Hello there, this specific question may have been addressed previously on the board, but I couldn't find it if it has.

My question is whether or not it breaks the puritan view of the Sabbath for a police officer to work on Sunday? or a firefighter? I am applying for a job as a police officer, but this question is making me wonder whether or not this would even be godly of me to do, seeing as how I would certainly be required to work some Sundays? Is there any exceptions, given the nature of the work? Does a Marine in battle break the Sabbath if he is forced to defend a company of troops? If crime exists on Sundays and people's lives must be defended, and evil supressed through law, what would a people do if everyone was a Christian in the town and there was a need?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

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Thomas Karrer
*Currently dissolving membership at First Baptist Church, and searching- with no success thus far- for a new church family*
Moses Lake, WA


"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him" (Psalm 2:12).

Of course not. These jobs are works of necessity and mercy.

Fire, Police, Army, Nursing, power stations, etc.

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Richard
communicant member, FCoS
Perth, Scotland UK

His Name forever shall endure;
last like the sun it shall:
Men shall be blessed in Him,
and blessed all nations shall Him call (Ps. 72:17)

I believe the restriction on the Sabbath excludes acts of necessity and acts of mercy, according to the WCF.

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Jonathan
Audio Engineer
Reformed Anabaptist
Ohio

Moroni's magical glasses of proper interpretation:

Nehemiah posted guards on the gate during the sabbath. Obviously it's not preferable, but it is sometime unavoidable and I think biblical.

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Ben Franks

I attend: Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC)
in Purcellville, Virginia
I'm a member of: Heartland Community Church (PCA)
in Wichita, Kansas
I blog here (along with my Dad): http://rrfranks.blogspot.com/
And I'm a student here: www.phc.edu

"Remember the speeches we have spoken so often over our mead, when we raised boast on the bench, heroes in the hall, about hard fighting. Now may the man who is bold prove that he is."-Aelfwine at the Battle of Maldon

My judgment: It is acceptable to do policework on the Lord's Day... but I'd caveat that if one is not normally scheduled for the Lord's Day, one shouldn't volunteer (just) to get overtime pay. Same with in the military... sometimes we have to work on Sunday. But I discourage people from volunteering to do so.

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Ben
Chaplain, US Army
Ft. Riley, KS
TE Ohio Valley Presbytery, PCA

Works of [true] necessity and works of mercy are certainly permissible.

God's work of creation ended on the sixth day, and He rested. But His work of providence (necessity and mercy) continues. John 5:17.

__________________
Wayne Sparkman, Th.M.
Director, PCA Historical Center, St. Louis, MO
Blogs: The Continuing Story and PCA History Blog

The march around Jericho included a Sabbath as well.

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MarieP
Reformed Baptist Church
Louisville, KY

"I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant" (Gen. 32:10)

Wow, I never realized that before. I need to review that part again.

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

You forgot us lowly radio announcers...
Since we do operate 24/7 and are a valuable resource for community awareness and safety.

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Willie Grills
Trinity Presbyterian Church
OPC
Huntington, WV

Sam Waldron pointed it out!

Joshua 6
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

First, study what God says about the fourth commandment. Familiarize yourself with your confession's summary of the doctrine of scripture, and the scripture proofs supporting each proposition or statement in it.

Basis for it, in context:

Practical observation of it:

I have omitted the Scripture proofs for brevity, but they are well worth carefully studying and meditating upon. They are extensive.

You will want to study this carefully because it is setting a pattern for your life, and God calls us not only to obey Him but to consider His ways and His calling for us in everything.

That is not always easy or convenient. (But God does bless obedience)

You are commanded to observe it whether you are a policeman, fireman, nurse or bartender.

You may find helpful GI Williamson's Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes which addresses this in the context of an overall study through of the Confession.

Basically, if the work itself is a necessity at that time, not a convenience of your employment, it is excepted as "mercy" or "necessity."

The example Mr. Williamson uses is a doctor, who must operate on a certain man that day or he will die, it is a work of necessity.

