This time, we’ll look at Gideon and the fleece from God in Judges 6.
In the last lesson about Gideon we learned how he received the call and questioned God. And now, he’s moved forward into testing.
Does this sound familiar? It did to me.
Have you and I ever questioned God or asked for a sign that He was on our side?
Let’s study this lesson from the Book of Judges and get some answers.
Gideon and the Fleece Sign
Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will 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 will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.”
And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.”
God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground. – Judges 6:36-40 NASB
The Plight of Israel
Remember that the Midian and Amalek armies were in the country, controlling the rich lands and trade routes.
Gideon has assembled his army and is ready to attack — or is he?
First, a Sign from God Regarding the Fleece
Was God really with him? How was he to know for sure?
Yes, a clear-cut sign from God would do the trick.
So, Gideon gave God the fleece “test” since he couldn’t take God at His word.
Maybe I’m Exaggerating?
Okay, maybe Gideon just needed a little encouragement and was uncertain about his own abilities.
What would you & I do?
These were powerful armies and we are about to engage in a bloody confrontation.
Wouldn’t we want a bit of assurance in this situation?
Sure we would!
Right Heart – Wrong Method
To give some credit to this young man, Gideon could possibly die during this conflict.
And, it was certain that at least a part of his men would not survive.
This was a huge responsibility for Gideon, wasn’t it?
Gideon’s Fleece Test Discounts God’s Power
On reason Gideon’s method failed was because of faith–or lack thereof.
He previously experienced what God could do but still did not quite believe it could be repeated.
Faith or Fear?
Faith remains on shaky ground when fear enters the picture.
It can make us want more, even when we already have all the facts as Gideon did.
We Don’t Need the Fleece of Gideon — Here’s Why..
The best part of being Christians living in modern times is that we have God’s Word to rely on…
It’s called the Bible.
Yes, signs from the sky would be wonderful and I’m sure we will continue to ask for them in our low times.
But, if we take time to study His Word to guide us though life and have more faith, we won’t need signs.
The answer is always there.
Love in Christ
– Bob
If you would like to discover how to receive the love and life-changing experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to read John 3:16 here.
I hope this Bible lesson about Gideon and the fleece inspires you to trust in God to take care of your needs. No, He doesn’t always act in ways we expect but God knows what the outcome should be. “Only believe.” ~ Jesus (Luke 8:50 & other verses)