Topical Bible: Dreams: God's Will often Revealed In

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In the biblical narrative, dreams serve as a significant medium through which God communicates His will and guidance to individuals. Throughout Scripture, dreams are depicted as divine instruments used to reveal God's plans, provide warnings, and offer insight into future events. The Bible presents numerous instances where dreams play a pivotal role in the unfolding of God's purposes.

Old Testament Examples

1. Joseph, Son of Jacob: One of the most notable examples of God revealing His will through dreams is found in the account of Joseph. As a young man, Joseph received dreams that foretold his future rise to prominence and the eventual bowing of his family before him. These dreams, recorded in Genesis 37:5-11, were initially met with skepticism and jealousy by his brothers, yet they were fulfilled when Joseph became a powerful leader in Egypt. Joseph himself acknowledged the divine origin of his ability to interpret dreams, saying, "Do not interpretations belong to God?" (Genesis 40:8).

2. Pharaoh's Dreams: In Genesis 41, Pharaoh's dreams of seven fat cows and seven lean cows, followed by seven healthy ears of grain and seven thin ears, were divinely inspired to reveal an impending famine. Joseph, through God's guidance, interpreted these dreams, leading to the preservation of Egypt and surrounding nations. This event underscores the role of dreams in conveying God's providential care and strategic plans.

3. Nebuchadnezzar's Dreams: The Book of Daniel provides further examples of God using dreams to communicate His will. King Nebuchadnezzar's dreams, particularly the vision of the great statue in Daniel 2, revealed the succession of world empires and God's ultimate sovereignty over history. Daniel, gifted by God with the ability to interpret dreams, declared, "There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries" (Daniel 2:28).

New Testament Examples

1. Joseph, Husband of Mary: In the New Testament, dreams continue to serve as a conduit for divine revelation. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, received guidance through dreams on multiple occasions. An angel appeared to him in a dream, instructing him to take Mary as his wife, for the child conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20). Later, dreams warned him to flee to Egypt to protect the infant Jesus from Herod's wrath (Matthew 2:13).

2. The Wise Men: The Magi, or wise men from the East, were also warned in a dream not to return to Herod after visiting the Christ child. This divine intervention ensured the safety of Jesus and thwarted Herod's plans (Matthew 2:12).

Theological Significance

Dreams in the Bible are not merely random or natural occurrences but are often depicted as purposeful and divinely orchestrated. They serve as a means for God to reveal His will, provide direction, and fulfill His promises. The biblical accounts emphasize that the interpretation of dreams is a gift from God, requiring spiritual discernment and reliance on divine wisdom.

Throughout Scripture, dreams are a testament to God's intimate involvement in the lives of His people, guiding them according to His sovereign plan. They remind believers of the importance of being attentive to God's voice and the various ways He may choose to communicate His will.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 12:6
And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 33:15
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, in slumberings on the bed;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God's Promises Tests
... you young men and women, cherish your youthful dreams. ... Get up beside God's promise,
if you would take the true ... you will learn the truth of the paradox, 'light ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/gods promises tests.htm

Prayer.
... in vain?"impertinences; the babblings of fair dreams, poured forth ... Though He slay
me, yet will I trust in ... and uncertainty, which most calls out faith in God. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon iv prayer.htm

Divine Sovereignty.
... of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams; for the ... They often are heard to use language
that implies this. They say, "if it is God's will, you cannot hinder it ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xlv divine sovereignty.htm

Prevailing Prayer.
... are on it, and she starts in her dreams, thinking it is ... Christians are often so
unbelieving, that they will not exercise proper faith in God, till he ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture iv prevailing prayer.htm

The Meteor Shower (Preached at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, Nov. ...
... however partial or childish, were no dreams, but instincts of ... Creator, but their
Father; then, in God's good time ... This at least will come clear,"a doubt which ...
/.../kingsley/the water of life and other sermons/sermon xvi the meteor shower.htm

Five Fears
... dreamed of the wrath to come, saw dreams more horrible ... of our religion that by no
means will God ever leave ... But we often think within ourselves, I am afraid ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/five fears.htm

The Majestic Voice
... perhaps, God has spoken to men in dreams, in visions of ... ye mourners that have ever
heard God's comforting voice ... Mothers will often talk to those who are sick in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the majestic voice.htm

Chapter xv
... as well as speak, "Visions," like dreams, allow for ... applying to God's people, has
been revealed: they must ... but, on the other hand, God will often offset their ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xv.htm

Sunday Next Before Easter.
... sleeping and waking, with neither thoughts nor dreams definite enough to ... in gloom;
year after year the world will become to us more entirely devoid of God. ...
/.../arnold/the christian life/lecture xxiii sunday next before.htm

The Revelation in a Son.
... Sometimes the means adopted appear utterly incongruous. Will the great Spirit, the
holy and good God, speak to a prophet in the dreams of night? ...
/.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter i the revelation in.htm