Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper

The Blessings of Sleep and Rest Part 1 of 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Church Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-11-27

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver introduces a two-part message on the biblical blessings of sleep and rest, focusing on Psalm 4:8. He emphasizes that sleep and rest are gifts from God, ordained for our physical and spiritual renewal. David's trust in God allowed him to lie down in peace and sleep, knowing God alone provided safety. The sermon explores how our bodies need sleep, God grants it, and He protects us during our most vulnerable unconscious hours. Weaver also draws an analogy between sleep and death for believers, showing that just as we do not fear nightly sleep, we need not fear death, which is merely falling asleep in Christ to awaken in resurrection.

[John Weaver] And as you open your Bibles to Psalm 4, I will go ahead and tell you that this message is going to be in two parts. And the main part will be next Lord's Day. Psalm 4 and verse 8. The title of the message is a very simple one. The blessings of sleep and rest. You've probably never heard a message like this. I've probably never preached a message like this, but yet I want you to see what the Scripture says. Psalm 4 and verse 8. David said, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety. There are two things that each of us take for granted, and those two things are rest and sleep. Since each one comes naturally, we simply assume that we're always going to be able to rest and always be able to sleep. And we really and truly in one sense the word should be concerned with sleep and rest because usually from a third to one half of our lives are consumed with sleep and rest.

[John Weaver] We're either sleeping or we're sitting or we're resting or as we normally say we're taking a break. I've heard numerous complaints concerning the fact that many do not sleep well or rest well, and I'm probably sure that there have been times in my life that I've enunciated the same complaints. When we do not sleep as we should, when we do not rest as we should, our sleep is fitful and we awaken sluggish and tired.

[John Weaver] Each of us have experienced such nights. The truth of the matter is, however, that most of us have had far more good nights of rest and sleep than we've had trouble nights of rest and sleep. Have you ever noticed how concerned we are with rest and sleep? For instance, especially when you have company at your house and they spend the night, usually the very first thing you ask them the next morning is, how did you rest? Or how did you sleep? In fact, that was the first thing Granny Doris asked me this morning when she saw me.

[John Weaver] knowing that, you know, I'd had the surgery. How did you rest? And my answer was, well, you know. But I want you to consider, if you would, for just a little while this morning, just some of the truths. I'm going to hit more in detail next week, but just some of the truths from Psalm 4 and verse 8. We've never really considered this. And as I was reading through the book of Psalms recently, this verse struck me afresh.

[John Weaver] in considering the mercy and the goodness of our great God and our Savior. Have you ever really considered what a genuine blessing it is to sleep and to rest? And what a genuine blessing it is to trust in the Lord for His grace and His mercy as you sleep and rest.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to hold Psalm 4, we're coming back there, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 3. I'm going to start with this passage, and probably when I end next Sunday, I'm going to end with this passage as well, because I want you to see one of the blessings that God gives to those who obey His commandments, and those who bring their lives in conformity to His Word. So look in Proverbs chapter 3, and let's begin reading there, if you would please, with verse 21.

[John Weaver] He says, My son, let not them depart from thine eyes. And the them, of course, is His commandments. Go back, if you would, to verse 1. My son, forget not My law, but let thine heart keep My commandments. So we're talking about God's law. We're talking about God's commandments. Now go back to verse 21. My son, let not them, that is the law of God, the commandments of God, depart from thine eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion.

[John Weaver] So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Now watch carefully. Then shalt thou walk in the way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. For thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Watch, be not afraid of sudden fear, neither the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note verse 24. He said, When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. The promises of God in bringing abiding peace and comfort and restoration to those who trust in Him are absolutely phenomenal. I want you to turn right on over to Jeremiah chapter 33. And look, if you would, at this passage, Jeremiah 33, and let's begin reading there with verse 23. Jeremiah 33. Jeremiah 33, and we're going to begin reading at verse 23.

[John Weaver] Well, I think I may have the wrong passage there, or I'm looking in the wrong place. Let me look quite quickly. I've got the verse here. Let's see. Let's share my 33. Verse 23. 25, is that it? I just wrote it down wrong. All right. Verse 25.

[John Weaver] No, that's not even the passage that I want. Let's see. Let's go to verse... Well, let me just read it for you. I have it written down here. Here's the passage. I'll have to correct the passage. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah, and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity. The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice and mountain of holiness, and they shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks."

[John Weaver] Now listen carefully to what he says,"'For I have satiated the weary soul,' that is, I've filled it and overflowed it. I've satiated, I've satisfied the weary soul, and I've replenished every sorrowful soul.' Jeremiah says upon this,"'I'll awaken and be held, and my sleep was sweet unto me." So here God says, even during the rest there, that He satiates and He satisfies.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to look back to Psalm 4 and verse 8. Psalm 4 and verse 8. And I want you to pay attention, if you would please, to the triple blessing that is bestowed here. David said, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety." So he talks about sleep, he talks about peace, and he talks about safety. But I want you to note how he words this in verse 8. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep.

[John Weaver] And the word both here literally means at the same time. So at the same time, he said, I will lay me down in peace and sleep. So his mind then will be at peace, Tranquility will possess his heart and therefore he will lie down and sleep calmly. And the reason he could sleep so calmly was because the Lord was indeed protecting him. Have you ever wondered about Peter's sleeping while he was imprisoned?

[John Weaver] I want you to turn, if you would hold psalm forward, coming back there, but I want you to turn to the book of Acts chapter 12. To me this is so exciting in one sense of the word. You remember Peter has been imprisoned by Herod. Herod had already cut off the Apostle James head. And Peter was next on the list. And the Bible tells us in Acts chapter 12, beginning there with verse 5, Peter therefore was kept in prison.

[John Weaver] but prayer was made without ceasing of the church of God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth..." In other words, Herod intended on doing to Peter the same thing that he'd done to James. "...when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison. And he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell from off his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto me, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him, and wist not that it was true what was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.

[John Weaver] And when they were past the first and second ward, they came into the iron gate that leadeth into the city, which opened to them of his own accord. And they went out, and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him.

[John Weaver] Now when Peter was calm to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. Now here's what is so impressive about this. If you'll go back to verses 6 and 7. And when Herod would have brought him forth the same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison watch. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smoked Peter on the side. Now can you imagine? Here Peter is about to have his head cut off the next day. He's chained. He's sleeping between two soldiers. So he's not only chained, he's between two snoring soldiers and probably other snoring as well. A great light shines in the prison and the angel still has to slap him to wake him up. I mean, you know, he evidently understood something.

[John Weaver] He understood the grace of God and the mercy of God. He understood exactly what David said in Psalm 4 and verse 8, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell safely. In other words, he understood God's sovereign preservation. Most of you have probably heard the name Nicholas Ridley. You've heard of Latimer and Ridley. Nicholas Ridley was the Bishop of London who was burned at the stake on October the 16th, 1555 by Bloody Queen Mary. And of course he was burned at the stake for his faith in Jesus Christ. Ridley's brother offered to remain with him during the night before his execution the next morning But Nicholas Ridley declined saying, and I'm quoting, that he, Nicholas Ridley, meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever as he did in his entire life. And he did so. And the next morning he was burned at the stake. It's amazing the grace of God in sleep and rest. Now I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 3.

[John Weaver] David certainly understood danger. David was in danger far more frequently than most people. David not only understood danger, he understood anxiety, he understood trouble, and yet in spite of all of his problems, he trusted in God to give him rest. Look in Psalm 3, beginning there in verse 1, he says it like this, Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up against me. So many tried to kill David. Many there be which say of my soul there is no help for him in God. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill. Now watch.

[John Weaver] I laid me down and slept. I awaked, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about." What did he say? I laid me down and slept. I awaked for the Lord sustained me. And then he said, I will not be afraid if ten thousands of people surround me. No one can fail to admire the beauty of this and no one can fail to perceive David's confidence in God and the assurance that all things are under God's absolute control.

[John Weaver] And it's this faith that is best fitted for peace, not only during the day, but during the night as well. It is God who preserves us. It is God who protects us.

[John Weaver] Now, what I'd like to do this morning is this. I want you to see the needed and necessary truths from this verse as well as from other scriptures as they elucidate and explain this passage. Let me begin today with what I'm going to call some very simple points. And we're going to progress, Lord willing, from the simple to the more complex. The more complex will be next Sunday. But here's the very first truth that we are understood in Psalm 4 and verse 8.

[John Weaver] Number one is this, our bodies need sleep and rest. And by the way, our need of sleep and rest is from the Lord. The Lord ordained it, we need it. He designed our bodies and as David said in Psalm 139, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are men. We are not supermen. We are not machines. We are not robots. There is only so much that we can do and no more. We are not God.

[John Weaver] We are not little gods. We are not on our way to be gods. We are men. And consequently our bodies grow weary and tired. Let me show you from the book of Psalms, one of my favorite passages. If you look in Psalm 103, and notice if you would please, beginning there with verse 13. Psalm 103 and verse 13. Notice what the Scripture teaches. Psalm 103 verses 13 and 14.

[John Weaver] The Bible tells us, like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear Him, for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we're but dust." Notice,"...as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him, for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we're but dust." In other words, He knows our lives, He knows our limitations. He remembers that we're dust. The problem is, so often, we don't remember that we're dust. Do you know that our Lord, who is God incarnate, who is perfect God and perfect man, our Lord, who is God incarnate, grew weary and needed rest while He was in the incarnate state.

[John Weaver] In John 4 and verse 6, if you will turn there, John 4 and verse 6, and since you're going to be turning there, I'm going to ask you to turn back to the book of Mark just after this. But notice John 4 and verse 6. Here's the story of the Samaritan woman. John 4, notice if you would verse 5. Remember our Lord is perfect God and perfect man.

[John Weaver] He knew no sin and yet He was weary because He had a body. Notice if you would, John 4 verse 5. Then cometh He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now, Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour. Jesus, being wearied with his journey, sat on the well.

[John Weaver] And, of course, you know the story there, how he asked for water. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Mark, chapter 6. and see what our Lord told His disciples. Mark chapter 6, and notice if you would please, verse 31. Mark 6 and verse 31. In fact, let's read verse 30, so that you can see the context of it. Mark 6, verse 30, And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.

[John Weaver] And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. So our Lord told his disciples, Come ye apart in the desert, and rest a while. I never will forget, Lester Olaf used to say it like this, If you don't come apart, you will come apart.

[John Weaver] And that's exactly what he meant. So, the truth of the matter is this, our bodies do need sleep and rest. Each night, when I lie down on the bed, I quote Psalm 4 and verse 8. And I ask the Lord to give me sleep and to give me rest. I even ask it for Alice. After I had the surgery the other day, I was told that I could not lift over five pounds for the next month or so. And I looked at Alice and I said, you know that means that you'll have to do everything.

[John Weaver] She said, I already do. So I pray for her as well, you know. But I ask the Lord for sleep and rest for both of us. Then each morning, I thank the Lord for the sleep and rest that He's given us. Why should I do that? Look in your Bibles to Psalm 92 in verse 2. Psalm 92 in verse 2. Here's an interesting verse. When you begin to tie these things together, Psalm 92 in verse 2, He says in verse 1, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises in the name of the Most High. to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning and Thy faithfulness every night."

[John Weaver] So what are we doing? We're asking Him for sleep and rest, and then when He gives it, we're thanking Him for His faithfulness. Adam Clarke said this based upon Psalm 4 and verse 8, and I'm quoting. He said, most men lie down and most sleep daily, for without rest and sleep, life could not be preserved. But alas, how few lie down in peace. Peace with their own consciences and peace with God. David had then two great blessings, rest by sleep and peace in his soul. He had a happy soul and when he lay down on his bed, his body soon enjoyed its repose. as the conscience was in peace. And he had a third blessing, a confidence that he should sleep in safety. And it was so. No fearful dreams disturbed his repose, for he had a mind tranquilized by the peace of God. As to his body that enjoyed its due rest, for he had not overloaded nature either with dainties or superfluities.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to pay close attention to this. David said, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. For thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety." In the midst of all of his troubles, in the midst of all of his trials, in the midst of all of his tribulations, David could sleep and rest. He was not tossing and tumbling. There were not a multitude of thoughts racing through his mind. He was able to sleep and rest because of his faith and trust in God. Now, many people I know complain about not being able to sleep.

