In the focal passage the Prophet Isaiah asks the question: Whom can the Lord teach His Truth and give understanding of it. His answer is: they who are mature and no longer on the church’s milk. Read Hebrews 5:11-6:2 for the Apostle Paul’s description of such church members. Here we find Paul dealing with a contingent of Hebrew (Israelite) converts to whom the Lord wants His apostle to teach His deeper Truths (Heb. 5:7-6:6). By reading that passage the reader will learn why the MAN Jesus of Nazareth is presented as our example in that He, like all other believers, was subject to losing His relationship with God. In 5:7 we find that He prayed fervently for His heavenly Father to strengthen Him during Satan’s numerous attacks and to give Him strength to hold up during the living hell He knew was coming. He needed strength to keep from weakening, and in so doing, cause Him to fail to fulfil His commission. Like any other man, doing so would have resulted in His spiritual death–the result of being separated from His Father (Isa. 59:2). God heard His prayers because He (Jesus) FEARED to fail Him. If He had sinned one time man would not have a Savior. Note in verse eight that, though Jesus was God’s Son, He had to LEARN TO OBEY GOD BY OVERCOMING THE TEMPTATIONS HE ENDURED. UNDERSTAND THIS: JESUS WAS A MAN LIKE ALL OTHER MEN AND WAS TEMPTED LIKE ALL OTHER MEN BECAUSE SATAN KNEW THAT HE COULD FAIL LIKE ALL OTHER MEN (Heb. 4:15). If Jesus was not capable of sinning, why did Satan tempt Him to do so? In Heb. 5:9 we are told that He was MADE PERFECT by overcoming Satan’s temptations to sin. WE ARE NO DIFFERENT; WE MUST BE MADE PERFECT BY OVERCOMING SATAN’S TEMPTATIONS TO SIN–JUST LIKE JESUS–OUR PERFECT EXAMPLE (Rev. 3:21).

Only by overcoming as He overcame can we, as did Christ, EARN the right to live with the Godhead in paradise forever. His death provides the true saint with the Holy Spirit which empowers Him to overcome Satan. This one must do in order to join Jesus on His throne in the next life (Rev. 3:21). That same Spirit empowers true converts to overcome Satan and to qualify to rise in the first resurrection to meet Christ in the clouds, descend with Him to the Mount of Olives, enter Jerusalem and assist Him in creating the Kingdom of God on earth where He, God and His Very Elect saints will live forever. Read The Three Resurrections and The Kingdom of God. Key words–Three and Kingdom respectively.

What does this have to do with God’s commandments relative to the study of His Word (His Truth)–John 17:17? As we will see–everything. Without knowledge and understanding of the Holy Scriptures, man cannot understand God’s sowing and reaping Law: WE REAP WHAT WE SOW, WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE. With that in mind, let us return to the focal passage–Isaiah 28:9-13. Stated simply, in order to learn about the caveats (conditions–“Fine Print”) that must be fulfilled in order for the Lord to fulfil His promises we must “Study to show ourselves approved by the Lord” (2 Tim. 2:15). To the contrary, in order to know how to avoid spiritual death He warns us about we must learn both the Lord’s “Headlines” and His “Fine Print.”

Obviously, the first step in learning God’s life rules is to know that they exist. This is where Isaiah 28:9-13 becomes vitally important. By following God’s study rules we learn why God does what He does FOR us and why He does what He does TO us. It all comes back to the Bible’s most powerful Word: IF. IF we obey His study instructions we will learn what to do and not do. Such knowledge tells us what to expect relative to our positive or negative doings. Without such knowledge and understanding, we go through life at the mercy of our own ignorance.

For example, millions of people are wondering why there is so much turmoil taking place on earth today, specifically in Western (Christian) Nations. Extreme “acts if nature,” riots, crime, etc. are at all-time highs, invasion of nations by heathen hoards, political failures, wars, etc. are happening on a level never before seen. Why are these things happening? God tells us in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28: GOD HIMSELF IS SENDING THESE CURSES IN ORDER TO PUNISH MAN FOR HIS SINS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE MEN WHO KNOW ABOUT HIM AND HIS WORD. THESE ARE SO-CALLED “CHRISTIAN NATIONS” THAT HAVE TURNED AWAY FROM HIM. Read Hebrews 6:4-6.

“Unto whom much is given, much is required” (Lk. 12:48). God has blessed the world’s “Christian nations” greatly, only to have them fall away from Him (apostasy). For this reason He is punishing them now. Read Second Chronicles 7:13-15. Notice that it is God who sends such things as drought, pestilence and famine. Then notice why He sends curses on those whom He calls “My people. The reason is SIN. God’s definition of sin is found in First John 3:4: TO TRANSGRESS THE LAW IS SIN; FOR SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW. Relative to the Second Chronicles passage, the “what” question relates to the “Headline” (drought, pestilence–vs 13). The “why” question relates to the “Fine Print” (pride, wicked ways–vs 14). This passage, combined with Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, present a perfect explanation of the Lord’s sowing and reaping/ “Headline” and “Fine Print” Law. Simply stated: obey and be blessed; disobey and be cursed.

In the following posting we will study some specific Biblical examples which highlight the relationship between “what” and “why” that can only be found by following the Lord’s Bible study rules found in Isaiah 28:9-13. L.J.