Judges 6:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

NIV: That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

NASB: And God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.

CSB: That night God did as Gideon requested: only the fleece was dry, and dew was all over the ground.

NLT: So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.

KJV: And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

NKJV: And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.

Gideon's initial faith seems weak—even pathetic—when first reading these passages. As the battle to save Israel from the Midianites looms (Judges 6:33), Gideon is asking God for repeated, unreasonable, miraculous signs that He really wants Gideon to take these actions. Perhaps Gideon thought God would not grant such an insignificant request and he could back out of the mission. We're not told his full motives. We only know he has often demonstrated insecurity and fear (Judges 6:15, 17, 27, 36–38).

And yet, God seems graciously willing to give Gideon every reason to believe he is the deliverer chosen to save Israel (Judges 2:11–19). First, Gideon asked for God to make a furry animal skin wet after being left out in a field overnight, while the surrounding ground was dry. God did that. Next, Gideon asked God to invert the miracle, causing the ground to be wet with dew and the wool to be completely dry. God has done that, as well.

It's challenging to consider that God almost always condemns those who insist on unreasonable proof (Matthew 12:38–39; 1 Corinthians 1:22–23). And yet, He not only obliges Gideon, but Gideon's name will also be listed as an example of faithful obedience (Hebrews 11:32–34). One possible answer is that Gideon was exactly as timid and insecure as he first appears. For such a man, being asked to lead a volunteer army against hordes of enemies would have been terrifying. It's often noted that bravery is not the absence of fear, but a person's willingness to act despite being afraid. By that standard, Gideon's obedience seems to be exceptionally brave, indeed.

Also noteworthy is the fact that after this moment, Gideon asks for no more signs. He is courageous—if still sometimes afraid (Judges 7:9–11)—and pursues God's will with resolute intensity.

After this second custom-designed miracle, Gideon seems satisfied that God really wants him to lead a war against Midian. Or he may conclude there is no way to get out of it. Either way, he will faithfully and obediently follow God's will, including the surprising preparations for battle, which begin in the following chapter.

Judges 6:36–40 describes two miracles that are simultaneously encouraging and absurd. Gideon, called by God to rescue Israel, has already seen evidence of God's favor (Judges 6:34–35) and miraculous confirmation of the Lord's message (Judges 6:19–21). And yet, Gideon is still wracked with doubt and insecurity. He not only asks God to provide more proof, but he even specifies the exact sign he wants to see. Almost unbelievably, he reacts to that miracle by asking God to invert the marvel in yet another test. This event is the source of the derisive expression "laying out a fleece:" when someone imposes a narrow demand that challenges God to "prove" His will.

Israel follows the sad pattern of the book of Judges, and once again turns to evil and idols. God turns them over to the Midianites. These foreign raiders spend the next seven years invading and consuming Israel's crops and livestock. Israel cries for help to the Lord. His first step is to send a prophet to remind them of God's goodness and their disobedience. The Lord then appears to Gideon, commanding him to save Israel because God will be with him. Gideon obeys God's command to tear down a Baal altar and build one to Yahweh in its place. He calls his countrymen to follow him and asks for signs from God.

The book of Judges contains a series of stories with a common theme: Israel falls into sin, suffers, and is rescued by God, only to fall once again (Judges 1—2). The next phase in Israel's downward spiral comes after 40 years of peace, won by Deborah and Barak (Judges 4—5). Israel is punished for sin through the Midianites. After seven years, the Israelites cry out for help. The Lord appears to Gideon, challenging the timid man to lead the battle against Israel's oppressors. Empowered by the Spirit, Gideon calls for his people to follow him, but still asks the Lord for signs. Gideon's successful campaigns are depicted in chapters 7 and 8.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).