Living for Christ is a Confused and Confusing Age

A Study of the Book of Judges

Sermon # 6 

“Discerning the Will of God.”

Judges 6: 25-40 

“Now you can have your own personal psychic. Just dial the number appearing on your screen and a real live psychic will give you answers to life's most difficult questions.” So go the commercials on late night television. We even have celebrities promoting these psychic networks.  My personal favorite is the one which guarantees that all of their psychics were "certified." Certified by whom and how are they certified. Now, who do you suppose certifies psychics? Personally, I'm sure that they were all certified and certifiable.

Sadly many people today are so desperate for answers that they buy into this bogus tommy rot.   Have you ever noticed the small print at the bottom of these Television ads where it says, “For entertainment purposes only!”  Doesn’t that contradict all their claims for being certified and believable? But behind all of this searching is a very real problem, people are asking questions for which they have no easy answers.

As Christians there is a greater question, more than what does the future hold, but does God have a specific agenda that even includes specific details of our lives?

Paul says to the church at Ephesus, “So, then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  (Ephesians 5:17).  But, how does one determine the will of God?  Does God have a specific will for every decision in your life? How does God guide us in making decisions that are good? Must we depend on feelings, impressions, circum-stances, and subjective impressions to determine God's will? These are questions for which we need some answers.

       People are frustrated. “Some have the idea that God has their lives all mapped out, but He won’t show them the way. Other Christians feel guilty for past mistakes, and they resign themselves to what they think is a second-rate life. Some people tiptoe nervously through life as if they were on an acrobat’s tightrope. With every step they wonder if they are going to continue to receive the approval of God.” [M. R. De Haan. “How Can I Know What God Wants Me to Do? Crucial Questions booklet (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Radio Bible Class) p. 4 ]

Methods some Christians use to determine God’s will are highly subjective – arising more from their own preconceived ideas and life experiences than anything else. Leslie and Bernice Flynn in their book “God’s Will You Can Know It” state, “The ways which some people use to know the will of God would make a great television series entitles “That’s Unbelievable.” Let me give you just a few of my favorites from their book. One is a of “a lady who had a lifetime ambition of going to the Holy Land. She got a pamphlet on the Holy Land tour and read it over carefully and noticed that it stated they would be traveling in 747 Jumbo Jet, there and back. She wrestled through the night, tossed back and forth, wondering what God’s will, might be. And she woke up the next morning, looked at her digital clock and it read 7:47. It convinced her it was God’s will for her to make the trip. That’s unbelieve-able!”

Or another is “As a man was driving in Washington, D.C., he was searching for God’s will for his future. His car ran out of gas in front of the Philippine embassy. He took that as a sign that he should go to the Philippines as a missionary.” That’s unbelievable! [Leslie & Bernice Flynn. “God’s Will You Can Know It” As quoted by Charles Swindoll. “The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart And 1501 Other Stories.” (Nashville: Word Pub., 1998) pp. 246-247]

            Then there is the example of Christians who use the open window and when the pages blow and you put your finger on a verse. One man did that and pointed to the verse, “Judas went and hanged himself.” Not a very good life verse so he did it again this time he put his finger on the verse, “Go and do likewise.” Still not convinced he tried again this time the verse said, “What ever you do, do quickly.” Hopefully he decided that was not a very good way to discern God’s will.

       Ironically, in many cases, these perceived messages from God seem to affirm what the individual wanted to do in the first place. Such is the case with Jessica Hawn, former church secretary who had a sexual relationship with Jim Bakker (former host of the PTL Club). In 1987 she said that God gave her “real peace” about posing for Playboy Magazine. The new reports at the time (9-29-87) stated that she still considers herself a Christian, but goes to God “one-on-one,” not through any church or organization. Also: she doesn’t consider herself a “bimbo.” But her mother does. (I am going to have to go with her mother on that one!) [www.bible.org/illus/willofGod]

Sometimes in seeking God’s will we are like “the old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed.