If a construction worker must report to work that day or he will endanger his job, it is not. It is for his own convenience (the convenience of keeping his job).

Here is my general advice, not having much detail on your situation. Understand, this is something you should seek counsel from within those in spiritual authority over you.

I would try, might even condition employment on not, ordinarily, being required to work Lord's Day, even as a policeman.

Not sure how you do this in your situation, but I would not leave it to chance. (I have asked and told employers up front about not wanting to be put in a position of violating my conscience by routinely working on Sunday. This may have cost me a job on more than one occasion, but God has been faithful in providing).

You should be willing to try everything, and suffer for it to avoid working Lord's Day, even as a policeman. Maybe that means working most Saturdays, the night shift nobody else wants, I don't know what it might require in your situation, but I would put that before God even as a "test" as to whether this is the right job for you.

One other observation, only for encouragement. Someone in our family is in a profession that might, in and of itself, be considered "necessity." Yet, because there has been enough conviction on part of employees and common grace, many of the functions, that are not essential in and of themselves necessary to be done on the Lord's Day, have been re-scheduled to other days. This pattern has greatly affected other related jobs, which also do not, ordinarily have to labor on Lord's Day.

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Scott
PCA
North Carolina


"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)"
Hebrews 10:23

When works as a police officer or firefighter, and one is called to work on a Sabbath, I believe that, if it is not regular, that work is of necessity and of mercy. Police officers provide civil protection for those they protect, and so long as it is not regular work on the Sabbath, I believe such is permissible.

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William Price
Attending Mills Road Baptist Church, Houston, Texas

http://www.commandmentsandjudgment.com

The Reformed Voice Radio Broadcast

LBCF 1689

There is a brother in my church who often works at his job of necessity Sunday mornings and then uses his vacation time to come Sunday evenings. When I heard that, I thought, "Now THERE is a man of dedication!"

Quote from Pergy re Marie P's point



Quote from Wayne
Good point, which I'd never heard in relation to works of necessity and mercy.

-----Added 11/3/2009 at 05:38:06 EST-----

I don't know about radio announcers on the Sabbath? In a Christian society/world a lot of media would be kept to a minimum on the Lord's Day, because a lot of it is completely unnecessary or merciful.

I do admit some limited gathering and reporting of news on the Sabbath is necessary, and maybe some Christian programming, but a great deal of material that is broadcast, Monday to Saturday, would cease on the Sunday in a Christian world.

Not sure I agree with you on that one. I for one am a big proponent of Public Radio and get 90% of my news from radio. Someone has to report the news on Sunday. And since news happens throughout the day (24/7), we need newscasters doing there jobs throughout the day, even if that is on Sunday; just like a police officer.

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David
none
PCA
The Bluff City, Tennessee

This raises another interesting question, that should perhaps find its own thread:

Just how much news do we actually need [esp. on the Sabbath]?

I think it was Neil Postman, in Amusing Ourselves to Death who first opened my eyes to this. Do I really need to know that someone robbed a bank four states away, or that someone's house burned down in the next town, or that some politician hosted a halloween party?

With that, I'll take this to a new thread.

Scott,

I do wonder if this is necessarily correct.

It seems to me that the verses in the bible dealing with works of mercy and necessity are wide enough to allow for a man to go to work on sundays if it is necessary to keep his employment.

I do not really see why works or mercy and necessity should be defined so narrowly as to only include times when a life is at stake or something similar.

Jesus allowed his disciples to pick corn on the sabbath simply because they were hungry. He could have asked them to wait until they were able to obtain prepared food, but he did not. This does not seem a very high standard of necessity, as long as one is sincere and does not presumptuously engage in such acts.

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Mark
Independent baptist
Singapore

I would like to weigh in since I work in law enforcement and do have to work on some Sundays. First, I would like to note that I do not prefer to work on Sundays, but it is the nature of my job and so I accept those duties. I will generally have to miss one Sunday morning service a month and one Sunday evening service a month, but never on the same day. I have looked for other work that would provide for every Sunday off, but I have yet to find something. I would also like to add that I do feel like I make some sacrifices too to be at church. Not to toot my own horn, but one example is that on one shift a month, I work midnights meaning I work from midnight until 8 in the morning. then I go home and try to sleep for about 30-40 minutes. Notice I said try because that is not always easy. Then I wake myself up, have alot of caffeine, and go to Sunday school at 9:30 and church at 10:45. I will also add that on the Sunday that I have to work during the day and can't attend morning services at church, I will listen to a sermon or two online while at work and have my own quiet/devotional time.

My advice to the OP, Thomas is this: if you absolutely refuse to work Sundays and believe it will be sin for you to do so, even in law enforcement, then DO NOT take the job as a police officer. If you have already gone to school and have a criminal justice degree, perhaps you can look for a related field such as a probation officer. They generally do not work weekends. Others may disagree with me on this point, but if you do become a police officer, I believe you will be wrong to always try to get out of work on Sundays. Some may think it is a great Christian witness to let your other fellow officers see that you refuse to work Sundays because you want to honor the Lord, but all you will do is make other officers lose respect for you because you use your religion as a crutch to get your way. Everyone has to make sacrifices. As many have stated already, and I agree, a career in law enforcement allows for an exemption to occasional work on the sabbath, but what we understand to be permissable, may not jive with your conscience, so you need to stick with that. I will be praying for you that you make the decision that will best bring glory to our Father. God bless.

__________________
Andrew S.
Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Abilene,TX

Remember that if you refuse to work Sundays, you are forcing your fellow officers to work an inordinate amount of Sundays instead of resting themselves. I'm not sure that that is the witness you want to provide.

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Kathleen M
nondenominational
Montana

Merely one generation ago, our culture understood this better. Most things were closed on Sunday, and somehow we survived. Curiously, people report being more rested.

The question is, how far does 'necessity' actually go? Police work, sure? Power station, OK. Radio station? TV station? Retail? Where's the line?

I also remember hearing somewhere that in a town in New Jersey (? - don't actually recall which town and in which state) where they still have blue laws, that sales during those six days actually exceed those where they have seven days of shopping a week (I think it was a chain store that did a comparison). Very revealing.

__________________
Kevin, husband of a truly angelic woman, and father to ten.
Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield
Ontario, Canada

One other way to look at this.

The fouth commandment is to "cease" (from the work and play that consumes much of the other six days) and make the day "holy" (set apart), after working six days. That "cease" and making "holy" means thought, word and deed- true rest.

Just because some medical procedures are necessary to be done on the Lord's Day, most are not. An individual Christian doctor still might be able to arrange his 40 or 50 hours of work on the other 6 days without working on the sabbath.

Nor would a doctor be obedient to the command if he worked extra on the sabbath for the convenience of earning extra money or doing related work that is not necessary to be done at that time, not even elective procedures that could be done at another time.

The command is not a "free pass" to classify our occupation as "necessary" and do as we please. We are still bound by it, even if we do have necessity or mercy.

Remember, the basis of "necessity" is never our convenience of employment or even earning a living. That require some suffering, it would seem- but God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. No one can presume on God, but many of us know of people who tried in good faith to obey the fourth commandment, God closed the door on one job-

but opened the door on something much better...and allowed the delight of being able to keep the sabbath and receive the rest, blessing and intimacy with Christ that is promised by it.

The practical effect of working on Sunday, even for work that is, in itself necessary, is that person is often denied ordinary corporate worship because Christians routinely worship on that day.

(That's why I appreciate the good faith effort Andres mentioned, a law enforcement officer trying to minimize work on the sabbath, even though that work is in itself necessary). God will bless that kind of obedience, and consciousness of His commands.

Don't forget Jesus' words to the Pharisees: Mark 2:27 "Jesus said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.'"

I think the bigger question is not, Can a Police officer work on Sunday?, but rather What is your motivation for keeping the Sabbath? Are you keeping the Sabbath in such a way that shows that the Sabbath was made for you and not you for it?

