The Folly of Fleeces

Judges 6:40-46

What is a fleece?\r
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A fleece is when we ask the Lord for a sign in order to know that something He has put on our heart is actually His will for us. We use them sort of like the Urim and Thummim in the Old Testament-a kind of "yes" "no", "go" "no go". \r
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I have heard of Christians using a fleece to tell whether they should take a church or make some other major decision. The "fleece" itself could be anything: we hear a particular song, someone comes along and shares a particular Scripture, or something else completely arbitrary.\r
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I want to differentiate between a fleece and a confirmation. If we are praying about something and ask someone else to pray, or we are seeking direction and we hear a message at church that directly speaks to that area-I would call that a confirmation. \r
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A fleece is an external arbitrary sign to determine God's will. The question is: are they Scriptural, are they a good idea, and are they a spiritual principal to be followed generally by Christians?\r
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Why do we want fleeces?\r
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We are unsure if God has spoken\r
We are unsure of the particulars of the task\r
We look for excuses not to obey (so we make the fleece hard)\r
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The problems with fleeces\r
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Fleeces make us prone to inaction\r
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Gideon wouldn't move out until he waited several days for God to perform for him. When we demand fleeces from the Lord we put His word to us on hold until we are satisfied. And are we ever satisfied?\r
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Fleeces are like demanding a sign from God\r
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God had already provided a sign to Gideon\r
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What was his problem? He gave himself away in 6:37 "As you have said" should have been enough!\r
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Going after signs brought a sharp rebuke from Jesus in Mark 8:12\r
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Mark 8:11-12 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." ESV\r
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In Matthew 12's account Jesus calls the generation who demands a sign "evil and adulterous". \r
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Fleeces change our focus\r
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God is about creating warriors that can follow His orders. Which way of doing that is better-having his army look for external signs as whether to obey, or to simply listen for God's Word and move out?\r
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Fleeces can lead us in the wrong direction or no direction if they are truly arbitrary.\r
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"God, if you want me to go to Kenya have this traffic light turn green!"\r
"God, if you want me to step out in this ministry, let me win the Lottery!"\r
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God's patience despite our demands\r
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To Gideon's credit God does not rebuke him but actually does what he says. God is so patient us, bringing us slowly about towards His will in our lives.\r
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Do we see fleeces used elsewhere in Scripture?\r
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Abraham and the angels about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Genesis 18. The account is a little similar in that angels came to visit Abram and Abram keeps pushing the envelope - even to saying, like Gideon, "let not your anger burn against me, but let me speak but once more." The difference is that Abram is not asking for a sign from God as to whether he should do anything, but is interceding for people before God.\r
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Thomas demanded a sign - a sort of fleece - about putting his hands into the Lord's sides to see if really was Him in John 20. I'm not sure that this speaks of an ongoing spiritual principal as it showed Thomas' lack of faith.\r
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Are Fleeces a spiritual principal?\r
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I don't believe so. We don't find it again in Scripture-except the "signs" God purposes for us to see, like the Child in a feeding trough. \r
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Sometimes things happen only one time, a special case. The burning bush is an example, or the Manna, or walking on water. Things that happened over and over include angelic appearances (including this one). But as we've seen, using a fleece can lead us in the wrong direction or no direction. \r
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So in the place of a fleece, how should we determine God's will?\r
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1. Have regular communication with Him so you'll get to know what His voice sounds like to you.\r
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2. Read His Word regularly so you'll get used to the types of things God will do that are in line with his character.\r
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3. There are some good Scriptures that guide us in hearing from God\r
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Trust your ways to Him\r
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,\r
And lean not on your own understanding; \r
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,\r
And He shall direct your paths. NKJV\r
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Look for God's character mark\r
James 3:17-18 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ESV\r
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Let God's peace and the example of the faithful guide you\r
Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.\r
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8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me-practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. ESV\r
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Peace means: "one, quietness, rest, to set at one again." The peace of God means you are at one with His purposes, you are at rest with his will, and you are no longer noisily demanding from Him but are quiet in accepting His way for you.\r
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So be always worshiping, be reasonable (a spirit that is reasonable, fair-minded, and charitable - like God!), be prayerful (two kinds: worshipful conversation, and urgent pleading), be contextual (the Lord is coming back), be faithful (trusting God, not yourself, letting anxiety pull you way from trusting God).\r
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This is going to sound like the power of positive thinking, but Paul encourages us to dwell on those things that of God - both here and in heaven. This helps us get a true perspective about what we should be about here because it really is all about building God's kingdom.\r
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Finally look at those things that have been done by those that came before us as a guide to what God is about. It doesn't mean we do exactly what they do, but as you see those that you trust listening to and answering the call of God is gives you a sense of confidence. \r
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In the final analysis you need to try to discern God's voice then act on it. That's the only way to know if you heard him right or not. And if you didn't-its okay. Don't you think God is big enough to get the job done through you even if you mess up?\r