Getting a Goodnight's Rest

Outline

Series Review

• The first week of our “wise up” series we talked about the foundation of Proverbs and our lives and that is fear of God.  In “fear factor” we said unless you have a reverence for who God is and what he is able to do then you cannot begin to grasp wisdom.  I mentioned that if you are a fool you don’t have to some and listen to this series, someone asked if I don’t come do I still have to tithe and give in the offering?  Well another proverb says a fool and his money are soon parted, so we probably don’t have o worry about that. 
• Last week we talked about Money and many of the proverbs speak about money.  Last week we read a proverb that made a brilliant observation and that was the there are benefits to having wealth and drawbacks to not having it.  But, we also learned that there have to be limits on pursuing those benefits.  So last week our big idea was: A wise person pursues wealth, but a fool will stop at nothing to get it. 

This week

• This week we are turning our attention to another very practical topic and that is sleep and getting a goodnight’s rest.  How many of you can remember that last time you got a goodnight’s rest?  For how many of you was it last night?  Any of you got real little kids at home and when I say the words sleep and goodnight’s rest you just want laugh, you think it’s some kind of cruel joke.  Like you think 3 hours between feedings is a goodnight’s rest now. 
• I learned some interesting things about sleep this week as I began to look at this topic. 
• First of all there are a lot of websites out there dedicated to sleep.
• Thai Ngoc reportedly went 33 years or 11,700 nights without sleep.
• Randy Gardner holds Guiness record for intentionally having gone without sleep which is 264 hours or about 11 days. May 25th of this year BBC reported that Tony Wright beat that record by staying awake 11 days and nights, but Guiness no longer backs this record.
• Cows sleep standing up, but only dream laying down.
• Whales and dolphins are called conscious breathers so they can only rest half their brain at a time.  Some of you are saying I know people who might be part dolphin.  They always seem to be resting half their brain. 
• The story is told of a shoplifter who writes to a department store and says, "I've just become a Christian, and I can't sleep at night because I feel guilty. So here's $100 that I owe you." Then he signs his name, and in a little postscript at the bottom he adds, "If I still can't sleep, I'll send you the rest."
• But, many people have trouble sleeping.  Now I know some people have some serious physical issues that keep you from being able to get to sleep and if that’s you know that I am not talking about those particular issues this morning, I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.  But, many of us don’t have physical issues, but we still do not get a goodnight’s rest. 
• What keeps you up at night – when you don’t want to be up at night? 

Two things that often will keep our mind going and keep us awake at night.

• The first is thoughts or regrets about the past. Things I said or did that I wish I hadn’t of said or did.  I said something hurtful I wish I hadn’t of said and hurt someone I really care about or someone God really cares about.  I reacted in a way that was not who I really want to be.  I missed a chance to do good to someone because I was in such a rush and focused on myself. 
• We know this is true we even use the expression, “I wonder how he sleeps at night” of someone who does something we think is wrong.
• This happens a lot when our actions don’t line up with our values, we have what psychologists call cognitive dissonance and so our mind stays occupied with that either regretting it or trying to reconcile it. 
• So we end up awake at night trying to rationalize things in our minds. 
• The second thing that sometimes keeps us awake at night is concerns about the past and I think this can be broken up into two categories as well. We have worries about what is going to happen and worries about what might or could happen.
• Things that are going to happen: we have a test, a performance evaluation, a presentation to make, bad news to deliver, a confrontation we need to have with someone, contract to sign, discipline to deliver. 
• Things that might happen is the difference between worrying about a test tomorrow and a pop quiz that could happen at any point.  Something might happen to me or people I care about.  There was a shooting on the news so maybe we shouldn’t leave the house, what about a fire, a thief, identity theft, etc. 

God has some advice for us in the Bible on how to get a goodnight’s sleep, turn to Proverbs chapter 3 with me. 

