Judges 6

Israelite sin leads to povertyverses 1-6

And the children of Israel did EVIL in the sight of the LORD

and the LORD DELIVERED them

into the hand of Midian seven years

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel

and because of the Midianites the children of Israel

made them the dens which are in the mountains

and caves and strongholds

And so it was – when Israel had sown – that the Midianites came up

and the Amalekites – and the children of the east

even they came up against them

and they encamped against them

and destroyed the increase of the earth

till you come to Gaza

and left no sustenance for Israel

neither sheep – nor ox – nor ass

For they came up with their cattle and their tents

and they came as grasshoppers for multitude

for both they and their camels were without number

and they entered into the land to destroy it

And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites

and the children of Israel CRIED to the LORD

Prophet is sent with messageverses 7-10

And it came to pass – when the children of Israel CRIED unto the LORD

because of the Midianites – that the LORD sent a prophet

to the children of Israel

which said unto them

Thus says the LORD God of Israel

I brought you up from Egypt

and brought you forth out of the house of bondage

I delivered you out of the hand of Egyptians

out of the hand of all that oppressed you

drove them out from before you gave you their land

I said to you

I am the LORD your God

Fear not the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell

BUT you have not obeyed MY voice

Angel of the LORD [theophany]verses 11-12

And there came an angel of the LORD

and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah

that pertained unto Joash – the Abi-ezrite

and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress

to hide it from the Midianites

And the angel of the LORD appeared to him

and said to him

The LORD is with you – you mighty man of valor

Gideon complains to angel of the LORDverse 13

And Gideon

said to him

Oh my Lord – IF the LORD be with us

WHY then is all this befallen us?

And where be all HIS miracles which our fathers told us of

saying

Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?

BUT now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us

into the hands of the Midianites

LORD tells Gideon he is to rescue Israelverse 14

And the LORD looked on him

and said

Go in this your might – and you shall save Israel from the

hand of the Midianites

HAVE not I sent you?

Gideon says he is poor and unimportantverse 15

And he said to HIM

Oh my Lord – wherewith shall I save Israel?

BEHOLD – my family is POOR in Manasseh

and I am the LEAST in my father’s house

LORD promises to be with himverse 16

And the LORD said to him

Surely I will be with you

and you shall smite the Midianites as one man

Gideon asks angel of the LORD to stayverse 17-18a

And he said to HIM

IF now I have found GRACE in YOUR sight

THEN show me a SIGN that YOU talk with me

Depart not hence – I pray YOU – until I come to YOU

and bring forth my present – and set it before YOU

Angel of the LORD promises to stayverse 18b

And HE said

I will tarry until you come again

Gideon brings sacrificeverse 19

And Gideon went in – and made ready a kid

and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour

the flesh he put in a basket

and he put the broth in a pot

and brought it out to HIM under the oak

and presented it

Angel of the LORD accepts sacrifice and leavesverses 20-21

And the angel of God

said to him

Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes

and lay them upon this rock – and pour out the broth

and he did so

THEN the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff

that was in HIS hand and touched the flesh

and the unleavened cakes

and there rose up fire out of the rock

and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes

THEN the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight

Gideon realizes who he has metverse 22

And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD

Gideon said – Alas – O Lord GOD

FOR because I have seen an angel of the LORD

face to face

LORD replies to his fearverses 23-24

And the LORD said to him

Peace be to you

Fear not – you shall not die

Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD

and called it JEHOVAH-SHALOM

to this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites

LORD gives Gideon further instructionsverses 25-26

And it came to pass the same night

that the LORD said to him

Take your father’s young bullock

even the second bullock of seven years old

And throw down the altar of Baal that your father hath

and cut down the grove that is by it

And build an altar unto the LORD your God

on the top of this rock in the ordered place

And take the second bullock

and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove

which you shall cut down

Gideon does as the LORD asksverse 27

THEN Gideon took ten men of his servants

and did as the LORD had said to him

And so it was – because he feared his father’s household

and the men of the city – that he could not do it by day

that he did it by night

People of the city angryverses 28-29

And when the men of the city arose early in the morning

BEHOLD – the altar of Baal was cast down

and the grove was cut down that was by it

and the second bullock was offered on the altar

that was built

And they said one to another

Who has done this thing?

