Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai
INTRODUCTION
Last week, we started the sub series themed: Knowing The Mind of God, starting off with “How God Guides.” God communicates with His children in various ways, such as the audible voice, vision, dreams, symbolic acts, parables, proverbs, etc. In today’s study we will be taking a close look at Him making His mind, and intentions known to us through dreams. Job 33:14-16 says:
“For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, He may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings.”
God can choose to use dreams as a means of divine communication. Numbers 12:6 "He said, 'Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.'"
• Health Warning!
Not all dreams are from God, some come from our anxieties and thoughts, our encounters and challenges. Eccl. 5:3a says: “A dream comes when there are many cares, . . . "
Others come from the father of all lies. Jeremiah 23:32 says: "Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them."
We should therefore be careful when people claim they had a dream about what direction we should take in life because there is a danger of false dreams leading people astray. As with every other gift, it must align with the Word of God!
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warns us:
"If a prophet or one who foretells by dreams appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) and let us worship them, you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer."
Discussion: What can we learn from the above warning?
Share any experience you or someone you know have had with strange dreams
Dreams often serve as channels for God’s messages, prophetic revelations, and guidance. God uses dreams to speak directly to individuals, warning them, directing their paths, or revealing future events. They can consist of direct or symbolic messages (i.e. that need interpretation).
1. DIRECT MESSAGES
In this section we shall consider a few different types of dreams that carry direct messages - those that do not require any interpretation.
a) Guidance Dreams
In Matthew 1:20 the Bible tells us of the dream Joseph had about Mary. When he received a direct message, and divine guidance. "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'"
b) Revelational Dreams
Daniel receiving from God, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2:1-19. In verse 19, the Bible says: “Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven."
c) Warnings and Instructional Dreams
Dreams can serve as warnings to protect individuals from harm.
i. Matthew 2:12 "And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route." The wise men.
ii. Matthew 27:19 Pilate's Wife was warned about Jesus' innocence. "While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: 'Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.'"
2. SYMBOLIC MESSAGES
Dreams with symbolic messages are often used by God to convey deeper spiritual truths or future events through images and symbols that require interpretation. These dreams hold significant meaning, but their messages are not immediately obvious, often involving symbols, metaphors, or parables, and therefore require interpretation.
a) Joseph’s Dreams (Genesis 37)
Genesis 37:5-7 "Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, 'Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.'"
Genesis 37:9 "Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. 'Listen,' he said, 'I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.'"
Joseph’s dreams were symbolic of his position as Prime Minister of Egypt and duly interpreted by his father, Jacob in Genesis 37:10.
b) Pharaoh’s Dreams in Genesis 41:1-7
Genesis 41:1-4 "When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows."
Genesis 41:5-7 "He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads."
c) Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (See Dan 2:29-35) Nebuchadnezzar sees a great statue, described as enormous and dazzling, standing before him, composed of different parts, each made from a different material but could not remember, let alone know the interpretation. But God revealed the dream to Daniel as well as the interpretation (Dan 2:36-45).
THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS
The interpretation of symbolic dreams is vital for understanding God’s messages, warnings, and prophecies to reveal their true meaning. In this section we will consider the importance of interpretation of dreams.
a) Through Interpretation we obtain Divine Wisdom and Guidance
Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream was vital because it allowed Egypt to prepare for the upcoming famine, saving countless lives. If Joseph was not able to interpret Pharoah’s dreams, there would have been dire consequences, because without interpretation, the dream would have remained a mystery, and the nation would have been unprepared for the disaster. Genesis 41:28-32
b) Interpretation Prevents Misunderstanding
Daniel, by the revelation of the Almighty interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream. Without Daniel’s God-given ability to interpret the dream, Nebuchadnezzar would have remained in the dark about the rise and fall of future kingdoms. (Daniel 2:27-45)
c)Through Interpretation we are Given Insight into the Future as a Warning
God gave Nebuchadnezzar an insight into his future when he dreamt of a tree in Dan 4:1-37. The tree was cut down leaving the stump but bound with iron. Daniel interpreted the dream but the warning against pride was however not heeded, and the king learnt humility the hard way
d)Through Interpretation we Discern Between True and False Dreams
Not all dreams are from God, and proper interpretation, especially when led by God, ensures that the dream’s true source and meaning are understood correctly, preventing false prophets from leading people astray. Jeremiah 23:27-28 "They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the Lord."
e)Through Interpretation we obtain Clarity and Instruction
When Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker, he provided crucial clarity foretelling the futures of the cupbearer and the baker. (Genesis 40:8-13, & 16-19). And in interpreting Pharoah’s dreams he provided crucial instructions Genesis 41:28-32
CONCLUSION
The source of divine dreams is the Almighty and so must be the interpretation. Genesis 41:15-16 "Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.' 'I cannot do it,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.'"
Daniel 2:27-28: "Daniel replied, 'No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.'"
There are also some dreams that can be interpreted by wisdom and experience. (Genesis 37:10b) “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
As we walk closely with God, we should be aware that one of the ways He reveals His mind to us, is through dreams. Sometimes direct and other times, symbolic. Without interpretation, the full significance of many dreams would remain hidden, potentially leaving important divine messages for us misunderstood or ignored. It is only through the accurate interpretation, of these dreams that God's will, guidance, and future plans are made clear to us.
