In the discussion of the Sabbath's purpose, a significant example is drawn from the use of the Showbread, as referenced in Matthew 12 and related accounts in Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5, alongside I Samuel 21 and Leviticus 24. The Showbread, placed in the tabernacle on a table and replaced every Sabbath with fresh, hot loaves baked on that day, was consecrated for holy use. Christ used the instance of David eating this bread under unusual circumstances to illustrate a principle: the Sabbath is a day of mercy, not sacrifice. Though it was not normally lawful for David to consume the holy bread, the need to sustain life overruled the letter of the law, showing that the intent of God's law is to ensure life, not to deprive. Similarly, the priests, who baked and placed the Showbread on the Sabbath, were blameless despite performing labor, because they were fulfilling the work of God, a work tied to salvation. This underscores that holy time, like the Sabbath, can be used exceptionally to meet critical needs, emphasizing mercy over strict ritual adherence.

In Matthew 12:1-8, Jesus addresses a Sabbath encounter with the Pharisees when His disciples, hungry while traveling, plucked heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees accused them of breaking Sabbath law by reaping, threshing, and winnowing. Jesus counters by referencing David, who, under unusual circumstances, ate the showbread—consecrated bread reserved for priests—to satisfy his hunger, as recorded in I Samuel 21:1-6. Jesus reasons that if David could use holy bread to sustain life in exceptional need, then the disciples were also justified in meeting their needs under similar circumstances. He emphasizes that mercy overrides strict ritual, teaching that holy bread or holy time can be used exceptionally to preserve life and serve God. This incident underscores that loving service surpasses mere ritual fulfillment, highlighting the Sabbath as a day of mercy rather than rigid adherence to rules.

The account of the showbread in relation to the Sabbath illustrates a principle of God's law bending under unusual circumstances. In the narrative, David and his starving men, while fleeing from Saul, were given the showbread from the table in the Holy Place of the tabernacle by Ahimelech the priest to eat. This act, which under normal conditions would be considered a violation, was justified by the dire situation, demonstrating that God's law allows for flexibility when circumstances demand it. Jesus used this example to show that the intent and purpose behind actions on the Sabbath are of greater importance than rigid adherence to rules, emphasizing that the law serves His purpose and the needs of mankind.