One of the most popular arguments advanced by proponents of dining out on the Sabbath is that those who serve them would be working anyway. This being the case, there is no apparent violation of the fourth commandment which prohibits the labor of a “manservant” or “maidservant” under the Sabbath-keeper’s authority (Ex. 20:10).
    Even if you accept this argument as valid, it misses a critical point. The issue of whether or not one goes to a restaurant on the Sabbath is not about those who work at the restaurant on this day; it is about the Sabbath-keeper, and how he or she honors the fourth commandment. In other words, even though some may choose to work, what about those who choose to obey?

 What does God expect of those people concerning their behavior on His Sabbath?

    Today we live in a world where the overwhelming majority of people on earth break God’s law without a second thought. This is because that law is not real to them nor is the Great God who fashioned it. There are few places where this attitude of indifference is more apparent than mankind’s approach to God’s Sabbath and holy days. For the most part, people around the world go about their normal routine on these days. They seek their own will. They engage in their own pleasures. To them, the Sabbath is no different than any other day.
    On a typical Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, mankind engages in a variety of enterprises. Many enjoy recreational activities and hobbies. Some spend time with family and friends. Others catch up on an endless array of household chores. But almost no one thinks of this time as the Sabbath of the Eternal. For most, this period belongs to them. Friday evening is their time. Saturday is their day.

A Typical Sabbath in the World
    Among the endless array of activities engaged in on the Sabbath is WORK – the pursuit of a “living.” For many businesses, the Sabbath is the most profitable day of the week. It is a time when consumers have money to spend and businesses have products for them to spend it on. Regrettably, many of God’s people can be counted among those consumers.
    The argument of those who believe it is okay to go out to a restaurant on the Sabbath because it isn’t work suggests that God is only concerned with the person selling the goods and services, not those purchasing them. Does this really make sense? Furthermore, is there an example in the scriptures that even remotely suggests such a practice is acceptable to God? Once again, the answer is NO!
    When Nehemiah contended with the elders of Judah over engaging in commerce, as either the provider of goods or the consumer of them, he did not qualify his words. His warning was clear and direct and to suggest otherwise is a distortion of scripture. Nehemiah was so passionate regarding his opposition to engaging in commerce on the Sabbath that he actually threatened to use physical force against those who defied his word (Neh.13:15-21).
    The argument that because a restaurant would be open anyway and therefore it is permissible in God’s sight to avail oneself of their services is simply not true. That argument is driven by a desire to justify a behavior that is nowhere found in the scriptures. Not only does the Bible instruct the restaurant personnel to cease from their labor, but it also commands the Sabbath-keeper to refrain from supporting that labor.
    Additionally, to suggest that the Sabbath-keeper bears no responsibility for restaurant personnel working on this day is not entirely true. In a 2003 interview with a representative of one of the leading family restaurant chains in the United States, it was revealed that on a typical Sabbath, one of their stores serves approximately 600 customers. When asked what this restaurant would do if only 300 customers patronized their store, a representative stated, “We would reduce our manpower because the demand would not be as great.” This representative was then asked what would happen if no one visited the restaurant on the Sabbath. He responded, “The answer to this question is obvious. We would close on that day.”
    With this in mind, if as few as six Sabbath-keepers frequent that restaurant on the Sabbath, their level of responsibility for that restaurant being open is one percent. In other words, those who profess to keep the Sabbath are one percent responsible for that restaurant’s decision to break this commandment. This is a fact that the representative acknowledged.
    This is not to suggest that those who work at the restaurant would become Sabbath-keepers if their restaurant was closed on Saturdays. What it is saying is that the personnel in this restaurant who break the Sabbath are being compelled to do so for many reasons. When it comes to their specific labor at a restaurant, one percent of those reasons would be directly linked to God’s own people.
    It is true that the decision to work on the Sabbath rests solely in the hands of restaurant personnel. But it is equally true that the decision to support that labor rests solely in the hands of those who purchase their goods and services. With this in mind, ask yourself one question: would Jesus ever compel them to work that one percent? The bottom line regarding this argument is really quite simple: You may not be able to prevent restaurant personnel from working on the Sabbath. But you most certainly can prevent them from working for you on that day!

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