[John Weaver] There is a biblical remedy for that. It is not sleeping pills. If you want to know what the biblical remedy is, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 12, I will show you God's divine prescription for being able to sleep very comfortably and very well at night, outside of faith in Him. Notice if you would, Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 12. Here is God's divine remedy to be able to sleep at night. He says, the sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much. But the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. So God said, if you work hard during the day, you'll probably sleep pretty well at night. Whether you have a lot to eat or little to eat, it doesn't matter. When your body gets tired, you'll go to sleep. So the problem with most people today is most people do not work.

[John Weaver] Have you ever stopped to think about this? Our grandparents and our great-grandparents work from sunup to sundown. And sometimes during the night as well, they had no air conditioning, they sweat, they perspired. And as one young lady told me, I told her one day, I said, why Candace, you're sweating. She says, Brother Weaver, southern girls don't sweat, they glow. I said, well, you're gluing quite well.

[John Weaver] But, you know, and they never had half the problems that we have physically. And they were always able to rest and sleep because they worked so hard. So God is telling us very obviously that if we really want to sleep, we should work.

[John Weaver] Now, here's a second point. It is God who gives us sleep and rest. Do you understand that sleep and rest are gifts from God? Is sleep and is rest good? The answer is yes. Well, if it's good and it's a gift, you remember James 1, verses 16 and 17, when he said, Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from above.

[John Weaver] We're specifically told in Psalm 127 and verse 2. Here's another verse that I quote often. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, and to eat the bread of sorrows. For so he giveth his beloved sleep. Did you hear that? He giveth his beloved, sleep. It's a gift. It's a gift from God. Have you ever stopped to think that what God gave you last night was a gift? Spurgeon said on Psalm 4 in verse 8, sweet evening hymn, I shall not sit up to watch through fear, but I will lie down. And then I will not lie awake listening to every rustling sound, but I will lie down in peace and sleep, for I have naught to fear. He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain.

[John Weaver] Better than bolts or bars is the protection of the Lord. Armed men kept the bed of Solomon, but we do not believe that he slept more soundly than his father, whose bed was the hard ground and who was hunted by many bloodthirsty foes. I want you to look back at one word in Psalm 4 and verse 8. I want to emphasize the word only. Psalm 4, verse 8. Look what David said. Psalm 4, verse 8. David said, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. God only makes me dwell in safety. Only means that it was God alone who was David's keeper. It meant David was basically without man's help. I know that David had his 300, sometimes 600 men. I understand that. But David was not trusting his men for protection. David was trusting in the Lord. He said, for thou only makest me to dwell in safety. In other words, it was God and God alone who's protecting him.

[John Weaver] Which brings me to the third point, and that is this. It is God who protects us while we sleep and when we rest. Have you stopped to think about this? We are most vulnerable when we are unconscious. There's a prayer that I pray every night. I asked the Lord to guard my consciousness, my subconsciousness, and my unconsciousness. And one day I was thinking, well, Lord, there's no way that I can really keep my subconscious or my unconscious state. Then I got to thinking, really, there's no way I can even keep my conscious state You can't stop thoughts from coming into your minds. You know, if God doesn't keep them, they're just simply not kept. And if we want our minds to be pure and clean and holy, we must ask God to protect us even while we sleep. I don't even want to dream anything that's wicked and ungodly and unholy and unbiblical. So I ask the Lord to protect. We're extremely vulnerable when we're unconscious. We cannot see. We cannot hear.

[John Weaver] And have you ever awakened from a deep sleep, startled, and you get up and you're absolutely groggy? You don't know which way to turn. You don't know what to do. I remember one time Alice and I were so tired. We went to bed one Sunday afternoon after church. And when we woke up, we not only did not know what time it was, we did not even know what day it was. And the only thing I could think of was I was supposed to be preaching and I was late.

[John Weaver] And it took us a while. In fact, she got to looking at the calendar and she couldn't even figure out the day from the calendar because we were totally out of it. Thankfully, I had a couple of hours before church that night, but I'm just simply saying, you are totally vulnerable either in deep sleep or when you immediately come out of it because you're so groggy, many times you don't even know which end is up.

[John Weaver] So let me ask you a question. We're talking about how God watches over us as we sleep. Would you go to sleep tonight if you thought that you would be murdered while you slept? I guarantee you would not sleep. Would you sleep tonight if you thought that somehow a robber is going to break into your house and steal everything that the Lord has given you? No, you would not sleep. Would you go to sleep tonight if you thought that you're going to die in your sleep? No. Have you ever asked yourself this question? Why did you not die in your sleep last night?

[John Weaver] And you remember that verse, I quote it so often, Lamentations 3 verses 22 and 23. It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed. Because His compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness. And the only reason we're alive today is because God's infinite compassions and mercies to us through the night. And we need to thank Him each morning for those mercies and those compassions. And we need at the same time when we go to bed at night, thank Him for those mercies and compassions that allowed us to live through the day.

[John Weaver] So God mercifully and compassionately and faithfully watches over us while we sleep. He is our protection. I want you to turn to Psalm 121. Psalm 121. And look at verses 4 and 5.

[John Weaver] Psalm 121, verses 4 and 5. It may surprise you as you read through the Bible, really and truly find out how many verses there are that deal with sleep and rest. Psalm 121, verse 4, the Bible says, Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

[John Weaver] I remember years ago reading about a widow woman who had difficulty sleeping after her husband had died, because she was just simply fearful and concerned with the danger that lurked in the night. And consequently, she would just stay up as late as she could, many times reading her Bible, and just afraid to go to sleep, afraid someone would break in on her, Until she came to this passage, Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. And when she saw that, she thought about it for a minute and she said, Well, Lord, if you're going to sit up and watch over me, there's no need for both of us to stay awake. If you don't mind, I'm just going to sleep.

[John Weaver] And that's exactly what she did. Have you ever stopped to think How safe are we when the Father is watching over us? When we sleep. I want you to look in your Bibles. You'll have to see this. To the book of Ezekiel chapter 34. Ezekiel 34. Ezekiel 34.

[John Weaver] Notice you would please verse 25. Ezekiel 34 verse 25. I love this verse. He says, And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. Now how many would like to go to sleep in the woods? I mean with the bugs and the snakes and the bears God said, if I'm watching over you, sleeping in the woods is just as easy and safe as sleeping in a Holiday Inn. Probably safer. Isn't that amazing? God said that you could sleep in the woods as long as He's watching over you. John Calvin, in talking about Psalm 4 and verse 8, said this, David justly prefers the joy produced by the light of God's fatherly love before all other objects for inward peace of mind.

[John Weaver] It certainly surpasses all the blessings of which we can form any conception. David boasts that the protection of God alone was sufficient, that under it he sleeps as securely, although destitute of all human guardianship, as if he had had many to keep watch and ward continually over him. or as if He had been defended on all sides by a great company. Let us therefore learn from His example to yield this honor to God, to believe that although there may appear no help for us from men, yet under His hand alone we are kept in peace and safety as if we were surrounded by a great host." And the truth of the matter is, we are surrounded by a great host.

[John Weaver] You remember how Elisha was at Dothan and the Syrian army had compassed Dothan about to capture Elisha. And Elisha's servant went out and he saw the Syrian army. And he said to Elisha, Alas, Master, how shall we do? And Elisha prayed, Lord, open the young man's eyes. And when he opened the eyes, he saw chariots of flaming fire surrounding the entire mountains, they be far more with us than they that are with them. And he saw the angels of God and the protection of God.

[John Weaver] And this is exactly what Calvin is saying. This is exactly what David is saying. You know, the Bible tells us that our Lord has promised us in Hebrews 13 in verse 5, he said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Never. There's never ever a time when the saints of God are left alone. We often quote another verse, most of you can quote it, Psalm 23 and verse 4, where David said, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why?

[John Weaver] For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they cover me. Walking through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to listen. Since we know that God has ordained sleep, and since we understand that sleep is a means to be renewed, refreshed, and revived, I have a couple of questions for you. How many in this room are afraid to go to sleep? You say no? No one's afraid to go to sleep. Do you desire sleep? Well, of course, you know it's needed, you know it's necessary. There's not a person in this room that is afraid to go down to their bed and lie down and go to sleep. I'm asking you those questions and making those statements to show you the truth. Did you know that in the Bible, Death for the child of God is likened to sleep.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 2 first. I want to show you how the scripture teaches us that our Lord has taken away from us the fear of death. Look in the book of Hebrews chapter 2 and notice if you would verses 14 and 15. Hebrews 2. Verses 14 and 15. The Word of God says concerning our Christ, For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death

[John Weaver] were all their lifetime subject to bondage. So what does he deliver us from? He's delivered us from the devil. He's delivered us from the power of death. And He's delivered us from the fear of death.

[John Weaver] Now, we may not want to die. We may not necessarily be ready to die. But we should not fear to die. because our Lord has taken the fear out of death. I want you to look at a number of Scriptures with me. I want you to see, for the child of God, death is nothing more than going to sleep. Now let me ask you before I show you these Scriptures.

[John Weaver] If you know that you've got a big day tomorrow, a hard day, And you have the opportunity to go to bed an hour earlier, get a little bit of additional rest. Wouldn't you do it? Sure. You plan for it. You're eager for it. You're ready for it. I want you to begin looking, if you would please, to Deuteronomy 31. We're going to go from the old to the new.

[John Weaver] And I'm being very selective on these passages. There's so many of them. But Deuteronomy 31, verse 16. I want you to look what God tells Moses. Deuteronomy 31, verse 16. And the key word in each of these passages is sleep. Deuteronomy 31, and notice verse 16. And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers. And this people will rise up and go a-whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, And He tells what all the people are going to do. But look what He told Moses. Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers. You go to sleep. Look in 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12. 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12.

[John Weaver] God is speaking to David, and He says this, And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seat after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. But notice, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers. He'll go to sleep. Look in your Bibles, John 11. John 11. And we'll read verses 11 through 13. Here our Lord is speaking about Lazarus. John 11. Lazarus had died, and of course Christ was going to raise him from the dead. John 11, beginning there with verse 11. These things saith he, and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, But I go that I may awake him out of his sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

[John Weaver] Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought that he had spoken of taking rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. Now what did our Lord say concerning Lazarus? He's asleep. He was a believer. He just was asleep. And He said, I go that I might awaken him out of his sleep. And our Lord, then, is likening death just simply to sleep. If you would turn right over to the book of Acts chapter 13, and you will read what is said concerning David. Acts chapter 13. Notice verse 36. Acts 13 verse 36. Acts 13 verse 36. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep.

[John Weaver] and was laid into his father's and saw corruption." Note what? David fell asleep. That's all it says. Then when you turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Notice, if you would please, verse 51. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 51. The Apostle Paul says, Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. He's still talking about death. We shall all be changed. Then if you would turn right over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And notice verse 14. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 14. Again the apostle Paul said, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. In other words, those that have died. And then if you look in chapter 5 in verse 10 of 1 Thessalonians, talking about Christ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this analogy. I'd asked you earlier how many of you are afraid to go to sleep tonight, no one raised their hand, because you know sleep is needed. and necessary. And if you want to be refreshed and revived and energized in the morning, you're going to have to sleep tonight. Sleep is easy, needful and necessary. Likewise, we cannot live except we die. We cannot be resurrected without the sleep of death. We cannot enter into immortality without the passing away of our mortality. We cannot awaken in the likeness of Christ unless we put off the body of this death. We cannot put on our heavenly tabernacle unless we put off our earthly tabernacle. How difficult is it for a child of God to die? It is as easy as falling asleep in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] And then awakening to a wonderful, glorious eternity. Isaiah 28 verse 12 says it like this, This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest. And this is the refreshing. But then God had to say concerning those stiff-necked Israelites, which you would not hear. You wouldn't come to me that you might have it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you a beautiful picture of death. I want you to look in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12. Ecclesiastes chapter 12. And let's begin reading there with verse 5. Ecclesiastes 12 and verse 5. Look at this, Ecclesiastes 12 verse 5. Also, when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fear shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail, now watch, here it begins, because man goeth into his long home, death, and the mourners go about the streets,

[John Weaver] and here are pictures, or ever the silver cord be loosened, or the golden bowl broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, then shall the dust return into the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Spurgeon said it like this, O Lord, give us this calm repose on Thee, that like David, we may lie down in peace and sleep each night, while we also joyfully may lie down in the appointed season, to sleep in death to God." Someone has penned these words, how beautiful is sleep.

