"precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line on line, line on line, a little here and a little there..."1
This word for precept means "order, commandment." This word for "upon precept" means "order" both words are from tsavah, "commanded" so properly a "command ordered" or Command upon command, Precept Upon Precept... This word for line is from qavah; a cord (as connecting), especially for measuring; figuratively, a rule. Command upon command, Rule upon rule, "a little here, a little there, that they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive."2
“He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.”3
Yes, Israel stumbled and why did they stumble? "It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread." They would stumble on the stone, Jesus who came in fullness of Grace and Truth, therefore they stumble on the Truth of God, not a righteousness based upon rules and regulations but one of faith in Christ, "by grace through faith..."
"behold I lay in Zion a stone, a stone tried, a corner, a precious foundation, a foundation for he who believes. Not hastily, will I lay justice the line, and righteousness the plummet..."4
The parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Jesus said he told for those who would trust in their works for righteousness, to these who put rule upon rule. "Moreover, he spoke also to some trusting in themselves that they are righteous and despising the others."5 Righteousness in Christ breaks these people who trust in themselves, these despise Grace and mercy. They condemn others and as Jesus said they break the commandments of God by their rules and regulations and put heavy burdens on the shoulders of men.
"The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them... For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders... For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."6
Here the prophesy is that they would stumble, fall back, be broken by the Wonderful Counselor who would not add burdens but lift the burdens of men. Christ read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, "he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,"7
The Pharisees added command upon command, rule upon rule. The people were given 10 Commandments, and 613 rules in the Mosaic Covenant. As if these were not enough the Pharisees created thousands of other rules to clarify the others. For example, scholars created 39 separate categories defining what it meant to “work” on the Sabbath, and within these 39 where many sub-categories, so there were thousands of rules on keeping the Sabbath.8
Jesus who made people whole on the Sabbath was accused of breaking their rules, but they were probably just making up new ones to condemn him, this is what they did, rule upon rule...
Isaiah prophesied of such legalism of the Pharisee. They had precept upon precept, line on line but they had made a covenant with death and trusted in it, "we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception."8 Ezekiel writes the people were adulterous, leaving the first love of God.9 Here Isaiah states these leaders err in vision like drunkards, stumbling, "they go from the way, they err in vision, they stumble in judgment."9 Even the tablets that their rules are written on are ladened with vomit, filthiness.10
Today, we are a Pharisaical society that trusts not in God but in rules and regulations. One only has to look at all the rules, all the signs, the tax code, and health care... Such a Pharisaic society fell. Jesus is the foundation stone of the Church, a solid foundation is on Christ, else we build upon the sand. These greater principles of Christ; the law of Christ (lifting burdens), golden rule, great commandment and the one like it, the new commandment, these should be founding principles.
"I will make justice the line and righteousness the plumb line; hail stones will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will overflow your hiding place."11
We see Isaiah speak, justice is the line, or rule. Righteousness is the plumb line, or level rule. We can build a house upon rules and regulations and break the greater commandments of God, by such justice and righteousness is not the line but rules and traditions of men. Without justice and righteousness the house will not be plumb, and without a solid foundation we build upon sand. The Pharisee built an un-level house upon sand. It fell down, or the Stone fell on it.
"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this the Stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. When the chief priests and Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew He was speaking about them"12
Righteousness through Faith. These Pharisees had dependence on following rules and regulations. They sat in the seat of Moses, dispensing rules and judgment. They claimed such was from God but their hearts were far from God. Jesus said they were hypocrites, judging the speck in their brother's eye while having logs in their own. They were like whitewashed tombs, pretty on the outside, but inside full of all kinds of filthiness. They had learned to clean the outside and not the inside.
Paul was a Pharisee, he writes he was blameless when it came to following these rules. He held the coats of those who stoned Steven but he met Jesus and the scales fell from his eyes, he had such revelation of Grace and Truth. We see the culmination of prophecy in the legalism of the Pharisee; precept upon precept, line upon line, it is a trusting in the flesh, self-righteousness, and such proclaims injustice in judgment, stumbling like drunkards, hypocrisy is its telling sign. A Pharisaic society with its rules and regulations doesn't produce justice and the righteousness of God.
