19. DREAMS AND FATE |
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Dreams are an amazing phenomena of the human mind. Sometimes dreams are unusual and we like to sit with friends and laugh at their unexpected twists and turns. But sometimes we look at our dreams more seriously and believe that God wants to tell us something. It is true that God has used dreams throughout history to teach, instruct, guide and even warn people. Is it possible that God still uses dreams to tell us something? If so, has He ever spoken to you in a dream? Furthermore, how do we know if a dream really is from God? Lets begin by considering how a dream changed the future of a world famous surgeon.
In the 1960's, Ben Carson was a young, African-American student at Yale University. He had graduated from high school with honors and had longed to become a doctor since he was eight years old. Now upon entering one of the most prestigious universities in the world, he found the courses to be very difficult. It was time for his first semester test in chemistry. Ben was certain he was going to fail because he didn’t understand the concepts. And the fact that he had put off studying didn't help. Now it was already nighttime and the test was the next day. He took a little walk, and in the cold night air, he began to think about how stupid he had been for not studying harder. He realized that not many students get accepted to Yale and he was lucky to even have a chance. Let alone, he was a black man living in a turbulent time. This had been his life goal and he was blowing it! He became angry with himself for having been so lazy. He determined that he would give it his best effort, went home and opened his chemistry books. It was 10 pm and he began memorizing chemistry formulas. He worked hard, but by midnight his brain was too tired to absorb anymore. He curled up in bed and resigned himself to fate. In his autobiography he wrote,
“I whispered in the night, “God, I’m sorry. Please forgive me for failing You and for failing myself." Then I slept.”
That night Ben had a very strange dream. In his dream he was sitting alone in his chemistry class. A mysterious man opened the door, entered the room, and began writing chemistry problems on the board. Ben took imaginary notes of everything the man wrote. When he woke up, the dream remained in his mind as if it were a real memory. So, he immediately wrote down everything he could remember from his dream.
When Ben arrived at class, the teacher passed out the tests to all 600 students. With heart pounding Ben opened the examination booklet and couldn’t believe his eyes. He excitedly scanned the whole book and smiled to himself. The exam problems were identical to the ones written on the board during his dream. Ben wrote,
“I didn’t stop to analyze what was happening, I was so excited to know the correct answers that I worked quickly, almost afraid I’d lose what I remembered. Near the end of the test, where my dream recall began to weaken, I didn’t get every single problem. But it was enough I knew I would pass.”
After he finished the test and as he was exiting the room he said a silent prayer,
“God, You pulled off a miracle for me.”
The thing that shocked Ben most was that the dream went against everything he had ever read in his psychology books. There was only one explanation and he wrote about it in his incredible bestselling book, “Gifted Hands”:
“The answer was humbling in its simplicity. For whatever reason, the God of the universe, the God who holds the galaxies in His hands, had seen a reason to reach down to a campus room on Planet Earth and send a dream to a discouraged ghetto kid who wanted to become a doctor.”
Not only did he pass that test, Ben Carson went on to become a world-renowned doctor. In fact, he was the first doctor to successfully separate Siamese twins connected at the head.
We all dream and dreaming is important for mental health whether you remember your dreams or not. Sleep laboratories have proven that everyone dreams one to two hours each night during a certain period of sleep known as alpha level, which is light sleep. Every 90-minute cycle of sleep begins with alpha, and then goes into deeper sleep, which is called theta, and finally deepest sleep, which is called delta. Scientists have discovered that if they awaken a person every time they enter the alpha stage, preventing him/her from dreaming, after about three nights the individual will begin to show signs of a nervous breakdown. Clearly dreams are an inner release mechanism which provide us with emotional balance and maintain our sanity. Dreams can be considered guardians of our mental and emotional well-being. But this research doesn't explain why God communicates to humans in dreams.
So why does God give us dreams? Certainly not all dreams are God given. But at times, we know without doubt that God has been talking with us. One of the great prophets and patriarchs of old, Joseph, is particularly noted for his dreams. In this lesson, we will attempt to better understand the subject of dreams and why God speaks through them, by looking at the life of Joseph.
As mentioned in the previous lesson, Joseph's amazing story began with a dream and ended with its fulfillment. As the sun appeared over the horizon, bathing the earth in its morning glory, Joseph the son of Jacob awoke from his sleep. He was delighted by a mysterious dream he had and filled with excitement he ran to tell his brothers. We can start reading in Genesis chapter 37 verses 6-8:
6 He said to them, Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf. 8 His brothers said to him, Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Shortly thereafter, Joseph had another dream, which was very similar to the first. Let's read about it in verses 9-11:
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me. 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you? 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph's brothers were already jealous of him and these dreams weren't helping them get over it. His father, although astonished at what the dream was implying, pondered these things deeply. He foresaw that Joseph could be the one through whom the prophecy of the Prophet Abraham would be fulfilled. He knew that one of his sons would keep the covenant of Abraham’s house alive and spread God’s message of hope to the world. He was hoping it would be Joseph, the son of his favorite wife Rachel.
