Gina Johnson
Sleep is a daily reminder that God is God and we are not. While the Bible says that God rested on the seventh day, it does not say that he slept or ever needs to sleep. In fact, the Bible clearly states that God does not slumber or sleep. Sleep is associated with being tired, and God is immaterial and eternal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Need for sleep | No |
| Need for rest | No |
| Mortal | No |
| Material | No |
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What You'll Learn
God is not human, He is immaterial and eternal
The Psalmist says in Psalm 121:4, "Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep". Only God does not need sleep. Scripture refers often to meeting God in the morning (Isaiah 50:4; Exodus 34:2; Psalm 5:3). God also promises us that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), implying that after a good night's rest we need to call upon Him for strength for that day.
Some people believe God needs to sleep because they read in Genesis 2:2 that God "rested" from His work. Amanda Hovseth explains that the word "rest" in Hebrew is shabath, which means to stop what you are doing. The verse does not say God slept or ever needs to sleep. We also need to see sleep as a gift from God he freely gives us out of his love for us.
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Sleep is a daily reminder from God that we are not God
In Genesis 2:2, God "rested" from His work. The word "rest" in Hebrew is shabath, which means to stop what you are doing. The verse does not say that God slept or ever needs to sleep. Psalm 121:3-7 says that God does not slumber or sleep.
The idea of God sleeping doesn't make sense, as God is not human. God is immaterial and eternal. Sleep is associated with the need to rest, with being tired, and with being material and mortal.
Sleep is a gift from God, freely given to us out of his love. It is a time when we can call upon Him for strength for the day ahead.
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God does not sleep, so we can always come to Him in prayer
The fact that God does not sleep is a comfort to believers, who are assured that they are under God's constant oversight and providential care. God promises that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and that He will supply every need we have (Philippians 4:19).
The need for sleep is a reminder that we are not God. As John Piper puts it, "Once a day God sends us to bed like patients with a sickness. The sickness is a chronic tendency to think we are in control and that our work is indispensable. To cure us of this disease God turns us into helpless sacks of sand once a day." Sleep is a gift from God, given to us out of His love.
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Sleep is a gift from God
The Bible says that God does not sleep or slumber, and that we can always come to Him in prayer and know that He is ready to listen. This is because God is immaterial and eternal, and therefore does not need to rest.
The idea of God sleeping doesn't make sense. Sleep is associated with being tired, and being tired is associated with being material and mortal. God is neither of these things.
Sleep is a time when we can rest and recharge, and we can thank God that He supplies every need we have.
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God rested, but did not sleep
The Bible says that God does not slumber or sleep (Psalm 121:3-7). However, some people believe that God needs to sleep because in Genesis 2:2, it says that God "rested" from his work. The word "rested" in Hebrew is "shabath", which means to stop what you are doing. It does not mean that God slept or needed to sleep.
The idea of God sleeping does not make sense. Sleep is a reminder that God is God and we are not. It is also a gift from God to humans, who need sleep to function. God promises that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and that He will listen to our prayers (Psalm 121:4).
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Frequently asked questions
No, God does not need sleep. Sleep is associated with being tired, and God is not human, but immaterial and eternal. The Bible says that God does not slumber or sleep (Psalm 121:3-7).
The Bible says that God does not slumber or sleep (Psalm 121:4). It also says that God rested from his work (Genesis 2:2), but the word "rest" in Hebrew means to stop what you are doing, not to sleep.
Sleep is a gift from God, reminding us that we are not God. We need sleep because we are not God, and we are not in control.
God is always ready to listen to our prayers, even while we sleep.
