Exodus 20:9 Six days shall you labor, and do all your work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates.

The people of God at the time of the giving of these instructions, the Commandments, were to be single minded in their devotion to the one who had delivered them from Egypt.

The people were to refrain from work on the seventh day, the Sabbath. The Sabbath was the sign of the covenant relationship inaugurated at Sinai. Anyone failing to observe the Sabbath showed their disdain for the special relationship established between God and Israel.

This portion of the commandment does not prohibit any sort of exertion, or the preparing of food, or the feeding or watering of animals, or anything else necessary to get through the day in an agrarian culture. Rather, it prohibited duplicating on the Sabbath any of the usual labors of the other six days that can possibly be stopped without actually causing someone or something harm.

The commandment specifically prohibited any Sabbath day shifting of laboring away from native Israelites to foreign workers. It was supposed to stop work for all to leave everyone free and ready for worship and spiritual emphases.It was for their own good, and relationship with God.

There could not be a stronger model for keeping the Sabbath than that of God Himself. He rested Himself from all His work in creation. The Sabbath is never portrayed as a day of recuperation for those too weak to keep working day after day without rest.

Keeping the Sabbath is portrayed rather as a stoppage. It is good for everyone: for the purpose of refocusing on holiness (all concerns that stem from belonging to God), in order to enjoy God’s blessings of that day and its potential. The physical nature was not to be worn out, dishonored, and slowly destroyed by restless occupation.

Work Concerning Employers & Employees

The Roman culture became divided into three classes: The elite and the mass in the middle who thought they were too good to do the work. And then you had the slaves who did most all the work.

Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ; 6:9 And, you masters, do the same things to them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him.

The Masters in these verses are synonymous with employers, because most of us not only work for someone, but often also have someone working for us. It says, “Masters, do the same things to them.”

Now a little bit about “servant” and “master”. In ancient times slavery was the way of life, it dominated life in the Roman Empire. Slavery, like any kind of employment relationship varied widely in actual experience, depending on the character of the people involved.

There were good masters and bad ones, there were good slaves and bad ones. While we know what we think about slavery, for us today, the important thing to be drawn from these verses is the relationship between an employee and an employer.

Slavery at that time was a working system. It was a system of employment in which the employer in many cases literally took over the care of his employee. It often included provided housing and food and all the care was granted by the employer.

The biblical principle that can be drawn from such a different time is the issue of how these people interact with each other. The Word of God does not advocate slavery as a social form, but it existed. Rather, the scripture taught that whatever form of employment, it should be regulated by the right attitudes.

1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
1 Peter 2:19 For this is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

A Christian employee must demonstrate to the world that Christ has not made Him a disgruntled rebel, but a diligent worker. He has a new imperative and a new inspiration for honest, faithful work no matter how he’s treated. He or she is a testimony to the difference God makes. If unjustly treated, we bear it meekly, patiently, with forgiveness, and seek and wait for the Lord to guide, bless or give a new environment.

“Whatever you do” 1 Corinthians 10:31, “…do it all to the glory of God.” Your job is your service to Jesus Christ, just as much an offering to His glory as your prayer. If there is a Christian who is discontent with his job, who is a poor worker, who is lazy, not diligent, seeks to get out of every task, and never willing to volunteer to help out with extra things, that is a dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ.People like this are also often quick to complain about all others fail to do adequately for them.

Always keep the eternal perspective: How are we going to convince an unconverted boss, employee, or co-worker that God is a saving God who transforms lives if we are not employees and coworkers with a good attitude and work ethic, and/or caring employers? We can trust God with our work!