“If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath, from doing whatever you want on my holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, seeking your own pleasure; then you will delight in the LORD and I will make you ride over the heights of the land, and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob.” 58:13-14
In these chapters, Isaiah reminds the Israelites of where much of their problems stem from and what God expects of them. He also paints a future vision for them where even the foreigner and the Eunuch will be welcome in the family of God and participating in His “house of prayer for all nations.” From Isaiah’s perspective, one of the greatest mistakes that Israel made was treating holy things as mere common religion. This included fasting in chapter 58 and also their failure to really keep the Sabbath for the right reasons.
Obviously, we live in a different day where New Testament believers worship on the LORD’s Day and where much of the Old Testament ceremonial law does not directly apply to us. However, the Scripture paints a picture of Sabbath that is much bigger than just the specific laws prescribed by Moses. Sabbath rest reminds us of the sovereignty of God and of our need to submit to Him as mere mortals who cannot exist without rest. Sabbath principles (like true fasting) point us toward our need for abiding in Christ today and to a future when we will exist in a perfect rest in heaven. (Hebrews 4:9)
Sabbath is not about “which” day; it is more about who owns all of our days. It is about us sacrificing our schedule of what we want and focusing on Jesus (v. 13). Sabbath, Isaiah says, should be considered a “delight” and for anyone who has ever really practiced it, there is no better word to describe it. Taking time (as Isaiah says) to not go our own ways, or seek our own pleasure, or talk business might seem like a sacrifice of self, but really it produces a harvest of peace and righteousness that can only be described as a “delight in the LORD.” I would encourage you to explore this forgotten spiritual discipline of Sabbath-keeping and make it a part of your weekly routine. You don’t know what you are missing. Look at verse 14, “I will make you ride over the heights of the land and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob.” If He made that promise to OT Israel, what heights of joy and pleasure are there for you to ride over today?