[John Weaver] The sleep that Christians know, ye mourners cease your woe, while soft upon his Savior's breast, the righteous sinks to endless rest. Who's afraid of going to sleep? As a child, I slept in my mother's arms, I slept in my father's arms. As an adult, when it comes my time to die, I will still sleep in my father's arms and awaken, resurrected, refreshed, revived to eternal joy. and service to Him who deserves all honor, praise, worship, and glory. Father, help us to thank Thee for the wonderful rest and sleep that You give us. Help us to think upon the picture of it and how, Lord, it represents our trust in Thee, our leaning upon Thee. And, Lord, thank You for Your protection that You've given us Thank You for Your goodness and kindness. Thank You for sleep and rest, life and health. And Lord, we just ask Your blessing upon all of Your people. Help us to be more appreciative, more thankful, more grateful, and more praising unto Thee. In Thy name we ask and pray, Amen.

The Blessings of Sleep and Rest Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	MtJ2tn6pMwM
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-11-27
Dictation Name
Book	Book 120: The Blessings of Sleep and Rest — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	68

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Neglected Topic of Sleep and Rest

Weaver introduces Psalm 4:8 and notes that sleep and rest are often taken for granted, though they consume a third to half of our lives. He shares personal anecdotes about asking guests how they slept and his own recent surgery recovery.

And as you open your Bibles to Psalm 4, I will go ahead and tell you that this message is going to be in two parts. And the main part will be next Lord's Day. Psalm 4 and verse 8. The title of the message is a very simple one: "The Blessings of Sleep and Rest." You've probably never heard a message like this. I've probably never preached a message like this, but yet I want you to see what the Scripture says. Psalm 4 and verse 8. David said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:8

"I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety."

There are two things that each of us take for granted, and those two things are rest and sleep. Since each one comes naturally, we simply assume that we're always going to be able to rest and always be able to sleep. And we really and truly, in one sense of the word, should be concerned with sleep and rest because usually from a third to one half of our lives are consumed with sleep and rest.

We're either sleeping or we're sitting or we're resting or, as we normally say, we're taking a break. I've heard numerous complaints concerning the fact that many do not sleep well or rest well, and I'm probably sure that there have been times in my life that I've enunciated the same complaints. When we do not sleep as we should, when we do not rest as we should, our sleep is fitful and we awaken sluggish and tired. Each of us have experienced such nights. The truth of the matter is, however, that most of us have had far more good nights of rest and sleep than we've had troubled nights of rest and sleep. Have you ever noticed how concerned we are with rest and sleep? For instance, especially when you have company at your house and they spend the night, usually the very first thing you ask them the next morning is, "How did you rest?" or "How did you sleep?" In fact, that was the first thing Granny Doris asked me this morning when she saw me.

Knowing that, you know, I'd had the surgery. "How did you rest?" And my answer was, "Well, you know." But I want you to consider, if you would, for just a little while this morning, just some of the truths. I'm going to hit more in detail next week, but just some of the truths from Psalm 4 and verse 8. We've never really considered this. And as I was reading through the book of Psalms recently, this verse struck me afresh.

The Promise of Sweet Sleep for the Obedient (Proverbs 3:21-26)

God promises that those who keep His commandments will lie down without fear and enjoy sweet sleep, with the Lord as their confidence.

Now, I want you to hold Psalm 4, we're coming back there, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 3. I'm going to start with this passage, and probably when I end next Sunday, I'm going to end with this passage as well, because I want you to see one of the blessings that God gives to those who obey His commandments, and those who bring their lives in conformity to His Word. So look in Proverbs chapter 3, and let's begin reading there, if you would please, with verse 21. He says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:21-26

"My son, let not them depart from thine eyes."

And the "them," of course, is His commandments. Go back, if you would, to verse 1. "My son, forget not My law, but let thine heart keep My commandments." So we're talking about God's law. We're talking about God's commandments. Now go back to verse 21. "My son, let not them," that is the law of God, the commandments of God, "depart from thine eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion."

"So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck." Now watch carefully. "Then shalt thou walk in the way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. For thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Watch, "Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken."

Now I want you to note verse 24. He said, "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." The promises of God in bringing abiding peace and comfort and restoration to those who trust in Him are absolutely phenomenal. I want you to turn right on over to Jeremiah chapter 33. And look, if you would, at this passage, Jeremiah 33, and let's begin reading there with verse 23. Jeremiah 33. Jeremiah 33, and we're going to begin reading at verse 23.

God Satisfies the Weary Soul (Jeremiah 31:23-26)

Weaver reads a passage (likely Jeremiah 31:25-26) where God satiates the weary soul and replenishes the sorrowful, leading Jeremiah to say his sleep was sweet.

Well, I think I may have the wrong passage there, or I'm looking in the wrong place. Let me look quite quickly. I've got the verse here. Let's see. Let's share my 33. Verse 23. 25, is that it? I just wrote it down wrong. All right. Verse 25.

No, that's not even the passage that I want. Let's see. Let's go to verse... Well, let me just read it for you. I have it written down here. Here's the passage. I'll have to correct the passage. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah, and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity. The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice and mountain of holiness, and they shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks."

Now listen carefully to what he says,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 31:25-26

"'For I have satiated the weary soul,' that is, I've filled it and overflowed it. I've satiated, I've satisfied the weary soul, and I've replenished every sorrowful soul.' Jeremiah says upon this, 'I'll awaken and be held, and my sleep was sweet unto me.'"

So here God says, even during the rest there, that He satiates and He satisfies. Now I want you to look back to Psalm 4 and verse 8. Psalm 4 and verse 8. And I want you to pay attention, if you would please, to the triple blessing that is bestowed here. David said, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. For thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety." So he talks about sleep, he talks about peace, and he talks about safety. But I want you to note how he words this in verse 8. "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep."

The Triple Blessing of Psalm 4:8: Peace, Sleep, and Safety

David declares he will lie down in peace and sleep simultaneously because the Lord alone makes him dwell in safety. Weaver highlights the word 'both' meaning 'at the same time.'

And the word "both" here literally means "at the same time." So at the same time, he said, "I will lay me down in peace and sleep." So his mind then will be at peace. Tranquility will possess his heart and therefore he will lie down and sleep calmly. And the reason he could sleep so calmly was because the Lord was indeed protecting him. Have you ever wondered about Peter's sleeping while he was imprisoned?

Peter's Peaceful Sleep in Prison (Acts 12:5-11)

Despite being chained between soldiers and facing execution, Peter slept so soundly that an angel had to strike him to wake him, demonstrating trust in God's sovereign preservation.

I want you to turn, if you would hold Psalm forward, coming back there, but I want you to turn to the book of Acts chapter 12. To me this is so exciting in one sense of the word. You remember Peter has been imprisoned by Herod. Herod had already cut off the Apostle James' head. And Peter was next on the list. And the Bible tells us in Acts chapter 12, beginning there with verse 5,

Scripture Reading — Acts 12:5-11

"Peter therefore was kept in prison." "But prayer was made without ceasing of the church of God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth..."

In other words, Herod intended on doing to Peter the same thing that he'd done to James.

Scripture Reading — Acts 12:5-11

"...when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison. And he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell from off his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him, and wist not that it was true what was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision."

"And when they were past the first and second ward, they came into the iron gate that leadeth into the city, which opened to them of his own accord. And they went out, and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him." "Now when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews." Now here's what is so impressive about this. If you'll go back to verses 6 and 7. "And when Herod would have brought him forth the same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison watch. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side." Now can you imagine? Here Peter is about to have his head cut off the next day. He's chained. He's sleeping between two soldiers. So he's not only chained, he's between two snoring soldiers and probably other snoring as well. A great light shines in the prison and the angel still has to slap him to wake him up. I mean, you know, he evidently understood something.

Historical Example: Nicholas Ridley's Calm Before Martyrdom

Bishop Nicholas Ridley, facing burning at the stake, declined his brother's company the night before, choosing to sleep as quietly as ever, trusting God's grace.

He understood the grace of God and the mercy of God. He understood exactly what David said in Psalm 4 and verse 8, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell safely." In other words, he understood God's sovereign preservation. Most of you have probably heard the name Nicholas Ridley. You've heard of Latimer and Ridley. Nicholas Ridley was the Bishop of London who was burned at the stake on October the 16th, 1555 by Bloody Queen Mary. And of course he was burned at the stake for his faith in Jesus Christ. Ridley's brother offered to remain with him during the night before his execution the next morning. But Nicholas Ridley declined saying, and I'm quoting, that he, Nicholas Ridley, meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever as he did in his entire life. And he did so. And the next morning he was burned at the stake. It's amazing the grace of God in sleep and rest. Now I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 3.

David's Confidence Amid Danger (Psalm 3:1-6)

David, surrounded by thousands of enemies, lay down and slept, awakening because the Lord sustained him, showing faith that brings peace day and night.

David certainly understood danger. David was in danger far more frequently than most people. David not only understood danger, he understood anxiety, he understood trouble, and yet in spite of all of his problems, he trusted in God to give him rest. Look in Psalm 3, beginning there in verse 1, he says it like this,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 3:1-6

"Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up against me."

So many tried to kill David.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 3:1-6

"Many there be which say of my soul there is no help for him in God. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill."

Now watch.

"I laid me down and slept. I awaked, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about." What did he say? "I laid me down and slept. I awaked for the Lord sustained me." And then he said, "I will not be afraid if ten thousands of people surround me." No one can fail to admire the beauty of this and no one can fail to perceive David's confidence in God and the assurance that all things are under God's absolute control. And it's this faith that is best fitted for peace, not only during the day, but during the night as well. It is God who preserves us. It is God who protects us.

Point 1: Our Bodies Need Sleep and Rest

God designed our bodies to need sleep; we are not machines. Jesus Himself grew weary (John 4:6) and told His disciples to rest (Mark 6:31). Psalm 103:13-14 reminds us God knows our frame.

Now, what I'd like to do this morning is this. I want you to see the needed and necessary truths from this verse as well as from other scriptures as they elucidate and explain this passage. Let me begin today with what I'm going to call some very simple points. And we're going to progress, Lord willing, from the simple to the more complex. The more complex will be next Sunday. But here's the very first truth that we are to understand in Psalm 4 and verse 8. Number one is this: our bodies need sleep and rest. And by the way, our need of sleep and rest is from the Lord. The Lord ordained it, we need it. He designed our bodies and as David said in Psalm 139, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are men. We are not supermen. We are not machines. We are not robots. There is only so much that we can do and no more. We are not God.

We are not little gods. We are not on our way to be gods. We are men. And consequently our bodies grow weary and tired. Let me show you from the book of Psalms, one of my favorite passages. If you look in Psalm 103, and notice if you would please, beginning there with verse 13. Psalm 103 and verse 13. Notice what the Scripture teaches. Psalm 103 verses 13 and 14.

The Bible tells us, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him, for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we're but dust." Notice, "...as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him, for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we're but dust." In other words, He knows our lives, He knows our limitations. He remembers that we're dust. The problem is, so often, we don't remember that we're dust. Do you know that our Lord, who is God incarnate, who is perfect God and perfect man, our Lord, who is God incarnate, grew weary and needed rest while He was in the incarnate state. In John 4 and verse 6, if you will turn there, John 4 and verse 6, and since you're going to be turning there, I'm going to ask you to turn back to the book of Mark just after this. But notice John 4 and verse 6. Here's the story of the Samaritan woman. John 4, notice if you would verse 5. Remember our Lord is perfect God and perfect man.

He knew no sin and yet He was weary because He had a body. Notice if you would, John 4 verse 5.

Scripture Reading — John 4:5-6

"Then cometh He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now, Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour."

Jesus, being wearied with his journey, sat on the well. And, of course, you know the story there, how he asked for water. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Mark, chapter 6, and see what our Lord told His disciples. Mark chapter 6, and notice if you would please, verse 31. Mark 6 and verse 31. In fact, let's read verse 30, so that you can see the context of it. Mark 6, verse 30, "And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught."

"And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately." So our Lord told his disciples, "Come ye apart in the desert, and rest a while." I never will forget, Lester Olaf used to say it like this, "If you don't come apart, you will come apart." And that's exactly what he meant. So, the truth of the matter is this, our bodies do need sleep and rest. Each night, when I lie down on the bed, I quote Psalm 4 and verse 8. And I ask the Lord to give me sleep and to give me rest. I even ask it for Alice. After I had the surgery the other day, I was told that I could not lift over five pounds for the next month or so. And I looked at Alice and I said, "You know that means that you'll have to do everything."

