English
Português
Español
Français
Answer
The concept of “putting out a fleece” originates from the story of Gideon, a leader in Israel, found in Judges 6. When God instructed him to gather the Israelite troops to confront the Midianite invaders, Gideon desired assurance that he was truly hearing God’s voice and comprehending His instructions. He requested a sign from God to confirm His will. Therefore, he placed a piece of wool outside overnight and entreated God to make it wet while keeping the surrounding dirt dry. God graciously fulfilled Gideon’s request, and by morning, the fleece was moist enough to fill a bowl with water when squeezed.
However, Gideon’s faith was so feeble that he sought another sign from God—this time, to keep a different fleece dry while causing the surrounding dirt to become wet. Once again, God granted his request, and Gideon was ultimately convinced that God intended to fulfill what He had promised, ensuring victory for the nation of Israel as the angel of the Lord had foretold in Judges 6:14-16. Placing out the fleeces marked the second occasion Gideon sought confirmation that God was truly communicating with him and would fulfill His word.
Gideon’s story offers several lessons for us. Firstly, God displays immense grace and patience towards us, particularly when our faith is lacking. Gideon recognized he was testing God’s patience and venturing into risky territory by requesting multiple signs. Following the first fleece sign, he pleaded, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make one more request” «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. », Judges 6:39. However, our God is merciful, loving, and patient, understanding our weaknesses. Nevertheless, the account of Gideon should serve as a lesson for us, not as a blueprint for our conduct. Jesus mentioned twice that “a wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign” on Matthew 12:39; Matthew 16:1-4. His message was that the signs He had already shown them—His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, healings, and miracles—were adequate for them to recognize the truth, if truth was what they truly sought. Clearly, that was not the case.
Another lesson from Gideon’s fleece incidents is that those who request signs are displaying a feeble and immature faith that would not be strengthened by the signs anyway! Gideon had been given more than sufficient information without the fleece signs. God had assured him of victory (v. 14), and He had responded to a prior sign request with a miraculous demonstration of power through fire (v. 16). Yet, Gideon asked for two more signs due to his own insecurity. Similarly, even when God does grant the sign we seek, it fails to satisfy us because our wavering faith still harbors doubts. This often leads us to seek multiple signs, none of which provide the certainty we seek, as the issue lies not with God’s power but with our perception of it.
One issue with emulating Gideon’s practice of setting fleeces is that it overlooks the fact that our circumstances and his are not truly comparable. As believers, we possess two potent tools that Gideon did not have. Firstly, we have the complete Word of God, which we know is “God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” on 2 Timothy 3:16-17. God has assured us that His Word is all we need to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work.”Equipped for anything and everything in life. We do not need experiential proof (signs, voices, miracles) to verify what He has already told us in His Word. Our second advantage over Gideon is that every Christian has the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself, residing in his heart to guide, direct, and encourage. Prior to Pentecost, believers had the Old Testament only and were directed externally by God’s providential hand. Now we have His complete Bible and His indwelling presence in our hearts.
Rather than seeking signs via fleeces, we should be content to know God’s will for us in every situation every day: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” «Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. », (Colossians 3:16); “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18); “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” «And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. », (Colossians 3:17). If these things characterize our lives, the decisions we make will be in accordance with God’s will, He will bless us immeasurably with His peace and assurance, and there will be no need to put out fleeces or ask for signs.
