Sleep of Physical Rest (Ecclesiastes 5:12)
- Sleep is good when used for its proper purpose — not for slothfulness, but as rest from a day of productivity
- Sleep is pleasant — lack of sleep is not pleasant, good, or desirable (2 Corinthians 11:27)
- Sleep of the working man (2 Thessalonians 3:10; Ecclesiastes 9:10)
- Sleep implies contentment (Philippians 4:11-13)
- Sleep implies peace (Matthew 6:25-34)
Sleep of Slothfulness
- Slothfulness leads to poverty (Proverbs 20:13; 6:6-11) — sleep is good, but the sluggard sleeps too long (Proverbs 6:9)
- Slothfulness gets progressively worse (Proverbs 26:13-16)
- Wastes what little time we have (Ephesians 5:16) — some things must be done now and cannot be put off (Proverbs 28:19; 20:4)
Sleep of Unpreparedness (Revelation 3:1-3)
- Unprepared to the threat of sin (1 Peter 5:8)
- Unprepared to the threat of false teaching (Romans 16:17-18)
- Unprepared for our own death (Luke 12:19-20)
- Unprepared for Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8)
Sleep of Death
- Death is often described as “sleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14) — emphasizes temporary nature of death (Hebrews 9:27)
- This sleep provides rest from our labors (Revelation 14:13)
- Leads to rest for the faithful (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), not the wicked (Revelation 14:11)
