Between 1861 and 1865, in 19 States, the Unites States fought its bloodiest war in history – all on America soil. Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Chickamauga, Shiloh, Spotsylvania, Antietam, and Gettysburg, these names have become synonymous with the tragedy of the Civil War, and their enormous loss of life.
During a visit to the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to walk around Little Round Top with a tour guide I had hired, and learn about the famous deeds of the man who held the hill, Army Maj. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain. His orders were to guard the far left flank of the union line. Fending off six attacks by the 15th and 47th Alabama regiments of Confederate forces, and running severely low on ammunition, he ordered his 20th Maine infantry to fix bayonets and charge. His actions that day, July 2, 1863 was crucial in securing the Union’s success. Nicknamed “Lion of the Little Round Top,” and wounded six times over 24 battles from Antietam to Appomattox, it was Chamberlain’s fearless leadership at Gettysburg that would later earn him the Medal of Honor.
As far as I know, Gideon, the Abiezrite, did not have the rank of Maj. General. His surname, translated “feller” (as in tree feller) and its roots in the Hebrew גדעון (Gid’on) meaning “warrior,” did however herald his future greatness – though it is doubtful that he knew it at the time. His life story is recorded in chapters 6-8 of the book of Judges. Raised up by God to save the Israelites from slavery, his actions were as pivotal as Chamberlain’s – because if he hesitated in his duty, a ‘Confederate’ force of Amalekites and “other eastern peoples” forces led by the Midianites, would continue to impoverish the Israelites. This was not the time for timid or fearful generals of God.
Why do we insist on making God’s will so complicated - looking for signs to meet pre-arranged,
often nutty, criteria? I mean, how is this
much different from fortune telling?
It is this timidity that prompts an angel of the Lord to appear and before the day draws to a close, the meat and un-leaven bread Gideon offers as a sacrifice, is consumed in such a dramatic way, that he utters “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face” – and he concludes he is about to die! Read the story (6:19-23) and it seems clear that this episode was a hair-raising, serious change of underwear experience.
What captures my attention in the greater story however is how Gideon approaches his negotiations with God, in achieving his divinely empowered destiny to free Israel from this confederacy of nations fixed against him the last seven years (6:1); Gideon sets out a fleece (6:33-40). That single episodic moment of discerning God’s will has continued through the generations that have followed Gideon, cementing itself in the psyche of countless modern / post-modern Christians who to this day have made ‘fleece-praying’ or ‘hanging a fleece’ one of their favorite ways of determining what God wants them to do. I think of it as a ‘Christian’ version of reading tea cup leaves, even playing with a Ouija-board.
Seems Right in My Eyes … But Is It?
Now, I understand folk’s thirst to know about the future … and for sure, who among us does not want to know and follow God’s will? The question that begs answering however is whether putting a fleece before God is a purposeful, biblical strategy for post-Pentecost believers. Let us consider the biblical evidence and see if we can arrive at a reasonable conclusion.
Notice … that the strategy for fleece-setting comes from a rather unglamourous book of Scripture – the book of Judges (6:36-40). Like two sides of a coin, what the book of Joshua is … Judges is not! Joshua is positive, full of conquest, emphasizing the importance of obedience; a picture of faithfulness. Judges is dark, emphasizing re-occurring cycles of sin and disobedience, a consistent pattern of negative behaviors. Early in the book, we are reminded that Israel “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2:11) … and its tombstone-like epitaph appearing at the very end of the book poignantly declares, “Everyone did that which was right in their own eyes” (21:25). Is this is a book therefore whose lifestyle choices believers should model spiritually? Apparently a good many say yes!
We do not need experiential proof like signs and wonders
to verify what God has already told us in His Word.
“But ... but ... but” say some.
Gideon’s Behavior – The Facts!
Notice … Gideon immediately blames God for the condition Israel is in … AND … does not believe God is with him. “Pardon me” says the future ‘Fleece Man’ (6:13) “but if the Lord is with us, why has all of this happened to us? Where are all his wonders …. the Lord has abandoned us” (v. 13). Am I suggesting here that Gideon has turned atheist on us. No! The guy still believes in God. He is simply not convinced that even though God could … that he actually would … help him out. Can there be anything worse than being disappointed in God?
Notice … Gideon doubts his ability to be used by God (vv. 14-16). It’s the old ‘weakest and least’ argument “Pardon me … but how can I save Israel … my clan is the weakest … I am the low dog among the top-dogs in my family.” This is all well and good – but his ancestry does not seem to have been a hurdle hours later in demolishing Baal’s altar or cutting down that standing tree trunk carved as a phallic for use in public shows (vv. 28-30). True, Moses raised similar excuses (a) I am not good enough, (b) I do not have all the answers, (c) Folks will not believe me, (d) I am a terrible public speaker, and (e) Send somebody else (Genesis 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10, 13). However, Moses’ problem was that he was convinced the people would not believe him – so God gave him signs. Gideon is deeper than that – he does not believe God – so he demands signs from him. Is this to be our defence for seeking a fleece – “I come from a no-body clan and I’m the baby of the family?”
Notice … Gideon tests God by asking for a sign from him (vv. 17-18). “I’m not convinced you are who you say you are – so prove it! No couching his words here. No delicateness to his request. No diplomatic filter – because he had never taken Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends.” Interestingly God goes along with it … and fire springs from a rock and consumes his offering (6:21). Regrettably Gideon seems unable to connect the dots – Sacrifice … Fire … GOD! I mean, that is a rather spectacular event – you think? Regrettably, it changed nothing for ‘Fleece Man”. Not convincing enough. I guess.