Point 2: It Is God Who Gives Sleep and Rest

Sleep is a good and perfect gift from God (James 1:17). Psalm 127:2 says He gives His beloved sleep. Weaver quotes Psalm 4:8 nightly and thanks God each morning.

She said, "I already do." So I pray for her as well, you know. But I ask the Lord for sleep and rest for both of us. Then each morning, I thank the Lord for the sleep and rest that He's given us. Why should I do that? Look in your Bibles to Psalm 92 in verse 2. Psalm 92 in verse 2. Here's an interesting verse. When you begin to tie these things together, Psalm 92 in verse 2, He says in verse 1, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises in the name of the Most High. To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning and Thy faithfulness every night."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 92:1-2

So what are we doing? We're asking Him for sleep and rest, and then when He gives it, we're thanking Him for His faithfulness. Adam Clarke said this based upon Psalm 4 and verse 8, and I'm quoting. He said, "Most men lie down and most sleep daily, for without rest and sleep, life could not be preserved. But alas, how few lie down in peace. Peace with their own consciences and peace with God. David had then two great blessings, rest by sleep and peace in his soul. He had a happy soul and when he lay down on his bed, his body soon enjoyed its repose, as the conscience was in peace. And he had a third blessing, a confidence that he should sleep in safety. And it was so. No fearful dreams disturbed his repose, for he had a mind tranquilized by the peace of God. As to his body that enjoyed its due rest, for he had not overloaded nature either with dainties or superfluities."

Now, I want you to pay close attention to this. David said, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. For thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety." In the midst of all of his troubles, in the midst of all of his trials, in the midst of all of his tribulations, David could sleep and rest. He was not tossing and tumbling. There were not a multitude of thoughts racing through his mind. He was able to sleep and rest because of his faith and trust in God. Now, many people I know complain about not being able to sleep.

There is a biblical remedy for that. It is not sleeping pills. If you want to know what the biblical remedy is, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 12, I will show you God's divine prescription for being able to sleep very comfortably and very well at night, outside of faith in Him. Notice if you would, Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 12. Here is God's divine remedy to be able to sleep at night. He says,

Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 5:12

"The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much. But the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep."

So God said, if you work hard during the day, you'll probably sleep pretty well at night. Whether you have a lot to eat or little to eat, it doesn't matter. When your body gets tired, you'll go to sleep. So the problem with most people today is most people do not work.

Have you ever stopped to think about this? Our grandparents and our great-grandparents worked from sunup to sundown. And sometimes during the night as well, they had no air conditioning, they sweat, they perspired. And as one young lady told me, I told her one day, I said, "Why Candace, you're sweating." She says, "Brother Weaver, southern girls don't sweat, they glow." I said, "Well, you're glowing quite well."

But, you know, and they never had half the problems that we have physically. And they were always able to rest and sleep because they worked so hard. So God is telling us very obviously that if we really want to sleep, we should work. Now, here's a second point. It is God who gives us sleep and rest. Do you understand that sleep and rest are gifts from God? Is sleep and is rest good? The answer is yes. Well, if it's good and it's a gift, you remember James 1, verses 16 and 17, when he said, "Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from above.

We're specifically told in Psalm 127 and verse 2. Here's another verse that I quote often. "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, and to eat the bread of sorrows. For so he giveth his beloved sleep." Did you hear that? He giveth his beloved sleep. It's a gift. It's a gift from God. Have you ever stopped to think that what God gave you last night was a gift? Spurgeon said on Psalm 4 in verse 8, "Sweet evening hymn, I shall not sit up to watch through fear, but I will lie down. And then I will not lie awake listening to every rustling sound, but I will lie down in peace and sleep, for I have naught to fear. He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain."

Point 3: God Protects Us While We Sleep

We are most vulnerable when unconscious. God alone is our keeper who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4-5). Weaver prays for protection of his conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind.

Which brings me to the third point, and that is this. It is God who protects us while we sleep and when we rest. Have you stopped to think about this? We are most vulnerable when we are unconscious. There's a prayer that I pray every night. I ask the Lord to guard my consciousness, my subconsciousness, and my unconsciousness. And one day I was thinking, "Well, Lord, there's no way that I can really keep my subconscious or my unconscious state." Then I got to thinking, really, there's no way I can even keep my conscious state. You can't stop thoughts from coming into your minds. You know, if God doesn't keep them, they're just simply not kept. And if we want our minds to be pure and clean and holy, we must ask God to protect us even while we sleep. I don't even want to dream anything that's wicked and ungodly and unholy and unbiblical. So I ask the Lord to protect. We're extremely vulnerable when we're unconscious. We cannot see. We cannot hear.

And have you ever awakened from a deep sleep, startled, and you get up and you're absolutely groggy? You don't know which way to turn. You don't know what to do. I remember one time Alice and I were so tired. We went to bed one Sunday afternoon after church. And when we woke up, we not only did not know what time it was, we did not even know what day it was. And the only thing I could think of was I was supposed to be preaching and I was late.

And it took us a while. In fact, she got to looking at the calendar and she couldn't even figure out the day from the calendar because we were totally out of it. Thankfully, I had a couple of hours before church that night, but I'm just simply saying, you are totally vulnerable either in deep sleep or when you immediately come out of it because you're so groggy, many times you don't even know which end is up. So let me ask you a question. We're talking about how God watches over us as we sleep. Would you go to sleep tonight if you thought that you would be murdered while you slept? I guarantee you would not sleep. Would you sleep tonight if you thought that somehow a robber is going to break into your house and steal everything that the Lord has given you? No, you would not sleep. Would you go to sleep tonight if you thought that you're going to die in your sleep? No. Have you ever asked yourself this question? Why did you not die in your sleep last night?

And you remember that verse, I quote it so often, Lamentations 3 verses 22 and 23. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed. Because His compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness." And the only reason we're alive today is because God's infinite compassions and mercies to us through the night. And we need to thank Him each morning for those mercies and those compassions. And we need at the same time when we go to bed at night, thank Him for those mercies and compassions that allowed us to live through the day.

So God mercifully and compassionately and faithfully watches over us while we sleep. He is our protection. I want you to turn to Psalm 121. Psalm 121. And look at verses 4 and 5.

Psalm 121, verses 4 and 5. It may surprise you as you read through the Bible, really and truly find out how many verses there are that deal with sleep and rest. Psalm 121, verse 4, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 121:4-5

"Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

I remember years ago reading about a widow woman who had difficulty sleeping after her husband had died, because she was just simply fearful and concerned with the danger that lurked in the night. And consequently, she would just stay up as late as she could, many times reading her Bible, and just afraid to go to sleep, afraid someone would break in on her, until she came to this passage,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 121:4-5

"Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper."

And when she saw that, she thought about it for a minute and she said, "Well, Lord, if you're going to sit up and watch over me, there's no need for both of us to stay awake. If you don't mind, I'm just going to sleep."

The Analogy of Sleep and Death for Believers

Scripture likens death to sleep for the righteous (Deut. 31:16; John 11:11-13; Acts 13:36; 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:14). Just as we do not fear nightly sleep, we need not fear death, which is falling asleep in Christ to awaken in resurrection.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 2 first. I want to show you how the scripture teaches us that our Lord has taken away from us the fear of death. Look in the book of Hebrews chapter 2 and notice if you would verses 14 and 15. Hebrews 2. Verses 14 and 15. The Word of God says concerning our Christ, "For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death" "were all their lifetime subject to bondage." So what does he deliver us from? He's delivered us from the devil. He's delivered us from the power of death. And He's delivered us from the fear of death.

Now, we may not want to die. We may not necessarily be ready to die. But we should not fear to die, because our Lord has taken the fear out of death. I want you to look at a number of Scriptures with me. I want you to see, for the child of God, death is nothing more than going to sleep. Now let me ask you before I show you these Scriptures. If you know that you've got a big day tomorrow, a hard day, and you have the opportunity to go to bed an hour earlier, get a little bit of additional rest. Wouldn't you do it? Sure. You plan for it. You're eager for it. You're ready for it. I want you to begin looking, if you would please, to Deuteronomy 31. We're going to go from the old to the new.

And I'm being very selective on these passages. There's so many of them. But Deuteronomy 31, verse 16. I want you to look what God tells Moses. Deuteronomy 31, verse 16. And the key word in each of these passages is "sleep." Deuteronomy 31, and notice verse 16.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 31:16

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers. And this people will rise up and go a-whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land." And He tells what all the people are going to do. But look what He told Moses. "Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers."

You go to sleep. Look in 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12. 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12.

God is speaking to David, and He says this, "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom." But notice, "thou shalt sleep with thy fathers." He'll go to sleep. Look in your Bibles, John 11. John 11. And we'll read verses 11 through 13. Here our Lord is speaking about Lazarus. John 11. Lazarus had died, and of course Christ was going to raise him from the dead. John 11, beginning there with verse 11. "These things saith he, and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of his sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well."

"Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought that he had spoken of taking rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." Now what did our Lord say concerning Lazarus? He's asleep. He was a believer. He just was asleep. And He said, "I go that I might awaken him out of his sleep." And our Lord, then, is likening death just simply to sleep. If you would turn right over to the book of Acts chapter 13, and you will read what is said concerning David. Acts chapter 13. Notice verse 36. Acts 13 verse 36. Acts 13 verse 36. "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep."

"and was laid into his father's and saw corruption." Note what? David fell asleep. That's all it says. Then when you turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Notice, if you would please, verse 51. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 51. The Apostle Paul says, "Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep." He's still talking about death. "We shall all be changed." Then if you would turn right over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And notice verse 14. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 14. Again the apostle Paul said, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." In other words, those that have died. And then if you look in chapter 5 in verse 10 of 1 Thessalonians, talking about Christ who died for us, "that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."

Now, I want you to think about this analogy. I'd asked you earlier how many of you are afraid to go to sleep tonight, no one raised their hand, because you know sleep is needed and necessary. And if you want to be refreshed and revived and energized in the morning, you're going to have to sleep tonight. Sleep is easy, needful and necessary. Likewise, we cannot live except we die. We cannot be resurrected without the sleep of death. We cannot enter into immortality without the passing away of our mortality. We cannot awaken in the likeness of Christ unless we put off the body of this death. We cannot put on our heavenly tabernacle unless we put off our earthly tabernacle. How difficult is it for a child of God to die? It is as easy as falling asleep in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then awakening to a wonderful, glorious eternity. Isaiah 28 verse 12 says it like this, "This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing." This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest. And this is the refreshing. But then God had to say concerning those stiff-necked Israelites, "which you would not hear." You wouldn't come to me that you might have it.

Now, let me show you a beautiful picture of death. I want you to look in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12. Ecclesiastes chapter 12. And let's begin reading there with verse 5. Ecclesiastes 12 and verse 5. Look at this, Ecclesiastes 12 verse 5. "Also, when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fear shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail," now watch, here it begins, "because man goeth into his long home," death, "and the mourners go about the streets,"

Conclusion: Rest in the Arms of the Father

Weaver closes with a poetic reflection on sleeping in the Savior's breast and a prayer of thanks for God's protection, rest, and the hope of resurrection.

"and here are pictures, or ever the silver cord be loosened, or the golden bowl broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, then shall the dust return into the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Spurgeon said it like this, "O Lord, give us this calm repose on Thee, that like David, we may lie down in peace and sleep each night, while we also joyfully may lie down in the appointed season, to sleep in death to God." Someone has penned these words, "How beautiful is sleep." "The sleep that Christians know, ye mourners cease your woe, while soft upon his Savior's breast, the righteous sinks to endless rest." Who's afraid of going to sleep? As a child, I slept in my mother's arms, I slept in my father's arms. As an adult, when it comes my time to die, I will still sleep in my father's arms and awaken, resurrected, refreshed, revived to eternal joy and service to Him who deserves all honor, praise, worship, and glory. Father, help us to thank Thee for the wonderful rest and sleep that You give us. Help us to think upon the picture of it and how, Lord, it represents our trust in Thee, our leaning upon Thee. And, Lord, thank You for Your protection that You've given us. Thank You for Your goodness and kindness. Thank You for sleep and rest, life and health. And Lord, we just ask Your blessing upon all of Your people. Help us to be more appreciative, more thankful, more grateful, and more praising unto Thee. In Thy name we ask and pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Sleep and rest as divine gifts

Summary: Sleep and rest are good gifts from God, not mere biological necessities. They are given by God to His beloved and should be received with thanksgiving.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'It is God who gives us sleep and rest... Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above' (James 1:17). He cites Psalm 127:2: 'He giveth his beloved sleep.'

