Sleep, spiritual
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· 1 viewScripture often uses sleep as an image of spiritual laziness or a lack of alertness towards God.
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Sleep as an image of spiritual laziness
Sleep as an image of spiritual laziness
Lack of watchfulness
Lack of watchfulness
His watchmen are blind,
All of them know nothing.
All of them are mute dogs unable to bark,
Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
See also Mt 24:43–44; Mk 13:35–36
Spiritual dullness
Spiritual dullness
And when they disagreed with one another, they began leaving after Paul said one parting statement: “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying,
‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, and will not understand;
And you will keep on seeing, and will not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have become Insensitive,
And with their ears they Hardly hear,
And they have closed their eyes;
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.” ’
See also Is 6:9–10; Pr 23:34–35
As a result of God’s judgment:
As a result of God’s judgment:
Ro 11:8; Is 29:10
God’s call to awake from sleep
God’s call to awake from sleep
The need to arise
The need to arise
Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let’s rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
See also Is 51:17; Is 52:1; Is 60:1; Eph 5:14; Re 3:2
The command to be alert
The command to be alert
(“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.”)
See also Mt 26:41; Mk 13:32–34; Lk 12:35; Eph 6:18; 1 Th 5:6–8; 1 Pe 5:8
The plea for revival
The plea for revival
Ps 80:18; Ps 85:6
The image of God awaking from sleep
The image of God awaking from sleep
From his past judgments
From his past judgments
Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep,
Like a warrior overcome by wine.
Prayers for God to rise up against his enemies
Prayers for God to rise up against his enemies
Arise, Lord, in Your anger;
Raise Yourself against the rage of my enemies,
And stir Yourself for me; You have ordered judgment.
See also Ps 35:23; Ps 44:23–24; Ps 73:20; Ps 80:1–2; Is 51:9
The contrast between God who never sleeps and false gods
The contrast between God who never sleeps and false gods
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who watches over you will not slumber.
Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
See also 1 Ki 18:27; Hab 2:19