We’ve touched before on the fact that there are different types of Fear of YHVH with one of those being reverence, awe, honor, etc….in Hebrew thought reverence and awe are called Yirat Ha’rommemnut but it also has another aspect to it.  It is a deep awareness of the presence of Elohim.  Proverbs 23:19 has this particular aspect. It says, “The fear of YHVH leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” When we have this kind of Fear of YHVH/yirat  ha’rommemnut we can sleep with peace and contently because we are attentive that our Creator’s presence is with us…in fact, never leaves us.

Below are several verses that speak to peaceful sleep.  For those who may struggle to sleep, claim these for your own and be made new in this area.

Proverbs 3:24 “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet.”

Psalm 3:5,      “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for YHVH sustains me.”

Psalm 4:8,      “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O YHVH, make me to dwell in safety.”

Psalm 23:1-2, “1 YHVH is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” [YHVH is our Shepherd, therefore, His presence is with us.  The type of Fear of YHVH were discussing today teaches us that we can have this attentiveness to His presence when our understanding has been enlightened through His Word.  Green Pastures & Quiet Waters are idioms for peaceful…lacking fear.]

  In Matthew 8:23-27 we have a great example of what we’re speaking about. It says, “23 When He [Yeshua] got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 Suddenly a violent storm came upon the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Yeshua was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, save us! We are perishing!” 26 “You of little faith,” Yeshua replied, “why are you so afraid? [They did not walk in the Yirat ha’rommemnut even with Yeshua…THE Presence…physically and visibly with them.  Yeshua demonstrated what should be done before His disciples by sleeping during the storm. It’s a mindset whether we can literally see His presence or not, that our faith must drive us to have a deep awareness at all times that He IS with us.] ” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

May we cultivate this kind of Fear of YHVH, Yirat ha’rommemnut, and may our sleep be sweet…but not during service…LOL!!

May we have a joyful Shabbat!!

Tammy

Courtesy of
River of Life Tabernacle
Tammy McLendon
Great peace have they who love Your law. Psalm 119:165a