And when they inquired and asked they said

Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing

People wanted to kill Gideonverse 30

THEN the men of the city

said to Joash

Bring out your son – that he may die

BECAUSE he has cast down the altar of Baal

BECAUSE he has cut down the grove

that was by it

Joash defends Gideonverses 31-32

And Joash said to all that stood against him

Will you plead for Baal?

Will you save him?

he that will plead for him

Let him be put to death while it is yet morning

IF he be a god – LET him plead for himself

BECAUSE one has cast down his altar

Therefore, on that day he called him Jerubbaal

saying

Let Baal plead against him

because he hath thrown down his altar

Spirit of the LORD enters Gideonverses 33-35

THEN 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

BUT the Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon

and he blew a trumpet

and Abi-ezer was gathered after him

And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh

who also was gathered after him:

and sent messengers unto Asher – Zebulun – Naphtali

and they came up to meet them

Gideon wants proof from the LORD: wet fleeceverses 36-38

And Gideon said to God

IF YOU will save Israel by mine hand

as YOU have said

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 YOU will save Israel by mine hand

as YOU have said

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

Gideon wants proof again: dry fleeceverses 39-40

And Gideon

said to God

Let not YOUR anger be hot against me – and I will speak but this once

let me prove – I pray YOU – BUT this once with the fleece

let it now be dry only on the fleece

and on all the ground let there be dew

And God did so that night – for it was dry on the fleece only

and there was dew on all the ground

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the cried to the LORD because of the Midianites. (1809 “impoverished” [dalal] means to be or to become little, tiny, to become feeble, be poor, be in need, emptied, or unimportant)

DEVOTION: Sometimes the LORD allows us to hit bottom. HE did it with Israel many times even sometimes in the same generation. HIS people in the Old Testament were real slow learners.

They are going through a time period where a cycle is happening. There is sin, repentance, deliverance through a judge and rest. However, the rest doesn’t last very long because they go back to their sin. It is common even today. HE tries to get our attention and we listen for a few years and then return to our old habits of worshiping false gods even today.

God wanted to bless HIS people but they were not worshiping HIM in spirit and in truth. They were worshiping a false god who could do nothing for them and it showed. They were living on scraps and living in caves. It was not life of blessing they were celebrating at the time.

The LORD wanted a recommitment to HIM. HE called Gideon to be that servant. HE wanted Gideon to show that he was making a genuine commitment to HIM.

He had to build an altar and worship the LORD. He did it with wood from a grove that was dedicated to Baal. It showed commitment.

When we call for help, we should try to make a commitment for the rest of our life to be better servants of the LORD. HE is a forgiving God. HE is a loving God. HE is also a just God. HE wants us to understand that there is only one way to please HIM and that is by following Jesus Christ and HIS example.

Again, we know that we can’t do it on our own. We have the Holy Spirit indwelling us and Jesus mediating for us before the Father and the Father loving us because of the death of HIS Son for our sins. Our responsibility is to realize HE will help us while try. HE knows our heart if there is a genuine desire to serve HIM.

CHALLENGE: HE is always available to HIS children when we confess our sins and genuinely turn our heart, soul and spirit over to HIM. Are we showing commitment to the LORD in our life?

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 8 That the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, which said to them, This says the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage. (5650 “bondage” [ebed] means servant, slave, work done under harsh conditions for little or no pay, or subordinate)

DEVOTION: Here we have a prophet reminding the people that the LORD brought them out of Egypt from slavery to the Promised Land where HE promised to bless them and give they everything they needed.

The problem was that Joshua died and the people didn’t complete the action had sent them to do. Each tribe was given a portion of land that they were to clear of any enemy and build their homes and live in the area.

They had a better idea. Instead of continuing to work together to defeat their enemy they thought that they could have them be their servants and pay them tribute each year from the increase of the land. They wanted to have servants instead of being a faithful servant of the LORD and do what HE had commanded them to do.

Now they were paying the consequences of their actions. The people they wanted as slaves turned them into slaves of a false god. Because of this the LORD took their blessing away. HE allowed nations to come up against them and because they didn’t have HIS blessing and were not working together to defeat the nations that remained in the land, they were very weak.

This happened to show them that they had turned from the LORD to the lazy life and it was not a good life. This is happening today in our world.

We find that Christians are thinking that they can worship the gods of this world and still receive the blessings of God. That is not happening. We are worshiping the wrong god today.

Our God wants us to be witnesses of HIS power in our life. HE wants us to be witnesses for him to those who are around us. HE wants us to serve HIM allow. HE wants us to be totally dedicated to HIM and HE will bless us and the church.

CHALLENGE: Are we living in a house of bondage or a house of blessing? This is the question we need to ask ourselves.

: 14 And the LORD looked on him, and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent you? (6437 “looked” [panah] means to turn, to face, appear, behold, or mark)

DEVOTION: The cycle is repeated again: Deliverance – Sin – Captivity – Judge.

This time the Midianites controlled Israel for seven years. The Israelites were hungry. They were impoverished. They cried out the LORD for help.

A prophet came with a message from the LORD. The message stated that God had delivered them from Egypt and all their enemies but they failed to obey HIS voice.

However, the Angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide from the Midianites. Remember the Angel of the LORD is a theophany. A theophany is the visible appearing of deity in the Old Testament. Here we have Jesus Christ appearing to Gideon. Jesus called him a mighty man of valor

Here the LORD is calling another man who wanted to make excuses as to why he could not serve the LORD. Moses made excuses. Here we find Gideon giving excuses. All throughout history we find that the people of God try to think up excuses why they cannot follow the LORD.

HE wants individuals to use their gifts in HIS service. On this occasion HE proves to Gideon that HE will give him the power to defeat the enemy. After Gideon realizes that he has seen the LORD, he is worried that he will die.

The thought is that anyone who has seen the LORD face to face would die. That is true if the LORD comes in all this glory. The LORD communicated with Gideon that he would not die. Gideon built an altar to the LORD and called it Jehovah-shalom or God of peace.

In order to show his allegiance to the LORD he was to tare down the altar of Baal and cut down the grove. He did it but the people of the village were angry. They thought he should be killed but his father defended him. Just then the Midianites showed up and the Spirit of the LORD filled Gideon. He called the Israelites to battle.

The LORD had a challenge for Gideon to face. Gideon was still unsure of the ability of God to deliver the Midianites into his hands.

Again Gideon wanted the LORD to prove HIS ability to defeat the Midianites. He wanted the LORD to make a fleece dry and then wet to show HIS power. The LORD was able to do both. It gave Gideon courage.

Can we identify with Gideon? Do we sometimes feel that the LORD is not able to give us victory over the challenges HE sends our way? The LORD is able. HE is bigger than we can ever comprehend. We should learn to trust HIM in our most difficult circumstances. HE has helped us in the past. HE will help us in the present. HE plans on helping us in the future. Praise HIS name.

CHALLENGE: All those who are followers of Christ have been sent to serve HIM. Each of us has a gift from the Holy Spirit to reach our world for Christ. The battle is real. Victory is ours!!!

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 31 And Joash said to all that stood against him, Will you plead for Baal? Will you save him? He that will plead for him let him be put to death while it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one has cast down his altar. (7378 “plead” [riyb] means strive, contend, chide, debate, to strive physically with words, to conduct a case or suit (legal), or quarrel)

DEVOTION: Gideon had been accused of not honoring Baal. He had cast down the altar of Baal. It was a false god that the children of Israel had been worshiping. It was a false god.

The one true God, Jehovah, sent HIS SON in the form of an angel to inform Gideon that the one TRUE GOD wanted him to take action against the false god. He took some men and worshiped the LORD and then worshiped the LORD from the grove that was dedicated to the false god, Baal.

The people were angry and wanted to kill Gideon but his father told them that he was an adult and responsible for his actions but he would not allow his killing. He said Baal should do it.

Here is a father pleading for his son. His son had broken down an altar his father had built to honor the false god Baal. So Gideon had a confused household he was living in.
God is speaking to him while his father is offering sacrifices to the false god to please the people around him. Now he is confronted by these same people that want to kill his son.

What should a father do? Well, he did what was right in two ways. First, he admitted that his son had done the action but that if he had truly displeased a real god the god should take care of the problem. Remember Baal was a false god like all of the other gods in the land of Canaan before the Israelites arrived and introduced Jehovah to the land.

So he defended his son and the people were satisfied with his answer.

Today we have to defend our children when they do things right. We can’t let others judge them for good actions. We had an occasion where one of our sons stepped in to help someone who was being pushed around by someone bigger than the individual. The administration of the school said he was wrong be we stated that he was right. And he was.

CHALLENGE: Too often we back down when we should speak up for our family or friends.

: 39 And Gideon said to God, Let not your anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray you, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew. (2734 “hot” [charah] means kindled, wroth, displease, incensed, burn, grieved, or blaze up.)

DEVOTION: How many of us would like a one on one, conversation with God like Gideon had here with Jesus Christ? It would make life and decisions very simple.

The LORD gave Gideon an assignment. HE told him to gather the troops and fight the Midianites. Gideon wanted to be sure he was hearing the LORD right. He wanted to make sure that it was the LORD speaking and not a fallen angel like Satan trying to deceive him.

However, we know it was the LORD and Gideon was just trying to get out of the assignment that was given to him. Who would want to go to war with a force stronger than his. The other tribes might join but it still was something he didn’t want to do.

So here he is questioning God. He doesn’t want God to be displeased to the point that HE kills him or judges him unworthy of ever serving again. He just wants to be sure in his own mind that the LORD is really calling him to this assignment.

Have we ever questions God’s assignments to us? I know I have. Right now, I think I should be on the road serving HIM in areas of need but I am assigned to stay home because of sickness. HE always knows what is best for each servant of HIS.

Are you challenging what the LORD is doing with you right now? We don’t seem to get a face to face, meeting but we have the Holy Spirit that speaks to our spirit to help us understand what the LORD wants us each day.

Many theologians don’t think it is wise to put God to the test like Gideon. We don’t have fleeces hanging around our houses but we can sure try to put God to the test when we don’t like what our assignment is at present.

CHALLENGE: When we pray, we need to be bold. Once we have an answer, we need to fulfill our assignment that HE has given us.

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Israel cried to the LORDverses 6, 7

Gideon talking with God regarding fleeceverses 36-40

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Gideon’s offeringverses 18-24

Kid

Unleavened cakes

Broth

Gideon built altar to the LORDverse 24

Called Jehovah –shalom

Burnt sacrificeverse 26

Second bullock offer on second altarverse 28

Abiezer came with Gideonverse 34

Testing of the fleeceverses 36-40

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (GOD)verses 1, 6-8, 10-14, 16, 21-27, 34

Sight of the LORDverse 1

LORD deliveredverse 1

God – Elohimverses 8, 10, 20, 36, 39, 40

LORD God of Israel verse 8

LORD your Godverse 10

Lord – Adonaiverses 13, 15, 22

Jehovah-shalom (LORD of Peace)verse 24

LORD thy Godverse 26

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)

Angel of the LORD (Theophany)verses 11-22

Called LORD

Sent Gideon to battle

Called Lord

Angel of God Touched offering

Called LORD God by Gideon

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – ourcomforter)

Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideonverse 34

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation

Midianverses 1-33

Amalekitesverses 3-33

Children of the eastverses 3-33

Left no sustenance for Israelverse 4

Egyptverses 8, 9, 13

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)>

Evilverse 1

gods of the Amoritesverse 10

Not obeyed God’s voiceverse 10

Altar of Baalverses 25, 28, 30

Grove cut downverses 25, 28,30

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Cried unto the LORDverse 7

Prophetverse 8

Out of the house of bondageverse 8

Fear notverses 10, 23

Miraclesverse 13

Saveverses 14, 15, 36, 37

Sendverse 14

Presence of the LORDverse 16

Graceverse 17

Signverse 17

Present give of offeringverse 18

Peaceverse 23

Altar unto the LORDverse 26

Obedienceverse 27

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Children of Israelverses 1-32

Prophetverse 8

Israel out of Egypt and house of bondageverse 8

Joash the Abiezrite: Gideon’s fatherverses 11, 27-32

Told men of city:

Let Baal plead against Gideon

Gideon – mighty man of valorverses 11-40

Thought the LORD had forsaken them

Poor of Manasseh

Least in my father’s house

Felt forsaken of the LORD

Commanded to save Israel

LORD gives Gideon peace

Build altar to the LORD

Told to throw down altar of Baal

Cut down the grove of Baal

Took 10 servants and did what the

LORD said

Build altar (second) on rock

Called Jerubbaal

Test of the fleece

Manassehverses 15, 35

Men of the cityverses 28-32

Saw altar of Baal cut gone

Grove gone

Thought Gideon should die

Asherverse 35

Zebulunverse 35

Naphtaliverse 35

Test of the fleeceverses 36-40

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

36–38 Gideon’s confidence in God’s promises was far from complete and needed to be bolstered frequently. As in the previous instance (v.17), Gideon again asked for a sign to confirm God’s favor and word (v.36). His request resembles the behavior of Abraham’s servant, who also made rather presumptuous demands of the Lord to be sure of the will of God (Gen 24:12–14). Gideon felt that if the fleece only was wet with dew (v.37) and not the surrounding ground, that meant the Lord was with him. As Gideon requested, so it was: the fleece was saturated with dew (v.38), but the ground was dry. (Wolf, H. (1992). Judges. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 423). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

6:36–40. Gideon’s apparent lack of faith in seeking a miraculous sign from God (cf. Matt. 12:38; 1 Cor. 1:22–23) seems strange for a man who is listed among the heroes of faith (Heb. 11:32). In fact Gideon already had a sign from God at the time of his commission (Jud. 6:17, 21). It is noteworthy, however, that Gideon was not using the fleece to discover God’s will, for he already knew from divine revelation what God wanted him to do (v. 14). The sign related to a confirmation or assurance of God’s presence or empowerment for the task at hand. God condescended to Gideon’s weak faith and saturated the wool fleece with dew, so much so that Gideon wrung out … a bowlful of water. Perhaps Gideon had second thoughts about the uniqueness of this event since the surrounding threshing floor might naturally dry before the fleece. So he requested the opposite—This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew. God patiently did so, and Gideon was reassured to continue his assignment. (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Judges. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 393). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

Nevertheless, Gideon doubted God’s promise. Did God really want him to lead the Jewish army? What did he know about warfare? After all, he was only an ordinary farmer; and there were others in the tribes who could do a much better job. So, before he led the attack, he asked God to give him two more signs.

The phrase “putting out the fleece” is a familiar one in religious circles. It means asking God to guide us in a decision by fulfilling some condition that we lay down. In my pastoral ministry, I’ve met all kinds of people who have gotten themselves into trouble by “putting out the fleece.” If they received a phone call at a certain hour from a certain person, God was telling them to do this; or if the weather changed at a certain time, God was telling them to do something else.

“Putting out the fleece” is not a biblical method for determining the will of God. Rather, it’s an approach used by people like Gideon who lack the faith to trust God to do what He said He would do. Twice Gideon reminded God of what He had said (6:36–37), and twice Gideon asked God to reaffirm His promises with a miracle. The fact that God stooped to Gideon’s weakness only proves that He’s a gracious God who understands how we’re made (Ps. 103:14). Who are we to tell God what conditions He must meet, especially when He has already spoken to us in His Word? “Putting out the fleece” is not only an evidence of our unbelief, but it’s also an evidence of our pride. God has to do what I tell Him to do before I’ll do what He tells me to do!

