The Fleece

The Story

God had already called Gideon. An angel had appeared to him while he was hiding in a winepress and told him he would save Israel from the Midianites. Fire had come out of a rock and burned up his offering. Now the enemy armies had gathered in the valley, and the Spirit of the Lord had come upon Gideon.

But Gideon was still afraid.

So he asked God for a sign. I’ll put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight, he said. If there’s dew on the fleece only, and the ground around it is dry, then I’ll know You will save Israel by my hand, as You said.

The next morning, Gideon got up early. The ground was dry. He squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowl full of water.

But Gideon still wasn’t sure. Maybe a fleece just naturally holds dew. So he prayed again, carefully. “Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once.” This time, let the fleece be dry and the ground be wet.

“And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.”

Reflection