Isaiah was a prophet in the Old Testament, God would speak to him, and he was responsible for bringing God’s message to the Israelites. The people of Israel had stopped their faithful following of God’s commands, so God gave Isaiah a message for them.

Isaiah 58:13-14 says, “Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.

One of the keys to this message is that keeping the Sabbath is not just about going to church, it is about honoring God, by obeying his commands. He says if they follow God’s commands, things will go well for them.

Dear Lord, Here and in other places in the bible, you tell us to keep the Sabbath holy. In our modern terms, that means, go to church. We should do this to give you honor and respect out of our love and obedience. Help us remember that you tell us when we honor you, you will be there for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.