Appendix 5g: Work and the Sabbath — Navigating Real-World Challenges

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This page is part of the series on the 4th commandment: The Sabbath:

Why Work Is the Biggest Challenge

For most believers, the greatest obstacle to keeping the Sabbath is employment. Food, transportation, and technology can be adjusted with preparation, but work commitments strike at the core of a person’s livelihood and identity. In ancient Israel this was rarely an issue because the entire nation stopped for the Sabbath; businesses, courts, and markets were closed by default. Community-wide Sabbath breaking was unusual and often tied to periods of national disobedience or exile (see Nehemiah 13:15-22). Today, however, most of us live in societies where the seventh day is a normal workday, making this the single hardest commandment to apply.

Moving from Principles to Practice

Throughout this series we’ve stressed that the Sabbath commandment is part of God’s holy and eternal Law, not an isolated rule. The same principles of preparation, holiness, and necessity apply here, but the stakes are higher. Choosing to keep the Sabbath may affect income, career paths, or business models. Yet Scripture consistently presents Sabbath-keeping as a test of loyalty and trust in God’s provision — a weekly opportunity to show where our ultimate allegiance lies.

Four Common Work Situations

In this article we’ll consider four major categories where Sabbath conflicts arise:

Regular Employment — working for someone else in retail, manufacturing, or similar jobs.
Self-Employment — running your own store or home business.
First Responders and Health Care — police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, caregivers, and similar roles.
Military Service — both conscripted and career military.

Each situation calls for discernment, preparation, and courage, but the biblical foundation is the same: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:9-10).

Regular Employment

For believers in regular employment—retail, manufacturing, service industries, or similar jobs—the biggest challenge is that work schedules are usually set by someone else. In ancient Israel this problem barely existed because the entire nation observed the Sabbath, but in modern economies Saturday is often a peak workday. The first step for a Sabbath-keeper is to make your convictions known early and do everything possible to arrange your workweek around the Sabbath.

If you’re looking for a new job, mention your Sabbath observance during the interview phase rather than in your résumé. This avoids being screened out before you’ve had a chance to explain your commitment and also gives you a chance to highlight your flexibility to work on other days. Many employers value employees who will work Sundays or less desirable shifts in exchange for having Saturdays free. If you’re already employed, ask respectfully to be excused from Sabbath hours, offering to adjust your schedule, work holidays, or make up hours on other days.

Approach your employer with honesty and humility, but also firmness. The Sabbath is not a preference but a commandment. Employers are more likely to accommodate a clear, respectful request than a vague or hesitant one. Remember that preparation during the week is your responsibility—finish projects ahead of time, leave your workspace organized, and make sure your absence on the Sabbath doesn’t burden coworkers unnecessarily. By showing integrity and reliability, you strengthen your case and demonstrate that Sabbath-keeping produces—not hinders—a better worker.

If your employer absolutely refuses to adjust your schedule, prayerfully consider your options. Some Sabbath-keepers have taken pay cuts, changed departments, or even switched careers to obey God’s commandment. While such decisions are difficult, the Sabbath is designed as a weekly test of faith, trusting that God’s provision is greater than what you lose by obeying Him.

Self-Employment

For those who are self-employed—running a home business, freelance service, or a storefront—the Sabbath test looks different but is just as real. Instead of an employer setting your hours, you set them yourself, which means you must intentionally close down during the sacred hours. In ancient Israel, merchants who tried to sell on the Sabbath were rebuked (Nehemiah 13:15-22). The principle still applies today: even if customers expect your services on the weekend, God expects you to sanctify the seventh day.

If you are planning to start a business, think carefully about how it will affect your ability to keep the Sabbath. Some industries lend themselves easily to closing on the seventh day; others depend on weekend sales or deadlines. Choose a business that allows you and your employees to keep the Sabbath free from work. Build Sabbath closure into your business plan and customer communications from the start. By setting expectations early, you train your clients to respect your boundaries.

If your business already operates on the Sabbath, you must make the necessary changes to close on the holy day—even if it costs revenue. Scripture warns that profiting from Sabbath labor undermines obedience just as much as doing the work yourself. Partnerships can complicate this issue: even if an unbelieving partner runs the business on the Sabbath, you still profit from that labor, and God does not accept this arrangement. To honor God, a Sabbath-keeper should remove himself from any system where his income depends on Sabbath work.

While these decisions can be costly, they also create a powerful testimony. Customers and colleagues will see your integrity and consistency. By closing your business on the Sabbath, you proclaim through your actions that your ultimate trust is in God’s provision rather than in constant production.

