Judges 6:36-40
Judges 6:36
And
Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
Gideon now turns his attention to God and is ready to confirm what God has
already promised him. It is obvious
that he still had a tendency for fear and that is what the next few verses are
all about. Gideon wanted to get a
sign from God that He would indeed deliver Israel from this alliance of nations
poised against him and Israel.
Judges 6:37
Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the
fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that
thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
Now
Gideon asks God to work a simple miracle (actually any miracle of God is simple
to Him) to confirm that it was indeed God’s plan that Israel was to be saved by
the hand of Gideon. He asks God to
allow the fleece alone to have dew on it but not the surrounding area which
would remain dry. Normally the
nighttime dew is so heavy that in the morning it could look like it had rained.
Judges 6:38
And
it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together,
and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
The
miracle was done according to the words of Gideon.
When he rose up early in the morning, then everything should have dew on
it, only the fleece had dew and when Gideon wrung it out, it was a full bowl of
water. It was a basin that was
filled and not just a small bowl like we would think of a cereal bowl.
So the Lord really fulfilled Gideon’s desire for confirmation of his
calling but that wasn’t the end.
Judges 6:39
And
Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak
but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it
now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
So
now Gideon once again asks God to do a simple miracle of allowing the fleece to
be dry while the surrounding ground was all laden with dew.
Gideon was really showing his fear by asking for two signs to confirm the
fact that it was He who was going to deliver Israel.
This sign would have been a tad more difficult than his first request.
The fleece being very dry would have the ability to absorb any moisture
which it came in contact with it but once again God confirms the calling of
Gideon by another sign.
Judges 6:40
And
God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on
all the ground.