Yes. No. Sort of. God designed dolphins with two hemispheres to their brains, which operate independently. For eight hours, both are awake. For another eight hours, the left side sleeps and then, for another eight hours, the right side sleeps. So within a twenty-four hour period, the whole brain rests but not all at one time. During the sixteen hours when half its brain is sleeping, the dolphin will lower its activity level, resting on the bottom of the ocean or on its surface or perhaps nonchalantly flipping its tail as it swims slowly.
Dolphins are highly intelligent, beautiful animals who seem to “click” well with humans, making them a favorite attraction at places like Sea World.
Dolphins do sleep. But God does not. Perhaps you remember the challenge Elijah issued to the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18. The Israelites were tempted to give their commitment to the storm god who could water their crops, rather than the God of heaven who controlled everything. So, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to prepare a sacrifice and call on Baal to respond with fire. He did not (because he could not).
In the spirit of a good preacher (?), Elijah mocked the god of the false teachers, suggesting Baal was asleep: “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened” (18:27). Habakkuk does the same thing when the Israelites of his day are being tempted to worship Marduk or some other god of the Babylonians: “Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ to a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ and that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it” (2:19).
Rather, Habakkuk points out that the true God dwells in His holy temple in heaven (2:20). The true God, “who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3-4). The God who created the dolphin is always awake, present, and able to answer our prayers and to guide our path.
Paul Hollaand
