December 21
Advent Dreams: Dreaming of Falling Idols and the Peace that Follows
Daniel 2:24-47
Nebuchadnezzar has a dream: "The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them." Daniel interprets the dream: each part of the statue is a kingdom, and ultimately all these earthly kingdoms shall be overcome by a kingdom that comes forth from God himself.
This dreams, we believe, foreshadows the kingdom that is coming in Christ, whose kingdom one day will be all in all. Ultimate peace will, and can only, come from God himself, and the perfect reign of Christ. Similar to last week, in that regard, but I’ll get into whether war can bring peace, and how sometimes war might need to be necessary, but ultimately the only thing that can bring peace is Christ.
December 14
Advent Dreams: Solomon’s Wisdom
1 Kings 3
The wisdom and reign of Solomon foreshadows Christ our King. In Solomon’s dream we discover a God who is pleased with Solomon’s prioritizing wisdom, and who longs to pour blessing upon us, as we long to bless the world. During this season of Advent, we wait patiently for the all wise God, and the justice that flows from his government.
December 7, 2014
Advent Dreams: Joseph’s Bowing
Genesis 37:1-11
Joseph’s dream, early in his life, gives Joseph and his family a glimpse into, what they would later discover, the future. The dream is significant in that it demonstrates God’s providence: all these extraordinary events that lead to Joseph in charge of Egypt and Israel finding sanctuary there, are not a series of connected accidental events. They are orchestrated by God himself. “You intended to harm me”, says Joseph to his brothers, “but God intended it for good - the saving of many lives”. The dreams and life of Joseph foreshadow Jesus, who would go ahead of us for the saving of many lives. We intended to harm him, but God intended it for good - the saving of many lives
November 30, 2014
Advent Dreams: Jacob’s Ladder
Genesis 28:10-22
John 1:51
Jesus says, “You will see the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. As this is a clear reference to Jacob’s dream, from long ago, we look closely at this dream, and how God made himself known to Jacob in this place.