Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept

Proverbs 23:10 CEV says “Don’t move a boundary marker…”.Just like in Proverbs 22:28, we are advised not to remove an old boundary marker set up by our ancestors. It is also given in the Law of Moses as a commandment. Let’s look for the precept.

Precept Upon Precept

One difference between a commandment and a precept is that a commandment tells what to do and not do while a precept tells you why. There’s an underlying precept behind every commandment God has ever given. Once you understand the precept, you will understand perfectly why God placed such a commandment there to protect us.

This verse can easily be misunderstood to support African Traditional Religious beliefs. “We don’t throw away the traditions of our fathers”, they say. However, this precept obviously refers to the ones our ancestors set via the counsel of God; line upon line, precept upon precept.

Every other foundation stone that wasn’t set up by God needs to be uprooted. That includes the traditions of men and obviously the structures of evil. However, the things of God are built from generation to generation. It is a huge error for a new generation to show up and condemn everything the older generations have done. They will fail miserably.

For instance, offerings to God have been done since the days of Abel. It has undergone various practices but the principle has always remained the same; “when you come before the King, come with an offering”. A young pastor cannot now say he has cancelled offerings in his church. You don’t know what you are talking about. Yet, these things happen because the newer generation don’t know why, metaphorically speaking, an old boundary marker was set up.

Line Upon Line

Truth is One, but not all truths are the same. Some truths are weightier than others. Therefore, it is necessary what we emphasize. The truth is One, but within Truth, there’s an order. This order of Truth is as important as the entire Truth. For example, material prosperity is important but not as important as salvation. Therefore, if prosperity becomes the foundation upon which salvation is built, the essence of the Truth of both salvation and prosperity is lost.


Always remember that there’s no bigger revelation than the Cross, for every new revelation emanates from there. The Truth must be laid brick by brick, precept upon precept; built on the right solid foundation. Otherwise, any higher revelation would rather destroy us and lead us astray rather than take us deeper. Sometimes the deceit is in making the minor a major. When we stick with the Spirit of Truth, He will help us to keep the main thing the main thing. Line Upon Line; there is a structure to these things.

Doctrinal Foundations

There is no need to invent the wheel. All the fundamentals in every field have been established, even in science. Yet, in all Christian history, the Charismatic movement has the weakest grab of doctrines. We’ll rather invent new dance moves. This is sad. The LORD will never build beyond the height our foundations can support. A doctrine like the Trinity took the church about 600 years to fully solidify. Study it. Don’t come and destroy it by trying to set up a new foundation.

Every generation builds upon what God made available and possible to the previous. That means what is possible today wouldn’t have been possible without the fathers who came before you. Add your line to the previous lines. Keep the story going. It didn’t start with you. Are you telling us that 2000 years of Christians missed it and you are now discovering a new way? You are on the path of an antichrist if you begin to host such an idea. Don’t allow the devil to use you. There is not going to be a new Gospel. Every new revelation is based on the foundation that has already been laid. It will never be something totally new altogether.

This is the Easter; the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus. This is the foundation of it all. Make sure that such a season as this, you have a Bible Study concerning these matters. This is literally the foundation upon which everything else was built. Take this advice from an architect; the deeper the depth, the higher the height. If we keep on exploring the foundation set by Jesus with the Spirit of Truth, He will lead us into all Truth. Once you are building on a solid foundation, our house will stand firm against every foreign wind of doctrine.

Selah!