Trust in God's protection enables peaceful sleep

Summary: Faith in God's sovereign care allows believers to sleep peacefully even in danger, as seen in David, Peter, and Nicholas Ridley.

Evidence: David said, 'I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety' (Psalm 4:8). Peter slept between soldiers before his expected execution (Acts 12:6-7).

Human limitation and dependence on God

Summary: Our bodies are frail and need rest; we are dust. Jesus Himself grew weary, modeling our need for physical renewal and dependence on the Father.

Evidence: Psalm 103:14: 'He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.' John 4:6: 'Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well.'

God's vigilant care during unconsciousness

Summary: God neither slumbers nor sleeps; He guards His people when they are most vulnerable. Believers can rest securely under His watch.

Evidence: Psalm 121:4-5: 'Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper.' Weaver prays for protection of his unconscious mind.

Death as sleep for the believer

Summary: Scripture consistently uses sleep as a metaphor for the death of the righteous, removing the fear of death and framing it as a peaceful transition to resurrection.

Evidence: John 11:11: 'Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.' 1 Thessalonians 4:14: 'them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.'

Obedience and sweet sleep

Summary: Keeping God's commandments leads to peaceful sleep, as promised in Proverbs 3:24. A clear conscience before God fosters rest.

Evidence: Proverbs 3:24: 'When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.'

Key Arguments

Sleep is a creation ordinance reflecting human finitude

Summary: God designed human bodies to require sleep; we are not self-sufficient. Ignoring this leads to physical and spiritual depletion.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Our bodies need sleep and rest... The Lord ordained it, we need it. He designed our bodies... We are men. We are not supermen.'

Peaceful sleep is a fruit of trusting God alone for safety

Summary: David's use of 'only' in Psalm 4:8 emphasizes that God alone is his keeper, not human guards. This exclusive trust produces inward peace.

Evidence: Weaver highlights the word 'only': 'For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety... It was God alone who was David's keeper.'

Hard work promotes restful sleep

Summary: Ecclesiastes 5:12 teaches that the sleep of a laboring man is sweet, contrasting with the restless rich. Physical exertion is a biblical aid to sleep.

Evidence: Weaver reads Ecclesiastes 5:12 and comments, 'God said, if you work hard during the day, you'll probably sleep pretty well at night.'

Christ's deliverance from the fear of death enables peaceful death-sleep

Summary: Hebrews 2:14-15 says Christ destroyed the devil's power of death to free believers from lifelong bondage to fear. Death becomes a sleep from which we awaken.

Evidence: Weaver reads Hebrews 2:14-15 and states, 'He's delivered us from the fear of death... death is nothing more than going to sleep.'

Morning thanksgiving for nightly rest is proper worship

Summary: Psalm 92:1-2 calls believers to declare God's lovingkindness in the morning and faithfulness at night. Weaver models thanking God daily for sleep.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Each morning, I thank the Lord for the sleep and rest that He's given us' and cites Psalm 92:2.

Scripture References

Psalm 4:8

Context: The central text: David declares he will lie down in peace and sleep because the Lord alone makes him dwell in safety.

Proverbs 3:21-26

Context: Promise that keeping God's commandments leads to safety, fearless lying down, and sweet sleep.

Jeremiah 31:25-26

Context: God satiates the weary soul and replenishes the sorrowful; Jeremiah awakes and finds his sleep sweet. (Weaver initially misstates the reference as Jeremiah 33.)

Acts 12:5-11

Context: Peter sleeps between two soldiers, bound with chains, while the church prays; an angel awakens him for deliverance.

Psalm 3:1-6

Context: David, surrounded by enemies, lies down and sleeps, sustained by the Lord, and will not fear ten thousands.

Psalm 103:13-14

Context: The Lord pities His children, knowing our frame and remembering we are dust.

John 4:5-6

Context: Jesus, wearied from His journey, sits by Jacob's well, demonstrating genuine human fatigue.

Mark 6:30-32

Context: Jesus invites His disciples to come apart to a desert place and rest a while due to the crowds.

Psalm 92:1-2

Context: It is good to show forth God's lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness every night.

Ecclesiastes 5:12

Context: The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

James 1:16-17

Context: Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights.

Psalm 127:2

Context: It is vain to rise early and stay up late; God gives His beloved sleep.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Context: The Lord's mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness.

Psalm 121:4-5

Context: He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps; the Lord is your keeper.

Ezekiel 34:25

Context: God will make a covenant of peace and cause His people to dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

Hebrews 13:5

Context: God has promised, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'

Psalm 23:4

Context: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.

Hebrews 2:14-15

Context: Christ partook of flesh and blood to destroy the devil and deliver those subject to bondage through fear of death.

Deuteronomy 31:16

Context: The Lord tells Moses, 'Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers,' using sleep as a metaphor for death.

John 11:11-14

Context: Jesus says Lazarus sleeps and He goes to awaken him; the disciples misunderstand until He plainly says Lazarus is dead.

Historical References

Nicholas Ridley (Bishop of London, martyred 1555)

Context: Ridley declined his brother's offer to stay with him the night before his execution, saying he meant to sleep as quietly as ever. He was burned at the stake by Queen Mary.

Adam Clarke (Methodist commentator, 1762-1832)

Context: Weaver quotes Clarke's commentary on Psalm 4:8, describing David's three blessings: rest by sleep, peace in his soul, and confidence of safety.

Charles Spurgeon (Baptist preacher, 1834-1892)

Context: Weaver quotes Spurgeon's 'Treasury of David' on Psalm 4:8: 'He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain.' Also quotes Spurgeon on death as sleep.

John Calvin (Reformer, 1509-1564)

Context: Weaver quotes Calvin's commentary on Psalm 4:8, emphasizing that David boasts in God's protection alone, sleeping securely without human guardianship.

Elisha at Dothan (2 Kings 6:15-17)

Context: Weaver references the story of Elisha's servant seeing the angelic army surrounding them, illustrating God's unseen protection.

Important Quotes

I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.

Significance: The foundational verse of the entire message, highlighting the triple blessing of peace, sleep, and safety through trust in God alone.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Significance: Proverbs 3:24 promise that obedience to God's commands results in fearless, sweet sleep.

He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we're but dust.

Significance: Psalm 103:14 underscores God's compassionate awareness of human frailty and need for rest.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, and to eat the bread of sorrows. For so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Significance: Psalm 127:2 teaches that sleep is a gift from God, not achieved by anxious toil.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper.

Significance: Psalm 121:4-5 assures believers of God's constant vigilance, enabling them to sleep securely.

Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of his sleep.

Significance: Jesus' words in John 11:11 establish the metaphor of death as sleep for believers, removing its terror.

He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain.

Significance: Spurgeon's poetic expression of the sufficiency of God's protection for peaceful sleep.

Discussion Questions

Why do we often take sleep and rest for granted, and how can we cultivate gratitude for these daily gifts?

Context: Weaver opens by noting that sleep and rest come naturally, so we assume they will always be available, yet they consume a third to half of our lives.

How does the promise of sweet sleep in Proverbs 3:24 relate to obedience and trust in God's commandments?

Context: Weaver reads Proverbs 3:21-26, linking keeping God's law with fearless, sweet sleep.

What does Peter's ability to sleep soundly in prison teach us about trusting God's sovereignty in dire circumstances?

Context: Acts 12:6-7 describes Peter sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, awaiting possible execution.

In what ways does our culture's pace and lack of physical labor contribute to sleep problems, and what biblical remedy does Ecclesiastes 5:12 offer?

Context: Weaver contrasts modern sedentary lifestyles with the hard work of previous generations and cites Ecclesiastes 5:12.

How should the truth that God neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4-5) change the way we pray before bed and face nighttime fears?

Context: Weaver shares the story of a widow who, after reading Psalm 121, decided to sleep because God was watching.

Why is the metaphor of death as sleep for believers so comforting, and how does it reshape our view of dying?

Context: Weaver traces the sleep-death analogy through Deuteronomy, John, Acts, and 1 Thessalonians, concluding that death is as easy as falling asleep in Christ.

What practical steps can we take to 'lie down in peace' each night, following David's example in Psalm 4:8?

Context: Weaver describes his nightly practice of quoting Psalm 4:8 and praying for sleep and protection.

Applications

Thank God daily for sleep and rest

Summary: Weaver models thanking God each morning for the sleep and rest He provided, based on Psalm 92:1-2. Believers should consciously acknowledge sleep as a gift.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Each morning, I thank the Lord for the sleep and rest that He's given us' and cites Psalm 92:2.

Pray for God's protection during sleep

Summary: Weaver prays nightly for God to guard his consciousness, subconsciousness, and unconsciousness, recognizing vulnerability during sleep.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'I ask the Lord to guard my consciousness, my subconsciousness, and my unconsciousness.'

Trust God's sovereignty to remove fear of death

Summary: Since Christ has delivered believers from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15), they can view death as falling asleep in Jesus, awaiting resurrection.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We should not fear to die, because our Lord has taken the fear out of death... death is nothing more than going to sleep.'

Engage in diligent labor to promote restful sleep

Summary: Ecclesiastes 5:12 teaches that hard work leads to sweet sleep. Weaver suggests physical exertion as a biblical aid to rest.

Evidence: Weaver comments, 'God said, if you work hard during the day, you'll probably sleep pretty well at night.'

Rest in God's faithful watchfulness

Summary: Because God never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4-5), believers can relinquish anxious vigilance and sleep peacefully, as the widow in Weaver's illustration did.

Evidence: Weaver recounts the widow who said, 'Well, Lord, if you're going to sit up and watch over me, there's no need for both of us to stay awake.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:29:31Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T21:21:32Z

Clean Transcript

The Blessings of Sleep and Rest Part 1 of 2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

