Gideon: From Fleece to Flawless Victory

Summary

As the Midianites, Amalekites and people of the East camp in the Valley of Jezreel, the Spirit of the Lord clothes Gideon and he calls out the tribes. Gideon asks for a sign with a fleece, first wet with dew while the ground stays dry, then the reverse. The slides ask “How can I know God’s will?” and answer: start with what is already revealed in Scripture, walk closely with God, seek godly counsel, and notice when God opens or closes doors.

At Harod, God says the army is too large lest Israel boast. 22,000 go home, and 10,000 remain. At the water, only 300 who lap with their hands are kept. The slides list lessons: God shrinks our strength to show His strength, fear is contagious and disqualifying, God uses the few to confound the many, and obedience matters more than strategy and logic.

That night God tells Gideon to go down to the camp and he overhears a soldier’s dream of a barley loaf flattening a tent. Gideon worships, divides the 300 into three companies, and gives each a trumpet and a torch in a jar. At the signal the Midianites turn on each other and flee, and Ephraim captures Oreb and Zeeb.

The path to victory

Gideon’s army is reduced step by step.

Key takeaways

The slides close with three points: