Isaiah 58:13-14 Rest and Ministry
Greetings: I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The Lord is good and His love endures forever!!
Introduction: Prophet Isaiah was concerned about the negligence of the People of God on the Sabbath observation. He talked about true fasting, then moved on to bring clarity on the day of Rest. I would like to leave with you three points each with three things. Three things to do on Sabbath. Three things to avoid on the Sabbath, three blessings of the observance of the Sabbath. Please understand the words I use here interchangeably Sunday with Sabbath. My words sabbath refers to Sunday. The observance of Sunday with rest and ministry.
Joke: A group of seminary students gathered in the chapel one day as the dean challenged them to NOT pray for a large church because of the stress, problems and worries that go with it. The next year one of the students who graduated returned to give his testimony. He said, “I did ask God for a big church; however, I also asked God for a pretty wife. My prayer was ALMOST answered. Instead of getting a big church and a pretty wife, I got a pretty church and a big wife!”(adopted).
1. Three things to do on Sabbath
Keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath, Call the Sabbath a holy day, and treat it honorable.
Religious observances must carry out with the right motives. Whether practicing fasting or keeping the sabbath traditions, the important thing is to honor God, not to seek personal benefit (Bridgeway Commentary).
"To keep the sabbath in an idle manner is the sabbath of oxen and asses; to keep the sabbath in joviality (pleasure, sports, etc) is the sabbath of the golden calf; and to keep it in immorality, drunkenness, and licentiousness is the sabbath of Satan, the devil's holiday."(Coffman quoted from Bishop Andrews).
Keeping feet is to do primarily with one's overall approach, with one's attitude toward the day, with respect for holy time (John W. Ritenbaugh). The foot is being used as a figure of speech for the practical choices a person makes with respect to conduct and behavior.
The New Testament makes it clear that disciples of Christ are not under obligation to observe a Sabbath day (Colossians 2:16-17, Galatians 4:9-11). Jesus is Sabbath for us and in us, the substance is of Christ (Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 4:9-11). Galatians 4:10 tells us that we are not bound to observe days and months and seasons and years. The rest we enter into the experience every day, not just one day a week (Hebrews 4:9-10).
You honor it means you hold it in high regard; treat it with respect or reverence; acknowledge its greatness of it or rank of it, give deference or heed to it; to place a high priority on it.
However, we cannot ignore the importance of a day of rest (Enduring Word). It is the chief of days, worthy of all honor, and therefore honorable and holy (Benson).
The sabbath is a sign between God and his people. He appointed it for them and they observe it for obedience. On Sundays not follow regular duties and pleasures. We must put a difference between this day and other days. Old Testament calls the sabbath the Lord’s Day. So, it is Christ's day (Revelation 1:10) (Matthew Henry).
God wants us to have a certain attitude toward His holy day. Don’t think of this day as an inconvenient interruption to our schedule. Rather, He wants us to greet this day for what it truly is - the very best and most delightful day of the week! - the most honorable day the seven! (Bethany Bible Church).
A day of "resting": resting spiritually; resting physically; resting emotionally; resting intellectually, and resting socially.
A day of "embracing": embracing "intentionality", that is, the consideration of how we do the things we do; embracing the values of our church family and of the Christian faith; embracing the value of time with people over the accumulation of things; embracing the blessedness of giving instead of receiving; embracing God's call over the totality of our life; embracing God's gift of wholeness, satisfaction, fulfillment, and peace in Christ; and embracing God's love for the lost people of the world, and His call to tell others about Him. (Marva J. Dawn, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly- Bethany Bible Church).
The day of rest must lead us into the ministry. Ministry of building people, and communities.
2. Three things to avoid on Sabbath
Not going on our own way, not doing as we please, and not speaking idle words.
The Hebrew word Derek usually means road or way. Enoch walked with God means he walked on God’s route. If we go our own way, we are not in God’s way. (Journal of Adventist Society). A way is a path or a course leading from one place to another. It is a direction, a manner, or a method of doing something. It is a code of life, a lifestyle. It is self-centered (John W. Ritenbaugh).
The foot is the instrument of motion and travel. We read in Proverbs ‘Ponder the paths of thy feet’ (Proverbs 4:26). And ‘Remove thy foot from evil’ (Proverbs 4:27) means abstain from evil, do not go to execute evil. “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness… But the redeemed shall walk there.” (Isaiah 35:8-9). Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk-in it; then you shall find rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16).
Pleasure is the most common meaning of the Hebrew noun hepes. The verse says, “Don’t do what pleases you, but what pleases God.” The Hebrew word translated delight, found twice in verses 13–14, is ‘oneg’ which means exquisite delight, dainty, soft, and delicate. It sometimes refers to luxury, what is rich and delicious, like Sabbath dinner. That’s God’s intention for the Sabbath! It should be the most exquisite, luxuriously delightful day of the week! (Journal of Adventist Society).
A day of "ceasing": ceasing from our laborious and hard work; ceasing from the constant demand to be productive and from the pressure to always get something 'accomplished'; ceasing from the worries and anxieties and tensions of everyday life; ceasing from trying to be the sovereign over our own lives; ceasing from being dominated by the material things this world offers; ceasing from being conformed to this world's values and priorities; and ceasing from the boring and meaninglessness of life apart from God (Marva J. Dawn, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly- Bethany Bible Church).
The Hebrew word here is used as a figure for one's own personal affairs; one's own daily business. And if we put these two figures together, we have a picture of someone whose practical activities were oriented, as it were, in the direction of his own concerns, his own desires, and his own daily business; and he turned his orientation around from the direction of his own concerns to that of God's concerns. Not speaking your own words means speaking vain words, angry words, and words of violence (Adam Clark).
3. Three blessings of the Sabbath
The Lord of the Sabbath blesses those who keep His holy day in His way. The joy in the Lord (Isaiah 54: 14 a), the Success in your careers (Isaiah 54: 14 b), and the enjoyment of the inheritance (Isaiah 54: 14 c).
First of all, rest and ministry give joy in Christ. Joyful means exciting moments in life. The Sunday worship, fellowship meetings, doing ministry on Sundays. Singing hymns, reading the scriptures, sharing the love, compassion, and grace of God with one another and to the neighbors who are in need of comforts, consolation, healing, and down in spirit. Not doing the regular activities on Sundays become a joyful experience. Our availability to listen to somebody, to pray for someone is going to increase our joy.
Secondly, rest and ministry bring exaltation to our lives. Habakkuk 3:19 – “the sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of the deer; he enables me to go on the heights.” God gives us strength to stand, strength to run, strength to fly, and strength to overcome and bear the problems. He places us higher and exalts us in our office, he ranks us according to his will and purpose. I am under the surveillance of the Lord.
Further please read, Luke 19:17 – ‘because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ God looks into everything that we do in this secular work. How we are faithful to our employers is counted in the sight of God. He evaluates us, he assesses our performances according to his scale of integrity, faithfulness, stewardship, and accountability. He is my boss and CEO.
A few examples in the scriptures help us to understand the way God works in the lives of the children of God. Please remember Joseph, the son of Jacob, said to his brothers that God sent him to Egypt, and God made him father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler of all the Egypt (Genesis 45:8). We need to be calm and quiet and pray to God for all that people do against us, or plot against us. Because those things may hurt temporarily but not permanently harm us. Is it not true that all things work out good for those who love him? (Romans 8:28).
God told David through Prophet Nathan, ‘I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be the ruler over my people Israel.’ (2 Samuel 7:8).
God told the prophet to inform King Jeroboam, ‘I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel’ (1 Kings 14:7). Yes, it is confirmed through the songs of Hannah ‘that God humbles or exalts a person’ (1 Samuel 2:7).
Thirdly, the enjoyment of the inheritance. The Lord’s covenant promises were given to Abraham, then Isaac, and then Jacob (or Israel). These promises included the gospel, the priesthood, posterity, and land of inheritance, as well as blessings related to eternal salvation and increase. The enjoyment of the birthright. The real joy of Christian living. The joy of the feast, the celebration of the salvation. Enjoyment of the worship passed on to us (Dictionary of the Bible).
A day of "feasting": feasting on eternal things over and against the temporal; feasting on God's gift of the spiritually uplifting power of music; feasting on the beauty of God's creation; feasting on the pleasures of good and simple food; feasting on the affection of the loved one's God has placed in our life and feasting on the celebration of God's goodness to us (Marva J. Dawn, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly- Bethany Bible Church).
