“…I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor, if there is dew on the fleece only and it is dry on the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand”  Judges 6:37

“And it was so.” Judges 6:38

“…Do not be angry with me but let me speak just once more:  Let me test I pray……” Judges 6:39

You have to love the way we use the English language (unless you are a very young person or a person from another country trying to learn it).  We use idioms which are words or phrases in which the meaning is not crystal clear by its use.  I grew up with words like:  groovy, bad (meaning good) and phrases like “far out”.  And we continue to come up with them constantly.  Most of the latest ones I have no clue about.  I recently told a story that I thought was good (or cool in my vernacular) and the person responded that it was “sick.”  I apologized, much to the listener’s confusion (he was trying to tell me it was a good story).  So why start out like this?  Because a word we are using now to convey a sense of disbelief, a sense that no person would actually do or say something, that their actions are beyond defense; is the word really.  It is used in the form of a one word question.  Really? (normally accompanied by a facial expression of disapproval and body language of frustration).  Really?  Tell me you did not just say that I am overweight.  Really?  Tell me you didn’t go out and buy a big new TV when I just sent you out for bread!

So why might we have a sense of disbelief at Gideon in his story in the book of Judges.  Well first an angel of the Lord, physically appeared to him, not in a dream, but actually sitting under a terebinth tree.  He told Gideon to do something and that “the Lord was with him.”  Gideon even then asks for a sign which to which the angel obliges.  Gideon destroys the altar of Baal, the people want to kill him but Gideon is saved.  One might think that is proof enough.  This time the “Spirit of the Lord” comes to Gideon and tells Gideon that he is going to deliver Israel from their oppressors.  Now Gideon is not a soldier by trade and he is a little “ify” on  being the leader to save Israel.  In Gideon’s mind this was astronomically larger than just tearing down an alter.  So he asks for another sign which would be miraculous enough to convince him that the Lord was indeed with him.  Gideon would lay down a wool fleece and overnight dew would come.  It would cover the whole floor, except for the fleece which would stay bone dry.  The Lord fulfills Gideon’s test.  So here is where the “really” comes into play.  The Lord has passed two tests.  He has delivered Gideon once already.  Gideon has previously acknowledged that the Lord is He who saved Israel and led them out of Egypt.  But Gideon requests another test!!!  Gideon knows he’s on thin ice because he starts the request with “do not be angry.”  The test is for the next day, the ground to be bone dry but the fleece only will be drenched with dew.  The next day, Gideon squeezes a bowl full of water out of the fleece while everything else is parched and dry.

To me it’s not necessarily Really Gideon; but Really God?  We humans would have probably handled it quite differently.  We would not have been against the first test when we showed up under the tree.  But once we proved ourselves, we probably would have been annoyed and somewhat perturbed when we showed up again and Gideon wanted to test us.  But, after granting the second test and now Gideon doesn’t trust us enough to follow us and asks for another test, most of us would have kicked him out of our presence and started looking for someone else.

Praise be to Our Heavenly Father who has infinite patience and mercy.  Here’s the thing for us.  Our spiritual enemy would tell us we are never to doubt God.  That we are totally worthless to God if we even think of trying to test Him.  The enemy tries to convince us that God is so judgemental that only the perfect should try to connect with Him in any way.  For the rest of us, we need to turn away and flee from His presence and trust only ourselves.  Am I trying to say what Gideon did was correct?  No.  I know that Jesus in His temptation said that “we are not to put God to a test.”  Though I also know that God knows, we are not Jesus Christ.  God knows that our faith is not perfect.  We will come into His presence trembling.  Not just trembling because the awesomeness of God, but because we are uncertain that God can and will do what we ask or fulfill our needs.  And I will freely and humbly admit that I have longed for a dry fleece or the sun to actually turn back one hour in the sky.  I have prayed the bargain prayer:  “God if you will do this, I will believe and do that…”  I will tell you the response most often is not the bargain I was trying to make, but the response is also not one of judgement or anger.  We have the bible for the very reason to show us, not only God’s capabilities, but God’s wonderful love.  Jesus Christ embodies the all-encompassing capability in His Life, His Death and His Resurrection.  No test we can devise could ever prove more than that.  This story plus those of Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul and so many others show how far God is willing to go for us; when we come to Him, even with our doubts.  Really God, You’d Love even me, just as I am?  Really?  Yes comes His reply.  Really!

Our Most Gracious and Heavenly Father, we humbly confess that we lack the perfect faith that we should have in You.  We do repent of trying to put You to the test to prove You are with us.  We thank and praise You, most Merciful and Patient God, that you have given us Your Word to show how faithfully You have dealt with Your Children and the promise to always do so.  Pour out Your Spirit on us, Wonderful Father, that we might come closer to the true faith and relationship so perfectly shown by Your Son Jesus Christ.  That our lives would show to the world, lives of praise and adoration.  In Jesus Christ’s Name we pray.  Amen