Bible Dreams.
Zion's Advocate, Vol. 41, No. 6, June 1902.
We are not so superstitious as to believe that the dreams we have as phantasms of sleep are generally significant. It is a matter of dispute whether the mind ever sleeps, or whether a train of thoughts is constantly running through it by night as well as by day. If the latter be true we constantly dream when asleep, those nightly visions we see when nearly awake being the only ones that leave sufficient traces in the memory to be recalled. "In sleep every train of ideas seems to us a series of events passing before the eyes, or of objects affecting the senses, and as on the principle of association ideas are linked together in various ways, like the meshes of a net rather than the links of a chain, the sleeper is capable of calling up before him the absent, the dead, distant times and places, as he fancies them to be. Some external cause a sudden noise, for instance, falling upon the ear so loudly as to compel attention to its occurrence will set in motion a long train of ideas, each following its predecessor with the quickness of thought. Each of these ideas being mistaken for an occurrence, one will fancy he has lived through exciting days, weeks, months, or even years, when in reality not ten minutes, or perhaps seconds, have elapsed since the noise was heard. Health, and especially proper digestion, with absence of remorse, tends to make dreams pleasurable; a state of ill-health or of mental anxiety has the contrary effect." Universal Dictionary.In the Bible two kinds of dreams are referred to: ordinary and extraordinary, or natural and supernatural. Ordinary or natural dreams are accounted for by this passage: "A dream cometh through the multitude of business." Ecclesiastes 5:3. The man, whose business perplexes him, retires with his mind so excited that he sleeps imperfectly, and has vivid dreams which remain in his memory after he awakes. Of such dreams, resulting from an over-taxed mind or ill health, the wise man says in the 7th verse of this chapter, "In the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities." Jeremiah, in denouncing judgments against wicked priests and false prophets, said, "Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness." Jeremiah 23:32. Those false prophets, like some in our day, tried to interpret their dreams as revelations to them of coming events or of matters otherwise hidden. It is folly to imagine that the ordinary dreams we have are to be interpreted as omens of something about to occur. But the Bible furnishes us with accounts of extraordinary or supernatural dreams. These are accounted for in the following passage: "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 instructions." Job 33:14-16. God operates upon the mind when in slumber as well as during the wakeful hours. Many of his children have been made to rejoice in dreams, revelations being given them of their acceptance with the Lord. Let no one doubt the reality and genuineness of his experience because it was given in a dream. God is as able to open the ears and seal instruction when deep sleep falls upon his children now as he was in the days of Job.
When Abraham sojourned in Gerar he said to his wife, Sarah, "This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother." He feared to own her as his wife, because he thought the fear of God was not in the place, and, Sarah being a beautiful woman, he feared they would kill him to procure her. So he said to Abimelech, the King of Gerar, "She is my sister." Accordingly the king took her, but God appeared to him in a dream by night, and said to him, "Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife." The king pleaded with Him on the ground that Abraham had deceived him, declaring that in the integrity of his heart and innocency of his hands he had done this. God further said to him in the dream, "Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me; therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine." Abraham's excuse for this prevarication was that Sarah was his sister as well as his wife, being the daughter of his father but not of his mother. This was literally true, but it was practically false, for it led to the idea that she was a single woman, and thus greatly endangered her. Abraham had, on a former occasion, brought trouble upon himself by the same offense. This lack of faith at such times only proves that the extraordinary faith of this great patriarch on other occasions was not the product of any natural courage or moral strength of his, but alone the product of God's grace.
The fact that God's communication with Abimelech, even in a dream, was so effectual, proves that Abimelech feared God. He was a heathen king, yet God revealed himself to him and directed him in regard to his conduct and duty. So effectual was this revelation that he not only restored Sarah to Abraham, but gave him sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and women-servants. The same God rules the universe today. How absurd to say He depends upon our puny efforts to enable Him to reach the heathen!
In the 31st chapter of Genesis Jacob relates a dream in which God directed him to arise, get out from the land where his father-in- law dwelt, and return unto the land of his kindred. In that dream it was made clear to Jacob that his great prosperity while serving under Laban was to be ascribed to the divine blessing. The God of Bethel had seen the oppression under which he was laboring. Rachel and Leah, seeing they were counted strangers by their father, had no hopes of ever receiving a portion or inheritance in their father's house. They acknowledged that God had taken from their father all the riches they had, and readily consented to whatever God had said to Jacob. Jacob knew that God had spoken to him in a dream, and did not hesitate to do as He had bidden him. After his departure God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said unto him, "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad."
Thus he not only directed his servant but controlled the idolatrous Laban by appearing in a dream. How sweet it is to trust in such a God! He cares for His suffering children, guiding them by His counsel and restraining the wrath of their enemies. So quietly and secretly are the operations of His Spirit that communications with each can be carried on in dreams. Thus the gratitude of His children flows out to Him, while the wrath of their enemies is made to praise Him.
After enduring many sorrows Jacob dwelt in the land of Canaan. God had blessed him with twelve sons, one of whom, Joseph, was his chief earthly comfort after the death of Rachel. In token of his affection he clothed him in a garment that was superior to the clothing worn by the others. He was at that time seventeen years old, and was assisting his brothers in caring for the flock. He witnessed their ill-behaviour and brought to his father their evil report, in order that the wicked acts which he could not prevent might be reproved and repressed by Jacob's authority. All this stirred up hatred in their hearts toward him. This hatred was increased when he related a dream to them. In this dream he dreamed they were binding sheaves in the field. His sheaf stood upright, while the other sheaves stood around and made obeisance to his. In another dream he saw the sun and moon and eleven stars, all of which made obeisance to him. This he related to his father as well as his brothers. The subsequent account given shows how these dreams were fulfilled. Joseph's brethren determined to defeat the fulfillment of his dreams if possible, and resorted to the most atrocious crimes to accomplish their purpose, but all they did to Joseph only aided in bringing to pass what had been thus foretold. When Jesus told the Jews about the success of his kingdom they were filled with bitter enmity, and undertook to defeat his predictions by putting him to death. Their wicked acts in this respect only made a way for that exaltation which they intended to prevent. How futile are the efforts of men when they are employed to overthrow the purposes of Jehovah! He who works all things after the counsel of his own will uses such men as instruments to carry out his own eternal purposes to the praise of his glorious name.
J. R. D.
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