Judges 6:33-40
33 Then all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the people of the east assembled together; and they crossed over and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 So the Spirit of the Lord covered Gideon like clothing; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel through me, as You have spoken,
37 behold, I am putting 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 save Israel through me, as You have spoken.”
38 And it was so. When he got up early the next morning and wrung out the fleece, he wrung the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me, so that I may speak only one more time; please let me put You to the test only one more time with the fleece: let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.”
40 And God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.
Miracle of the Fleece
Preparation for the battle
How does the work of the Lord progress? Let’s examine that from today’s passage. (1) The Midianites, Amalekites, and people from the east assembled and invaded the land of Israel, and a battle was inevitable. (2) The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. The work of the Lord must always be carried out through the guidance and methods of the Holy Spirit. Are you constantly aspiring to be a vessel of the Holy Spirit? (3) God’s people respond to the call of those filled with the Holy Spirit and rise up. Here, the Abiezrites, who were part of Gideon’s division, responded to the sound of the trumpet and stood up, followed by the tribe of Manasseh, who responded to the messenger’s call. Additionally, the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali joined Gideon’s army. In every age, it is of utmost importance for Spirit-filled leaders to arise.
Gideon’s faith
Gideon asked for a new sign to confirm God’s will. (1) His first request was that dew should be on the fleece of wool alone, while the entire ground remains dry. The reason this would be a miracle is that if dew falls on the fleece, the ground underneath it would normally absorb the moisture and become wet. The Lord granted this request and made it happen. (2) Still feeling uncertain, Gideon made a completely opposite request next. He asked for the fleece to be dry while dew covers the entire ground. This request was also fulfilled. Gideon’s actions are not something that we, living in the New Testament era, should imitate. (1) As evident from the context, Gideon already knew what the will of the Lord was. (2) He asked for a sign because his faith was weak. Seeking a sign is not a sign of strong faith but of weak faith. As Christians living in the New Testament era, we have been given the Word of God, which is the Bible. Let us remember these words of Paul: “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).
Today's prayer
Our Creator, please forgive me that I often forget Your greatness. I will walk in reliance on Your Word. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.