Rightful and wrongful keeping of the sabbath need to be distinguished.
I. The more worldly among the Jews were inclined to a mere perfunctory keeping of the sabbath. They shut up men's religious duties on the day within the corners of the Levitical enactments; and considered that, if the legal sacrifices were offered, and the "holy convocation" held and duly attended, the rest of the day might be employed exactly as they pleased. They pursued their secular occupations on the sabbath day with all freedom—bought and sold, carried their corn, trod the wine-press, conveyed commodities from place to place, and engaged in every form of traffic and merchandise (Nehemiah 13:15, Nehemiah 13:16). This was the lowest theory of sabbath-observance propounded by any, and it received direct and severe condemnation from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17:21-23) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:15, Nehemiah 13:16).
II. A second form of observance added to the Levitical enactments with respect to sacrifices and the "holy convocation," an abstinence during the rest of the day from work of every sort—an abstinence which was sometimes pushed to excess, as when it was interpreted to forbid self-defence in war (1 Macc. 2:34-38). These religionists were content to remain in a negation, and, so long as they preserved the sabbatical rest unimpaired, were fully satisfied in their consciences. Something of the same spirit, it is to be feared, still pervades certain parts of Christendom. Mere abstinence from work—a negative "folding of the hands" appears to be thought acceptable to God; and the sabbath is given a morose aspect by the disallowance of occupations which are innocent, which conduce to cheerfulness, and which are in no way at variance with piety.
III. The third and only rightful form of observance, here touched by Isaiah, and more fully taught by our Lord (Matthew 12:3-13), consists, in the first place, in "making the sabbath a delight." It should be made a delight, both to ourselves and to others. God's people should look forward to their sabbaths as times of refreshment and of "joy in the Lord"—oases in the wilderness of life, glimpses and foretastes of heaven. Music should ]end its charm to them, intensifying and elevating devotion; the aid of other arts should be called in; churches should be aglow with floral beauty; preaching should be warm and heart-stirring; and the highest act of Christian worship should be viewed as the crowning perfection of the feast-day. In the next place, our Lord's example should be followed, and his words remembered, "It is lawful to do good on the sabbath day." Acts of mercy and loving-kindness to our fellow-men are pointed out by him as our best employment on the sabbath; it is the special day on which to visit the sick, to clothe the naked, to give our bread to the hungry, to relieve the oppressed, to carry the glad tidings of the gospel to the poor and ignorant. It is also a day part of which may well be devoted to the strengthening of family affection by oral or written communications with relations from whom the business of life commonly separates us, and also for kindly talk with our neighbours and friends. Without in any way secularizing the sabbath, we may give it a cheerful, kindly, friendly aspect, and cause it to be regarded in our families, not as a "dull time," with difficulty to be "got through," but, as it was intended to be, the crown of the week—the special "day which the Lord hath made," to the end that we should "rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalms 118:24).