This article is a continuation from last week on the literary style of Isaiah.
The topic here is contrasts. In his commentary on Isaiah John Oswalt notes that the prophet constantly mentions contrasts – “polar opposites.” Oswalt cites as examples: “divine glory versus human degradation; judgment versus redemption; height versus depth; and God’s wisdom versus the idol’s stupidity.”
I would add other contrasts: darkness and light, sight and blindness, hearing and deafness.
Oswalt says about Isaiah: “His whole pattern of thought has been affected by the tremendous contrast between the greatness of God and the corruption of humanity.
But caught up with this contrast is the amazing paradox that if humanity will lay aside its pretensions to deity, the true God will raise us to fellowship with himself (57:15). These two thoughts form the heart of the book’s theology.”
Thus, Isaiah uses a wide variety of literary devices to portray the contrast of the general themes in his prophecy of judgment and redemption. The wordplay on the names of his two sons is a prime example (See Background No. 8 for this discussion).
For another example, the comparison in 46:5-7 provides rich food for thought and meditation: “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it.
Then they bow down and worship it! They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It cannot even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It has no power to get anyone out of trouble” (NLT). Look for contrasts in your reading of this great book.
Dr. David Moore is a Baptist preacher in Pampa and an online instructor in Bible and theology for Taylor University and Nations University. Email: dm5867se@outlook.com
