Isaiah 37:36 Contradictions and Paradoxes

According to the prophet Isaiah, God sent an angel to protect His people by defeating a lot of the enemy soldiers while they were sleeping, so when people woke up in the morning, they saw that many of the bad soldiers were gone. This shows how powerful and caring God is, as He helps His people when they are in trouble.

Contradiction with Exodus 14:14

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. (This implies that God fights for His people, which may not require any human action, while Isaiah 37:36 describes an angel of the LORD striking down an army, requiring God's direct intervention.)

Exodus 14:14: The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Contradiction with Psalm 46:10

Be still, and know that I am God. (This verse suggests stillness and trust in God for protection, contrasting with the active destruction in Isaiah 37:36.)

Psalm 46:10: Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Contradiction with Matthew 5:44

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. (This teaches love for enemies, which contradicts the destruction of 185,000 soldiers by an angel in Isaiah 37:36.)

Matthew 5:44: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Contradiction with Romans 12:19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Suggests leaving vengeance to God and not taking direct action, while Isaiah 37:36 depicts God actively intervening with destruction.)

Romans 12:19: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Contradiction with James 1:20

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. (Implying that human anger and violence do not achieve God's righteousness, contrasting with God's wrathful destruction in Isaiah 37:36.)

James 1:20: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Paradox #1

The main contradiction in this context is the description of a large number of soldiers being killed by an angel in one night. From a scientific standpoint, there is no evidence to support the existence of supernatural beings like angels, nor is there a natural explanation for how such an event could occur without human action or technology. Therefore, this account conflicts with current scientific understanding of cause-and-effect events.

Paradox #2

The contradiction or conflict could be seen in the depiction of divine intervention leading to the death of many people. Some might view this as conflicting with the idea of a benevolent and loving God, questioning how such loss of life can be justified or aligned with moral teachings that value life.