“Behold, I am laying 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 save Israel by my hand, as you have said.”
And it was so. Judges 6:37-38
As we come to the story of Gideon’s fleece we need to remember that this is not a story of finding God’s will – Gideon already knew what God’s will was. This is an attempt to find the courage to do God’s will. Gideon has seen the massive army of the Midianites (four times larger than his army) and he is not sure this mission from God is possible. When we first met Gideon he was hiding fearfully from the Midianites. He knew what they were capable of and now he is told to face them in battle. God has promised He will be with Gideon. Gideon wants more than that. He wants to know that he will be successful in this war. So he asks God for a sign to bolster his courage and ensure confidence of success. Behold, Gideon tells omnipotent, omniscient God to look at what he is doing. (God must shake His head at some of the things we say to Him!) I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. Gideon takes a fleece, a coat of sheep’s wool and he lays it directly on the dirt ground. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground Second Gideon sets up the rules for the sign (really a test of God). To confirm God’s direction, Gideon asks that the fleece be saturated with dew but the ground around the fleece be dry as a bone. Surely that will be God’s sign. Then This is one of those famous if…then statements in scripture. If you do this, then this will happen. The problem is in most of those statements, God is speaking to believers. He is the one setting up the criteria. Here Gideon sets up the criterion to test God. To be fair, he is not doing it arrogantly, he is likely scared to death by what he is being asked to do. He is outnumbered and he has no military experience. Gideon knows that if this battle is to be won, God must do it because he is not capable. I shall know Next Gideon uses one of the most important words in scripture – know”. In a world that claims there is no proof of God, God wants us to know Him and His will. Here we see Gideon striving for the same thing. He wants to know, to be sure. (The problem is he knows what God told him but that is not enough.) That you will save Israel by my hand Here we see what Gideon is seeking to confirm. He wants to know God will save Israel using him. He knows the greatness of God. He knows God is able. What he is not sure of is if God will use him. The Angel of the Lord has already told Gideon this was true. “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” (Judges 6:14) As you have said. Gideon admits that what the Angel of the Lord told him is true – this is God’s intention. In Gideon we see one of our traits of weak faith. We read God’s word, we know His promises yet we do not believe they can possibly be for us. Other? Yes but not me. God puts His assurances in scripture yet so often we want more. We need Him to tell us once more, to assure us His promise is true, give us proof! What can we learn? First we see the great compassion and mercy of God. He made us and He knows we are weak and frail. He sees our hearts and knows if we are acting out of obstinance and rebellion or out of fear and anxiety. He knows that trusting Him for many is a process. He wants us to grow so He responds to our childish requests even though He knows they are not necessary. So the first truth we see in the story of Gideon is the great compassion of God. Second we contrast Gideon’s story to the Centurion who knew when Christ said his servant would be healed, it would be done. He was a man under authority who obeyed orders and commands of those over him. The master did not need to repeat His promise. Saying it once was enough that it would be done. Christ said that he was a man of great faith. Why? He believed it because God said it and that settled it. One does that when he knows the character of the one giving the order. The Lord calls that ”great faith”.