Jesus affirms such prophecy of Isaiah with several parables, one was of the wicked tenants, those who killed his messengers and then his Son. Jesus then states “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."14 This was John and Peter's proclamation before the Jewish elders, Jesus "he is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. 'Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”15
Dear Younger Me
This word for precept means "order, commandment." This word for "upon precept" means "order" both words are from tsavah, "commanded" so properly a "command ordered" or Command upon command, Precept Upon Precept... This word for line is from qavah; a cord (as connecting), especially for measuring; figuratively, a rule. Command upon command, Rule upon rule, "a little here, a little there, that they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive."2
“He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.”3
Yes, Israel stumbled and why did they stumble? "It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread." They would stumble on the stone, Jesus who came in fullness of Grace and Truth, therefore they stumble on the Truth of God, not a righteousness based upon rules and regulations but one of faith in Christ, "by grace through faith..."
"behold I lay in Zion a stone, a stone tried, a corner, a precious foundation, a foundation for he who believes. Not hastily, will I lay justice the line, and righteousness the plummet..."4
The parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Jesus said he told for those who would trust in their works for righteousness, to these who put rule upon rule. "Moreover, he spoke also to some trusting in themselves that they are righteous and despising the others."5 Righteousness in Christ breaks these people who trust in themselves, these despise Grace and mercy. They condemn others and as Jesus said they break the commandments of God by their rules and regulations and put heavy burdens on the shoulders of men.
"The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them... For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders... For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."6
Here the prophesy is that they would stumble, fall back, be broken by the Wonderful Counselor who would not add burdens but lift the burdens of men. Christ read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, "he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,"7
The Pharisees added command upon command, rule upon rule. The people were given 10 Commandments, and 613 rules in the Mosaic Covenant. As if these were not enough the Pharisees created thousands of other rules to clarify the others. For example, scholars created 39 separate categories defining what it meant to “work” on the Sabbath, and within these 39 where many sub-categories, so there were thousands of rules on keeping the Sabbath.8
Jesus who made people whole on the Sabbath was accused of breaking their rules, but they were probably just making up new ones to condemn him, this is what they did, rule upon rule...
Isaiah prophesied of such legalism of the Pharisee. They had precept upon precept, line on line but they had made a covenant with death and trusted in it, "we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception."8 Ezekiel writes the people were adulterous, leaving the first love of God.9 Here Isaiah states these leaders err in vision like drunkards, stumbling, "they go from the way, they err in vision, they stumble in judgment."9 Even the tablets that their rules are written on are ladened with vomit, filthiness.10
Today, we are a Pharisaical society that trusts not in God but in rules and regulations. One only has to look at all the rules, all the signs, the tax code, and health care... Such a Pharisaic society fell. Jesus is the foundation stone of the Church, a solid foundation is on Christ, else we build upon the sand. These greater principles of Christ; the law of Christ (lifting burdens), golden rule, great commandment and the one like it, the new commandment, these should be founding principles.
"I will make justice the line and righteousness the plumb line; hail stones will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will overflow your hiding place."11
We see Isaiah speak, justice is the line, or rule. Righteousness is the plumb line, or level rule. We can build a house upon rules and regulations and break the greater commandments of God, by such justice and righteousness is not the line but rules and traditions of men. Without justice and righteousness the house will not be plumb, and without a solid foundation we build upon sand. The Pharisee built an un-level house upon sand. It fell down, or the Stone fell on it.
"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this the Stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. When the chief priests and Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew He was speaking about them"12
Righteousness through Faith. These Pharisees had dependence on following rules and regulations. They sat in the seat of Moses, dispensing rules and judgment. They claimed such was from God but their hearts were far from God. Jesus said they were hypocrites, judging the speck in their brother's eye while having logs in their own. They were like whitewashed tombs, pretty on the outside, but inside full of all kinds of filthiness. They had learned to clean the outside and not the inside.
Paul was a Pharisee, he writes he was blameless when it came to following these rules. He held the coats of those who stoned Steven but he met Jesus and the scales fell from his eyes, he had such revelation of Grace and Truth. We see the culmination of prophecy in the legalism of the Pharisee; precept upon precept, line upon line, it is a trusting in the flesh, self-righteousness, and such proclaims injustice in judgment, stumbling like drunkards, hypocrisy is its telling sign. A Pharisaic society with its rules and regulations doesn't produce justice and the righteousness of God.
Jesus affirms such prophecy of Isaiah with several parables, one was of the wicked tenants, those who killed his messengers and then his Son. Jesus then states “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."14 This was John and Peter's proclamation before the Jewish elders, Jesus "he is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. 'Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”15
Dear Younger Me