{Catch up on foolish fleece pt 1 here}

So what does the verse about laying a fleece *really* mean?

Within its broader context, this little fleece episode in Gideon’s story has a different meaning than we may have known before. Check it out:

What it meant

• If you take a peek at the complete story of Gideon, you’ll see that Gideon is acting pretty foolish, cowardly even, when he insists on God performing a sign to assure him of something already promised. This fearful behavior is a kind of pattern of Gideon’s. He has trouble with obedience and acting in faith. (Check out this Bible Project video about plot {4min 50sec} to catch the story in context). Gideon’s fleece trick is revealing his lack of faith. 

What it means

• Once we have a handle on what the verse meant, we can find how it applies to us. If putting a fleece out is foolish, then what can I take from this story? We can ask questions of ourselves like “am I demonstrating faith or fear when I repeatedly ask God for confirmation?” or “how can I walk in faith in this situation?” or we can even pray, “God give me a friend to call out my foolish behavior!” 

• Even more, we can see that God is gracious despite Gideon’s rather bold “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised…” (Judges 6:36, italics mine), a question that puts God’s faithfulness on trial. That should make us tremble a bit! Do we want to be steadfast participants in God’s plans, or do we want to only be obedient when given an abundance of assurance? Which response pleases God more?

I’ll be the first to admit that my reading instincts are directly rooted in my 21st-century understanding. I have to force myself to slow down and put aside my initial impressions. Over years I’ve trained myself to be unsatisfied with pat answers and unwilling to participate in easy applications. 

I gotta tell you - putting in the time and humility to read for understanding before reading for application is where the fruit is! There is depth and beauty when we humble ourselves to take on a different perspective and truly understand what the Bible meant BEFORE applying what it means to our lives. 

Cultivate an awareness of context and a willingness to meditate a bit before discovering how it can apply to you! You can do it. Promise.