Don't Fear the Sandman!

Sleep with one eye open

Gripping your pillow tight

Exit light

Enter night

Take my hand

We're off to never never-land

                                                                 ( from 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica )

This is a story that is probably almost as old as time itself, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to take a fresh look. Scripture tells us in many places, particularly in the Greek New Testament, that sin, or ungodliness is often associated with 'night', or 'darkness'. Jesus, prophesying of His crucifixion and death, told His disciples that 'I^[we] must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work' ( John 9:4 ), and later, speaking on the same subject; 'if anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him' ( John 11:9b & 10 ). The apostle Paul wrote later, in Romans 13:12, 'The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light', and to the Body of Christ ( Romans 12:5, I Corinthians 12:27 ) at Thessalonica, 'You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness' ( I Thessalonians 5:5 ). There is much more that could be written here, for Scripture has much to say  ( significantly ) about the folly of 'night' or 'darkness' but we will ( only ) look at several more New Testament Scriptures that speak figuratively of the New Jerusalem. In Revelation 22:5; John 'saw' that 'There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.' ( see also 21:25 ) A more thorough study from Scripture on this subject ( of 'night' ) shows us that it referred, in a symbolic and figurative way, to the Old Covenant, which Paul called the 'ministry of death' ( II Corinthians 3:7 ), but since the New ( Covenant ) has fully come, we no longer fear the night, and in fact, one might find it ironic that what was once a symbol of fear and wrongdoing ( godlessness ) is a time that symbolizes the rest that we have in Christ.

For the Christian especially, but for mankind in general; God has given us the night-time for our physical rest, because, as Jesus explained above, in John 11, using the analogy of walking, if one walks in darkness, in the night, having no light to show his path, that he will stumble, not being able to see any obstacles in his path. Although many have not and do not take advantage, for whatever reason, of the night-time for restful purposes; common-sense tells us that a wise person will use the hours of darkness to rest and sleep, bringing some physical restoration to our depleted bodily resources. ( I must say here, in deference to some; that there are times and places, where there arises a need to work through the night, and we must, and do, appreciate their labors ). In Psalm 127:2, Solomon wrote, as in a proverb, '[ It is ] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep'. This is 'The Purpose of Night', the reason for which God has set the universe in such an order that the sun's light moves from one part of the earth to another. The king also wrote, referring to the wisdom of obedience, for his son's comfort and instruction, in Proverbs 3:24, 'When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.' In Ecclesiastes 5:12; he wrote, 'The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep'. In the covenantal context of Scripture; we can see that Solomon was referring to those who, because of worry over their 'riches' cannot find the 'rest' that those who do not have that worry find, but also to those Old Covenant Jews, as the 'rich man' in Luke 16:19-31, who, 'seeking to establish their own righteousness' ( Romans 10:3 ), could not and, did not find the 'rest' in the night-time that Jesus spoke of in John 9, and that Paul wrote of, in Romans 13.

In conclusion; I would like to re-iterate that we need not fear the night, especially those of us who have found spiritual 'rest' in Christ ( God ), not only because the spiritual 'night' ( Romans 13:12 ) has passed ( although there are those who, whether because of their own stubbornness, or 'blind' choice, still walk in the darkness of night ), but also because we can rest physically ( without stress ), knowing that He has taken care of everything ( Matthew 6:33 ).

May God bless us all with this realization.

Charles Shank