What have Joseph, Abimelech, Jacob, Solomon,and Daniel in common? Oh and Abraham, Laban, the apostle Paul, Joseph the carpenter, the wise men, and Pilate’s wife? And Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon , and Pharoah in Egypt, and his cupbearer, and his chief baker? What links all these? They all had very significant dreams!
NOT talking about dreams as hopes, aspirations, things we long for and daydream about to give us encouragement – those dreams are vitally important, we all need those kinds of dreams!
But this morning I’m going to talk about images and stories we all experience while we are sleeping, although not all of us can remember the things we dream about very often.
Interpreting dreams is big business today. Psychologists make big fortunes out of it. Followers of New Age spirituality and religions, astrologers, Pagans, wiccans, all write book after book about dreams. Daytime TV and even the Sunday colour supplements have features on interpreting dreams far too often. I do NOT want anyone to be drawn into any of this New Age deception by what I say this morning – but the story of Joseph does hinge in several places on the interpretation of dreams, so I do want to ask “what does the Bible have to say about dreams?”
More than 60 times in pages of Bible God speaks through dreams.
We read about Joseph’s dreams in Gen 37: in today’s story it is other people’s dreams which are significant:- Pharoah’s cupbearer and his chief baker – in prison with Joseph.
Genesis 40:8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no-one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
Dreams can have different levels of meaning and significance.
Most dreams are absolutely MEANINGLESS- a just a jumble of images. Francis Crick who discovered the double helix of DNA has pioneered the theory that dreams are part of the process of the brain’s filing system remaking memories.
Some dreams may have PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE – dreams may reveal things about our subconscious, our hidden inmost feeings. At least according to some schools of psychology.
Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) said,
“Every dream reveals a psychological structure, full of significance.… The dream is not meaningless, not absurd … it is a perfectly valid phenomenon, actually a … disguised fulfillment of a suppressed wish.”
Carl Jung (1875–1961) had similar ideas.
“The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul, which opens into that primeval cosmic night that was soul long before there was a conscious ego and will be soul far beyond what a conscious ego could ever reach.” Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961)
“This whole creation is essentially subjective, and the dream is the theater where the dreamer is at once scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic.” Carl Jung
Different schools of psychology interpret same dream in conflicting ways – but professional psychiatrists MAY sometimes have valuable insights.
Dreams CAN be THE VOICE of CONSCIENCE
Our conscience is given to all human beings by God to help us know right from wrong. It is part of what makes humans different from animals – part of what it means to be created in the image of God. And sometimes our dreams can be the voice of our conscience speaking to us.
Job 33:13-18 (NIV) 14 For God does speak–now one way, now another– though man may not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, 16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, 17 to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, 18 to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.
Matthew Henry comments: “When God stirred up conscience, that ordinary deputy of his, in the soul, to do its office, he took that opportunity, either when deep sleep fell on men (for, though dreams mostly come from fancy, some may come from conscience) or in slumberings, when men are between sleeping and waking, reflecting at night upon the business of the foregoing day or projecting in the morning the business of the ensuing day; then is a proper time for their hearts to reproach them for what they have done ill and to admonish them what they should do.”
This does not mean that when we have a dream which is in some senses wicked, perhaps violent or sexual, we should feel guilty about the dream. Dreams are outside our control – things that we may do in dreams are NOT sins in that sense – we don’t need to feel guilty about them or confess them or repent of the dreams as such. But sometimes a dream may show us a side of our character which we do not like, and which God would not be pleased with, or even bring to light some sins we have committed in real life – and for those things repentance and seeking God’s grace to become more like Christ are certainly a proper response.
Some people have RECURRING UNPLEASANT DREAMS
These may be the result of eating pizza too late at night, or watching the horror channel, or poor sleep patterns more generally. But if dreams are particularly nasty then it maybe worth bearing in mind that such dreams in psychologist’s terms may be reminding us of traumas in the past which our memory has blocked out. In rare instances extremely evil nightmares may even have a demonic origin, even in Christians because the devil loves to attack us while our defences are down. IF you have recurring unpleasant nightmares which wake you up or are disturbing you please do feel free to discuss these with me – because God wants our sleep and our dreams to be refreshing and pleasant, not disturbing or frightening!
As well as having psychological significance or being the voice of conscience,
Dreams CAN be a REVELATION FROM GOD
Some dreams CAN contain REVELATIONS ABOUT FUTURE EVENTS
This was the significance of a number of dreams in the story of Joseph.
Joseph Genesis 37:5-10 Joseph’s dreams – sheaves of corn bowing down, sun moon and stars bowing down.
