Are you familiar with the story of Gideon in the Old Testament? I am fascinated by it; by Gideon’s boldness, if not outright nerve, and by God’s patience, tolerance and amusement with Gideon. In fact, I think I see some of ME in this guy…how about you?
Here is how the story sets up: In the Book of Judges, sixth chapter, God has told Gideon that He will lead him into battle against the Midianites and Amalekites. “And the angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’”
It seems as if there is great confidence put in Gideon from the start. The Lord called him a Mighty Man of Valor; quite a compliment from the Angel of the Lord.
But even then Gideon asks for a sign. “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about…”
The Lord is persistent, and patient and responds, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
That is not enough for Gideon. The promises of God straight from the Lord Himself…it isn’t enough. He wants to prepare an offering of a young goat and unleavened bread and he even asks the Angel of the Lord to wait while he does all of this! When he brings back the offering, he wants a sign that it is really God who is talking with him. So the Angel of the Lord takes the staff in His hand, touches the meat and bread, and then fire comes up out of the rock and consumes both.
“So Gideon said to God, ‘If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said – look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.’”
Now it is time for the battle. He has a promise; He has a confirmation from God. Is it enough?
“…For we walk by faith, not by sight…” 2 Corinthians 5:7.
When he gets up the next morning and squeezes the fleece, he wrings out dew into a bowl and fills it. God was patient with Gideon, and answers his request.
He has a promise; He has a confirmation, and now a wet fleece from God. Is it enough?
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5.
“Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.’”
Patience, patience, patience. “And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.”
He has a promise; He has a confirmation, a wet fleece, and now a dry fleece. Is it enough?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.
[Tweet “Gideon had all of the confirmation anyone would need from God but he didn’t have faith in God.”]
What are we looking for today? Do we fleece God and say, “If you will do this, show me this, work this out my way, then I will do thus and thus for You, Lord.”
A fleece seems a little, or a lot, presumptuous to tell Almighty God what to do and specifically how to do it. It is more than seeking a sign.
A fleece literally instructs God what to do and when!
We are just like Gideon. We already have the promises of God! Sixty six books filled to the brim with promises and yet, just like Gideon, we seek a sign.
How many signs does the Lord have to perform for us to believe?
Faith is trusting God even when we cannot see, when we take God at His Word and just do what He asks us to do. Continually asking God for another miracle, even testing God, is not the kind of faith He is looking for.
Gideon already had an answer. God had told Him that He was going to be with him in battle. It was a done deal. But Gideon lacked faith. He was so full of fear and doubt that he wanted more confirmation.
If we are always seeking a sign then we will never have enough, we will always need another prompt to get us going every time God wants us to do something for Him.
But if we walk by faith, trusting that He knows what is best and continually relying on the promises in His written Word, then we will not need “signs”. We know He is there and wants only the best for us and will work through us.
Putting a fleece out before the Lord may not be wrong, in the case of Gideon the Lord did answer his pleas. But we must be ever so careful because so many of our fleeces can come about by happenstance, or not come about at all, and leave the believer wondering and confused.
The Lord was undoubtedly trying to increase the faith of Gideon by answering his requests so deliberately. Perhaps even today God will answer the prayer of a young Christian that doesn’t understand the Word by granting his fleece request. It is also true that there are other examples in the Bible of people asking God for a sign (the servant seeking a sign when looking for a wife for Isaac, Genesis 24) and in the Old Testament they often cast lots to decide the outcome of a situation.
Jesus was asked for sign and what was His response?
“Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”Matthew 12:38-39.
He repeats it in the 16th chapter when asked again for a sign!
Today, we have the Holy Spirit within us. He is our guide, instructor, leader and the One who gives complete direction through His Spirit and Word! We pray, we ask for guidance and then we trust Him that He knows what is best and we are following His will. Continually asking for signs may only bring confusion into our Spirit-filled lives. If we make it a pattern in our spiritual walk to fleece God for every little matter that “comes down the pike” we are people of weak faith, just like Gideon was in the beginning.
Yes, he is listed in the Hall of Fame in the Faith chapter! Gideon did great exploits with the anointing of the Lord on his life and undoubtedly his faith grew, but his faith was weak in the beginning, as is evident in all of his need for confirmation.
Are you fleecing God or putting faith in His Word? Can you “throw out” that fleece today and just trust God? It’s a lot less work to believe and doesn’t waste near as much time. Just ask Gideon.
