Read the Bible With Us

Poetic Devices for God's Glory

Poetic Devices for God's Glory

by Jonathan Molengraf

I am sure some people read the title and had flashbacks of their high school English teacher belittling them because they could not identify a metaphor. While I am an English teacher, my hope is to not make you feel silly, but show you how these literary features glorify God. Let’s take a look at Isaiah 44:21-22 and see how God’s glory is being shown through a chiasmus and simile. 

Chiasmus

Verse 21 employs a chiasmus structure, repeating words in reverse order like a mirror. This device appears throughout scripture, most famously in Matthew 19:30, “ But many who are first will be last, and the last first”. The word “first” we would label A and “last” we would label B. Thus, the structure is ABBA, which creates a reflective effect. Verse 21 does something similar:

A: Remember these things,
B: O Jacob, and Israel,
C: for you are my servant;
D: I formed you;
C: you are my servant;
B: O Israel,
A: you will not be forgotten by me.

The structure is ABCDCBA which emphasizes God’s love for his people. He first instructs us to remember what was previously stated: that idols are worthless. Then concludes by assuring us that He will not forget us—He will remember us. Notice, in the middle of this chiastic structure is the phrase, “I formed you”. This identification highlights how we have always belonged to God. Then the repetition reaffirms that God’s children will always belong to Him. Even if we revert to the folly of idolatry, we will still be His.

Simile

Similes are more familiar to us. I learned them from listening to rap music as a teenager. A simile figuratively compares two unlike things by using “like” or “as”. Verse 22 has two of them, “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud / and your sins like mist”. God removes our sins in the same way a cloud or mist vanishes. Just as a cloud dissipates from the sky, so too does God remove our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our transgressions. 

Isaiah ends the verse with, “return to me, for I have redeemed you”. God has made our sins disappear, but that does not mean we should disappear from God. This is a false teaching known as antinomianism, which suggests we have license to live in sin since it has already been paid for. Instead, it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). God has a hold on us and all of the world's strongest men could not break His grip. We should not abuse this gift. For we are dead to our sins and should now glorify God as His new creation (Rom. 6:1-2, 1 Cor. 6:20, 2 Cor. 5:17).

More from the blog:

Make Your Face Shine on Your Servant
April 22nd, 2025
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!— Psalm 31:14-16David began this psalm asking for deliverance from his enemies and guidance. David trusts the Lord for his provision and protection while continuing to have an attitude of ...
Here Comes the Son (Do Do Do Do)
April 15th, 2025
Most stories are really the same if you think about it. Nearly every movie, book, or TV show follows a simple formula similar to this: a character has a conflict and takes an action which creates another conflict. This cycle repeats over the course of a story until the final conflict, typically the most daunting challenge for the character, results in one final action which resolves the story. Thi...
Where Are You Going? A Biblical View of the Rapture
April 8th, 2025
One of the major doctrines of end-time theology is the “rapture” of the church. The word “rapture” means “caught up,” and it describes the event of Jesus returning for His church. The rapture involves believers being “caught up” in the air to meet Jesus. At some point in the near future, our Lord will descend out of heaven and gather all Christians—both the living and the dead—to Himself so that w...
Watch Out for the Trick Questions
March 31st, 2025
Throughout my years in school, I had many teachers who consistently taught me how to navigate tests and those tricky questions in order to, hopefully, ace them—or at least earn a passing grade. When the class would fail, the teacher would say something along the lines of, “I have taught you everything you need to be successful. You just have to apply the things you have learned.” The first part of...
Is This Your King?
March 27th, 2025
It was 2018. An estranged descendant of an African kingdom challenged the reigning king for the throne by engaging in a fight. The rules were simple: kill your opponent, and the victor would become king. While mercy could be shown, it was something the opposition never knew. The challenger had trained his whole life for this moment. Humiliating the king in front of his own people, he defeated him ...

No Comments


Recent

Archive