The Story of Gideon and 300 Brave Men, Part 2 (Judges 6)

What was Gideon’s fleece? God sent an angel to tell Gideon to go and save his people from the Medianites. They were a mean people and had been invading the land of Israel and stealing nearly all their crops every year for seven years. They also brought their flocks and camels into the land to eat up all the grass, and there where were so many animals you couldn’t count them all. It was a bad situation for the people of Israel, and they cried out to God for help and mercy. God heard their prayer and called Gideon to be the judge that would deliver his people, but Gideon wanted to be sure it was really God that spoke to him. I think he should have already been sure because he had seen an angel. What do you think? The angel even disappeared by going up into the flame and smoke of the sacrifice Gideon had offered. Anyway, Gideon prayed that God would give him a sign that Israel would be saved through him, and here’s what he did. He put a piece of wool, called a fleece, on the threshing floor and asked God to make the fleece to be soaked with water and everything around it dry. If God answered his prayer it would be a sign God would be with him to defeat the Medianites. Well, the next morning, sure enough, the fleece of wool was soaked with water, but everything around it was dry. Gideon then asked God to do one more thing. He prayed that when he returned the next morning the fleece would be dry but everything around it wet. Well, it happened just as Gideon requested, and he was now sure God had called him and would give him victory over their enemies. Do you know about the 300 brave men that helped Gideon? Come back tomorrow for the rest of the story.