If you can ever get your hands on the ancient book of Job, it is well worth your reading. In this ancient book of Job we are told these words:
For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword (Job 33:14-18)
This is a very important text as we learn several things as to the purpose for which God sends people dreams. God’s intent in sending dreams is to turn people away from pride and “keep his soul from the pit.” Which is another way of saying that God sends dreams to instruct people for the purpose of safe guarding their soul from a fiery judgment, to alter their fate and direct them to paradise. We can thank God for helping us through dreams!
Certainly, the dreams Joseph had of the sheaves bowing to him and of the sun and moon and stars served that purpose. They were a “north star” for his whole life. Those childhood dreams from God served as a compass to keep him faithful and from following the wicked ways of the Egyptians he would later live with.
Joseph's second encounter with dreams happened after his slave master’s wife falsely accused him of a crime and he was thrown in prison. We don’t have time here to describe those two dreams in their entirety. But you can read them in Genesis chapter 40. In short, the Pharaoh's baker and cupbearer were thrown in prison and one night they had unusual dreams. Joseph saw the men were upset and told them that with God’s help, he could interpret their dreams. Shortly thereafter, Joseph's interpretation came true and the cupbearer was restored to his former position. Although the cupbearer promised to help Joseph, he soon forgot. But God didn't forget about Joseph and his third encounter with dreams would just alter his fate but a whole nations.
The story continues in Genesis chapter 41 verses 1-8:
1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
You can imagine that it was a tense moment in the royal court! Anxiety and nervousness filled the air, as this mighty king had a need and no one could fill it. He called for all of his magicians and all of his astrologers, and asked them to interpret his night dream. But it was to no avail! As agents of the dark side they were unable to help. Suddenly, the cupbearer remembered what Joseph had done for him while he was in prison. Immediately he spoke to the Pharaoh, saying:
12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.
Imagine Josephs’ surprise as he was brought from the prison, bathed, given clean clothes, and brought before Pharaoh. Now remember, at this time Pharaoh was considered to be more than a ruler of a nation. He was the ruler of the world!
The scriptures tell us in verses 15 and 16:
15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it. 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.
Joseph's response teaches us that only God can give the interpretation of a dream. If you go to an astrologer, palm reader, or fortuneteller, you will be like the Pharaoh depending on his magicians. They will not be able to help you and the interpretations they give will be false. It is important to remember a few other things as you consider dreams and their interpretation:
1) Never pay money to have someone interpret a dream. If God wants you to know the meaning, he will either tell you or bring someone to you who can help.
2) The interpretation must agree in principle with God’s kingdom. In other words he will never give you a dream that will instruct you to lie, steal, or commit adultery.
3) God given dreams have a purpose of helping the one who receives the dream to alter their fate. With Pharaohs’ dream, the purpose turned out to be for the purpose of saving thousands of people's lives!
Here is the interpretation that Joseph gave to Pharaoh recorded in Genesis chapter 41 verses 25-37:
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine. 37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.
Who could the Pharaoh find to put in charge of such a project? Well the man who God used to interpret the dream of course! So that very day Joseph went from prison to second in command over all of Egypt! The Pharaoh gave his official seal to Joseph and Joseph became the equivalent of a Prime Minister. With God’s help Joseph skillfully managed the taxation and gathering and storing of grain during the seven abundant years. And right on time, according to the dream, in the eighth year the drought came.
Though we may not understand all dreams, one thing is for certain, God speaks through dreams at various times. The Ottoman Empire started to take shape through the work of dreams. In one dream Osman Ghazi had a dream in which he was told that he would establish an empire that would rule the whole world. And weeks before the terrible Tsunami of 2005 Turkish bloggers wrote on the Internet about dreams they had of just such an event.
The next time you have a dream, consider what we studied today. Is God trying to tell you something? Perhaps in your private prayers ask God if there is anything he would like to show you that would keep you out of harms way and help you on your life journey. For those who find themselves wanting to alter their fate in a world that is out of control, think about how God used dreams to interrupt and change the course of history.
Questions for Discussion:
1) Why does God speak to people through dreams?
2) How did the boyhood dream help Joseph maintain his integrity though slavery and prison?