40:8ff the dreams of Pharaoh’s baker and his cupbearer.
41:1 Pharaoh’s dreams – interpreted by Joseph – we’ll look at these next time.
We also see dreams foretelling future events in the book of Daniel.
Daniel 1:17 tells us “Daniel could understand dreams and visions of all kinds.”
We see Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams in Daniel chapters , 4 and 5.
I have had one dream which in some sense foretold future events. When we arrived in our second church in BOREHAMWOOD that church had very few children in it. Soon afterwards I had a dream of a Sunday service in which the church was different in two ways. Firstly the pews were laid out in a different arrangement. And secondly, the church was full of children singing and dancing and waving banners and running up and down the aisles. But in my dream, some of the old ladies of the church were scolding the children and making them sit down. At that moment I woke up. I shared my dream with the church and we agreed that the meaning was clear. God would not give our church children until we were ALL ready to welcome them and embrace the chaos which children always bring.
A few years later I was looking out on a morning service. In between, we happened to have rearranged the pews into the same pattern as I had seen in my dream, although not because of the dream. And I saw so many children singing and dancing and waving banners and running up and down, just as I had seen in the dream – but this time the old ladies were joining in with the worship and rejoicing with the children!
But aside from foretelling future events,
Dreams CAN contain a MESSAGE FROM GOD,
This can be God’s guidance
Gen 46:2 to Jacob/Israel – a vision at night – “do not be afraid to go down to Egypt”
Acts 16:9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
CHRISTMAS STORY: Matthew 1:20 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.
Matthew 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Matthew 2:19 . After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
Matthew 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
Or the MESSAGE from GOD can simply be an ENCOURAGEMENT
Abraham – Gen 15:1, 12ff
12 ¶ As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and ill-treated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterwards they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
Jacob – Gen 28:12 – stairway to heaven at Bethel
11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 ¶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
Solomon 1 Kings 3:5 ff – in a dream God offers to give Solomon anything he wants and Solomon asks for wisdom
Acts 18:9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: `Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent, for I am with you.
Martin Luther had a dream in which he stood on the day of judgment before God Himself–and Satan was there to accuse him. When Satan opened his books full of accusations, he pointed to transgression after transgression of which Luther was guilty. As the proceedings went on, Luther’s heart sunk in despair. Then he remembered the cross of Christ–and turning upon Satan, he said, “There is one entry which you have not made, Satan.”
The Devil retorted, “What is that?”
And Luther answered, “It is this–the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sins.”
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s progress was set as a Dream.
“Our heart oft times wakes when we sleep, and God can speak to that, either by words, by proverbs, by signs and similitudes, as well as if one was awake.” John Bunyan (1628–1688)
Some DREAMS can be WARNINGS from God.
Matthew 27:19 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.”
There is a close connection in the Bible between DREAMS and VISIONS
Dreams are sometimes called “visions of the night”, “visions in the night” – Job 20:8, 33:15, Isa 29:7
Dreams are closely related to visions (visions exactly 100x in Bible) and both are forms of PROPHECY.
Numbers 12:6 (The LORD) said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.
WE can EXPECT God to speak to US through dreams and visions sometimes too, because we have all received the Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets..
Joel 2:28 -> Acts 2:17 “`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
I have had two other dreams which I have told you about before which seemed to me very clearly to be messages from God.
BUT WORDS OF CAUTION
How do we know when it is God speaking and not just our imagination?
1. Some dreams will be especially vivid and memorable. If we still remember details of a dream some days later it may be from God.
2. It fits with Scripture – God will never say anything to anyone in a dream which contradicts what He has already said to everybody for all time in His written world the Bible.
Interpretations can be wrong!!! Dreams can be misunderstood!!!!!
Jeremiah 27:9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, `You will not serve the king of Babylon.’
Zechariah 10:2 The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
We need GOD to tell us what our dreams mean. NOT psychologists. Certainly not New Age dream freaks ! The Holy Spirit will give the interpretation, if we ask God. And it’s always right to check out the interpretation with other and wiser Christians if we think God is speaking to us through a particular dream. Interpretations belong to God!
In the Old Testament kings certainly believed that God gave them direction in dreams. If they wanted to know what they were supposed to do in their administration, they would try to receive a direct word from God in their dreams. If they weren’t getting any messages in their dreams while lying in their own beds, then they would sleep in the Temple, where they believed it would work better. Perhaps that’s why some people go to sleep in church – to hear God better!!
Genesis 40:8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no-one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
