Sleeping Kings
Originally published on September 12, 2024.
Last Updated on September 15, 2024.
… at the time when kings go forth to battle …
2 Sam 11:1
There used to be a time when kings knew it was time to go to battle.
Many Christians today don’t even know they are in a war. They have not taken on the armor of God, nor are their lamps lit with oil to spare while watching for the bridegroom. They are asleep … or worse, they attack those who are carefully watching. Taking on the armor of God and watching should characterize the Christian in these end times.
Lets take a look at a few sleeping kings in Scripture.
Jonah
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
Jonah 1:5
Jonah had been given a commission from God to warn Nineveh of coming judgement. Not only did he go the opposite direction, but he was fast asleep in the bottom of the ship while the storm was brewing. Just like Jonah, God has given us a commission: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15.) So how are we performing? Have we gone out to the whole world (that can mean the world you operate in,) and told others of Christ? Or are you sleeping in your safe little church with your pastor doing all the work while you passively receive in the pews.
Will God have to send a storm into your life to wake you up? Illness or worse, death? What will wake you up? Who else will have to pay the price for your inaction? The storm threatened all the people in the ship, not just Jonah. Lots to think about with this sleeping king.
Samson
And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
Judges 16:19-20
And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
Samson was already dabbling with fire by hanging out with a woman of the enemy, Delilah. To make the situation worse, he gave away the secret of his strength and then went to sleep on her lap. Remember, this was while hanging out in the heart of the enemy. The Philistines were camped all around … and he was sleeping. And he paid the price.
God has given you strength. It is not our own strength, it is the power we have in trusting God and His Son, Jesus Christ. The enemy, the Philistines, have surrounded us. In many ways we are just an island in a sea of wickedness. Are you sleeping in the lap of the enemy? Have you brought the world into your home through your TV? Do your children attend the school of Satan … learning all the twisted evil inversions of the world today? Do you immerse yourself in Facebook and Twitter instead of God’s Word?
Don’t sleep with the enemy. Wake up.
The Disciples
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
And he came and found them asleep: for their eyes were heavy.
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Matt 26:38, 43, 45 and 46
Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
The Lord had just told the disciples that one of the 12 was going to betray Him. Then Judas disappeared. He brought them along to the garden to watch out for Him … and they went to sleep.
This is probably the best example of sleeping kings that translates into the world we find ourselves in today. Their instruction from the Lord was: watch. Not only that, but they knew that the snake Judas was MIA. Yet they fell asleep.
This is the average Churchian today. The Lord has told us to watch. Even more, we have the blueprint of the end times; essentially what to watch for … but the Churchian is sleeping. The Lord has even told us what the enemy looks like. He has told us that they are coming to murder us. Yet the Churchian says to those watching, ‘take your battle somewhere else, we want peace here.’ Other Churchians declare that ‘keeping the peace is doing the Lord’s work.’ ‘We should all get along,’ and ‘we are all on the same team,’ are mantra’s of the Churchian.
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
Deu 25:4
If you are not going to fight the battle, at least don’t muzzle those that are doing the work you refuse to do. Better yet, wake up! This does not mean you need to be belligerent or antagonistic, but it does mean that when you meet evil in the course of the day, you don’t shy away from the fight, and ‘try to get along.’ Call out evil when you see it.