Is. 56-58
I wonder what it really means to keep the Sabbath? I have some loose ideas running around in my head, but nothing really cohesive. Jesus showed that it has nothing to do with keeping every jot and tittle of the Sabbath law. No, I believe it is something much deeper than that. I believe it has something to do with entering into God’s rest, which, is tied to our redemption through Christ. And Isaiah 58:13-14 indicates that it has to do with honoring God above ourselves.
It also seems to be tied to the talk about fasting in Isaiah 58. God says that His people were going through the motions of seeking God, but that they did not do righteousness. He says that, though they fasted and humbled themselves, they were really trying to glorify themselves while oppressing their workers, quarreling with others, and ignoring the needy. God doesn’t want our religious antics, He wants our hearts. Love God and love others – that is what God desires.
Rom. 11:1-18
We just read in Isaiah 56 what Paul is talking about here in Romans. We read how God will gather the remnant of Israel and will also bring in outsiders to Himself. “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Is. 56:7b). God has a plan and we are all part of it. The new covenant God made through His Son, Jesus Christ is for all of us – both Jew and Gentile.