2 July | EVERYONE
“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” Isaiah 28: 10
From the heights of divine wisdom, the light of the Word of God descends to teach human beings to live a meaningful life and prevent them from falling, stumbling and hurting themselves and the people they love. From the highest celestial peaks, streams slide down the slopes of life, transporting pearls of inspiration on their path. But divine advice seems to remain like sand blown by the wind through the deserts of our indifference.
In the time of Isaiah, the people lived immersed in rebellion and foolishness, which would result in rampant destruction under the power of Babylon. The Word of God could have been their protective shield, but the people lay drowned in alcohol, with their senses numb, unable to heed and understand divine counsel.
The state of the leaders at that time was depressing. “But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean” (Isa. 28: 7-8).
Drunk with pleasure, these leaders asked: “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?” (verse 9). Then the prophet responds that even children can understand the will of God if the Word is studied phrase by phrase, line by line, a little here and a little there. With this advice Isaiah established a way for studying the Bible.
In order to interpret it correctly, it is necessary to study, in their contexts, all the verses that address a certain topic. A doctrine cannot be established based on a single text. It is essential to investigate all of them and do so in a contextualized manner.
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Two verses after today's text we read the purpose of divine teachings: to “cause the weary to rest" (Isa. 28: 12). The study of the Bible should not be based on the "proof text" that proves me right, but on the spirit that permeates its messages. The spirit of Christ.