Judges 6:33-4033Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. 34But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. 35And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. 36And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37Behold, 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. 38And 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. 39And 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. 40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. (Judges 6:33‑40)
God had told Gideon he should save Israel from the enemy, who had come into their land. Gideon had blown the trumpets to call the men nearby and had sent messengers to those farther away to come and help.
Gideon believed God was able to do great wonders, yet he did not feel sure he was the man to be the leader. So he asked God to prove this to him: he said he would put out some fleece (wool cut from sheep), and if dew fell on the fleece and not on the ground around it, he would know he was the one to lead the army.
In that land very heavy dew falls on summer nights: Gideon put out the fleece and early the next morning he went to the place: all around the fleece it was dry, but the fleece was so wet from dew that he wrung the water from it, enough to fill a bowl.
Yet Gideon was not really sure that he should lead the Italy. And he asked the Lord to give him a second proof: this time he asked that dew should not fall on the fleece, only on the ground around it. In the morning the fleece was dry, but all around it there was dew.
Chapter 7:1-8. After that Gideon trusted God, and had courage to prepare for the battle. Many men of Israel came to go with him.
Still there were 10,000 men with Gideon. But the Lord said that was toc many, because they would think he battle won by their own number, instead of by His power.
So He told Gideon to watch the men as they drank water (probably from a stream nearby): those who got down on their knees to drink as much as they liked, were not to be taken to fight; only those who drank more quickly, by just dipping in their hands and lapping what water was held, were to be taken.
Only 300 men drank the quicker way, showing they were eager to start for the battle. But we later learn how God gave Gideon and those few inert a great victory.
How many men of Gideon’s army were afraid and went home? (vs. 3).
ML 07/10/1938