Read 3:21-24

Verse 24 promises a goodnight’s sleep and this passage really deals with that first part of regrets about the past that can keep us up at night.  Did you catch what the writer who God inspired said was the solution?  It was right at the beginning of the passage I read so you might have missed it.  It was so simple you might have not even noticed it was there.

• “Preserve sound judgment and discernment…” The answer to not regretting foolish decisions or actions is not to make foolish decisions. 
• Wow, thanks for that revelation Pastor Rick, glad I came to church this morning.  Glad I got out of bed to hear that one. 
• Remember many of the proverbs simply make an observation on life and it is advice a parent is giving to a child so it is simple if you don’t want to lie awake regretting decisions you made, don’t make decisions you will regret. 
• Yeah well how do you do that?  One way is making sure you have all the information you need to make a decision. 
• We often make decisions based on what we are surrounding ourselves with and what we are putting into our mind.  If we are constantly watching things that are contrary to wise decisions we start to think in that way. 
• Or we often have so much noise in our lives that we make decisions without thinking. 
• It’s like a couple of months ago we bought a new TV.  Well I bought it s couple of months ago, but the process probably started about a year ago.  I had never bought a TV before…We get all this information to buy a TV or a new gadget, but what about the information we need to make more important decisions?
• I find that when I surround myself with wisdom in people I talk with and information I am absorbing that I make wise decisions. 
• Proverbs 15:22 “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”[1]
• Are you trying to make major decision in your life without counsel and guidance?  Research a TV, but when it comes to parenting “I think I am going to wing it”?  Research the an mp3 player until I know more about it than the manufacturer, but choosing the person who I am going to spend the rest of my life with, just gonna go with what feels good? 
• Where do you get the information?
• The writer is referring to the proverbs themselves.  Read them, but read the Bible.  I have found it has wisdom and God wants you to have it.
• Read books about parenting, dating, etc.
• Talk to people.
• Pray.  Why do we pray and fast when we have to make a big decision?  It is to surround ourselves with good counsel. 

So in order to get a good night’s sleep and not regret foolish decisions, use sound judgment and discernment not to make foolish decisions.

You say, “yeah well that is great for the past, but the thing that keeps me up at night is that other thing you mentioned, you know thoughts about the future, what about that?

Well God has something to say to you to, let’s look at 3:25,26.

• You won’t have to fear a sudden disaster or the bad things that you see happening to other people, why?  Because your confidence is in God.  He is watching out for you. 
• How do I know it is talking about trusting God, because you can turn back to 3:5 and see the instructions to put your trust in God and then it has some practical ways to do that: acknowledge him, fear the Lord, Honor with your wealth, accept his discipline.
• Practically what does it mean for me to trust God, what does it look like? 
• 1 Peter 5:7 says, “7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”[2]  Philippians 4:6 says, “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”[3]
•  It involves prayer,  You say, “Pastor Rick I have tried that and I am still lying awake at night.”  Pray more.  I brought it to God and… Pray longer.  Pray until you leave it with God. 
• Trusting in God does not equal inaction, just the opposite it means trusting the Lord with the action you take. 
• How you sleep is evidenced of how you trust God, Psalm 4:8, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”[4]
• Like our staff search this past week I thought I found the person I was looking for…but I need to leave that with God. 

Conclusion

• Big Idea: A goodnight’s rest is found in basing our lives on God’s sound principles and trusting in his personal care.
• So here is something to try this week.  Read a Proverb a day and start today.  A proverb a day keeps the preacher away. 
• Those of you with anxiety about the future, pray.  Let’s do that now, of you are anxious about something that is going to happen or something that might happen then some and pray at the altar.

May you make decisions using sound judgment and discernment, may you bring all you anxieties to the Lord and leave them there, and may you sleep well tonight.