Only ‘once’ do we read of a burning bush (with God inside speaking) ... a city wall falling ... a chariot of fire on its way to heaven with its driver ... flames over people heads, accompanied by a mighty rushing wind ... someone successfully walking on water ... or testing God with a fleece. That should tell us a lot!
Now we come to that famous part of the story where ‘Fleece Man’ comes up with a tortuous idea – and it’s a Two-Part test for God, no less.
The More, the Better!
Notice … that God's directive was already crystal clear (6:36, 37), suggesting that Gideon was hardly looking to figure out God’s will. He confesses with his own lips in v. 36 ". . . save Israel . . . as you have promised." In v. 37 he continues ". . . save Israel . . . as you said." Gideon's apprehension and agonizing self-doubt aside, we must insist that he had already received divine direction. He already knew the truth of God's desire. This is when I want to walk up to ‘Fleece Man’ and shout “Just Do It!” Nike would be pleased.
Notice … that the request was in the face of personal encounters and confirmation. The plain text of Judges 6 indicates divine empowerment. The Angel had said "The Lord is with you" (v. 12); "Am I not sending you?" (v. 14); "I will be with you" (v. 16). Nor should we forget that ‘Fleece Man’ had already been spirit-clothed (v. 34) even before his fleece request. I think there is a lesson here for all Charismatics – stop the sign seeking and act on what is ‘already’ known. It will prove sufficient.
Notice … that the actions are evidence of doubt and indecision. The haunting expressions "If you will … If there is …" (6:36, 37) fluoresce off the biblical page for all of us to read. ‘Fleece Man’ wants God to prove His capacity to pre-determine the outcome of an approaching battle. In how many ways does God have to say “Gideon, I’ve got your back – so quit bothering with your dry or wet fleece nonsense and get it done.”
Many assume Gideon does not know what God wants from him. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
It’s not that ‘Fleece Man’ did not know –
he simply did not believe!
Notice … that even though God responds with grace the first time, it still does not solve the problem. A second test is solicited (6: 39). ‘Fleece Man’ needs to 'be sure', eh? Consider the pastor, who petitions God for a 94% congregational vote as a sign, only to receive 92%. Now what? Well, I assume the pastor honorably declines, right? I mean, surely God did not get his numbers wrong. Or what about the lay person who seeks the Lord for an answer to an important matter by Tuesday, only to have it arrive on a Friday? Hmmm! Must be an answer to a different request – not the Tuesday one. Can it be that our request, not His response, was out of line?
Here is what we know for sure: Gideon's fleece requests were not about knowing God's will; they were about obeying God's word. His uncertainty was not about receiving divine guidance; he was looking to find a way to navigate around the plain vanilla facts staring him in the face. Notice that after God granted Gideon further proof, the text ends in silence (6:40). Why? Because ‘Fleece Man’s’ list was exhausted. He had reached the final period in his sentences of requests. Time to go home or go hard!
Henry Blackaby accurately said, "How we live is a testimony about what we believe about God."
Should believers take the example of Gideon, the ‘Fleece Man’ and participialize fleece setting?
“God, if my girlfriend phones me by 9 pm tonight and asks if I want to go ATV-ing Saturday, then I’ll know you want me to marry her.”
“Lord, I have 3 job opportunities. They all look great. But I want your ‘perfect’ will, so let the job interviews for two of them ‘go-off-the rails’ … or better yet, make my sweater wet.”
Read the book of Judges and it seems evident that Israel never seems to learn her lesson. A cycle of sin, servitude, sorrow, and salvation bleeds from the book’s pages. Much of the 21 chapters scream everything negative … everything disappointing … everything shallow! Like Leviticus, it is one of those inspired books you want to skip, to get to the ‘good’ ones!
The real hero in the story is God. That he puts
up with our nonsense is quite amazing!
Goes to show how committed he is to
preserving his people, even if they are not.
So, exactly how can we go about finding God’s will for our life? What might be a biblical response to the ‘what ifs’ that can plague our life? What possible steps might we take? Can we strong-arm God into doing things for us? Check out an earlier blog, “The Cosmic Search for God’s Will.” I think you might find it helpful. https://www.onlysaying.com/post/the-cosmic-search-for-god-s-will
When Army Maj. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain was told to hold the Unions extreme left flank atop Little Round Top, from Confederate attack, this former classroom professor had only his training and his instincts to guide him. It appears he trusted both – and it won him the day ... the gratitude of his country ... and the Medal of Honor!
Gideon had enough faith to finally get God’s job done ... and yes, he did tear down his father’s altar ... while he was scared (v. 27) ... suggesting that one lesson we can agree on is “So OK ... Do it Scared.” I mean, “Just Do It!” God’s fine with that. Sometimes I muse that we are inherently control freaks – needing to have every duck lined up – before we attempt anything for God or risk anything in his name.
There is a post-Pentecost advantage todays believers enjoy though: the light of Scripture and the constant indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and teach us to climb the higher path … to take a greater way – and not to live by fleeces, but by faith.
Habakkuk 2:4 “… the righteous shall live by his faith.”
Romans 1:17 “... as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”
Galatians 3:11 “... for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”
By faith! What a novel idea! In time, if we persevere, we too shall win the favor of God … and receive our own medal of honor – “Well done good and FAITHFUL servant” (Matthew 25:23). In the meantime, remember – the neighbors' are watching … and so is an amused God! “OnlySaying…”
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