The Sabbath is frequently lost in one of two ways: through the neglect of an endless work cycle or through the rigid weight of legalism. In the book of Nehemiah, we see a society that has abandoned the Sabbath in favor of commerce and economic restoration, leading to a spiritual crisis where souls are lost in the pursuit of prosperity. Nehemiah’s drastic action of shutting the city gates was a necessary intervention, recognizing that the pressure of a "production-first" system is so powerful that humans will rarely choose rest on their own unless a boundary is forced.

However, the prophet Isaiah warns against the opposite extreme—turning the Sabbath into a joyless burden of rule-following. Legalism is dangerous because it mistakes the form of obedience for the transformation of the heart; one can strictly avoid work on the seventh day while still exploiting workers and practicing injustice the other six. Isaiah recenters the commandment by calling the Sabbath a "delight." True Sabbath-keeping is not about checking religious boxes to prove one's righteousness, but about entering a state of joy and "finding your pleasure in the Lord" rather than in your own productivity.

Ultimately, a rightly kept Sabbath must be inextricably linked to justice. It is a countercultural statement that people matter more than profit and that rest is a fundamental right, not a luxury. When we embrace the Sabbath as a gift rather than a duty, we commit to a rhythm that honors the humanity of everyone—servants, animals, and strangers alike. By recovering the Sabbath as a day of delight and compassion, we join a prophetic witness that declares work is not ultimate, allowing us to be transformed and to "ride on the heights of the land" in true freedom.