Tag: Judges

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Fleecing or filtering God.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” ‭‭Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭36‬-‭37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Not growing up around church all that much, I had heard about this idea of asking God for miraculous proof before I had ever read the Gideon story. This request is know as Gideon’s fleece! There was always a warning that came with exercising a fleece before God. Don’t do it, I was told. I don’t see any rules regarding a fleece in Gideon’s own story. All I see is a desperate man, wanting God to rescue his country and trying to find out if he’s really the guy for the job.

Of course he’s got insecurities. We’re talking about taking a farmer and turning him into a warrior. Who wouldn’t need a boost for that? Oh, I understand the whole element of faith and trusting God. I think Gideon had faith in God to eliminate the enemy, he was just shocked that there weren’t more qualified volunteers. You’ve been there right? I sure have! My entire faith-walk has been filled with Gideon questions. God, surely there has to be someone better? God doesn’t seem to mind our unqualified experience or opinion. God didn’t seem to run us through the list of people He spoke with about the job.

Israel had no king, but there had to be some battle ready warriors hanging around. Ah, but none of them honored God, and Gideon did. Let’s not forget, the chapter begins with “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.” Midianite and Amalekite raiders would wait until the crops or herds would get to a certain size and then just camel-ride in for a shopping spree taking everything. The people of Israel finally asked God for help, they were ready to repent and get their act together.

Gideon was God’s answer to their prayer, he just didn’t know it yet. Preachers always point out the humor of the angel of the Lord (Jesus in the OT), when he greeted Gideon, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Who me? Hero? That’s funny. But God saw what would be, not what was! God always sees what would be, could be with our obedience and faith in him. Past, present and future is always NOW with God! Gideon’s fleece, the battles, the beginning and the end of Gideon’s life on this planet – are all NOW with God.

Gideon “fleeced” God several times, needing some extra help in his faith. The wool wasn’t the only one. Once Gideon got down the way faith works, he started obeying without all the props to get him moving. I remember a couple of times God asked me to do something and I gave the ol’ fleece a try. The fleece happened and I was still stuck with being obedient!

I don’t do “fleeces” anymore. I do use a set of filters to help guide me in making sure it’s God telling me to do something and it’s not me trying to get or manipulate something. There have even been a few times I was obedient and did what I was asked and never saw the results that I expected. The first filter is always – does it line up with the Bible? If it’s extra-biblical. it’s a no go. The second is a moral filter – what’s in it for me? If there is a win or a gain on my part, I’m pretty suspicious that it’s me and not God. If there’s no selfish advantage I go to the third filter. Am I willing to see the whole thing through? Not just drop a comment or do a one time act, but do I love this person enough to stay with it, even if the person or situation turns against me? If it’s not the purity of love then I don’t commit. As you can see, I don’t ask God for a “sign” as much as I question my motives and my own sanity! Trust comes as faith is exercised.

Prayer

Dad,
Interestingly, I don’t think I have ever been comfortable being asked to do your will. I just assume there will be a level of uneasiness just in being obedient. I do want to make you happy and obey you, but that’s never been all that fun. However, I am still willing to obey you and try not to wrestle with all the thoughts about what others will think of me. And, I was way more bold before I had a reputation and a life, family, or job to think about 😬.

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What the providence?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!” His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!” ‭‭Judges‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Coincidence or providence, your choice or God’s? Anyone who reads this part of a much larger story should be scratching their head. I love the stories in the book of Judges, likely written by Samuel. There are these grand, overarching stories like Gideon’s journey.

Gideon was called by God under supernatural means. Israel cried out for help, a spokesperson for God tells them to remember God had rescued them before and to quit worshiping IDOLS (the gods of the Amorites,” He also reminded them, “you have not listened to me.”

At the same time and in the next sentence, there is an “angel of the Lord,” lounging by a big, well known tree, “the great tree at Ophrah.” It is here that we find a theophany moment, where Jesus appears as an angel in the Old Testament.

Jesus calls Gideon a “mighty warrior,” Gideon takes a while to finally come around to believing it. Here in this moment with Gideon, we have some strange happenings that all look very coincidental – like positive accidents waiting to happen.

