If we want to know the truth, gems, and treasures of God’s word, we need to study His Word the Holy Bible. An important guide in establishing the Truth in the Word is knowing that “precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: …” Isaiah 28:10.
Precept means -commandment, precept. to constitute, enjoin: – appoint, (for-) bid. (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command (-ment), put, (set) in order.
Precept; noun; 1. a rule or principle for action. 2. a guide or rule for morals; maxim. a direction, … 4. law …
(References from the Strong’s Concordance, Collins online Dictionary)
Precept upon precept means, you stay in the law, command, guide or rule, order, what has been set in place and of what has been said. To build upon a precept with strength, we must stick within the precept. We can build upon the precept, using “…precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: …”Isaiah 28:10. Although, with that said, we cannot lean on our own understanding when studying any precept of God.
For Example:-
Leviticus chapter 11 God gives commands/precepts regarding the flesh meats we shall eat, called clean, and the flesh meats we shall not eat, calling them unclean. It is quite clear that we are not to eat anything that is unclean. Yet, if you read Deuteronomy 12:15 on it’s own we may think that God has changed His mind and we can eat both the clean and the unclean. It reads, “Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth 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.”
Now lets look at this verse closely. Keeping in mind the precepts Leviticus chapter 11 and the precept of Malachi 3:6, which tells us, “For I am the LORD, I change not.” with knowing these verses of truth, it must be therefore saying something else.
“Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee:” (Notice it says, “according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee:” this is talking about the precepts of Leviticus chapter 11.) The bit that is questionable is the following, as it reads, “the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.” (What is this saying? what does it mean by the clean and the unclean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.” ?) Now if we were to take time to read on in the book of Deuteronomy and come to chapter 14, we will soon find that God gives the Laws/precepts of Leviticus chapter 11 again. This can really be confusing if you miss understood 12:15. Deuteronomy 12:22 says, “Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.” It now starts to be a little more clear. If we were to continue to study on, in the book of Deuteronomy, we would come across chapter 15 and verse 22, which brings it all together. It reads, “Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.”
Keeping the above example in mind, read Acts Chapters 10 and 11. Many will now tell us that in this story of Acts 10 and 11, God is telling us we can now eat unclean meats. This is not at all true. We know God has said, “ye shall not eat” of the unclean animals or the thing that He has told us that shall be an abomination unto us, in Leviticus chapter 11. Therefore, if we read Acts 10 and 11 with the understanding of the above example, regarding that that people had a label of clean and unclean, which means, Jew or non-Jew .
Now, with the dream Peter had, knowing that Peter “doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, ” in Acts 10:17, and in verse 19 that he “thought on the vision,” the Spirit tells him to go with the men and to doubt nothing in verses 19 and 20. Why Peter doubted is because he knew the Truth and what the Word of God had said. So, with his explanation of what the dream meant, in verse 28, we know that it is not about food, but about people. It is made even clearer when Cornelius explains his side of the story of what God has done for him. Once Cornelius had finish, then Peter speaks with confidence, “that God is no respecter of persons.” verse34-43. Now time had come for the Apostles to go to all peoples or nations with the gospel. Not just to the Jews, for they had their time, but all peoples. Just as Jesus had commanded them to do so in Matthew chapter 28 and verses 18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
“…precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: …”Isaiah 28:10.
God’s Word is meant to be studied. So, when we come across verses that seem to be saying something contradictive, do not lean on your own understanding, pray, and study it more. The verses in the above examples were talking about the clean and unclean person, which has no distinction with God, for He desires all to be saved, see 2 Peter 3:9. When we read quickly through the Bible and do not study, giving time to learn, we can become confused and miss understand what the Word of God is telling us.
The following example shows us how we can build upon a precept upon precept.
Example:-
We are told in the scriptures, in Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Then we read “For he” (meaning God) “knoweth the secrets of the heart.” in Psalms 44:21b, this is the answer to the question “who can know it?” it is God that knoweth the heart. We learn in 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” With the precept that God knows the Heart, we can build upon this to see more of God’s working in our lives.
God showed Jeremiah an example of the potter and in the potter’s hands is a marred vessel made of clay. Then the potter remakes another vessel out of that same clay that was marred. God says to Jeremiah, where we find this story in Jeremiah 18:1-6, in verse 6, “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, …” then later we read in Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. This helps us to understand Psalms 51:10, a lot more “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” And Jeremiah 17:14, “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.” Because we now know that it is God that knows and looks upon the heart, we can come to Him to fix our heart just as the Psalmist prayed.
In the time of life, we all go through some difficult experiences that changes us. This can be for the better or worse. When walking with God it is always for the better regardless how bad things may be. He helps us get through the trials. In the process, our hearts become changed by trusting in God. We trust, believe, and know, God will guide us, or had guided us through the experience. Because God was there with us, our heart was moulded and changed for the better. In the process we became closer to God. That is if we are willing to allow God to work on our hearts. We can easily, although sadly, choose to walk away from God, because of the difficulty of trials. I pray that everyone will call upon God to get them through any trials that come their way. I can assure you; your life is much better with God, then without Him.
By studying line upon line, within the precept above, Isaiah 29:16, teaches us that, “… Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: …” . God allows difficulties of life because in turn answers our prayer for Him to create in us a clean heart. The precepts of these verses all teach that God knows the heart. By going line upon line, line upon line, here a little there a little; the verses come together and completes the precept of who knows the heart, who can repair the heart, and that it only takes a simple request from us to ask of God to repair our heart. All we need to do is believe and ask as the Psalmist did, walk in faith and God will do the rest.
We must believe and obey God at His Word, otherwise we can so easily follow man in his precepts, and not in the precepts of God. Note Isaiah 29:13, “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”… To have our hearts with God, we must fear Him, believe, and obey. James 2:17, tells us, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” faith is believing and obeying God at His Word, which includes works of faith.
Read the example of “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone”: –
We all have faith and believe we need food, it will give us strength and keep us alive. However, if you don’t act out in that faith by doing the works of eating food, you will die. Your faith or belief in the need of food will not sustain you in any way. You must literally do the works of eating the food to have any benefit from the food.
When we read the Word of God, building upon the precepts of God, we learn the Truth of God’s Word, and learn to trust Him at His word. We must always remember that God does not change, nor does He change His Word as time goes on. Yet, at His Word, Prophecies are fulfilled and accomplished as time goes on. Which also helps us to see that His Word Stands and we can trust every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, by which man doth live. Quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4.
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: Isaiah 28:9, 10.
Open The Light Studies 