And as you open your Bibles to Psalm 4, I will go ahead and tell you that this message is going to be in two parts. And the main part will be next Lord's Day. Psalm 4 and verse 8. The title of the message is a very simple one: "The Blessings of Sleep and Rest." You've probably never heard a message like this. I've probably never preached a message like this, but yet I want you to see what the Scripture says. Psalm 4 and verse 8. David said, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety." There are two things that each of us take for granted, and those two things are rest and sleep. Since each one comes naturally, we simply assume that we're always going to be able to rest and always be able to sleep. And we really and truly, in one sense of the word, should be concerned with sleep and rest because usually from a third to one half of our lives are consumed with sleep and rest.
#1 | 0:15 to 1:29 | cleaned
We're either sleeping or we're sitting or we're resting or, as we normally say, we're taking a break. I've heard numerous complaints concerning the fact that many do not sleep well or rest well, and I'm probably sure that there have been times in my life that I've enunciated the same complaints. When we do not sleep as we should, when we do not rest as we should, our sleep is fitful and we awaken sluggish and tired.
#2 | 1:29 to 2:00 | cleaned
Each of us have experienced such nights. The truth of the matter is, however, that most of us have had far more good nights of rest and sleep than we've had troubled nights of rest and sleep. Have you ever noticed how concerned we are with rest and sleep? For instance, especially when you have company at your house and they spend the night, usually the very first thing you ask them the next morning is, "How did you rest?" or "How did you sleep?" In fact, that was the first thing Granny Doris asked me this morning when she saw me.
#3 | 2:01 to 2:37 | cleaned
Knowing that, you know, I'd had the surgery. "How did you rest?" And my answer was, "Well, you know." But I want you to consider, if you would, for just a little while this morning, just some of the truths. I'm going to hit more in detail next week, but just some of the truths from Psalm 4 and verse 8. We've never really considered this. And as I was reading through the book of Psalms recently, this verse struck me afresh.
#4 | 2:37 to 3:03 | cleaned
In considering the mercy and the goodness of our great God and our Savior. Have you ever really considered what a genuine blessing it is to sleep and to rest? And what a genuine blessing it is to trust in the Lord for His grace and His mercy as you sleep and rest.
#5 | 3:04 to 3:24 | cleaned
Now, I want you to hold Psalm 4, we're coming back there, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 3. I'm going to start with this passage, and probably when I end next Sunday, I'm going to end with this passage as well, because I want you to see one of the blessings that God gives to those who obey His commandments, and those who bring their lives in conformity to His Word. So look in Proverbs chapter 3, and let's begin reading there, if you would please, with verse 21.
#6 | 3:24 to 3:58 | cleaned
He says, "My son, let not them depart from thine eyes." And the "them," of course, is His commandments. Go back, if you would, to verse 1. "My son, forget not My law, but let thine heart keep My commandments." So we're talking about God's law. We're talking about God's commandments. Now go back to verse 21. "My son, let not them," that is the law of God, the commandments of God, "depart from thine eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion."
#7 | 4:01 to 4:26 | cleaned
"So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck." Now watch carefully. "Then shalt thou walk in the way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. For thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Watch, "Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken."
#8 | 4:26 to 5:00 | cleaned
Now I want you to note verse 24. He said, "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." The promises of God in bringing abiding peace and comfort and restoration to those who trust in Him are absolutely phenomenal. I want you to turn right on over to Jeremiah chapter 33. And look, if you would, at this passage, Jeremiah 33, and let's begin reading there with verse 23. Jeremiah 33. Jeremiah 33, and we're going to begin reading at verse 23.
#9 | 5:01 to 5:53 | cleaned
Well, I think I may have the wrong passage there, or I'm looking in the wrong place. Let me look quite quickly. I've got the verse here. Let's see. Let's share my 33. Verse 23. 25, is that it? I just wrote it down wrong. All right. Verse 25.
#10 | 6:09 to 6:25 | cleaned
No, that's not even the passage that I want. Let's see. Let's go to verse... Well, let me just read it for you. I have it written down here. Here's the passage. I'll have to correct the passage. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah, and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity. The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice and mountain of holiness, and they shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks."
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Now listen carefully to what he says, "'For I have satiated the weary soul,' that is, I've filled it and overflowed it. I've satiated, I've satisfied the weary soul, and I've replenished every sorrowful soul.' Jeremiah says upon this, 'I'll awaken and be held, and my sleep was sweet unto me.'" So here God says, even during the rest there, that He satiates and He satisfies.
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Now I want you to look back to Psalm 4 and verse 8. Psalm 4 and verse 8. And I want you to pay attention, if you would please, to the triple blessing that is bestowed here. David said, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. For thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety." So he talks about sleep, he talks about peace, and he talks about safety. But I want you to note how he words this in verse 8. "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep."
#13 | 7:45 to 8:21 | cleaned
And the word "both" here literally means "at the same time." So at the same time, he said, "I will lay me down in peace and sleep." So his mind then will be at peace. Tranquility will possess his heart and therefore he will lie down and sleep calmly. And the reason he could sleep so calmly was because the Lord was indeed protecting him. Have you ever wondered about Peter's sleeping while he was imprisoned?
#14 | 8:21 to 8:50 | cleaned
I want you to turn, if you would hold Psalm forward, coming back there, but I want you to turn to the book of Acts chapter 12. To me this is so exciting in one sense of the word. You remember Peter has been imprisoned by Herod. Herod had already cut off the Apostle James' head. And Peter was next on the list. And the Bible tells us in Acts chapter 12, beginning there with verse 5, "Peter therefore was kept in prison."
#15 | 8:52 to 9:27 | cleaned
"But prayer was made without ceasing of the church of God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth..." In other words, Herod intended on doing to Peter the same thing that he'd done to James. "...when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison. And he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell from off his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him, and wist not that it was true what was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision."
#16 | 9:28 to 10:20 | cleaned
"And when they were past the first and second ward, they came into the iron gate that leadeth into the city, which opened to them of his own accord. And they went out, and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him."
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"Now when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews." Now here's what is so impressive about this. If you'll go back to verses 6 and 7. "And when Herod would have brought him forth the same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison watch. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side." Now can you imagine? Here Peter is about to have his head cut off the next day. He's chained. He's sleeping between two soldiers. So he's not only chained, he's between two snoring soldiers and probably other snoring as well. A great light shines in the prison and the angel still has to slap him to wake him up. I mean, you know, he evidently understood something.
#18 | 10:31 to 11:38 | cleaned
He understood the grace of God and the mercy of God. He understood exactly what David said in Psalm 4 and verse 8, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell safely." In other words, he understood God's sovereign preservation. Most of you have probably heard the name Nicholas Ridley. You've heard of Latimer and Ridley. Nicholas Ridley was the Bishop of London who was burned at the stake on October the 16th, 1555 by Bloody Queen Mary. And of course he was burned at the stake for his faith in Jesus Christ. Ridley's brother offered to remain with him during the night before his execution the next morning. But Nicholas Ridley declined saying, and I'm quoting, that he, Nicholas Ridley, meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever as he did in his entire life. And he did so. And the next morning he was burned at the stake. It's amazing the grace of God in sleep and rest. Now I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 3.
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David certainly understood danger. David was in danger far more frequently than most people. David not only understood danger, he understood anxiety, he understood trouble, and yet in spite of all of his problems, he trusted in God to give him rest. Look in Psalm 3, beginning there in verse 1, he says it like this, "Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up against me." So many tried to kill David. "Many there be which say of my soul there is no help for him in God. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill." Now watch.
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"I laid me down and slept. I awaked, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about." What did he say? "I laid me down and slept. I awaked for the Lord sustained me." And then he said, "I will not be afraid if ten thousands of people surround me." No one can fail to admire the beauty of this and no one can fail to perceive David's confidence in God and the assurance that all things are under God's absolute control.
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And it's this faith that is best fitted for peace, not only during the day, but during the night as well. It is God who preserves us. It is God who protects us.
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Now, what I'd like to do this morning is this. I want you to see the needed and necessary truths from this verse as well as from other scriptures as they elucidate and explain this passage. Let me begin today with what I'm going to call some very simple points. And we're going to progress, Lord willing, from the simple to the more complex. The more complex will be next Sunday. But here's the very first truth that we are to understand in Psalm 4 and verse 8.
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Number one is this: our bodies need sleep and rest. And by the way, our need of sleep and rest is from the Lord. The Lord ordained it, we need it. He designed our bodies and as David said in Psalm 139, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are men. We are not supermen. We are not machines. We are not robots. There is only so much that we can do and no more. We are not God.
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We are not little gods. We are not on our way to be gods. We are men. And consequently our bodies grow weary and tired. Let me show you from the book of Psalms, one of my favorite passages. If you look in Psalm 103, and notice if you would please, beginning there with verse 13. Psalm 103 and verse 13. Notice what the Scripture teaches. Psalm 103 verses 13 and 14.
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The Bible tells us, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him, for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we're but dust." Notice, "...as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him, for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we're but dust." In other words, He knows our lives, He knows our limitations. He remembers that we're dust. The problem is, so often, we don't remember that we're dust. Do you know that our Lord, who is God incarnate, who is perfect God and perfect man, our Lord, who is God incarnate, grew weary and needed rest while He was in the incarnate state.
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In John 4 and verse 6, if you will turn there, John 4 and verse 6, and since you're going to be turning there, I'm going to ask you to turn back to the book of Mark just after this. But notice John 4 and verse 6. Here's the story of the Samaritan woman. John 4, notice if you would verse 5. Remember our Lord is perfect God and perfect man.
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He knew no sin and yet He was weary because He had a body. Notice if you would, John 4 verse 5. "Then cometh He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now, Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour." Jesus, being wearied with his journey, sat on the well.
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And, of course, you know the story there, how he asked for water. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Mark, chapter 6, and see what our Lord told His disciples. Mark chapter 6, and notice if you would please, verse 31. Mark 6 and verse 31. In fact, let's read verse 30, so that you can see the context of it. Mark 6, verse 30, "And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught."
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"And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately." So our Lord told his disciples, "Come ye apart in the desert, and rest a while." I never will forget, Lester Olaf used to say it like this, "If you don't come apart, you will come apart."
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And that's exactly what he meant. So, the truth of the matter is this, our bodies do need sleep and rest. Each night, when I lie down on the bed, I quote Psalm 4 and verse 8. And I ask the Lord to give me sleep and to give me rest. I even ask it for Alice. After I had the surgery the other day, I was told that I could not lift over five pounds for the next month or so. And I looked at Alice and I said, "You know that means that you'll have to do everything."
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She said, "I already do." So I pray for her as well, you know. But I ask the Lord for sleep and rest for both of us. Then each morning, I thank the Lord for the sleep and rest that He's given us. Why should I do that? Look in your Bibles to Psalm 92 in verse 2. Psalm 92 in verse 2. Here's an interesting verse. When you begin to tie these things together, Psalm 92 in verse 2, He says in verse 1, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises in the name of the Most High. To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning and Thy faithfulness every night."
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So what are we doing? We're asking Him for sleep and rest, and then when He gives it, we're thanking Him for His faithfulness. Adam Clarke said this based upon Psalm 4 and verse 8, and I'm quoting. He said, "Most men lie down and most sleep daily, for without rest and sleep, life could not be preserved. But alas, how few lie down in peace. Peace with their own consciences and peace with God. David had then two great blessings, rest by sleep and peace in his soul. He had a happy soul and when he lay down on his bed, his body soon enjoyed its repose, as the conscience was in peace. And he had a third blessing, a confidence that he should sleep in safety. And it was so. No fearful dreams disturbed his repose, for he had a mind tranquilized by the peace of God. As to his body that enjoyed its due rest, for he had not overloaded nature either with dainties or superfluities."
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Now, I want you to pay close attention to this. David said, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. For thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety." In the midst of all of his troubles, in the midst of all of his trials, in the midst of all of his tribulations, David could sleep and rest. He was not tossing and tumbling. There were not a multitude of thoughts racing through his mind. He was able to sleep and rest because of his faith and trust in God. Now, many people I know complain about not being able to sleep.
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There is a biblical remedy for that. It is not sleeping pills. If you want to know what the biblical remedy is, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 12, I will show you God's divine prescription for being able to sleep very comfortably and very well at night, outside of faith in Him. Notice if you would, Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 12. Here is God's divine remedy to be able to sleep at night. He says, "The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much. But the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep." So God said, if you work hard during the day, you'll probably sleep pretty well at night. Whether you have a lot to eat or little to eat, it doesn't matter. When your body gets tired, you'll go to sleep. So the problem with most people today is most people do not work.
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Have you ever stopped to think about this? Our grandparents and our great-grandparents worked from sunup to sundown. And sometimes during the night as well, they had no air conditioning, they sweat, they perspired. And as one young lady told me, I told her one day, I said, "Why Candace, you're sweating." She says, "Brother Weaver, southern girls don't sweat, they glow." I said, "Well, you're glowing quite well."
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But, you know, and they never had half the problems that we have physically. And they were always able to rest and sleep because they worked so hard. So God is telling us very obviously that if we really want to sleep, we should work.
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Now, here's a second point. It is God who gives us sleep and rest. Do you understand that sleep and rest are gifts from God? Is sleep and is rest good? The answer is yes. Well, if it's good and it's a gift, you remember James 1, verses 16 and 17, when he said, "Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from above.
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We're specifically told in Psalm 127 and verse 2. Here's another verse that I quote often. "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, and to eat the bread of sorrows. For so he giveth his beloved sleep." Did you hear that? He giveth his beloved sleep. It's a gift. It's a gift from God. Have you ever stopped to think that what God gave you last night was a gift? Spurgeon said on Psalm 4 in verse 8, "Sweet evening hymn, I shall not sit up to watch through fear, but I will lie down. And then I will not lie awake listening to every rustling sound, but I will lie down in peace and sleep, for I have naught to fear. He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain."
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Better than bolts or bars is the protection of the Lord. Armed men kept the bed of Solomon, but we do not believe that he slept more soundly than his father, whose bed was the hard ground and who was hunted by many bloodthirsty foes. I want you to look back at one word in Psalm 4 and verse 8. I want to emphasize the word "only." Psalm 4, verse 8. Look what David said. Psalm 4, verse 8. David said, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." God only makes me dwell in safety. "Only" means that it was God alone who was David's keeper. It meant David was basically without man's help. I know that David had his 300, sometimes 600 men. I understand that. But David was not trusting his men for protection. David was trusting in the Lord. He said, "For thou only makest me to dwell in safety." In other words, it was God and God alone who's protecting him.
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Which brings me to the third point, and that is this. It is God who protects us while we sleep and when we rest. Have you stopped to think about this? We are most vulnerable when we are unconscious. There's a prayer that I pray every night. I ask the Lord to guard my consciousness, my subconsciousness, and my unconsciousness. And one day I was thinking, "Well, Lord, there's no way that I can really keep my subconscious or my unconscious state." Then I got to thinking, really, there's no way I can even keep my conscious state. You can't stop thoughts from coming into your minds. You know, if God doesn't keep them, they're just simply not kept. And if we want our minds to be pure and clean and holy, we must ask God to protect us even while we sleep. I don't even want to dream anything that's wicked and ungodly and unholy and unbiblical. So I ask the Lord to protect. We're extremely vulnerable when we're unconscious. We cannot see. We cannot hear.
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And have you ever awakened from a deep sleep, startled, and you get up and you're absolutely groggy? You don't know which way to turn. You don't know what to do. I remember one time Alice and I were so tired. We went to bed one Sunday afternoon after church. And when we woke up, we not only did not know what time it was, we did not even know what day it was. And the only thing I could think of was I was supposed to be preaching and I was late.
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And it took us a while. In fact, she got to looking at the calendar and she couldn't even figure out the day from the calendar because we were totally out of it. Thankfully, I had a couple of hours before church that night, but I'm just simply saying, you are totally vulnerable either in deep sleep or when you immediately come out of it because you're so groggy, many times you don't even know which end is up.
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So let me ask you a question. We're talking about how God watches over us as we sleep. Would you go to sleep tonight if you thought that you would be murdered while you slept? I guarantee you would not sleep. Would you sleep tonight if you thought that somehow a robber is going to break into your house and steal everything that the Lord has given you? No, you would not sleep. Would you go to sleep tonight if you thought that you're going to die in your sleep? No. Have you ever asked yourself this question? Why did you not die in your sleep last night?
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And you remember that verse, I quote it so often, Lamentations 3 verses 22 and 23. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed. Because His compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness." And the only reason we're alive today is because God's infinite compassions and mercies to us through the night. And we need to thank Him each morning for those mercies and those compassions. And we need at the same time when we go to bed at night, thank Him for those mercies and compassions that allowed us to live through the day.
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So God mercifully and compassionately and faithfully watches over us while we sleep. He is our protection. I want you to turn to Psalm 121. Psalm 121. And look at verses 4 and 5.
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Psalm 121, verses 4 and 5. It may surprise you as you read through the Bible, really and truly find out how many verses there are that deal with sleep and rest. Psalm 121, verse 4, the Bible says, "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."
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I remember years ago reading about a widow woman who had difficulty sleeping after her husband had died, because she was just simply fearful and concerned with the danger that lurked in the night. And consequently, she would just stay up as late as she could, many times reading her Bible, and just afraid to go to sleep, afraid someone would break in on her, until she came to this passage, "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper." And when she saw that, she thought about it for a minute and she said, "Well, Lord, if you're going to sit up and watch over me, there's no need for both of us to stay awake. If you don't mind, I'm just going to sleep."
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And that's exactly what she did. Have you ever stopped to think how safe are we when the Father is watching over us? When we sleep. I want you to look in your Bibles. You'll have to see this. To the book of Ezekiel chapter 34. Ezekiel 34. Ezekiel 34.
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Notice you would please verse 25. Ezekiel 34 verse 25. I love this verse. He says, "And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods." Now how many would like to go to sleep in the woods? I mean with the bugs and the snakes and the bears. God said, if I'm watching over you, sleeping in the woods is just as easy and safe as sleeping in a Holiday Inn. Probably safer. Isn't that amazing? God said that you could sleep in the woods as long as He's watching over you. John Calvin, in talking about Psalm 4 and verse 8, said this, "David justly prefers the joy produced by the light of God's fatherly love before all other objects for inward peace of mind."
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"It certainly surpasses all the blessings of which we can form any conception. David boasts that the protection of God alone was sufficient, that under it he sleeps as securely, although destitute of all human guardianship, as if he had had many to keep watch and ward continually over him, or as if He had been defended on all sides by a great company. Let us therefore learn from His example to yield this honor to God, to believe that although there may appear no help for us from men, yet under His hand alone we are kept in peace and safety as if we were surrounded by a great host." And the truth of the matter is, we are surrounded by a great host.
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You remember how Elisha was at Dothan and the Syrian army had compassed Dothan about to capture Elisha. And Elisha's servant went out and he saw the Syrian army. And he said to Elisha, "Alas, Master, how shall we do?" And Elisha prayed, "Lord, open the young man's eyes." And when he opened the eyes, he saw chariots of flaming fire surrounding the entire mountains, they be far more with us than they that are with them. And he saw the angels of God and the protection of God.
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And this is exactly what Calvin is saying. This is exactly what David is saying. You know, the Bible tells us that our Lord has promised us in Hebrews 13 in verse 5, he said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Never. There's never ever a time when the saints of God are left alone. We often quote another verse, most of you can quote it, Psalm 23 and verse 4, where David said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Why?
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"For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Walking through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me.
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Now I want you to listen. Since we know that God has ordained sleep, and since we understand that sleep is a means to be renewed, refreshed, and revived, I have a couple of questions for you. How many in this room are afraid to go to sleep? You say no? No one's afraid to go to sleep. Do you desire sleep? Well, of course, you know it's needed, you know it's necessary. There's not a person in this room that is afraid to go down to their bed and lie down and go to sleep. I'm asking you those questions and making those statements to show you the truth. Did you know that in the Bible, death for the child of God is likened to sleep.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 2 first. I want to show you how the scripture teaches us that our Lord has taken away from us the fear of death. Look in the book of Hebrews chapter 2 and notice if you would verses 14 and 15. Hebrews 2. Verses 14 and 15. The Word of God says concerning our Christ, "For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death"
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"were all their lifetime subject to bondage." So what does he deliver us from? He's delivered us from the devil. He's delivered us from the power of death. And He's delivered us from the fear of death.
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Now, we may not want to die. We may not necessarily be ready to die. But we should not fear to die, because our Lord has taken the fear out of death. I want you to look at a number of Scriptures with me. I want you to see, for the child of God, death is nothing more than going to sleep. Now let me ask you before I show you these Scriptures.
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If you know that you've got a big day tomorrow, a hard day, and you have the opportunity to go to bed an hour earlier, get a little bit of additional rest. Wouldn't you do it? Sure. You plan for it. You're eager for it. You're ready for it. I want you to begin looking, if you would please, to Deuteronomy 31. We're going to go from the old to the new.
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And I'm being very selective on these passages. There's so many of them. But Deuteronomy 31, verse 16. I want you to look what God tells Moses. Deuteronomy 31, verse 16. And the key word in each of these passages is "sleep." Deuteronomy 31, and notice verse 16. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers. And this people will rise up and go a-whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land." And He tells what all the people are going to do. But look what He told Moses. "Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers." You go to sleep. Look in 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12. 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12.
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God is speaking to David, and He says this, "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom." But notice, "thou shalt sleep with thy fathers." He'll go to sleep. Look in your Bibles, John 11. John 11. And we'll read verses 11 through 13. Here our Lord is speaking about Lazarus. John 11. Lazarus had died, and of course Christ was going to raise him from the dead. John 11, beginning there with verse 11. "These things saith he, and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of his sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well."
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"Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought that he had spoken of taking rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." Now what did our Lord say concerning Lazarus? He's asleep. He was a believer. He just was asleep. And He said, "I go that I might awaken him out of his sleep." And our Lord, then, is likening death just simply to sleep. If you would turn right over to the book of Acts chapter 13, and you will read what is said concerning David. Acts chapter 13. Notice verse 36. Acts 13 verse 36. Acts 13 verse 36. "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep."
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"and was laid into his father's and saw corruption." Note what? David fell asleep. That's all it says. Then when you turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Notice, if you would please, verse 51. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 51. The Apostle Paul says, "Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep." He's still talking about death. "We shall all be changed." Then if you would turn right over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And notice verse 14. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 14. Again the apostle Paul said, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." In other words, those that have died. And then if you look in chapter 5 in verse 10 of 1 Thessalonians, talking about Christ who died for us, "that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."
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Now, I want you to think about this analogy. I'd asked you earlier how many of you are afraid to go to sleep tonight, no one raised their hand, because you know sleep is needed and necessary. And if you want to be refreshed and revived and energized in the morning, you're going to have to sleep tonight. Sleep is easy, needful and necessary. Likewise, we cannot live except we die. We cannot be resurrected without the sleep of death. We cannot enter into immortality without the passing away of our mortality. We cannot awaken in the likeness of Christ unless we put off the body of this death. We cannot put on our heavenly tabernacle unless we put off our earthly tabernacle. How difficult is it for a child of God to die? It is as easy as falling asleep in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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And then awakening to a wonderful, glorious eternity. Isaiah 28 verse 12 says it like this, "This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing." This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest. And this is the refreshing. But then God had to say concerning those stiff-necked Israelites, "which you would not hear." You wouldn't come to me that you might have it.
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Now, let me show you a beautiful picture of death. I want you to look in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12. Ecclesiastes chapter 12. And let's begin reading there with verse 5. Ecclesiastes 12 and verse 5. Look at this, Ecclesiastes 12 verse 5. "Also, when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fear shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail," now watch, here it begins, "because man goeth into his long home," death, "and the mourners go about the streets,"
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"and here are pictures, or ever the silver cord be loosened, or the golden bowl broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, then shall the dust return into the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Spurgeon said it like this, "O Lord, give us this calm repose on Thee, that like David, we may lie down in peace and sleep each night, while we also joyfully may lie down in the appointed season, to sleep in death to God." Someone has penned these words, "How beautiful is sleep."
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"The sleep that Christians know, ye mourners cease your woe, while soft upon his Savior's breast, the righteous sinks to endless rest." Who's afraid of going to sleep? As a child, I slept in my mother's arms, I slept in my father's arms. As an adult, when it comes my time to die, I will still sleep in my father's arms and awaken, resurrected, refreshed, revived to eternal joy and service to Him who deserves all honor, praise, worship, and glory. Father, help us to thank Thee for the wonderful rest and sleep that You give us. Help us to think upon the picture of it and how, Lord, it represents our trust in Thee, our leaning upon Thee. And, Lord, thank You for Your protection that You've given us. Thank You for Your goodness and kindness. Thank You for sleep and rest, life and health. And Lord, we just ask Your blessing upon all of Your people. Help us to be more appreciative, more thankful, more grateful, and more praising unto Thee. In Thy name we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:29:31Z