First Responders and Health Care

There is a widespread misconception that working as a first responder or in a health-related field is automatically permissible on the Sabbath. This idea usually stems from the fact that Jesus healed people on the Sabbath (see Matthew 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-5; Luke 13:10-17). Yet a closer look shows that Jesus did not leave His home on the Sabbath with the intention of running a “healing clinic.” His healings were spontaneous acts of mercy, not a career pattern of scheduled work. There has never been a case of Jesus getting paid for the healings. His example teaches us to help those in genuine need even on the Sabbath, but it does not cancel the fourth commandment or make health care and emergency work a permanent exception.

In our modern world there is rarely a shortage of non-Sabbath-keeping personnel willing to fill these roles. Hospitals, clinics, and emergency services run 24/7 staffed largely by people who do not observe the Sabbath. This abundance removes the justification for a child of God to knowingly take a job that requires regular Sabbath work. Even though it may sound noble, no vocation—even one centered on helping people—supersedes God’s command to rest on the seventh day. We cannot claim, “Serving people is more important to God than keeping His Law,” when God Himself has defined holiness and rest for us.

This does not mean a Sabbath-keeper can never act to save life or relieve suffering on the Sabbath. As Jesus taught, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12). If an unexpected emergency arises—an accident, a sick neighbor, or a crisis in your own home—you should act to protect life and health. But that is very different from securing a career position that obligates you to work every Sabbath. In rare cases where no other person is available, you may find yourself stepping in temporarily to cover a critical need, but such situations should be exceptions, not norms, and you should avoid charging for your services during those hours.

The guiding principle is to distinguish between spontaneous acts of mercy and regular employment. Mercy aligns with the Sabbath’s spirit; preplanned, profit-driven labor undermines it. As much as possible, Sabbath-keepers in health care or emergency fields should negotiate schedules that respect the Sabbath, seek out roles or shifts that do not violate the commandment, and trust God’s provision as they do so.

Military Service

Military service presents a unique challenge for Sabbath-keepers because it often involves mandatory duty under government authority. Scripture provides examples of God’s people facing this tension. The Israelite army, for instance, marched for seven days around Jericho, which means they did not rest on the seventh day (Joshua 6:1-5), and Nehemiah describes guards posted at the city gates on the Sabbath to enforce its sanctity (Nehemiah 13:15-22). These examples show that in times of national defense or crisis, duties may extend into the Sabbath — but they also highlight that such situations were exceptions tied to collective survival, not to personal career choices.

For those who are conscripted, the environment is not voluntary. You are placed under orders, and your ability to choose your schedule is extremely limited. In this case, a Sabbath-keeper should still make respectful requests to superiors to be relieved from Sabbath duty whenever possible, explaining that the Sabbath is a deeply held conviction. Even if the request is not granted, just by making the effort honors God and can lead to unexpected favor. Above all, maintain a humble attitude and a consistent witness.

For those considering a career in the military, the situation is different. A career position is a personal choice, much like any other profession. Accepting a role that you know will regularly violate the Sabbath is incompatible with the command to keep it holy. Just as with other fields, the guiding principle is to seek assignments or positions where your Sabbath observance can be honored. If in one area keeping the Sabbath is not possible, prayerfully reconsider a different career path, trusting that God will open doors in other directions.

In both conscripted and voluntary service, the key is to honor God wherever you are. Uphold the Sabbath to the fullest extent possible without rebellion, showing respect for authority while quietly living out your convictions. By doing so, you demonstrate that your allegiance to God’s Law is not conditional on convenience but rooted in faithfulness.

Conclusion: Living the Sabbath as a Way of Life

With this article we complete our series on the Sabbath. From its foundations in creation to its practical expression in food, transportation, technology, and work, we’ve seen that the fourth commandment is not an isolated rule but a living rhythm woven into God’s eternal Law. Keeping the Sabbath is more than avoiding certain activities; it is about preparing in advance, ceasing from ordinary labor, and sanctifying time for God. It’s about learning to trust His provision, shaping your week around His priorities, and modeling His rest in a restless world.

No matter your circumstances—whether you are employed, self-employed, caring for family, or serving in a complex environment—the Sabbath remains a weekly invitation to step out of the cycle of production and into the freedom of God’s presence. As you apply these principles, you’ll discover that the Sabbath is not a burden but a delight, a sign of loyalty and a source of strength. It trains your heart to trust God not only one day a week but every day and in every area of life.

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