Not infrequently, when believers are uncertain whether to take a certain course in their lives, we hear the expression, “I put out a fleece.” This usually means laying before the Lord a certain possibility in their lives in the immediate future, asking that it turn out a particular way as an indication that it is the mind of the Lord to go ahead. Conversely, if it does not turn out in that way, then it is supposed to be an indication that whatever is proposed is not the mind of the Lord. The question sometimes comes up, Is this a proper way for a Christian to determine the mind of the Lord?
The expression derives from Judges 6:36-4036And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37Behold, 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 thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. 38And 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. 39And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. (Judges 6:36‑40), when Gideon was hesitant to go out against the Midianites. Gideon had already been clearly told, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor” (Judg. 6:1212And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. (Judges 6:12)). He had also been told, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man” (Judg. 6:1616And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. (Judges 6:16)). More than this, he had been privileged to offer a sacrifice which had been accepted, and later to build an altar. Finally, in obedience to the Lord’s word, He had thrown down the altar of Baal and offered a bullock on the altar. The Spirit of the Lord had come upon him, and many in Israel had been gathered to him.
The Lord’s Mind
In view of all this, we might surely conclude that more than ample testimony of the Lord’s mind, and also the promise of His strength, had been given to Gideon. Did he doubt all this, or was it a lack of confidence that the Lord could use him—a man from an impoverished family, and the least in his father’s house? I would suggest that it is the latter. Gideon was an exercised man, who really felt the condition of Israel. Moreover, he did not doubt that the Lord could save Israel. But his question was, “Wilt [Thou] save Israel by mine hand?” (Judg. 6:3737Behold, 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 thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. (Judges 6:37)). For this reason, the Lord was gracious to him and answered him by the fleece, not once, but twice.
The two incidents are instructive for us. The first time, the fleece was soaked with dew, while the surrounding earth was dry. Surely this speaks of the life of our blessed Lord Jesus, who in His earthly pathway was “as a root out of a dry ground” (Isa. 53:22For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. (Isaiah 53:2)). Nothing around him gave him any encouragement; all came from above.
The second time, the fleece was dry, while there was dew on all the ground. Surely this is a picture of the results of the death of Christ, when He could say, “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and My tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death” (Psa. 22:1515My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. (Psalm 22:15)). But the fruit of all this was blessing to all who believe, for He could say, “The water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life” (John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14) JND). The Lord used the sign that Gideon suggested to bring before him, in type, the life and death of our blessed Lord Jesus.
Why Put Out the Fleece?
In coming back to the question of whether we should “put out a fleece,” we cannot give one answer to fit every case. On the one hand, since we are indwelt by the Spirit of God, we can go to the Lord for clear guidance; we need not be guided by circumstances. Sometimes we put out a fleece because we are not walking with the Lord, and thus cannot discern His mind. Also, we must admit that sometimes our “fleece” is rather because we do know the mind of the Lord, but want an excuse to avoid it.
However, in other situations there is an honest lack of confidence within us, coupled with a real desire to do the Lord’s will. In such cases the Lord is gracious, and He may allow the situation to develop as we have asked. In such a case our faith is strengthened, and no doubt this was true of Gideon. From this point onwards, he goes forward with confidence, and the Lord even gives him yet another confirmation of victory, in the dream that he is privileged to hear when he goes down to the host of Midian. How gracious our Lord is with us! He rebukes unbelief, but bears with and encourages infirmity and weakness.
W. J. Prost