3) What can we learn from the fact that God didn’t give Joseph a dream to tell Pharaoh? But rather Pharaoh had his own dream and Joseph was able to help him.
4) Do you think you could tell the difference between a dream God gave and a normal dream? What would be some of the differences?
In the 1960's, Ben Carson was a young, African-American student at Yale University. He had graduated from high school with honors and had longed to become a doctor since he was eight years old. Now upon entering one of the most prestigious universities in the world, he found the courses to be very difficult. It was time for his first semester test in chemistry. Ben was certain he was going to fail because he didn’t understand the concepts. And the fact that he had put off studying didn't help. Now it was already nighttime and the test was the next day. He took a little walk, and in the cold night air, he began to think about how stupid he had been for not studying harder. He realized that not many students get accepted to Yale and he was lucky to even have a chance. Let alone, he was a black man living in a turbulent time. This had been his life goal and he was blowing it! He became angry with himself for having been so lazy. He determined that he would give it his best effort, went home and opened his chemistry books. It was 10 pm and he began memorizing chemistry formulas. He worked hard, but by midnight his brain was too tired to absorb anymore. He curled up in bed and resigned himself to fate. In his autobiography he wrote,
“I whispered in the night, “God, I’m sorry. Please forgive me for failing You and for failing myself." Then I slept.”
That night Ben had a very strange dream. In his dream he was sitting alone in his chemistry class. A mysterious man opened the door, entered the room, and began writing chemistry problems on the board. Ben took imaginary notes of everything the man wrote. When he woke up, the dream remained in his mind as if it were a real memory. So, he immediately wrote down everything he could remember from his dream.
When Ben arrived at class, the teacher passed out the tests to all 600 students. With heart pounding Ben opened the examination booklet and couldn’t believe his eyes. He excitedly scanned the whole book and smiled to himself. The exam problems were identical to the ones written on the board during his dream. Ben wrote,
“I didn’t stop to analyze what was happening, I was so excited to know the correct answers that I worked quickly, almost afraid I’d lose what I remembered. Near the end of the test, where my dream recall began to weaken, I didn’t get every single problem. But it was enough I knew I would pass.”
After he finished the test and as he was exiting the room he said a silent prayer,
“God, You pulled off a miracle for me.”
The thing that shocked Ben most was that the dream went against everything he had ever read in his psychology books. There was only one explanation and he wrote about it in his incredible bestselling book, “Gifted Hands”:
“The answer was humbling in its simplicity. For whatever reason, the God of the universe, the God who holds the galaxies in His hands, had seen a reason to reach down to a campus room on Planet Earth and send a dream to a discouraged ghetto kid who wanted to become a doctor.”
Not only did he pass that test, Ben Carson went on to become a world-renowned doctor. In fact, he was the first doctor to successfully separate Siamese twins connected at the head.
We all dream and dreaming is important for mental health whether you remember your dreams or not. Sleep laboratories have proven that everyone dreams one to two hours each night during a certain period of sleep known as alpha level, which is light sleep. Every 90-minute cycle of sleep begins with alpha, and then goes into deeper sleep, which is called theta, and finally deepest sleep, which is called delta. Scientists have discovered that if they awaken a person every time they enter the alpha stage, preventing him/her from dreaming, after about three nights the individual will begin to show signs of a nervous breakdown. Clearly dreams are an inner release mechanism which provide us with emotional balance and maintain our sanity. Dreams can be considered guardians of our mental and emotional well-being. But this research doesn't explain why God communicates to humans in dreams.
So why does God give us dreams? Certainly not all dreams are God given. But at times, we know without doubt that God has been talking with us. One of the great prophets and patriarchs of old, Joseph, is particularly noted for his dreams. In this lesson, we will attempt to better understand the subject of dreams and why God speaks through them, by looking at the life of Joseph.
As mentioned in the previous lesson, Joseph's amazing story began with a dream and ended with its fulfillment. As the sun appeared over the horizon, bathing the earth in its morning glory, Joseph the son of Jacob awoke from his sleep. He was delighted by a mysterious dream he had and filled with excitement he ran to tell his brothers. We can start reading in Genesis chapter 37 verses 6-8:
6 He said to them, Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf. 8 His brothers said to him, Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Shortly thereafter, Joseph had another dream, which was very similar to the first. Let's read about it in verses 9-11:
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me. 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you? 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph's brothers were already jealous of him and these dreams weren't helping them get over it. His father, although astonished at what the dream was implying, pondered these things deeply. He foresaw that Joseph could be the one through whom the prophecy of the Prophet Abraham would be fulfilled. He knew that one of his sons would keep the covenant of Abraham’s house alive and spread God’s message of hope to the world. He was hoping it would be Joseph, the son of his favorite wife Rachel.
