The Vanity of Many Dreams and Many Words

Downloadable Reflection Guide

Ecclesiastes 5:7

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

There is no shortage of talk in our culture. Social media networks encourage everyday people to become content creators many with no discernable expertise. While this democratization of the access to sharing your thoughts across many web-based platforms can be a great thing and provide both entertainment and insight from our fellow travelers, with so many words the noise becomes at times distracting.

At night when we dream, we sometimes remember specific aspects of our dreams. At other times, we are left with a vague impression of having dreamed something that we cannot specifically recall. Solomon ties the  multiplication of our words and dreams together stating in Ecclesiastes 5:7, “For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.”

With our words we may vow many vows before God that sound good in the moment, but if they lack any lasting sincerity what use are they? It would be better to remain silent than to continue to ramble on heaping empty words upon additional empty words.

In this biblical context, the dreaming of dreams likely points to claims of prophetic guidance from the Lord. But linking the claims of dreaming dreams to the proliferation of empty words, Solomon asks, “Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the works of your hands?” (Ecclesiastes 5:6b) This is contingent on the prior portion of the verse which instructs us to “Let not your mount lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake.”

Psalm 46:10a instructs us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” This seems to be what Solomon might be after, encouraging us to resist excessive talk in order that we might hear from God rather than ourselves. God is the one we must fear (Ecclesiastes 5:7b). It is God whose Word has a lasting impact. Our words, piled upon themselves amount to very little by comparison.

Thoughts for Reflection

How can you remember to pause and listen for the Word of God more than your own words and dreams?