Gideon: how many signs do we need?
So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said…” (Judges 6:36).
The story of Gideon is remarkable for two things. The first is God’s determination to restore and bless His wayward people. The second is God’s astonishing patience with a man who was so weak in faith.
Every action of God towards Gideon was so encouraging and full of promise. He appears to Gideon and promises His presence, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valour!” Gideon responds by questioning the faithfulness of God. But God does not rebuke him or remind him of the nation’s unfaithfulness; instead, He looks forward to what He will do through Gideon: “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” God confirmed His word by bringing fire from the rock. After promising so much, God calls on Gideon to begin the work He had called him to do. Although Gideon was afraid, he obeys and destroys the altar to Baal. In doing so, he puts his own life in great danger. God allows this to demonstrate His power to change people’s hearts. Joash defended his son, and Gideon was recognised as God’s servant. Finally, as armies of the Midianites and Amalekites gathered, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he prepared for battle.
At this point, you are so encouraged to see God working and Gideon responding in faith and obedience. Then Gideon speaks to God. It is not to confess his lack of faith or to worship and thank God for His grace in choosing him to lead His people. Instead, he comes to God with doubt in his heart, whilst recognising God had spoken, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said…” Gideon does not simply ask God for a sign. He tells God what the sign will be. And in the most remarkable demonstration of patient grace and without a word of rebuke, God fills Gideon’s fleece with dew and makes the surrounding threshing floor dry. Gideon then reverses the sign with the words, “Let me test” (v. 39). God quietly keeps the fleece dry and puts dew on the surrounding ground. I have to confess to wondering what was in the heart of God at that time. How much it rejoiced the heart of the Lord Jesus when the Roman centurion said to Him, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8)! He marvelled at the great faith and humility of a commander in the world’s greatest army. How it must sadden His heart when we have every reason to trust, but address him with doubt in our hearts. Dew represents God’s blessing and life (Psalm 133:3). A dear friend of mine said of Gideon’s fleece that the first sign reminded him of how the Saviour came full of grace and truth to a world full of sin’s aridness: “a root out of dry ground” (Isaiah 53:2). But the second sign reminded him that, as the Lamb of God, Christ was judged in our place:
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death (Psalm 22:15).
Christ’s judgement was the means of our blessing.
May we never doubt “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10) who will not allow the weakness of our faith to thwart His purposes and our blessing.
