Isaiah 58:13-14 – The Sabbath
The second area in which the people covenanted with God was in the area of business, especially as it related to keeping the Sabbath Day. It had become common practice for people to bring their produce into the city to sell and to buy from the inhabitants – there were some important principles outlined here:
1. To remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. This was something that had been known by the Jews since the giving of the law on Sinai. The problem was not lack of knowledge, but lack of obedience. At the root of the matter was greed. If they traded on the Sabbath they would make more money than if they scrupulously observed the law of the Lord. This is a particular problem for the people of God today: many professing Christian churches no longer teach Sabbath observance, and so the people have no guidance about what God requires of them.
2. Business must be conducted in order to please God. It was those conducting business that were particularly addressed in this covenant promise. If we do not glorify God by obeying Him in the way we do our work, we cause His name to be dishonoured.
3. The land and the people must be treated with care and compassion v.31b. God has given to man the care of the world that He has made, and believers especially should be careful about how earth’s resources are used and preserved. Believers must also show compassion to their fellow man. This was to be demonstrated in this covenant by cancelling debts in the seventh year according to the Law of Moses.
It is important to recognise that faithfulness to God has an impact on every single aspect of our daily lives – from the kind of person we marry, to way we conduct our business, to how we spend our Sabbath days, and to the way that we treat our world and the people who live in it.
Questions
- What did the people promise to do in relation to the Sabbath?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for the Sabbath day.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.