Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Although sleep can have negative associations with laziness or inaction (as in passages such as Proverbs 19:15 or Proverbs 20:13), it is also a vital benefit and need that God has provided to humans for their refreshment, and to enable them to function at maximum capacity in service to Him. 

To me, the benign nature of sleep is first indicated by God causing Adam to fall into a sleep in connection with His use of Adam's rib for the creation of a woman (Genesis 2:21-22). The fact that this took place prior to the fall of humanity into sin indicates that sleep was not intended as an adverse consequence of that fall, or that it was an activity that was negative by its very nature. 

Also, the frequency with which the Bible records God as communicating through dreams demonstrates the positive nature of sleep, and the beneficial effects that God intended it to have.

In addition, for the Christian, sleep's positive nature was demonstrated by Christ Himself through his human need for sleep, as when the storm rose on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35-41) (in which His sleeping in the midst of the storm also demonstrated Jesus' absolute faith in His Father's protection of both Him and His apostles).

November 01 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report