Genesis has a large percentage of the dreams and night visions in the Bible. In Genesis 46 Jacob has a night vision and God spoke to him, and it seems that he heard clearly what God was saying. The first dream in Genesis is in Gen 20 where God appears and speaks to Abimelech and very clearly threatens him with death. In Genesis 28 Jacob has a dream, and in Genesis 31, and the night vision of Genesis 46. In all three dreams of Jacob God speaks to him, in the last two Jacob is called by name. Laban also has a dream in which God speaks to him clearly in Genesis 31. Joseph has two dreams in Genesis 37 that although God does not speak to him, the message seems to be interpreted throughout the family easily enough. The last four dreams of Genesis, the cupbearer and the baker's dreams in Genesis 40, of which they seem to be clueless to the meaning, but Joseph gives an interpretation from God. The two dreams of Pharaoh in Genesis 41 not only can Pharaoh not interpret the meaning, but none of those who normally do interpret dreams can interpret them.
How does looking at the dreams as a vehicle of communication with God in Genesis apply to our lives today? Sometimes God speaks directly in dreams, this may be primarily vocal, as in Abimelech's dream in Genesis 20, or vocal combined with visible images such as Jacob and the ladder to heaven in Genesis 28. Other times God does not speak directly as in Joseph's dreams or Pharaoh's dreams, but the visual stimulii has a meaning behind it that God is communicating, whether or not the dreamer or those associated with the dreamer understand that message. It appears that the fact that dreams have an interpretation are found both in Egypt and among the Hebrews. So the overwhelming message seems to be that God speaks to us through dreams.
What does he say? The dreams in Genesis are messages of warning (Abimelech), future blessing (Jacob), future death (baker), and warning of famine (Pharaoh). It seems that God is saying what he is about to do, whether that be to kill you, or to bless you, or to bring a famine.
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