Topical Bible: Dreams: Vanity of Trusting to Natural

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In the biblical context, dreams are often seen as a means through which God communicates with individuals. However, the Bible also warns against placing undue trust in dreams that arise from natural or human sources, as they can be misleading and deceptive.

The book of Ecclesiastes provides a poignant reflection on the vanity of trusting in dreams that stem from human imagination rather than divine revelation. Ecclesiastes 5:7 states, "For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but fear God." This verse underscores the futility and emptiness of relying on dreams that are not grounded in the fear and reverence of God. It suggests that an abundance of dreams and words can lead to vanity, emphasizing the importance of discerning the source and purpose of dreams.

Jeremiah, a prophet who often addressed the false prophets of his time, also speaks to the issue of dreams that are not divinely inspired. In Jeremiah 23:25-28 , the Lord declares, "I have heard what the prophets who prophesy lies in My name are saying: 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make My people forget My name, just as their fathers forgot My name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has My word speak it truthfully." This passage highlights the danger of false prophets who claim divine authority for their dreams, which are actually the product of their own minds. It contrasts the deceptive nature of such dreams with the truth and reliability of God's word.

The book of Zechariah also addresses the issue of false dreams. Zechariah 10:2 states, "For the idols speak deceit, the diviners see illusions, and they tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd." Here, false dreams are equated with deceit and illusion, leading people astray and leaving them without true guidance.

In the New Testament, the apostle Jude warns against those who rely on dreams to justify immoral behavior. Jude 1:8 says, "Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings." This verse indicates that some individuals use dreams as a pretext for rejecting divine authority and engaging in sinful actions.

Throughout Scripture, the emphasis is placed on the need for discernment when it comes to dreams. While God can and does use dreams to communicate His will, as seen in the lives of Joseph (Genesis 37:5-10) and Daniel (Daniel 2:19), the Bible cautions against placing trust in dreams that originate from human imagination or deceitful sources. Instead, believers are encouraged to seek God's wisdom and guidance through His revealed word, ensuring that their understanding and actions align with His truth.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ecclesiastes 5:7
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear you God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of Boasting.
... Theophrastus used to say, It was safer trusting to an ... Yea, so stupid a vanity is
this, that it works ... forcibly imposed upon the company; the very dreams of such ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section ix of boasting.htm

Costly and Fatal Help
... books but the Bible; quackeries, and charlatanism, arid dreams, and fragmentary ... all
is vanity!'. ... Take Him for your Saviour by trusting your whole selves to Him. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/costly and fatal help.htm

Canaan on Earth
... with milk and honey;" and it dreams not of the ... continually disappointed, they still
persevere in trusting to this ... himself for nothing; he saw the vanity of his ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/canaan on earth.htm

The Eternal Revolution
... He could have fairy dreams; the dawn of a blue ... is a mystical adventure; it is specially
trusting those who ... O Lord, in all our doings." Without vanity, I really ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/vii the eternal revolution.htm

Morality and Doctrine
... the flight of time and the vain fancies of our dreams? ... Philosophers have shown the
vanity of all this and have ... Against those who, trusting to the mercy of God ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section vii morality and doctrine.htm

Knox -- the First Temptation of Christ
... This famous queen, not fully trusting the report and fame ... are so diligent in
establishing their dreams and fantasies ... is made for Thee, it is vanity longer to ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume i/knox the first temptation.htm

Rom. viii. 12, 13
... sense the creation is "in bondage to vanity," and how it ... thy hoping [1430] in God
alone, and trusting to Him ... future, but the difference is that of dreams and a ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xiv rom viii 12.htm

Meanwhile, the Marquis Fontenelle had Been Nearly a Fortnight in ...
... a dizzy languor and a drowsiness as of dreams"but he ... so sweet she was, so childlike,
so trusting, so fair ... and who had wasted all their substance on vanity. ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxiii meanwhile the marquis fontenelle.htm

Footnotes
... Jeremiah had nothing to do with dreams as means of prophecy ... can'st not trust, so
Greek; Hebrew thou art trusting. ... breath, usually rendered vanity by our versions ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/footnotes.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... not timorously or doubtingly, but when trusting to his ... to desire, by means of the
extravagant dreams of our ... wisdom of God, utterly condemns the vanity of our ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm