Matthew 2:22 Warned by God in a Dream

Matthew 2:22  Then after being warned by God in a dream, [Joseph, Jesus’ father] left for the regions of Galilee,

Twenty-four times in the Bible dreams are mentioned where God speaks to human beings. 

Sometimes the meanings are clear, like in our text.  Sometimes the meanings are understandable, though the details are not.  Sometimes the meanings are totally obscure and require God explaining it to somebody.  But God always seems willing to do that.

In almost every case here, the meanings are important.  I.e., God is giving people some really important information.  And those dreams are often the ones that require special interpretation. 

I stopped using alarm clocks decades ago, because I wanted to remember my dreams when I woke up.

Just the other night, I had an unusual experience in a ZOOM meeting that left me with a lot of questions.  That night I had a long vivid dream that answered those questions.  Should I write that off as coincidental or self-induced?  If I were new to the whole dream thing, I might be persuaded that way, but after decades of paying attention to my dreams, I can’t accept that.  I believe God spoke to me.

No, I can’t prove it.  If I were a new Christian, maybe I might wonder about that.  After decades of being a Christian and decades of serious Bible study, no, I would say it was from God. 

If you believe in the Bible, you need to take dreams seriously.  Many will seem meaningless to you.  Like hearing people speak in a foreign language, which is what a dream is.  They will be easier to understand as you spend more time praying and thinking about them.  And some will be clear to you that God is speaking to you.

Note too in the passage quoted at the top, the content of the dream did not need to be earth-shattering in its significance.