One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. “Why do you toss the stick more than once?” someone asked. “Because,” replied the woman, “it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right.” She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go!” [Today in the Word, May, 1989 - www.bible.org/illus/willofGod]

   Even today we occasionally hear of someone saying that they are “putting out a fleece” – asking God for some tangible indication of His will. This method comes from the story that we are going to be examining today in the life of Gideon found in Judges 6:33-40. This passage does have much to teach us about discerning the will of God but in truth we have to admit that it is mostly negative. We might entitle this passage “How NOT to Know the Will of God!”  

“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.”

       What were the problems then with Gideon’s actions? This morning I want to share with you Four Reasons Setting the Fleece for Discerning God’s Will was Wrong. [The following  four principles drawn from Gary Inrig. Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979) pp. 112-117]. 

   Fleece Setting was wrong because Gideon was not ignorant of what God wanted Him to do! (vv. 36-37) Let’s look closer at verses thirty-six and thirty-seven, “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.” Twice in his statement Gideon admitted that he knew what God had said to do. Underline the phrase, “as you have said.” Gideon’s problem was not one of knowledge but rather of obedience. Notice what God has already done for Gideon. (1) He has given him a clear statement of his will (vv. 12, 14, 16). When the Angelic messenger appeared to Gideon he said in verse twelve, “…“The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!… (14) Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” … (16) And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” Nothing could be clearer, Gideon knew God’s will.

The problem was the Midianites and their allies had already started to mass in preparation for their annual invasion of Israel (v.33). It was time for Gideon to act, and yet it was at this time that Gideon was suffering from second thoughts and doubt. But not only had God given him clear instructions, (2) Gideon was also given a clear revelation of the personal presence of the LORD. The miracle of verse twenty-one left Gideon with no doubt that he had been in the presence of the LORD. (3) The Lord also gave Gideon an experience of His power at work in his life. Verse thirty-four says that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon” some translations render that phrase as “The Holy Spirit clothed himself with Gideon.” Gideon had the Spirit of God upon him and he knew it; that was why he had courage to blow the trumpet summoning the forces of Israel to battle.

   By the time we get to verse thirty-six he had received all these assurances from the Lord and we have to realize that Gideon knew exactly what to do. Gideon clearly knew that God had called him and that Spirit of God was empowering him. Thus the question became not “Am I Called?” but “Will I obey?” And unfortunately the answer is not as quick from Gideon as it should have been.  

Fleece Setting was wrong because Gideon was not ignorant of what God wanted Him to do and…

       Second, Fleece Setting was wrong because it was evidence of doubt not faith. Gideon knew that God had sent him against the Midianites (see 6:12-16). But the fear of defeat had paralyzed Gideon’s faith. That’s why he asked God to prove His presence.

On the first night, Gideon put a fleece on the ground. If it was wet the next day while the ground was dry, he would know God would give him victory (vv. 36-38).

Fleece Setting was wrong because it was evidence of doubt not faith and….

Third, Fleece Setting was wrong

because it is dictating to God terms of belief. (v. 37) “… 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.”

Isn’t it interesting that when we are trying to weasel out on God, we have all kinds of excuses and we ask for all kinds of miraculous signs.  First he wanted a wet fleece; then the next time around he wanted it to be dry. Consider this: When Gideon did this; He dictated to God the only way he would believe. He dictated the time frame in which God could work. And he asked God to suspend the laws of nature in order to support his need for assurance. When we do that we are demanding that God lead us, on our terms not His. That is why fleece setting is almost always motivated by doubt, not faith! When you think about it Gideon’s request was both absurd and presumptuous.

The practice of fleece setting is still a  method that some Christians use to try to discover the will of God. The idea is very simple. You say, “Lord, I have two options. If you want me to follow Plan A then please do this by Tuesday. Then I will know that it is what you want me to do. If You do not, then I will follow Plan B.”

Warren Wiersbe states it this way, “Putting out the fleece is not only evidence of our unbelief, but also evidence of our pride. God has to do what I tell Him to do before I’ll do what He tells me to do!” [Warren Wiersbe. “Be Available.” (Colorado Springs: Victor Books, 1994) p. 56]

Fleece Setting was wrong because it is dictating to God terms of belief and….

Fourth, Fleece Setting was wrong because it does not really produce certainty. (v. 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.” The first miracle was still not enough to convince Gideon. Perhaps he realized that a fleece could remain wet even after the ground had dried. So he asked God to keep the fleece dry and the ground wet on the next night (vv. 39-40).

That is the problem of attempting to use a fleece to discern God’s will. “Suppose you ask God to do something for you by 10:00 p.m. The phone rings at 10:05. Is that God or Satan? Or, if it rings at 9:59, was that Satan trying to trick you? On this kind of basis, how can one ever be sure?” The problem of attempting to put out fleeces is that you can never be completely positive that the results are from God.

Gideon was aware that he was acting in disbelief and at least partial rebellion and on dangerous ground when he asked for a second sign because in verse thirty-nine he pleaded, “Do not be angry with me…”

And yet verse forty states, “And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.” God graciously choose to do as Gideon requested, and Gideon went on to lead the Israelites in the defeat of the Midianites (7:1-25).

The amazing thing coming out of a study of this passage is not what it tells us about Gideon’s fleece but what it shows us about God’s patience. That God answered Gideon’s demand concerning the fleece demonstrates that ours is a God of compassion. God’s command and promise were clear: He would be with Gideon, and they would “strike down all the Midianites” (6:16). Instead of rebuking Gideon for his fear, the Lord propped up his faith with a miracle. God allowed security to stare Gideon in the face so Gideon could accomplish God’s purpose. God is not ashamed to stoop down and comfort us in our fears, any more than we would call our 3year old “sissy” or “chicken” for being afraid of the neighbors 140 Rottweiler.

Gideon was a special student in God’s slower learner class, but then we should be comforted because many of us are as well! 

Conclusion

       I want to close with Five Things We Must Be Willing To Do to Know God’s Will.

Author J. L Packer in his book “Your Father Loves You” has some sound words of advice. “If we want God to guide us, our attitude needs to be right. Here are some guidelines as to how we can play our part in arriving at right decisions.

First, we must be willing to think. It is false piety, ….that demands inward impressions with no rational base, and declines to heed the constant biblical summons to consider. God made us thinking beings, and he guides our minds as we think things out in his presence.

Second, we must be willing to think ahead and weigh the long-term consequences of alternative courses of action. Often we can only see what is wise and right, and what is foolish and wrong, as we dwell on the long-term issues.

Third, we must be willing to take advice.   It is a sign of conceit and immaturity to dispense with taking advice in major decisions.  There are always people who know the Bible, human nature, and our own gifts and limitations better than we do, and even if we cannot finally accept their advice, nothing but good will come to us from carefully weighing what they say.

Fourth, we must be willing to be ruthlessly honest with ourselves. We must suspect ourselves: ask ourselves why we feel a particular course of action will be right and make ourselves give reasons.

Fifth, we must be willing to wait. “Wait on the Lord” is a constant refrain in the Psalms and it is a necessary word, for the Lord often keeps us waiting. When in doubt, do nothing, but continue to wait on God.”  

[J. L. Packer. Your Father Loves You. (Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986) page for October 13]

Power Point Slides 

Four Reasons Fleece Setting Was Wrong

1. … because Gideon was not ignorant of what God wanted Him to do.

2. … because it was evidence of doubt not faith.

3. ….because it is setting is dictating to God terms of belief. (v. 37)

4. … because it does not really produce certainty. (v. 39) 

[The following  four principles drawn from Gary Inrig. Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979) pp. 112-117]. 

Five Things We Must Be Willing To Do To Know God’s Will. 

1. Be willing to think.

2. Be willing to think ahead and weigh the long-term consequences of alternative courses of action.

3. Be Willing to take advice.

4. Be ruthlessly honest with ourselves.