基甸與羊毛
士師記六章33至40節
33那時，米甸人、亞瑪力人和東方人都聚集過河，在耶斯列平原安營。
34耶和華的靈降在基甸身上，他就吹角，亞比以謝族都聚集跟隨他；
35他打發人走遍瑪拿西地，瑪拿西人也聚集跟隨他；又打發人去見亞設人、西布倫人、拿弗他利人，他們也都出來與他們會合。
36基甸對神說：“你若果照著所說的話，藉我手拯救以色列人，
37我就把一團羊毛放在禾場上。若單是羊毛上有露水，別的地方都是乾的，我就知道你必照著所說的話，藉我手拯救以色列人。”
38次日早晨，基甸起來，見果然是這樣；將羊毛擠一擠，從羊毛中擰出滿盆的露水來。
39基甸又對神說：“求你不要向我發怒，我再說這一次：讓我將羊毛再試一次。但願羊毛是乾的，別的地方都有露水。”
40這夜神也如此行：獨羊毛上是乾的，別的地方都有露水。
信息分享
神呼召基甸，如今便要裝備他，並將祂的靈澆灌在祂僕人身上，正如第34 節說：「耶和華的靈降在基甸身上。」無論做任何事，都必須靠神的能力方可做成。神其後向先知撒迦利亞也傳達了同一個信息：「不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠我的靈方能成事。」（亞四6）今天的情況仍是如此。
基甸知道神向他發出呼召，不過，他卻希望神作進一步的印證。他拿羊毛來求問神，有任何不妥之處嗎？倘若我們都能學像基甸那樣，認真尋求神的心意，必可避免事後出現的許多麻煩。基甸已經知道神的心意，他只是希望得到印證。
神如果知道你確實願意聽從祂，而不是滿足好奇心，祂並不介意你尋求印證。事實上，太多人都是先行動，然後才尋求神的心意。
另一些人卻疏於尋求神的引導，完全不會花時間去研讀神的話語，或在禱告中尋求等候。他們會立即將羊毛拿出來，求神即時顯明祂的心意。他們是求取神蹟，卻並不願意首先聆聽神的心意。
基甸拿羊毛出來，為的是印證神早已說過的話，而非用羊毛的測試來探知神的心意。
因此，要確保你首先聆聽，然後才去尋求印證。神不會跟你玩遊戲，祂只想你明白祂的心意。
經文反思：「我要教導你，指示你當行的路；我要定睛在你身上勸戒你。」（詩三十二8）
GIDEON AND THE FLEECE
Judges 6:33-40
33 Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36 So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—
37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.”
40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.
Message
God had called Gideon. Now it was time to equip him and God poured out his Spirit upon his servant. An interesting word is used in v.34: ‘The Spirit of the Lord clothed himself with Gideon'. If anything was going to be accomplished it would have to be by the power of God. That was the same message God later gave through Zechariah ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord' (Zechariah 4:6). It is still the same today.
Gideon knew God had spoken. But he also asked for further confirmation. Was there anything wrong with his request regarding the fleece? Over the years since then many heartaches could have been avoided if the persons concerned had followed Gideon's plan. Gideon knew God's will. He merely wanted it confirmed.
God doesn't mind you asking for confirmation provided he can see you are willing to obey what he has asked, and not merely curious. Too many people act first and check with God later.
Others have a lazy attitude towards seeking God's guidance. Without taking time to look into God's Word or seek him in prayer, they immediately say: I have put out a fleece'. They look for a sign, instead of listening first to the Lord.
The fleece in Gideon's case was to confirm what God had already said. It was not in the first instance, to reveal God's will.
Make sure you have been listening before you start looking. God will not play games with you. He wants you to know what his will is.
A VERSE FOR TODAY: I will instruct you and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.' (Psalm 32:8)