November - December 2001 The Sabbath Sentinel

The Question

Dear Sir,

I have a question, perhaps you can venture a response, or pass this email along to someone who can. Thanks!

I am a Sabbath-keeper, have been my entire life and steadfastly believe in it (the seventh day) as a day of rest. I am struggling with a question of interpretation regarding work on the Sabbath.

I certainly believe that Sabbath keepers should cease working on the Sabbath; however, there are certain occupations where it is accepted to work on Sabbath; physicians, nurses, and other medical careers are an example. As a teacher at a Seventh-day Adventist boarding academy I am often called upon to supervise weekend activities on campus, which inevitably include Sabbath. Here is my dilemma.

In light of the events of Sept. 11, and in the event that our country goes to war, I would feel compelled to join the military. At first I thought I would join active (and would have asked for Sabbath off). Then on thinking it through a little more I felt that it would be more desirable to keep my teaching job and considered joining the reserves where I could be called up if needed. As you probably know, the reserves train once a month on weekends, which would obviously require Sabbath work/training. I would apply for a commission as an intelligence officer ­ nothing remotely close to being within the current SDA comfort level for acceptable Sabbath work.

Thus my struggle, and the dilemma; Is the work of a soldier, endeavoring to protect our nation and other soldiers, as acceptable in God's eyes as that of a physician on the Sabbath? I am inclined to believe that it is and I have even found some Biblical evidence of God commanding soldiers to work on the Sabbath ­ and this evidence implies that soldiers ALWAYS work on the Sabbath (II Kings 11:5-9). Furthermore, I have spoken with a pastor, whom I now cannot find any contact info, who believed that in ancient Judaic law there were two occupations that were allowed to work on Sabbath: Rabbis and soldiers.

I am not asking you for an answer, and not necessarily advice, just looking for someone else's thoughts on this topic.

I am especially concerned because my church has a history of raising up soldiers who refused to work or fight on Sabbath -- a high and noble ideal, but one I'm not sure I always agree with. While most people fight to get the Sabbath off and will perhaps lose their job because of refusing to work on that day, I will perhaps lose my job because I feel compelled to work on that day.

Thus the second dilemma; If I am wrong and my interpretation is the product of misguided logic, my students and the children of my colleagues may look to my actions and either 1) question them to their parents and be forced to conclude that I am a bad person, or 2) agree with them and thereby forcing their parents to believe that I am a bad person.

Any helpful texts, especially texts, or thoughts, websites, etc., would be very much appreciated.

Yours,

Name Withheld by Request

Reply

Dear Kris,

It may interest you to know that I am a military man serving in the United States Navy. As a Seventh-day Adventist Sabbatarian I am empathetic with the concerns and considerations you make with regard to "working" on the Sabbath as it relates to military service. The question is, "Is being a Sabbath-keeping Christian inconsistent with military service?" Or "Is being a Sabbath-keeping Christian incompatible with patriotism?" It is a question that I have not only have to answer for myself, but also in counseling others like myself who serve in the military (or other "service" related work).

I have often thought it amusing how after a snowstorm, brethren in my church would thank God for traveling mercies coming to church. We don't thank God for the salt truck drivers or the snow plowers for working on the Sabbath so we can come to church to keep the Sabbath. We don't thank God for the operators of water plants or electrical plants who work on the Sabbath so we can flush the toilet or turn on the lights on the Sabbath. I have told my shipmates that we have to "fight the ship" on the Sabbath (i.e. working to keep the ship afloat) or we would not have a ship to keep the Sabbath on. Of course if we were halachally orthodox Jews, we might not do any of these things, but even in the State of Israel where Sabbath observance is the law of the land, even there they must have water and lights on the Sabbath. If the state of Israel were to observe "Yom Kippur" the holiest day of the year according to halachah, there would likely not be a state of Israel today. Their greatest military victory was fought on the Day of Atonement. Jewish halachah allows fighting from a posture of defense or when attacked.

I took an oath to defend the constitution of the United States. As long as this document serves to protect my religious rights to worship God according to the dictates of my conscience I do not see service to my country inconsistent with my conscientious convictions as a Sabbath-keeper for other Sabbath-keepers. The day may come when our constitution may not always serve the interests of such freedoms when this country by repudiating its constitution will "speak as a dragon." But until such time I serve God and my country with a clear conscience.

The Scripture says in Isaiah 58:13 "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words."

The Jewish midrash explains that "thy pleasure" refers to working solely for pecuniary interests that relate to business or working for the sake of profit, or indulging in worldly recreations and amusements, which may be lawfully indulged on another day. It further explains that to "call the sabbath a delight, the holy of God, and honourable" means to take delight and pleasure in the service of it; in all the duties of religion, private and public, to be observed on that day. The U.S Military upholds the religious rights of service members including Sabbath-keepers (see http://www.doctrine.quantico.usmc.mil/ministry/reflist.htm#A1 and http://www.religioustolerance.org/mili_rel.htm). God created the world in seven days, but the sun still shines, the rivers still run, and the heavenly bodies continue in their motions. In other words God's creation does not stop its "working" on Sabbath. God also made man and as such working to serve the needs of mankind as the rest of the creation works to serve man on the Sabbath must needs be just as much a part the continuing work of creation. Thus Jesus said in John 5:17 "My Father worketh hitherto (on the Sabbath), and I work." Halachally "work" involves "creating."

These are some of the considerations that I take into account when it comes to what it means to keep the Sabbath. Such considerations should be carefully weighed before making a decision to join the military. In the final analysis it all comes to a matter of conscience and personal conviction. Unfortunately though, individual conscience and personal convictions with respect to how one keeps the Sabbath are not always acceptable to all Sabbath-keepers and to that I say "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4)

Sincerely,

  Sidney L. Davis, Jr., president
  The Bible Sabbath Association

TSS

November - December 2001 The Sabbath Sentinel