not be able to hear the teachings of the Holy Spirit, and so will fall backward and be snared.
Nothing is more offensive to the legalistic mind than relying on tongues and their interpretation. Paul is promoting BOTH tongues and their wonderful "interpretations" as well when he quotes this Isaiah passage.
This doesn't mean we still don't fervently esteem and meditate on Scripture, but it does reveal that the catalyzing agent of all heavenly revelation has got to be the Holy Spirit alone. It's the supernatural "way" we receive from God here that matters, not some man-made rule of interpretation we are chained to follow. Jesus said the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, not the Scriptures. Romans 8:14.
Once we contrast how striving, soulish and self-willed "precept upon precept, line upon line" Bible reading truly is when compared to Holy Spirit-quickened glowings and showings, then we see the need to open ourselves to God's supernatural way of "revelating" over our own natural way of "precepting." This is the "rest" and "refreshing" these two passages open for us.