__________________
Jeff Burns
SBC (loosely)
Wake Forest, NC
1644 London Baptist Confession of Faith

I have rarely listen to the radio or telly on Sunday. We have occasionally put on the telly/radio when we've heard of some major event happening on the Sunday.

Most "news", probably all news, can be lived without on the Sabbath. Try it sometime.

There are two programmes that my mother likes on the Sabbath, and has them on quite often.

There's a programme of hymns on the TV often before we go to church, and there's a programme of hymns on the radio, often after we come back from church.

Apart from that and the very occassional big news story, the TV and radio stay off.

-----Added 11/3/2009 at 02:48:41 EST-----

Our motivation for keeping the Sabbath is that, although we rest by faith in Christ and His Work everyday, He commands and invites us to enter and enjoy the rest He entered on the first Lord's Day, in a special way on that Day.

The other Six Days are for work, rest, play and worship. But that Day is to be devoted in a special way to thankful rest in Christ and worship until we go to the Heavenly Kingdom, when there will be a New Order.

This provision by Christ of this special day, strengthens our rest in Christ by faith on the other Six Days.

The purpose of setting apart the Lord's Day as holy is to glorify and enjoy God on that day and throughout the week. See Shorter Catechism Q1.

-----Added 11/3/2009 at 03:06:08 EST-----

Kvanlaan
Local or national civil laws which restrict retailing and public entertainments on the Sabbath, have been largely swept away or reduced in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

They refer to the first table of the law, but no-one is persecuted for their religion because of them.

Which is one reason I find it so strange that in discussion of applying the 10C to the civil realm, the division is often put between the first and second table.
Civil application of the 10C went on in Scotland and England with established churches, for a long time, without persecution and yet we had laws against certain types of Sabbath-breaking and public blasphemy. Yet Roman Catholics, Muslims, and atheists, etc, weren't put in jail.

Why do Americans call Sabbatarian laws, "blue laws" ?

When I get called out west to work wildfires, the commitment is 14 days plus travel. And assignments can, and have, been extended If it's timed just wrong, that can mean missing 3 Sundays in a row. This is a work of necessity, but it makes me appreciate how we are designed to have a Sabbath rest. I am exhausted at every level when I get home and can be turned around fairly quickly to go back out.

So, law enforcement certainly falls in the same category; and you could end up with local emergencies, and perhaps training, that pull you in on Sunday. Do try to make sure you are really feeding yourself with the word and prayer -- it will strengthen you for those missed Sabbaths.

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JWithnell
Member Bethel OPC
Virginia
http://learningyesican.blogspot.com/

I am interested, as you stated power stations in your list. My husband works at an ethanol plant, and must work the sabbath. I wish it was not so, but he feels at this point that he should stay where he is. I am just wondering if this would be excusable under the sabbath... i suppose it is one of different opinions.

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Vanessa Pruitt
Wife to Adam; Mother to Gregory (3) & Ezekiel (15 months)
Hastings, NE

(Emphasis mine)

I understand your position (theologically), but I must ask; Where do you see Christ commanding and inviting believers to keep the Sabbath?

I would question how much of necessity there is in radio and TV. Most of it is entertainment and the news is not of such import that it can wait until Monday.

One reason I stopped watching TV on Sunday, is the realization that a significant portion of the 4th commandment has to do with causing others to work.

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Soli Deo Gloria

John Schultz
Member, Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Germantown, TN

"The reason why we worship God in a slight way is because we do not see God in His glory"
Jeremiah Burroughs

In the Bible. It was the Spirit of Christ that inspired the Bible.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (I Peter 1:10-12, ESV)

More particularly, the Spirit of Christ, taught Adam to rest in God as Creator, Sustainer and Providential Governor, and also keep the Sabbath Day, taught the Patriarchs to rest in God as Creator, Sustainer, Providential Governor and Saviour, taught Moses and the Israelites to rest in God likewise, and taught Christians likewise. In particular we are taught in the Gospels, inscripturated by the inspiration of Christ's Spirit, that "the Sabbath was made for Man" not only the Jews.

