Our view of God is too small.
i think most of us, as a whole, have not really given ourselves to God’s process of transforming our lives as much as we might think. Regardless of what we like to dream or believe, we can’t live without Jesus for there is no other life in the universe, meaning there is no real transformation without God’s intervention.
The closer we get to the Lord the more we understand that our God is so much larger than we have imagined, but how do we get closer unless the Lord draws us? Generally, our closeness to God depends on our pursuit of Him, and also is totally at His discretion. If He does not draw us to Himself, we will not be drawn. Here’s something though which my eyes were opened to, as discovered in a, seemingly, odd question. A fellow who comes to our little Bible study asked, “Does God dream?” In the moment, the question sort of stood the room on its ear. My first thought was, “Why does it matter?” … then, “Who can know such a thing?”… and then there came a multitude of questions into my ears which sounded like me evading the question. Then God kicked into gear and asked me, “Yea, do I dream?” Well, let me tell you, as it turned out it was a very leading question. What do you think? Does God dream?
Ok, so, the Greeks had all sorts of words to describe varying degrees of “seeing” “sight” and “gazing”. To the Hellenistic Greek mind, as best i understand it, visions happened in sleep mode, or during sleep. To the Greek and Hebrew mind, sleep was NOT a “deactivation of their organs of sense”, but, where they differed was that in Greek thinking, to sleep was “to be shut up in your own world” and if you said you’d had a vision yet weren’t asleep, they described the concept as “sleeping with open eyes”. Evidently, from the platform of Hellenistic Greek, sleeping was a pre-requisite to having visions. They felt that if you weren’t sleeping, eyes open or closed, you couldn’t have a vision. No sleeping, no vision. You with me so far?
In Hebrew though, “to sleep” and “to dream” was sharply differentiated from the Greek, in that the Hebrews saw dreams and sleep as … opportunity for revelation, whereas the Greeks saw dreams merely associated, or connected with sleep. So, from the Greek standpoint, the question, “Does God dream” would have to be answered as “No”, considering He never sleeps according to Psalm121:3-4. But from the Hebrew standpoint, “Does God dream?” would be answered “Yes”, in that the Lord has “envisioned us” in order to conceptualize us, for the purpose of bringing us and our redemption into reality. AND … i believe He “dreams of us” as a lover would dream of their beloved.
Like the Hebrews, i consider my place of “dreams and visions” as exclusively belonging to the Lord, it is included as part of my Shalom place, my safe space with God. Is He God or not? If He is, i need to act like it. Our view of God is too small. The enemy may attack, but the Lord is the standard, and the enemy is not allowed in my “Shalom Place” by the blood of Jesus which stands guard over me as i sleep, or by permission from God.
i think Christianity today, typically connects visions and dreaming with sleep due to the overwhelming influence of Greek Hellenism.
The Greek idea in the N.T. is that “i am over here, the Lord is over there. i stand on my side and look at Him over there on His side.” In Job 7:14, and 20:8, the first letter of the word for “Dream” is a letter, which in this case, is a “doorway of life”, meaning that from the Hebrew viewpoint, we don’t stand over “here” and look at God over “there”, we go through the door and join with Him. To “join with Him” means on the same road, going in the same direction, on the same side of the road, so close His face is in my face, together. In the Greek mind, as is in much of Christianity today, there was and always will be a divide between man and God and we have a difficult time thinking of ourselves as “one” with Christ. But the Hebrews saw themselves as able to actually join with the Lord, to not only cross over to where God is, but to actually participate in all the Lord is and does … as one person with Him. In Job’s use of the word “dream”, besides the first letter of the word representing a “door way of life”, the remaining letters represent passion & teaching, all “nailed” or connected to the “support of the Lord upon whom we lean.” Putting it all together then, “dream”, through the “door way of life”, there is passion & teaching, all connected to the “support of the Lord upon whom we lean.” You should also know that this method of coming to a definition doesn’t always work. Like in the phrase “fear of the Lord”, you can’t look up fear + of + the + Lord, add it all together for a definition. The moment you look up the definition of “fear” you’re already off on the wrong foot, entirely. But in this case, adding the definition of the letters up actually does work. From the Hebrew idea the concept of dreaming was a handshake from ourselves- the finite, across to God – who is infinite. Now you may think i’m crazy, and maybe so, but look, don’t be too quick here. Is He God or not? And if He is, then why wouldn’t the Lord make a way to meet with us on many levels other than the ones we’re comfortable with?
Job’s use of the word “vision” also begins with the letter for a doorway of life, followed by a sword, and in this case, a hand to grasp the sword, and the last letter means the previous ideas are contrasted together in the sense of it all operating as one. All together then, vision is … through the doorway of life is our sword to rightly divide light and dark, and for us to operate with God, together, as one. Jesus said, “I am the door”, thus by the blood of Jesus we enter to the Father, thereby making Jesus the answer, the way, the truth, and life and there is not another.
The Hellenistic Greek has us always being divided from God in the sense of i’m over here, and He’s over there. In all of the Greek attempts to give facets to the idea of dreams and visions, it is not apparent that anyone can walk across the great divide, through the doorway of life, and become one with God Almighty. The Greek view was that we ourselves are the center of the universe, and the Greek gods ruled it all with revenge, vengeance, spite, condescending hatred, prejudice, arrogance, offense, and persecution. i find much of our modern-day church perspectives to often reflect the influence of the Hellenistic Greek culture in our being taught, “I’m just an old sinner man, and even though i believe in Christ, i’ll never be any more than an old sinner man.” Well, yea, but what else does God say about you? Balance the equation here, unless all that goodness from the Lord is more than you can stand.
Paul and the others worked to convey God’s grace, mercy, standards and perspectives, but it appears there are concepts in Hebrew which really don’t translate into Greek well, much less English without a long paragraph of explanation. The Greek Hellenistic thinking has long ago invaded all we do. Lord deliver us from the governmental influence of the Ptolemies and Hellenistic Greek thinking.
Come upon us again Holy Spirit and awaken us. Lord, sadly, i am snared in the thinking that you are not all you say you are, even when i say i believe you are, the details of my life i often misunderstand by what appears to be a different story. Awaken us Lord, we need more of you and i am tired of my self-imposed limited view. i am desperate to know you more, i cannot live without you. My perception of You is too small.
What do you think?
Thank you for listening. i’m Social Porter with Living In His Name ministries.