The Blessings of Sleep and Rest Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver introduces a two-part message on the biblical blessings of sleep and rest, focusing on Psalm 4:8. He emphasizes that sleep and rest are gifts from God, ordained for our physical and spiritual renewal. David's trust in God allowed him to lie down in peace and sleep, knowing God alone provided safety. The sermon explores how our bodies need sleep, God grants it, and He protects us during our most vulnerable unconscious hours. Weaver also draws an analogy between sleep and death for believers, showing that just as we do not fear nightly sleep, we need not fear death, which is merely falling asleep in Christ to awaken in resurrection.

Introduction: The Neglected Topic of Sleep and Rest

Scripture Reading — Psalm 4:8

"I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety."

The Promise of Sweet Sleep for the Obedient (Proverbs 3:21-26)

God promises that those who keep His commandments will lie down without fear and enjoy sweet sleep, with the Lord as their confidence.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:21-26

"My son, let not them depart from thine eyes."

God Satisfies the Weary Soul (Jeremiah 31:23-26)

Weaver reads a passage (likely Jeremiah 31:25-26) where God satiates the weary soul and replenishes the sorrowful, leading Jeremiah to say his sleep was sweet.

Now listen carefully to what he says,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 31:25-26

"'For I have satiated the weary soul,' that is, I've filled it and overflowed it. I've satiated, I've satisfied the weary soul, and I've replenished every sorrowful soul.' Jeremiah says upon this, 'I'll awaken and be held, and my sleep was sweet unto me.'"

The Triple Blessing of Psalm 4:8: Peace, Sleep, and Safety

David declares he will lie down in peace and sleep simultaneously because the Lord alone makes him dwell in safety. Weaver highlights the word 'both' meaning 'at the same time.'

Peter's Peaceful Sleep in Prison (Acts 12:5-11)

Despite being chained between soldiers and facing execution, Peter slept so soundly that an angel had to strike him to wake him, demonstrating trust in God's sovereign preservation.

Scripture Reading — Acts 12:5-11

"Peter therefore was kept in prison." "But prayer was made without ceasing of the church of God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth..."

In other words, Herod intended on doing to Peter the same thing that he'd done to James.

Scripture Reading — Acts 12:5-11

"...when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison. And he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell from off his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him, and wist not that it was true what was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision."

Historical Example: Nicholas Ridley's Calm Before Martyrdom

Bishop Nicholas Ridley, facing burning at the stake, declined his brother's company the night before, choosing to sleep as quietly as ever, trusting God's grace.

David's Confidence Amid Danger (Psalm 3:1-6)

David, surrounded by thousands of enemies, lay down and slept, awakening because the Lord sustained him, showing faith that brings peace day and night.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 3:1-6

"Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up against me."

So many tried to kill David.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 3:1-6

"Many there be which say of my soul there is no help for him in God. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill."

Now watch.

Point 1: Our Bodies Need Sleep and Rest

God designed our bodies to need sleep; we are not machines. Jesus Himself grew weary (John 4:6) and told His disciples to rest (Mark 6:31). Psalm 103:13-14 reminds us God knows our frame.

He knew no sin and yet He was weary because He had a body. Notice if you would, John 4 verse 5.

Scripture Reading — John 4:5-6

"Then cometh He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now, Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well, and it was about the sixth hour."

Point 2: It Is God Who Gives Sleep and Rest

Sleep is a good and perfect gift from God (James 1:17). Psalm 127:2 says He gives His beloved sleep. Weaver quotes Psalm 4:8 nightly and thanks God each morning.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 92:1-2

So what are we doing? We're asking Him for sleep and rest, and then when He gives it, we're thanking Him for His faithfulness. Adam Clarke said this based upon Psalm 4 and verse 8, and I'm quoting. He said, "Most men lie down and most sleep daily, for without rest and sleep, life could not be preserved. But alas, how few lie down in peace. Peace with their own consciences and peace with God. David had then two great blessings, rest by sleep and peace in his soul. He had a happy soul and when he lay down on his bed, his body soon enjoyed its repose, as the conscience was in peace. And he had a third blessing, a confidence that he should sleep in safety. And it was so. No fearful dreams disturbed his repose, for he had a mind tranquilized by the peace of God. As to his body that enjoyed its due rest, for he had not overloaded nature either with dainties or superfluities."

Scripture Reading — Ecclesiastes 5:12

"The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much. But the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep."

Point 3: God Protects Us While We Sleep

We are most vulnerable when unconscious. God alone is our keeper who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4-5). Weaver prays for protection of his conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind.

So God mercifully and compassionately and faithfully watches over us while we sleep. He is our protection. I want you to turn to Psalm 121. Psalm 121. And look at verses 4 and 5.

Psalm 121, verses 4 and 5. It may surprise you as you read through the Bible, really and truly find out how many verses there are that deal with sleep and rest. Psalm 121, verse 4, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 121:4-5

"Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 121:4-5

"Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper."

The Analogy of Sleep and Death for Believers

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 31:16

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers. And this people will rise up and go a-whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land." And He tells what all the people are going to do. But look what He told Moses. "Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers."

You go to sleep. Look in 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12. 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 12.

Conclusion: Rest in the Arms of the Father

Weaver closes with a poetic reflection on sleeping in the Savior's breast and a prayer of thanks for God's protection, rest, and the hope of resurrection.

The Blessings of Sleep and Rest Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	MtJ2tn6pMwM
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-11-27
Dictation Name
Book	Book 120: The Blessings of Sleep and Rest — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	68

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Neglected Topic of Sleep and Rest: Weaver introduces Psalm 4:8 and notes that sleep and rest are often taken for granted, though they consume a third to half of our lives. He shares personal anecdotes about asking guests how they slept and his own recent surgery recovery.
The Promise of Sweet Sleep for the Obedient (Proverbs 3:21-26): God promises that those who keep His commandments will lie down without fear and enjoy sweet sleep, with the Lord as their confidence.
God Satisfies the Weary Soul (Jeremiah 31:23-26): Weaver reads a passage (likely Jeremiah 31:25-26) where God satiates the weary soul and replenishes the sorrowful, leading Jeremiah to say his sleep was sweet.
The Triple Blessing of Psalm 4:8: Peace, Sleep, and Safety: David declares he will lie down in peace and sleep simultaneously because the Lord alone makes him dwell in safety. Weaver highlights the word 'both' meaning 'at the same time.'
Peter's Peaceful Sleep in Prison (Acts 12:5-11): Despite being chained between soldiers and facing execution, Peter slept so soundly that an angel had to strike him to wake him, demonstrating trust in God's sovereign preservation.
Historical Example: Nicholas Ridley's Calm Before Martyrdom: Bishop Nicholas Ridley, facing burning at the stake, declined his brother's company the night before, choosing to sleep as quietly as ever, trusting God's grace.
David's Confidence Amid Danger (Psalm 3:1-6): David, surrounded by thousands of enemies, lay down and slept, awakening because the Lord sustained him, showing faith that brings peace day and night.
Point 1: Our Bodies Need Sleep and Rest: God designed our bodies to need sleep; we are not machines. Jesus Himself grew weary (John 4:6) and told His disciples to rest (Mark 6:31). Psalm 103:13-14 reminds us God knows our frame.
Point 2: It Is God Who Gives Sleep and Rest: Sleep is a good and perfect gift from God (James 1:17). Psalm 127:2 says He gives His beloved sleep. Weaver quotes Psalm 4:8 nightly and thanks God each morning.
Point 3: God Protects Us While We Sleep: We are most vulnerable when unconscious. God alone is our keeper who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4-5). Weaver prays for protection of his conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind.
The Analogy of Sleep and Death for Believers: Scripture likens death to sleep for the righteous (Deut. 31:16; John 11:11-13; Acts 13:36; 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:14). Just as we do not fear nightly sleep, we need not fear death, which is falling asleep in Christ to awaken in resurrection.
Conclusion: Rest in the Arms of the Father: Weaver closes with a poetic reflection on sleeping in the Savior's breast and a prayer of thanks for God's protection, rest, and the hope of resurrection.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Sleep is a creation ordinance reflecting human finitude

God designed human bodies to require sleep; we are not self-sufficient. Ignoring this leads to physical and spiritual depletion.

Weaver says, 'Our bodies need sleep and rest... The Lord ordained it, we need it. He designed our bodies... We are men. We are not supermen.'

Peaceful sleep is a fruit of trusting God alone for safety

David's use of 'only' in Psalm 4:8 emphasizes that God alone is his keeper, not human guards. This exclusive trust produces inward peace.

Weaver highlights the word 'only': 'For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety... It was God alone who was David's keeper.'

Hard work promotes restful sleep

Ecclesiastes 5:12 teaches that the sleep of a laboring man is sweet, contrasting with the restless rich. Physical exertion is a biblical aid to sleep.

Weaver reads Ecclesiastes 5:12 and comments, 'God said, if you work hard during the day, you'll probably sleep pretty well at night.'

Christ's deliverance from the fear of death enables peaceful death-sleep

Hebrews 2:14-15 says Christ destroyed the devil's power of death to free believers from lifelong bondage to fear. Death becomes a sleep from which we awaken.

Weaver reads Hebrews 2:14-15 and states, 'He's delivered us from the fear of death... death is nothing more than going to sleep.'

Morning thanksgiving for nightly rest is proper worship

Psalm 92:1-2 calls believers to declare God's lovingkindness in the morning and faithfulness at night. Weaver models thanking God daily for sleep.

Weaver says, 'Each morning, I thank the Lord for the sleep and rest that He's given us' and cites Psalm 92:2.

Scripture References

Psalm 4:8: The central text: David declares he will lie down in peace and sleep because the Lord alone makes him dwell in safety.
Proverbs 3:21-26: Promise that keeping God's commandments leads to safety, fearless lying down, and sweet sleep.
Jeremiah 31:25-26: God satiates the weary soul and replenishes the sorrowful; Jeremiah awakes and finds his sleep sweet. (Weaver initially misstates the reference as Jeremiah 33.)
Acts 12:5-11: Peter sleeps between two soldiers, bound with chains, while the church prays; an angel awakens him for deliverance.
Psalm 3:1-6: David, surrounded by enemies, lies down and sleeps, sustained by the Lord, and will not fear ten thousands.
Psalm 103:13-14: The Lord pities His children, knowing our frame and remembering we are dust.
John 4:5-6: Jesus, wearied from His journey, sits by Jacob's well, demonstrating genuine human fatigue.
Mark 6:30-32: Jesus invites His disciples to come apart to a desert place and rest a while due to the crowds.
Psalm 92:1-2: It is good to show forth God's lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness every night.
Ecclesiastes 5:12: The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
James 1:16-17: Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights.
Psalm 127:2: It is vain to rise early and stay up late; God gives His beloved sleep.
Lamentations 3:22-23: The Lord's mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness.
Psalm 121:4-5: He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps; the Lord is your keeper.
Ezekiel 34:25: God will make a covenant of peace and cause His people to dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
Hebrews 13:5: God has promised, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'
Psalm 23:4: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
Hebrews 2:14-15: Christ partook of flesh and blood to destroy the devil and deliver those subject to bondage through fear of death.
Deuteronomy 31:16: The Lord tells Moses, 'Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers,' using sleep as a metaphor for death.
John 11:11-14: Jesus says Lazarus sleeps and He goes to awaken him; the disciples misunderstand until He plainly says Lazarus is dead.

Historical References

Nicholas Ridley (Bishop of London, martyred 1555): Ridley declined his brother's offer to stay with him the night before his execution, saying he meant to sleep as quietly as ever. He was burned at the stake by Queen Mary.
Adam Clarke (Methodist commentator, 1762-1832): Weaver quotes Clarke's commentary on Psalm 4:8, describing David's three blessings: rest by sleep, peace in his soul, and confidence of safety.
Charles Spurgeon (Baptist preacher, 1834-1892): Weaver quotes Spurgeon's 'Treasury of David' on Psalm 4:8: 'He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain.' Also quotes Spurgeon on death as sleep.
John Calvin (Reformer, 1509-1564): Weaver quotes Calvin's commentary on Psalm 4:8, emphasizing that David boasts in God's protection alone, sleeping securely without human guardianship.
Elisha at Dothan (2 Kings 6:15-17): Weaver references the story of Elisha's servant seeing the angelic army surrounding them, illustrating God's unseen protection.

Important Quotes

I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.

The foundational verse of the entire message, highlighting the triple blessing of peace, sleep, and safety through trust in God alone.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Proverbs 3:24 promise that obedience to God's commands results in fearless, sweet sleep.

He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we're but dust.

Psalm 103:14 underscores God's compassionate awareness of human frailty and need for rest.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, and to eat the bread of sorrows. For so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Psalm 127:2 teaches that sleep is a gift from God, not achieved by anxious toil.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper.

Psalm 121:4-5 assures believers of God's constant vigilance, enabling them to sleep securely.

Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of his sleep.

Jesus' words in John 11:11 establish the metaphor of death as sleep for believers, removing its terror.

He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain.

Spurgeon's poetic expression of the sufficiency of God's protection for peaceful sleep.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why do we often take sleep and rest for granted, and how can we cultivate gratitude for these daily gifts?

[Context]

Weaver opens by noting that sleep and rest come naturally, so we assume they will always be available, yet they consume a third to half of our lives.

[Question]

How does the promise of sweet sleep in Proverbs 3:24 relate to obedience and trust in God's commandments?

[Context]

Weaver reads Proverbs 3:21-26, linking keeping God's law with fearless, sweet sleep.

[Question]

What does Peter's ability to sleep soundly in prison teach us about trusting God's sovereignty in dire circumstances?

[Context]

Acts 12:6-7 describes Peter sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, awaiting possible execution.

[Question]

In what ways does our culture's pace and lack of physical labor contribute to sleep problems, and what biblical remedy does Ecclesiastes 5:12 offer?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts modern sedentary lifestyles with the hard work of previous generations and cites Ecclesiastes 5:12.

[Question]

How should the truth that God neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4-5) change the way we pray before bed and face nighttime fears?

[Context]

Weaver shares the story of a widow who, after reading Psalm 121, decided to sleep because God was watching.

[Question]

Why is the metaphor of death as sleep for believers so comforting, and how does it reshape our view of dying?

[Context]

Weaver traces the sleep-death analogy through Deuteronomy, John, Acts, and 1 Thessalonians, concluding that death is as easy as falling asleep in Christ.

[Question]

What practical steps can we take to 'lie down in peace' each night, following David's example in Psalm 4:8?

[Context]

Weaver describes his nightly practice of quoting Psalm 4:8 and praying for sleep and protection.

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