Fleeces or Being Fleeced

Wednesdays edited lesson as we met to pray over our city.  May our Citizens have understanding and a tender heart to seek God's will for their lives.

 

 

Gideon in the Bible, did not believe the Angel who told him that he was to deliver the Children of Israel.  Judges chapter 6:  To make sure this was true; he required several tests to be on the safe side.  He asked God to cause dew to be on the fleece but the ground dry. When his request was answered, he then asked again, this time reversing the dew to wet the ground but not the fleece.  Again God answered his appeal.   You would think that was enough, but no he was afraid and needed more confirmation, so God allowed him to over hear the enemy talking in their tent.

Judges Chapter 7:  The man told his friend, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.” Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.”

Perhaps you have used a fleece or test to find God’s will - - I know I have many times.

Many years ago, I sat next to a young man in Bible School, who was confused about a girl he seemed committed to and his feelings for my daughter.  He confided in me that when he arrived in Broken Arrow, he told God, the first girl who speaks to me is the one I am supposed to marry.  This could be a good or a bad thing, and was probably foolish, but a young girl the daughter of a Pastor was the first girl to speak to him.

He took my daughter out on a date, and gave her an interview with tough questions.  She needed a friend, but was not interested in marrying a preacher, so that was his answer.  It turned out he married the girl in question, a powerful preacher in her own right and they have a thriving church in The Bay Area, California. 

In the Old Testament the priest carried the Urim and Thummin over their heart on the breast plate.  This was so they could hear from the Heart of God.  

 

From Bruce Waltke’s excellent book (which I highly recommend), entitled, “Finding the Will of God” (pp. 62-64):   “The priest could use the urim and thummin to determine God’s will in a particular situation. We are not exactly sure what the urim and thummin were, but the priest carried in his breastplate perhaps two sticks or stones, one white and the other black, that would give a yes or no answer to a specific question. 

We still find Ezra using this device to determine the ancestry of the priests who returned from the exile in Ezra 2:63.  After this the Bible never mentions the urim and thummin again. God did not preserve it for His people.  The prophets now participated in God’s heavenly court and communicated God’s messages to the courts in Jerusalem and Samaria. Apparently prophets who revealed God’s word to the king replaced the urim and thummin, through which God revealed His mind to the priest.” 

In the New Testament prior to the day of Pentecost we find Peter and the others drawing straws or casting lots to determine who should replace Judas as one of the 12 disciples. 

After Pentecost God gave us The Holy Spirit to be our guide; as well as our Bible.  God has also given us Spiritual Gifts at times to reveal God’s will in certain matters.  The gift of Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom along with Prophesy. 

You have probably opened your Bible at times and had a scripture pop out at you with direction just when you needed it.  It is not a good thing to randomly open your Bible and hope for guidance.  It is better to pray and wait on God for answers. 

 

We still do it, we ask God to show us with a fleece, and although this is not wrong, it would be best if we practiced being led of the Holy Spirit.  

Romans 8:14   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.