One night you are about to close up and you notice the dumpster is so full that you can not put the trash in the dumpster. So you:
a) don't sweep up the trash at all
b) sweep up the trash and put the trash bag next to the dumpster
Both a and b are not to the letter of the law. Do you think your boss will write you up for choosing "b"? I don't. I think your boss is probably understanding enough to know you can't do the impossible. Do you think your boss will promote the person that chooses "a"? I don't.
Or lets say you are a bomb dog handler for a company. This company has to check all trucks coming into their compound. Only one bomb dog handler can go on vacation at one time or they would not be able to protect the compound. If one handler has already taken off that day, do you think the other handler would be sinning by not taking off that day? I don't (even under the 'Old Covenant').
One person once compared the above to what Saul did in 1 Sam 13:5-14 when Saul decided to offer up a burnt offering.
But this would not be a good comparison because, sticking with the restaurant analogy, Saul would be ignoring the boss' clean up procedures and deciding for himself what is the best clean up procedures (like deciding not to practice Yahweh's feasts and practice Christmas instead).
