Deep Sleep Intercedance

Reading:   1 Samuel 26

I love all the sneakiness that occurs in scriptures especially when it involves God causing a deep sleep upon unsuspecting souls.  Twice David snuck into the tent of Saul, while Saul slumbered amidst his army, and took evidence of his attendance; the first time it was a portion of Saul's skirt (1 Sam. 24) and on the second visit, David took Saul's spear and water jug.  Both times the opportunity to slay Saul was presented and both times David refused, though it would have been in his best interest to do so.  David relied on his hope and faith that Saul would come to his senses and quit his unhealthy desire for David's demise.

1 SAMUEL 26:12

12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

There is no other way to do it - an intercedance from God had to occur.  Let me break it down.  Saul was the King and he wanted David dead.  He was consumed by his desire to slay David and could not overcome the need.  Whenever Saul was informed of David's whereabouts he would swiftly gather his vast army together and press on, with dogged determination,  to kill the lad.  The whole army mustered together in search of one soul!  Now remember, David was the glorified slayer of Goliath, a well known servant of Saul, and the best friend of Jonathan, Saul's son.  It is certain that every man in Saul's army knew who David was and what he looked like, yet the guy slipped right passed hundreds, if not thousands, of Saul's men and stood above him.  There is no doubt that The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the men - he had too!

I was sure there were several incidents, throughout the scriptures, where The Lord caused a deep sleep to envelop a person or persons in order to facilitate His work, but I could only find a few.  The most significant of these other moments occurred in the Book of Mormon when Alma lead the Nephites away from the churlish rule of the Lamanites...

MOSIAH 24:18-19

18    Now it came to pass that Alma and his people in the night-time gathered their flocks together, and also of their grain; yea, even all the night-time were they gathering their flocks together. 

19    And in the morning the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites, yea, and all their task-masters were in a profound sleep. 

20    And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness. 

I was surprised that there weren't more deep slumber moments but, though they may not be written, they most definitely occurred.  Teancum had to have a little help, right?  How many rulers did he kill with a javelin as they slept in their beds, in their tents, surrounded by their armies.  Sound familiar...it happened!

~Kipling