Like many of us, when faced with a God-sized task, Gideon was afraid and asked God for assurance that he was there to help. He asked for two signs of God’s power and willingness to help.
Then Gideon said to God, “In order to see whether you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said,
I am going to lay a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said.”
And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let your anger burn against me, let me speak one more time; let me, please, make trial with the fleece just once more; let it be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.”
And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew (Judges 6:36-40).
Gideon’s fleece is another memorable story that has been preached about for ages. People often ask if it is OK to “throw out a fleece” when asking God for direction.
By no means do I have a definitive answer. Here are a couple of things to consider as you try to answer the question.
(1) Even though Gideon was used by God, he is another example of the declining quality of leaders among the Israelites. His request for a sign is not a picture of faith, but of fear and unbelief.
(2) When Gideon returns to the service of Canaanite gods later in the story, he reflects that he is more concerned with safety and prosperity than allegiance to the one and only God.
(3) The story of Gideon’s victory over the Midianites is a picture of God’s grace rather than human faithfulness to God’s purposes.
Before you “throw out a fleece” to determine God’s will in a particular situation, please judge your motives to see if they resemble faithful followers of the Lord or those of Gideon.
God is Gracious
Before I knew the above insights into Gideon and the battle against the Midianites, I “threw out the fleece” myself.
I was a new Christian in college and wanted to ask a girl out for a date. As I sat in the front seat of my car, I prayed and said this to God, “Lord if you want me to ask this girl out, please have this coin turn up heads.”
I flipped the coin and heads turned up. The girl, whose name I no longer remember, and I dated for a little while.
Thank God for his grace, because my behavior was entirely motivated by self-interest.
Giving God the Glory
The episode with the fleece was Gideon’s test of God. God in turn had a test for Gideon. He told him to send home any person who didn’t want to fight, according the the instructions of Deuteronomy 20:8.
Now therefore proclaim this in the hearing of the troops, “Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home.'” Thus Gideon sifted them out; twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained (Judges 7:3).
Ten thousand troops were still too many, so God proposed another test.
So he brought the troops down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon, “All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; all those who kneel down to drink, putting their hands to their mouths, you shall put to the other side” (Judges 7:5).
I can’t imagine lapping water like a dog, and neither did nearly all of the soldiers. Only 300 men lapped water like a dog, and God told Gideon that they were to comprise his army.
What happened with Gideon and his army reveals a principle that Paul described in his letter to the Corinthians.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth;
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong,
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
So that no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:25-29).
God wants the world to recognize his true character and nature. If humans ascribe praise to other humans, we don’t have the opportunity to see God for who he is.
I call the people in Paul’s message “the nots.” They are not wise, powerful, or of noble birth. God uses “weak” humans to shame the powerful and to reveal God’s character.
I have been reading the full copy of Pope Leo’s Apostolic Exhortation. I believe Pope Leo has the best explanation that I have ever read of how and why God uses the poor. Click on the link below for the full text of his message.
Pope Leo’s message focuses on the poor and how God’s presence and power can be seen as we live with and work among them. I have copied one paragraph from a long and very insightful message with the hope you will take the time to read and re-read Pope Leo’s words.
Christian holiness often flourishes in the most forgotten and wounded places of humanity. The poorest of the poor those who lack not only material goods but also a voice and the recognition of their dignity have a special place in God’s heart. They are the beloved of the Gospel, the heirs to the Kingdom (cf. Lk 6:20). It is in them that Christ continues to suffer and rise again. It is in them that the Church rediscovers her call to show her most authentic self.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Gideon’s preparation for war with the Midianites in Judges 6 and 7.
Real Voices 