Illustrations

1. Thai Ngoc, born 1942, has been awake for 33 years or 11,700 nights, according to Vietnamese news organization Thanh Nien. [7] At the time of the report, Ngoc suffered from no apparent ill effect (other than the fact that he cannot sleep). He was mentally sound and was able to carry 100kg of pig feed down a 4km road. It was said that Ngoc acquired the ability to go without sleep after a bout of fever in 1973. In April, 2007, however, Ngoc reported that he was beginning to feel ill due to the lack of sleep.[8]

2. Randy Gardner holds the Guiness World Record for intentionally having gone the longest without sleep. In 1965, Gardner, then 18, stayed awake for 264 hours (about 11 days) for a high school science project. [9] He experienced significant deficits in concentration, motivation, perception and other higher mental processes during his sleep deprivation. However, he recovered normal cognitive functions after a few nights' sleep.

On May 25th, 2007 the BBC reported that Tony Wright beat the Guinness World Record by staying awake for 11 days and nights. [10] The Guinness Book of Records has, however, withdrawn its backing of a sleep deprivation class because of the associated health risks.

Whales and dolphins are also different from humans: they always have to be conscious, as they are conscious breathers, so only one half of their brain sleeps at a time.[13] Sleep becomes difficult to define in lower order animals, such as the bullfrog. Its resting state is too similar to its active state to be considered by many to satisfy the criteria for sleep, but brain activity in the resting state is similar to other amphibians that do meet the criteria when they sleep.[14]

Cows can sleep standing up, but they only dream if they sleep lying down.

Since 1995 - Everything you wanted to know about sleep but were too tired to ask ™

The story is told of a shoplifter who writes to a department store and says, "I've just become a Christian, and I can't sleep at night because I feel guilty. So here's $100 that I owe you."

Then he signs his name, and in a little postscript at the bottom he adds, "If I still can't sleep, I'll send you the rest."

Surely the preacher's greatest sin is to put people to sleep with the greatest story ever told.

The Coney is a rock badger, a bit larger than the prairie dogs that infect our state of Colorado. Coneys are gray, the color of the rocks. As long as the coney, the rock badger, is on the rock sunning itself, it's almost impossible to see. When a predator comes to attack, the Coney will run into a hole, the crag in the rock. If a vulture or an eagle wants to sweep down on the coney, it has to knock down a mountain to get at it.

One thing about Coneys, they know where their security lies. If a coney decides to go off on the prairie, venturing away from the rock, then it's vulnerable. It doesn't matter how courageous the coney is. It doesn't matter whether or not it's been taking body building lessons at the local gym. The most courageous coney falls victim to the smallest wolf or lion. When it wanders away from the rock, a Coney is dead meat.

Biblical writers would have taken that truth, and you know as well as I, they would apply it to God. They would have said, "If you have the wisdom of a badger, you'll know where your security is. And the security you must have is the security of God himself." – Haddon Robinson

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. George Muller.

Commentary

The elements in this section are less closely linked than those in others and they may be of independent origin, but as it stands the sermon does follow the familiar structure. It opens by urging very careful attentiveness to wisdom (21), to which a series of promises is attached: life (see on v 18), distinction, security, calmness, confidence, all based on divine protection (22–26).[5]

3:22-26. These verses mention a number of benefits that come to those who heed the exhortation in verse 21. These benefits include life (v. 22; cf. comments on v. 18), safety (v. 23; cf. 1:33; 2:7-8), avoidance of troubles (cf. 3:6), peaceful sleep (v. 24), confidence in the future (vv. 25-26a), and avoidance of traps set by the wicked (cf. 1:15-18). The long life referred to in 3:22 may be partially attributed to the peace of mind so graphically pictured in verses 23-26.

