Isaiah 28:9

Isaiah 28:9 says. 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.  Isaiah asked whom God would teach His knowledge to and make them understand His doctrine.  He answered by saying those who were no longer like babies, dependent on their mothers for nourishment.  In other words, those who were ready to grow in their faith as individuals.  When we first come to Christ by faith, we may be as babies in our understanding of God and His will, but we must start to grow in our understanding of Him. 

Verse ten adds, For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:  Isaiah said this knowledge of God must be built on the truth and learned building on the precepts that we know.  Our knowledge about God should continue to grow as followers of Christ, but it must all be built on the foundation of faith in Him as our Savior and Lord.  We will never know everything about God, but we should continue to build on our understanding of Him through the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  

Verse eleven continues, For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.  Isaiah said that since the people would not listen to God’s word that He would speak to them in another language.  This could refer to their refusing to understand what God said through His prophets or to the fact that another nation was going to conquer them.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, even if we hear the word of God preached, it will be like a foreign language to us.  We can only understand the truth of God’s word when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Verse twelve states, To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.  Isaiah said that believing in God’s word would bring them rest, but that they refused to believe it.  God’s word will still bring us spiritual rest today if we only believe it. 

Verse thirteen adds, But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.  Isaiah said that the people heard the precepts of God proclaimed but they didn’t really believe them.  We may hear the gospel proclaimed today and may even have some knowledge about Who God is, but if we only hear the words and never put our faith in them it will do us no good. 

Verse fourteen continues, Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.  Isaiah then asked the rulers of Jerusalem, whom he referred to as scornful men, to hear the word of God.  We need leaders today who hear and obey God’s word, but we too often don’t have them.