What if my job requires me to work on the Sabbath?

Not negating any of the previous posts, some will try to justify why not to keep the Sabbath. This is a test in most cases.

Working on a Sabbath in a job that is buying and selling, producing/production, doing commerce – so Retail, Wholesale or business of any kind – is NOT valid. See the reasons why in the post, No Buying or Selling on a Sabbath.

What do you do in this case? Seek Yehovah. Ask for his help to keep the Sabbath Holy. He will make it clear and help you. Don’t be surprised if He asks you to ask the boss for an alternative shift so you no longer work from Friday Sunset to Saturday Sunset. Or, Yehovah may lead you to another job that doesn’t require you to work on the Sabbath. This was my experience. The key is to desire to keep the Sabbath and to ask Yehovah for His help.

However, there are legitimate roles for one to ‘work’ on the Sabbath.

Yeshua made it clear that it was ‘lawful’ to do ‘good’ on the Sabbath.

Matthew 12:10-12 NIV
and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
(11) He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?
(12) How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good^G2573 on the Sabbath.“

So, workers who are not in a profession of buying and selling may do ‘good’ on the Sabbath; like Emergency Workers e.g. Policemen, Ambulance staff, Nurses, Doctors, etc. Hopefully, not scheduled on every Sabbath – ask if it is negotiable. You may be able to not ever be scheduled on a Sabbath if you explain why. Again, ask Yehovah what to do.

What about Pastors doing hospital visits, teaching the Word, or leading services? This is doing ‘good’.

What about the farmer who has to milk the cows so they do not suffer from not being milked that day? Do what is “good”.

It comes down to what is “good”:

G2573 – Original: καλῶς – Transliteration: Kalos – Phonetic: kal-oce’ – Definition:
1. beautifully, finely, excellently, well
                a. rightly, so that there shall be no room for blame, well, truly
                b. excellently, nobly, commendably
                c. honourably, in honour
                                1. in a good place, comfortable
                d. to speak well of one, to do good
                e. to be well (of those recovering health)
– Origin: from G2570 – TDNT entry: None – Part(s) of speech: Adverb
– Strong’s: Adverb from G2570; well (usually morally): – (in a) good (place) honestly + recover (full) well.

It is important to note that if you do good on the Sabbath, it usually won’t be for the whole 24 hours of the Sabbath… so apart from doing ‘good’ honour the rest of the Sabbath. You may spend time with Yehovah or take ‘rest’ on another day, but that is rest – it is not the ‘set-apart’ or Holy Day as created by God for you.

Once you take away the work (Exodus 16:23-29, 5:14-15), pursuing your own interests (Isaiah 58:13-14), shopping, errands, projects and business (Jeremiah 17:19-27, Amos 8:5, Nehemiah 13:15-22), and instead assemble with other believers (Leviticus 23:3) and give an offering (Numbers 28:9-10, Nehemiah 10:32-33, Psalm 141:2, Amos 5:24, Proverbs 21:3, 2Kings 18:5-7, Psalm 116:17, Psalm 51:17, Matthew 2:11, Hosea 6:6, Psalm 48:9, Romans 12:1, Matthew 6:24-27, Hebrews 13:15,16) – what Yehovah is saying is, “Save one day just for me, where you can focus your attention on our being together”.

The spirit behind the Sabbath is summed up in:

Isaiah 58:13-14 MKJV
If you turn your foot because of the Sabbath, from doing what you please on My holy days, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of Jehovah, honourable; and shall honour Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words,
(14) then you shall delight yourself in Jehovah; and I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth and feed yourself with the inheritance of Jacob your father. For the mouth of Jehovah has spoken.

He desires to be with you without all the distractions. He desires for you to find the joy and strength in him that can only be found when you begin setting aside the Sabbath for him.

I know it’s not easy. Are you still not convinced?

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