Believing Man, even before the Fall has always rested in God by faith. After the Fall believing Man had to rest in God, additionally, as Saviour from sin. But believing Man, before the Fall and afterwards has always still needed the Seven Day Week, revealed by God in special revelation, and the Weekly Sabbath, until the Eschatalogical Realm is reached by believing Man.

Hebrews 3-4 also teaches that Christian believers haven't entered their final rest, the Heavenly Kingdom, but Christ has gone there before them. So in this hectic world, there remains the needful keeping of a Sabbath Day unto the people of God in the New Covenant, until they enter the Heavenly Kingdom.

So then, there remains the keeping of a Sabbath [Day] for the [New Covenant] people of God, for He [Christ] that is entered into His [Christ's] rest, He [Christ] also has rested from His [Christ's] own works [on the First Day], as God did from His [on the Seventh Day]. (Hebrews 4:9-10)

See Walter Chantry's "Call the Sabbath a Delight" (BoT) for an excellent exposition of this passage.

Scott

Thanks for your reply.

Biblically, how would you define convenience and necessity? At the moment, I don't see any contradiction in believing that a man keeping his employment (if the requirement to work on sundays is placed upon him by his boss and not his own choice) qualifies as an act of necessity rather than convenience. Again, I don't see the justification from insisting that "necessity" means emergencies or life threatening situations only.

I am not sure that Jesus meant that it is ok to engage in food preparation in the sense that the reason why his disciples were guiltless was because food preparation does not fall under the sabbath command.

Matthew 12:1-4 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

Jesus quotes the example of David eating the shewbread in justifying his disciples. The point he is making is that what is not normally allowed is allowed in exceptional circumstances. If the principle can be applied to this disciples picking corn to eat when they were hungry walking through the corn, I don't see any reason why it should not apply to someone who may have to work on certain sundays to make a living.

I am sorry for the late reply.

It does make sense, logically, but I still don't really see it biblically.

Where does the bible set out that "necessary" is only in something akin to a life and death matter like in the example given?

When I look at the examples of controversies raised on the Sabbath in the gospels and the examples Jesus Christ gave I see:

Eating because you are hungry (Mt 12)
Healing on the Sabbath (Mt 12)
Helping an animal out of a pit (Mt 12)
Leading your animal to water (Lk 13)
Circumcising on the Sabbath (Jn 7)

None of these things seem to fall within Mr Willamson's definition of necessary. In fact, to follow the example of a medical doctor, Jesus specifically engaged in healing works when there was no urgency at all. He could easily have waited until the next day. So where does the definition of necessity has having to do with life and death type situations come from?


It might be true and shucking and eating of corn was always allowable on the Sabbath, but that is not how Jesus answered the Pharisees. He specifically makes the point, by referring to David eating the shewbread, that in special circumstances things which are not normally allowable can be allowed.

He concludes in Mt 12:7 by noting this is an application of the principle " I will have mercy, and not sacrifice". Honestly, it seems to me that the teachings of the bible would actually tend towards being more merciful with those who may have to work on Sundays (even if the "have" is not a matter of life and death). Again, my point is I don't see that the bible teaches such a high standard before the principles of necessity and mercy apply. Based on the examples given, the fact that someone needs to work to earn a living appears to be enough.

I dunne ken. Not a clue.

And yes, the sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, because God knows better than we the rest that we need.

There are some interesting Blue Laws, which thankfully aren't used anymore:

• No food or lodging shall be afforded to a Quaker, Adamite, or other Heretic.
• If any person turns Quaker, he shall be banished, and not suffered to return but upon pain of death.
• No Priest shall abide in this Dominion: he shall be banished, and suffer death on his return. Priests may be seized by any one without a warrant.
• No one to cross a river, but with an authorized ferryman.
• No one shall run on the Sabbath day, or walk in his garden or elsewhere, except reverently to and from meeting.
• No one shall travel, cook victuals, make beds, sweep house, cut hair, or shave, on the Sabbath day.
• No woman shall kiss her child on the Sabbath or fasting day.

Blue Laws

__________________
Matt
Reformed Baptist
Christ Community Church