Gideon spent two days playing the fleece game with God at the threshing floor. The first night, he asked God to make the fleece wet but keep the ground dry (in this incident the Bible uses “floor” and “ground” interchangeably) and God did it. The second night, the test was much harder; for he wanted the threshing floor to be wet but the fleece dry. The ground of a threshing floor is ordinarily very hard and normally would not be greatly affected by the dew. But the next morning, Gideon found dry fleece but wet ground.

There was nothing for Gideon to do but to confront the enemy and trust God for the victory. “And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4, NKJV). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1994). Be available (pp. 55–56). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

In contrast to the ideal Old Testament leader, many of the leaders of Judges are quite fallible. Their fallibility contrasts with God’s faithfulness and grace. Gideon, in his fallibility, still needs reassurance; and God graciously grants him, not just one miraculous sign, but two (6:36–40). (Bowling, A. C. (1995). Judges. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 166). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)

Ver. 37. Behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the floor, &c.] On the floor where he was threshing, where the angel first appeared to him, and which lay exposed to the open air, so that the dew might easily fall upon it: and if the dew be on the fleece only; the dew that falls from heaven in the night, when he proposed it should lie on the floor till morning: and it be dry upon all the earth beside; meaning not upon all the world, nor even upon all the land of Israel, but upon all the floor about the fleece: then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mu hand, as thou hast said; for the dew being a token or divine favour, see Hos. 14:5. it would shew that Gideon would partake of it, whilst his enemies would be dry and desolate, and ruin and destruction would be their portion.

Ver. 38. And it was so, &c.] The Lord condescended to work this miracle for the confirmation of his faith, and for the encouragement of those that were with him; the fleece was wet with the dew of heaven, and all the ground about it dry: for he rose up early in the morning; being eagerly desirous of knowing whether his request would be granted, and how it would be with the fleece: and thrust the fleece together; to satisfy himself whether the dew had fallen on it, and there was any moisture in it, which by being squeezed together he would more easily perceive: and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl-full of water; so that it appeared it had not only fallen on it, but it had taken in a large quantity of it; the word here used is the same as in ch. 5:25. see the note there; the Targum calls it a flagon.

Ver. 39. And Gideon said unto God, &c.] In the same way as before, and on the morning when he had been favoured with the sight of the above miracle: let not thine anger be hot against me, and l will speak but this once; he was conscious to himself that it shewed great presumption and boldness in him to repeat his request, and that it had the appearance of great diffidence and distrust in him, after he had been indulged with such a sign to confirm his faith; but as it was not so much on his own account as others, and promising to ask no more favours of this kind, he hoped his boldness would not be resented: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece: one time more with it, and that not to try the power of God, of which he had no doubt, but the will of God, whether it was the good pleasure of God to save Israel by his hand, and whether now was the time, or another: let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew; which might seem to be a greater, at least a plainer miracle than the former, and less liable to cavil and objection; for it might be urged, that a fleece of wool naturally draws in and drinks up moisture about it; wherefore that to be dry, and the ground all around it wet, would be a sure sign and evidence of the wonderful interposition of the power and providence of God, in directing-the fall of the dew on the one, and not on the other.

Ver. 40. And God did so that night, &c.] The night following, the night being the season in which the dew falls: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground: and this might signify, that not Gideon only, as before, should partake of the divine favour, but all the Israelites, who would share in the salvation wrought by him. Many interpreters observe, that all this is an emblem of the different case and state of the Jews and Gentiles under the different dispensations; that whereas under the former dispensation the Jews partook of the divine favour only, and of the blessings of grace, and enjoyed the words and ordinances with which they were watered, when the Gentiles all around them were like a barren wilderness; so, under the Gospel dispensation, the Gentiles share the above benefits to a greater degree, whilst the Jews are entirely destitute of them. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 313). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

Genesis 28
Jacob dreams of angels and heaven.
INSIGHT

Jacob’s dream — in which he sees the angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven — seems to be a turning point in his life. It appears to be the point at which he receives a personal relationship with the Lord. Jacob’s life after this encounter was not flawless. But God was able to use him in a central role to fulfill ancient promises.