If you can ever get your hands on the ancient book of Job, it is well worth your reading. In this ancient book of Job we are told these words:
For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword (Job 33:14-18)
This is a very important text as we learn several things as to the purpose for which God sends people dreams. God’s intent in sending dreams is to turn people away from pride and “keep his soul from the pit.” Which is another way of saying that God sends dreams to instruct people for the purpose of safe guarding their soul from a fiery judgment, to alter their fate and direct them to paradise. We can thank God for helping us through dreams!
Certainly, the dreams Joseph had of the sheaves bowing to him and of the sun and moon and stars served that purpose. They were a “north star” for his whole life. Those childhood dreams from God served as a compass to keep him faithful and from following the wicked ways of the Egyptians he would later live with.
Joseph's second encounter with dreams happened after his slave master’s wife falsely accused him of a crime and he was thrown in prison. We don’t have time here to describe those two dreams in their entirety. But you can read them in Genesis chapter 40. In short, the Pharaoh's baker and cupbearer were thrown in prison and one night they had unusual dreams. Joseph saw the men were upset and told them that with God’s help, he could interpret their dreams. Shortly thereafter, Joseph's interpretation came true and the cupbearer was restored to his former position. Although the cupbearer promised to help Joseph, he soon forgot. But God didn't forget about Joseph and his third encounter with dreams would just alter his fate but a whole nations.
The story continues in Genesis chapter 41 verses 1-8:
1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
You can imagine that it was a tense moment in the royal court! Anxiety and nervousness filled the air, as this mighty king had a need and no one could fill it. He called for all of his magicians and all of his astrologers, and asked them to interpret his night dream. But it was to no avail! As agents of the dark side they were unable to help. Suddenly, the cupbearer remembered what Joseph had done for him while he was in prison. Immediately he spoke to the Pharaoh, saying:
12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.
Imagine Josephs’ surprise as he was brought from the prison, bathed, given clean clothes, and brought before Pharaoh. Now remember, at this time Pharaoh was considered to be more than a ruler of a nation. He was the ruler of the world!
The scriptures tell us in verses 15 and 16:
15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it. 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.
Joseph's response teaches us that only God can give the interpretation of a dream. If you go to an astrologer, palm reader, or fortuneteller, you will be like the Pharaoh depending on his magicians. They will not be able to help you and the interpretations they give will be false. It is important to remember a few other things as you consider dreams and their interpretation:
1) Never pay money to have someone interpret a dream. If God wants you to know the meaning, he will either tell you or bring someone to you who can help.
2) The interpretation must agree in principle with God’s kingdom. In other words he will never give you a dream that will instruct you to lie, steal, or commit adultery.
3) God given dreams have a purpose of helping the one who receives the dream to alter their fate. With Pharaohs’ dream, the purpose turned out to be for the purpose of saving thousands of people's lives!
Here is the interpretation that Joseph gave to Pharaoh recorded in Genesis chapter 41 verses 25-37:
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine. 37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.
Who could the Pharaoh find to put in charge of such a project? Well the man who God used to interpret the dream of course! So that very day Joseph went from prison to second in command over all of Egypt! The Pharaoh gave his official seal to Joseph and Joseph became the equivalent of a Prime Minister. With God’s help Joseph skillfully managed the taxation and gathering and storing of grain during the seven abundant years. And right on time, according to the dream, in the eighth year the drought came.
Though we may not understand all dreams, one thing is for certain, God speaks through dreams at various times. The Ottoman Empire started to take shape through the work of dreams. In one dream Osman Ghazi had a dream in which he was told that he would establish an empire that would rule the whole world. And weeks before the terrible Tsunami of 2005 Turkish bloggers wrote on the Internet about dreams they had of just such an event.
The next time you have a dream, consider what we studied today. Is God trying to tell you something? Perhaps in your private prayers ask God if there is anything he would like to show you that would keep you out of harms way and help you on your life journey. For those who find themselves wanting to alter their fate in a world that is out of control, think about how God used dreams to interrupt and change the course of history.
Questions for Discussion:
1) Why does God speak to people through dreams?
2) How did the boyhood dream help Joseph maintain his integrity though slavery and prison?
3) What can we learn from the fact that God didn’t give Joseph a dream to tell Pharaoh? But rather Pharaoh had his own dream and Joseph was able to help him.
4) Do you think you could tell the difference between a dream God gave and a normal dream? What would be some of the differences?