Isaiah 40: 12 States
Isaiah 40:12 states, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” This statement reflects a monotheist outlook as YHWH’s powers are deemed incomparable to any other. As he is the creator of all that exists both on earth and in heaven, he is the one and only true God. This made it into the final redaction of the Pentateuch as it supports monotheism, the new belief in Jewish faith after exile. This passage clearly relies the message that the YHWH is the creator of all and therefore was written into the final redaction and continued to be believed throughout history.
Isaiah 44:6 states,
“Thus says the LORD, the king of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no God.” Possibly the bluntest passage in Isaiah, this passage is deeming the YHWH as the only true God and without him there is no God. This passed through into the final redaction of the Pentateuch as the YHWH is declared as unrivaled by any other. This passage claims the YHWH to be the first and the last, which means he is the only. Therefore, this passage also follows in the monotheism transition that occurred after exile. Isaiah 46:8-9 states “Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is no other like me.” The YHWH is the only true God, worshippers are “helpless gods”, yet the YHWH, himself, carries all his people and continues to do so every as time progresses and he gets older. As the Babylon’s boast of exceptionality is contradicted by this idea that the God of Israel is carrying them all and they cannot do anything for themselves. The YHWH saves his people, this shows that he is a God in no comparable way to the Babylonians; which follows the idea of monotheism and is therefore why it was placed in the final redaction of the Pentateuch.
Isaiah 44:6 states,
“Thus says the LORD, the king of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no God.” Possibly the bluntest passage in Isaiah, this passage is deeming the YHWH as the only true God and without him there is no God. This passed through into the final redaction of the Pentateuch as the YHWH is declared as unrivaled by any other. This passage claims the YHWH to be the first and the last, which means he is the only. Therefore, this passage also follows in the monotheism transition that occurred after exile. Isaiah 46:8-9 states “Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is no other like me.” The YHWH is the only true God, worshippers are “helpless gods”, yet the YHWH, himself, carries all his people and continues to do so every as time progresses and he gets older. As the Babylon’s boast of exceptionality is contradicted by this idea that the God of Israel is carrying them all and they cannot do anything for themselves. The YHWH saves his people, this shows that he is a God in no comparable way to the Babylonians; which follows the idea of monotheism and is therefore why it was placed in the final redaction of the Pentateuch.