[6]

3:21. The familiar my son (cf. vv. 1, 11) introduces a plea that the son embrace valued qualities. Sound judgment translates the Hebrew word that is rendered “victory” in 2:7 (see comments there). Discernment (mezimmâh) is translated “discretion” in 1:4. The last part of 3:21 is like the first part of 4:21.[7]

2:7-10. Wisdom gives positive, health-inducing moral benefits. It keeps one from evil and contributes to holiness. Wisdom is a matter of the heart, and of moral conduct, not just of intellectual attainment. This is made clear by the words upright and blameless (cf. v. 21), the just, and faithful ones (from ḥeseḏ, those who are loyal to God). Elsewhere in Proverbs the word for victory is translated “sound judgment” (3:21; 8:14; 18:1). In 2:7 it means success, the result of sound judgment. Like a shield (cf. Ps. 3:3) God protects those who by His wisdom are morally upright, those who are His (cf. Prov. 1:33). Moral living enables a person to be equitable with others, to do what is right and just and fair (cf. 1:3). “Fair” translates the same word rendered “upright” in 2:7. One’s conduct is suggested by the synonyms walk . . . course . . . way, and path (vv. 7-9; cf. vv. 12-13, 15, 18-20).

A person who strives for wisdom (vv. 1-4) will find that it will enter his heart (v. 10). Obtaining wisdom requires diligence on man’s part in pursuing God’s will; yet wisdom is a gift from God (cf. v. 6). Having such knowledge from God gives inner joy or pleasure.[8]

(2.) In their rest by night, v. 24. In our retirements we lie exposed and are most subject to frights. "But keep up communion with God, and keep a good conscience, and then when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid of fire, or thieves, or specters, or any of the terrors of darkness, knowing that when we, and all our friends, are asleep, yet he that keeps Israel and every true-born Israelite neither slumbers nor sleeps, and to him thou hast committed thyself and taken shelter under the shadow of his wings. Thou shalt lie down, and not need to sit up to keep guard; having lain down, thou shalt sleep, and not have thy eyes held waking by care and fear; and thy sleep shall be sweet and refreshing to thee, being not disturbed by any alarms from without or from within,’’ Ps. 4:8; 116:7. The way to have a good night is to keep a good conscience; and the sleep, as of the labouring man, so of the wise and godly man, is sweet. (3.) In their greatest straits and dangers. Integrity and uprightness will preserve us, so that we need not be afraid of sudden fear, [9]

How we sleep is sometimes evidence of how much we trust the Lord (Pss. 4–5).[10]

3:21–26 Safety, confidence, and sweet sleep. The wise person will find protection from harm by day and secure sleep at night, both a result of the confidence wisdom brings (3:26).[11]

The contented life is found in basing our lives on God’s sound principles (vs21) and under his personal care (vs26).

3:25 uses the same wording as 1:27 and emphasizes the response to storms

Every parent wants child to be safe and the primary benefit of wisdom promised here is personal security and freedom from anxiety.  Verse 22b should be read “grace for your neck.”   Verse 23 is a general promise not an absolute guarantee that the wise will never stumble.  Compared to the unwise, however, they will experience tranquility. Proverbs never implies people can be safe through their own wisdom.  Common sense and personal competence are soon exhausted if God’s protection is missing. (Garrett)

The singular form mĕzimmâ, however, receives the consistently positive meaning of “discretion” the five times it appears. This use occurs in Prov 1:4; 5:2; 8:12, where it is linked with “knowledge” and “prudence.” In Prov 2:11; 3:21 “discretion,” like her sisters, “understanding” and “sound wisdom,” guards one’s life from harm. Hence, within Proverbs 1–8 “discretion” ranks as one of the key terms for wisdom employed by the author.[12]

†תּוּשִׁיָּה S8454 TWOT923a GK9370 n.f. sound, efficient wisdom, abiding success (on der., v. supr.; according to Fl De proposes advancement, or mental aptitude that advances: for the form, cf. תּוּגָה and תַּאֲנִיָּה; Sta§ 262), a technical term of the WisdLt;—a. sound, efficient wisdom Is 28:29[13]

4659 מְזִמָּה (mezim∙mā(h)): n.fem.; ≡ Str 4209; TWOT 556c—1. LN 30.75-30.85 discretion, i.e., the ability to make proper decisions (Pr 1:4; 2:11; 3:21; 5:2; 8:12; 12:2+);

