Isaiah 58:13–14

The prophet Isaiah taught us some of the blessings of keeping the Sabbath day holy.

13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Turn Away Thy Foot

The law of Moses restricted travel on the Sabbath as part of the commandment to rest from your labors. Of course, we don’t need to count the number of steps we take on the Sabbath, but our hearts, minds, and souls should be turned to God on that day and not to our own temporal or worldly concerns.

Sabbath

Sabbath—A day of rest and worship instituted by God and commemorating His seventh day of rest at the Creation (see Exodus 20:10–11). After the Ascension of Jesus Christ, Church members began commemorating the first day of the week (the Lord’s day) rather than the seventh. (See Bible Dictionary, “Sabbath.”)

A Delight

Delight—A thing that gives joy, gratification, or satisfaction.

“Faith in God engenders a love for the Sabbath; faith in the Sabbath engenders a love for God. A sacred Sabbath truly is a delight.”

President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign, May 2015, 132.

Honour

Honor—To hold in high regard; to treat with respect or reverence; to acknowledge the greatness or rank of; to give deference or heed to; to place a high priority on.

Own Pleasure

“Not pursuing your ‘own pleasure’ on the Sabbath requires self-discipline. You may have to deny yourself of something you might like. If you choose to delight yourself in the Lord, you will not permit yourself to treat it as any other day. Routine and recreational activities can be done some other time.”

President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign, May 2015, 132.

Ride upon the High Places of the Earth

“High places” can be mountains, hills, strongholds, or holy places. This phrase refers to Deuteronomy 32:13, which states some of the ways the Lord blessed His covenant people of Israel. It basically means that the Lord will bless His covenant people to rise above all obstacles, be protected and out of the reach of danger, be victorious over enemies (see Deuteronomy 33:29), and be closer to God.

Feed Thee with the Heritage of Jacob

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 a land of inheritance, as well as blessings related to eternal salvation and increase (see Bible Dictionary, “Abraham, covenant of”). The Sabbath is a sign between the Lord’s people and the Lord (see Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12, 20).