So, too, we must have a personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son, and our Savior, before we can experience the work of God in us and through us. Do you know Jesus personally? If not, why not receive Him as your Savior and Lord now? (Quiet Walk)

Baby Saybie, born as a “micro-preemie” at 23 weeks, weighed only 8.6 ounces. Doctors doubted Saybie would live and told her parents they’d likely have only an hour with their daughter. However, Saybie kept fighting. A pink card near her crib declared “Tiny but Mighty.” After five months in the hospital, Saybie miraculously went home as a healthy five-pound baby. And she took a world record with her: the world’s tiniest surviving baby.

It’s powerful to hear stories of those who beat the odds. The Bible tells one of these stories. David, a shepherd boy, volunteered to fight Goliath—a mammoth warrior who defamed God and threatened Israel. King Saul thought David was ridiculous: “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33). And when the boy David stepped onto the battlefield, Goliath “looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy” (v. 42). However, David didn’t step into battle alone. He came “in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel” (v. 45). And when the day was done, a victorious David stood above a dead Goliath.

No matter how enormous the problem, when God is with us there’s nothing that we need to fear. With His strength, we’re also mighty. (By Winn Collier, Our Daily Bread)

A SEED OF LIFE

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:3
The change in my disposition does not mean that I have a greater intellect now than I had before. No, I have exactly the same intellect, the same mind. But because the disposition governing it is changed, my mind is operating in a different realm and in a different way, and it seems to be a new mind. And it is exactly the same with the feelings. A man who used to hate the Gospel now loves it. A woman who hated the Lord Jesus Christ now loves Him. And likewise, with the will: The will earlier resisted, it was obstinate and rebellious; but now it desires, it is anxious, it is concerned about the Gospel.
The next thing that we say is that it is a change that is instantaneous. Now do you see the importance of differentiating between generation and coming to birth? Generation, by definition, is always an instantaneous act. There is a moment, a flash, in which the germ of life enters, impregnates; that is one instantaneous action. In other words, there are no intermediate stages in regeneration. Life is either implanted or it is not; it cannot be partly implanted. It is not gradual. When I say that it is instantaneous, I am not referring to our consciousness of it, but to the thing itself, as it is done by God. The consciousness, of course, comes into the realm of time, whereas this act of germination is timeless, and that is why it is immediate.
So the next thing is that generation, the implanting of this seed of life and the change of the disposition, happens in the subconscious, or, if you prefer, in the unconscious. Our Lord explained that fully to Nicodemus (John 3). It is a secret, inscrutable operation that cannot be directly perceived by us; indeed, we cannot even fully understand it. The first thing we know about it is that it has happened, because we are conscious of something different, but that means that we do not understand it and that we really cannot arrive at its secret.
A Thought to Ponder
The will earlier resisted, it was obstinate and rebellious;
but now it is concerned about the Gospel.
(From God the Holy Spirit, p. 81, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

Father of Believers
“And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
The key New Testament doctrine of imputed righteousness, received through saving faith in the Word of God, is foreshadowed beautifully in the life of Abraham. Because of his strong faith, demonstrated again and again in difficult acts of obedience, Abraham has been called “the father of all them that believe” (Romans 4:11). Our text verse is quoted four times in the New Testament (Romans 4:3, 22; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23) and is made the basis of the great gospel theme of salvation and righteousness. This is obtained not by one’s good works but by imputation, and is received through faith in the gracious promises of God through Jesus Christ. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure…to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16). Just as “Jerusalem which is above…is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26), so faithful Abraham is “the father of us all.” Spiritual Jerusalem speaks of salvation by grace rather than by law, and Abraham testifies of righteousness through faith rather than by works. And yet, 12 of the 40 verses of Hebrews 11, the great “faith chapter,” deal with the outward evidences of Abraham’s inner faith.
There is still another reference to Abraham’s spiritual seed: “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). As Abraham’s spiritual children, therefore, we also ought to believe God’s Word at whatever cost, demonstrating the reality of our faith to the world—as did father Abraham—by obeying God. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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