Ideas & Questions

• Define “Common Sense”  and “Discernment” how are those words used in other contexts?
• What is wisdom/discernment/sound judgment?  What does it look like?  How do I know if I have it and how do I know if I need it?  What does it look like to not have it?  What is the alternative?  
• What does verse 22 mean by “an ornament to grace your neck”?
• What is the alternative to sleeping soundly?  Why is a goodnight’s rest so prized and considered a good thing? 
• How much money to Americans spend trying to get a goodnight’s rest? 
• What are the things that prevent us from sleeping well?
• “Are you sleeping well?”  “You are the one who has to lay your head down on the pillow at night.”  “How can you sleep at night knowing that…?”  The implication is that we cannot sleep when we have done something that we regret or feel bad about; or when we are aware of someone that needs our help, but that we do not give it to them. Very much the two sides of sin, either we have committed a wrong or omitted a right. 
• Is God concerned about us sleeping well anywhere else in His word? 
• Sleep is a rather odd phenomenon.  We can be so productive and effective and do so much good and yet we must at some point stop everything and recharge our bodies.  Regardless of how much money, power, or authority you have, you will have to cease working and sleep at some point.  We can abuse it, but we will still have to do it.  All things being equal I think many people would rather not have to sleep and see it as a complete waste of time, but it is part of the design that God put within us. 
• You get a goodnight’s rest by either not doing things that you will feel guilty about or trying to rationalize them so you no longer feel bad about doing them.
• Today not being able to sleep seems to be more associated with physical causes (caffeine, comfort, relax, medications, alcohol, exercise, etc.) but the writer of proverbs seems to be alluding to the fact that not being able to sleep is more of a mental or even spiritual issue. 

Scriptures

21      My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.

Hang on to them,

22      for they will refresh your soul.

They are like jewels on a necklace.

23      They keep you safe on your way,

and your feet will not stumble.

24      You can go to bed without fear;

you will lie down and sleep soundly.

25      You need not be afraid of sudden disaster

or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,

26      for the Lord is your security.

He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

[14]

6 “ ‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. [15]

8     I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O Lord,

make me dwell in safety. [16]

14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. [17]

2     In vain you rise early

and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep toa those he loves.[18]

----

[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Pr 15:22

[2]Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. 1 Pe 5:7

[3] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Php 4:6

[4] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ps 4:8

[5]Carson, D. A.: New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA : Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, S. Pr 3:21

v. verse

cf. confer, compare

vv. verses

[6]Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:912

cf. confer, compare

vv. verses

[7]Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:912

cf. confer, compare

v. verse

vv. verses

[8]Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:910

[9]Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Pr 3:21

[10]Wiersbe, Warren W.: Be Skillful. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1995 (An Old Testament Study), S. Pr 3:1

[11]Willmington, H. L.: Willmington's Bible Handbook. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 1997, S. 334

[12]Harris, R. Laird ; Harris, Robert Laird ; Archer, Gleason Leonard ; Waltke, Bruce K.: Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. electronic ed. Chicago : Moody Press, 1999, c1980, S. 244

† prefixed, or added, or both, indicates ‘All passages cited.’

S Strong’s Concordance

TWOT Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.

GK Goodrick/Kohlenberger numbering system of the NIV Exhaustive Condordance.

n. nomen, noun.

f. feminine, feminae.

v. vide, see.

supr. supra, above.

Fl H.L. Fleischer.

De Franz Delitzsch.

cf. confer, compare.

Sta B Stade, Heb. Gram.

WisdLt Wisdom Literature.

[13]Brown, Francis ; Driver, Samuel Rolles ; Briggs, Charles Augustus: Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. electronic ed. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, 2000, S. 444

[14]Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Pr 3:21-26

[15] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Le 26:6

[16] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ps 4:8

[17] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Eze 34:13-15

a Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for

[18] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ps 127:2