With only 300 men, God wakes up Gideon and tells him to get on with attacking the Midianites. Then, just to help the guy, says, “if you’re afraid…” what an understatement! God suggests that Gideon, “grab a friend and go down and spy on the Midianites camp.” Gideon, liking that idea goes on over to the enemies camp sometime before midnight. Gideon “happens” to arrive at the edge of the encampment “just as a man” is talking about a dream he had.

Have you ever noticed how wildly accurate the TIMING of God is? So many things, so many moving parts leading up to this very moment of the story – it is astronomically astounding how God does this. It seems that God can see our actual timeline going backwards! When in truth God is outside of time itself, so in his omnipotence, ALL time happens NOW! The entire scope of world history and future events are all in the present for Him. The visit with Gideon, battle with Midianites, the sudden return of Jesus and end of the apocalypse has already happened with God! To us or to Gideon it may feel very much like coincidence, but it is clearly not accidental!

Gideon overhears the dreamer’s account and application. Along with Purah’s confidence, “this dream can only mean one thing…” it was just enough to motivate him to action. Maybe Gideon’s crazy clay-pot plan was his own wacky idea, maybe not – we’ll never know. But 300 men with ram horns and clay-pot lamps against thousands of warriors it really sounds ridiculous. It’s such an amazing story of God’s ability to lead and guide us to bring about His plans. It’s also lesson for us about the tiny little faith of a once fearful farmer who came from nothing and became a fierce warrior for God. Am I, are you, a fearful farmer or a fierce warrior? We’ll never know until we do or don’t do, believe or don’t believe what God says.

Prayer

Dad,
Honestly, I’ve never been able to figure this all out. What feels like coincidence turns out to be providence! Yet, on the front of that decision is always fear and faith, doubt and discernment. If only I could be assured ahead of time, but that’s not going to happen is it? It wouldn’t be pleasing to you if I knew for sure. It wouldn’t be faith if it was for certain. I can always trust that even if I miss it or make a wrong decision, you’ve got me and will work everything out.

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Deborah, the singing judge.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: “Israel’s leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed. Praise the Lord! “Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you mighty rulers! For I will sing to the Lord. I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
‭‭                                             Judges‬ ‭5:1-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Actually it was a duet. Samuel tells us, “Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song.” I’ve never heard a leadership song that sounded like a bold proclamation. Leaders took charge and people gladly followed. Sounds simple right?

Leadership is so interesting. First, I believe that people WANT others to lead. Leadership is hard. It’s hard because of the second reason, and it’s absolutely necessary, but difficult.

People also want to criticize others leadership. It’s hard and necessary because leaders love consensus and momentum, but the they also love friction – just enough opposition to make an idea even better, but not enough to lag or drag the whole idea, project or motion to failure. I also believe that most people do not want to lead because there is a big price to pay. The price is possible failure, or figuring out how to fix a plan WHILE it’s in motion. There’s a common phrase when it comes to new ideas, you feel like you are “building the plane while it’s flying.” There’s no amount of planning or foreseeing every detail that guarantees a successful flight. There’s also the pressure of an idea, plan or product working in real life – not theory.

For its success – it MUST SHIP. Software companies take a lot of heat for what’s called “beta” products. At some point, the software must ship and that’s exactly the point all the bugs (problems) show up. So often there’s 1.0, 2.0, 3 and so on. With small 2.1 or 3.5 improvements. Here in Judges Deborah and Barak break out in a leadership chorus. Whatever they were doing, it must have been successful. Israel’s leaders led and people followed. Write it down, sing a song about it, but certainly celebrate those moments.

PRAYER:

​Dad,
Leading others is so exciting, yet so full of its own ups, downs, goods and bads. I can understand why people don’t want to do it, it is MUCH easier to sit back and say things like, “someone should do something!” And, even criticism is easier.

The problems with a plan or idea just seem to JUMP out at folks who are not actually responsible to make something work. That part can be frustrating for me. I have made a commitment over the past five years to not only lead more and better, but not let my personality or character hold me back from pushing forward. I know you are with me and help me in so many ways. Thank you for those times.