Thursday, March 11
Why does Isaiah discuss the Sabbath in Isaiah 58:13, 14? What connection does this have with the Day of Atonement setting of the earlier verses?
The yearly Day of Atonement was a Sabbath day. This special ceremonial Sabbath was like the weekly Sabbath in that all work of any kind was prohibited (Leviticus 23:27-32). Therefore, as recognized by early Seventh-day Adventists, the rule that the Day of Atonement period of rest lasted from evening to evening (Leviticus 23:32) informs us that the same must be true of the weekly Sabbath. Similarly, although the primary context of Isaiah 58:13, 14 is the ceremonial Day of Atonement Sabbath, its message also applies to the weekly Sabbath.
Read Isaiah 58:13. What kind of day is the Sabbath supposed to be? How can we make our Sabbath experience like the one depicted here? Also, when you think about what the Sabbath represents, why should it be the kind of day described in this text?
Isaiah 58 deals with three main themes: self-denial, social kindness, and the Sabbath.
What are the connections between them?
First, all three involve concentration upon God, His priorities, and recognition of our dependence upon Him. Second, by doing all three, humans pursue holiness by emulating God (see Leviticus 19:2), who, in the form of Christ, humbled Himself (Philippians 2:8), who demonstrates self-sacrificing kindness (John 3:16), and who ceased from labor on the Sabbath at the end of the Creation week (Genesis 2:2, 3; Exodus 20:11).
Look at these other ties between the themes of self-denial, social kindness, and the Sabbath as depicted in Isaiah 58: Sabbath freedom from weekly toil is kind to people because it lets them be refreshed (Exodus 23:12, Mark 2:27); Jesus showed that kind acts are appropriate on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-5, John 5:1-17); true Sabbath keeping brings joy (Isaiah 58:14), as does helping others (Isaiah 58:10, 11). What must change in your own life in order to experience these blessings yourself?
