Gideon’s request for signs from God, exemplified by the fleece, reveals God’s willingness to confirm His will, especially in serious matters, but never to satisfy unbelief or mere curiosity. While Gideon sought reassurance through the fleece, the sermon emphasizes that God’s signs are not for the skeptical but for the faithful, pointing to the ultimate sign of Christ’s resurrection. The dew on the fleece symbolizes the Spirit’s blessing, first upon Israel and then, when rejected by them, upon the Gentiles, illustrating God’s faithfulness in His redemptive plan. Ultimately, the sermon encourages believers to seek God’s presence through quiet communion, finding refreshment in His Spirit, much like dew in the night, and to find joy in serving Him, even to the point of exhaustion.
Restored with Diffio
Audio restored with Diffio. Diffio processed the original archive recording to reduce noise and produce a cleaner listening version; the original stays available.
Speech quality score (model-estimated, SCOREQ): before 1.37 → restored 4.58
Siriam said unto God, If I will save Israel by my hand, that God has said, Behold, I will put a feast of gold in the floor, and if the dew beyond the feast only hath be dry upon all the earth that dine, then shall I know that God will save his will by my hand, that God has said. It was so, for he rose up early on the morrow. brought the fleece together, and wring the two routes of the fleece, a bowl full of water. Lydian said unto God, Let not thy anger be hot against me, and I will flee but this once. Let me through thy baby.
But this once was the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be thee. God did so that night, but it was dry upon the fleece only. There was two on all the ground. Many see the act as though God is so hard to get something from. You've got this Christian God, throwing something out of him. Why, God is more ready to give than we are out of this city. And here is Gideon. Notice what he said after he put the fleece out once. In verse thirty nine, and Gideon said unto God, let not thy man that be hot against thee, and I will keep up this once.
Well, I'm going to ask you the second time. You didn't even get a simple answer. And that's true with us. We feel as though we're imposing upon God when God loves to hear our voice and loves to answer our prayer. Now, our subject tonight is the fleece. In other words, I've heard some very interesting things in my life about shipping out the fleece. Young Christians are very asked to do this. Well, Lord, if you want me to do so and so, if you want me to go someplace, I'm going to put out the police. Well, just what they mean by that, in some cases, is pretty hard to find out.
Lord, if I do this, will you do that? I heard of one thing they say. He said, well, it was a young man when he had thought of getting married. He said, Lord, if two souls get saved tonight in the meeting, I'll take it for granted that Nally is the one to be my wife. Well, two souls get saved. I wouldn't put that piece out. I wouldn't ask God to save a hundred. No. In other words, the term is this. I don't know whether you got the right one or not. I'd like to talk to him now. That's been all thirty years ago. But anyway, putting out cases for matters of that kind.
I think you should pray about a fastener. I believe that with all my heart. But I believe there are other ways to ascertain the will of God than just putting out the feet in a matter this time. And yet you have it here. But I believe that all is connected with something very, very clear. Something very important. God never gives a sign to confirm or satisfy unbelief. He never gives a sign or does something just for curiosity's sake or to entertain. No autumn of news. And so he replies to Gideon when he's asking for a sign.
And it's a very serious situation. He says, Lord, are you going to really deliver the enemy to my hand? You know how weak I am, how incapable. And her be they that you're going to use are poor, just like me, a man like me, to deliver the high people of Israel. Yes, that's wrong. Maybe yes. But Lord, that's kind of hard for me to take in. Lord, excuse me, but do you mind if I put the grief out again? I want to be doubly sure of this, Lord Your Honor. And so He did. It was something very serious. And I do believe there are times when we're confronted with something that's really serious.
It entails the glory of God. It entails our life. And I believe God will respond when we prove Him. And he does love to have us through this. If you know these Jews, the Bible says the Jews seek a sign, but the Greeks seek out the wisdom. But Paul says, although the Jews seek a sign, you can't start a sign of a letter. You show them a sign. Perform some miracles of it. Then they blink. And then they wouldn't arrive. He says the Jews seek a sign. The Greeks seek out the wisdom. But he preached quite quickly. onto their bruise of trembling blood, onto their Greek foolishness.
In other words, they knew they just wanted some supernatural sign of evidence before they would believe. You remember they came to the Lord on one occasion and asked him to perform some kind of a miracle. And he says each generation of vice, he said very strong to them, a wicked and adulterous generation. You seek after a sign, and there shall be no sign given you. There is a sign of the prophet Jonas, but as Jonas received age and age, nights in the Holy of Sally, even so seldom shall the son of God received age and be nice and hardy. God has already given you all the signs you're going to get. You get one to be entertained.
All kinds of miracles have been performed. The prayer has been raised. See, Brian has been made to see. The thumb of the made to see. The lane of the made to walk. You've seen the five thousand feds. Four thousand more feds. You've seen sign after sign and evidence after evidence. And yet you won't believe it. I don't see no more. Except you see signs and wonders, he will not believe it. You know, people are about that unbelieving today. They want some great phenomenal or some supernaturally dense before they Believe God. Well, we're living in the very thing. You do believe this book or else. It's not a case of supernatural science today.
God has been giving evidences right down the centuries of his existence, some of his presence, and his interest in the human race, and his provision for man's salvation. There needs to be no more such supernatural science. God says, you take my naked word and believe it or tell it. That's it. They're coming back now to the picture. You know, even the Lord Jesus knew signs. The disciple said, what time will it be at the end of the time? And you know in that chapter he spoke about the fig tree. So you see that fig tree? And he uses that fig tree and says, now when the fig tree buds, you know that summer is not. So when you see all these things that I've been talking about, know that it is here.
That is the end is near, even at the door. We were speaking about the nation of Israel reviving. The nation of Israel coming again to life. And it's a dream you see all these things happening. Know that it is near. Even at the door the coming of Christ is very close. I think we're living in those days. In May the fifteenth, nineteen, forty-eighth, the fig tree budded. that nation that had been scattered and sealed for centuries, run with a shield of the ruthless curse, the land of palace in the desert.
She's seen Israel go back to her homeland. She now has her own university. She now has her own parliament, her own government. She has many other things. She's recognized as a nation among the family of nations. A luxury she has not known for thirty-four hundred years. God said in the latter days his guilt will return to her land and the coming agent. And she will back to her land in more or less preparation to the reception of her king, which is Christ, during the coming of her king's meal. Christ is in you see the fig tree budding, you know.
When you see treasure of coming for life, because when a city begins to bud, he may pray here. There's going to be fruit. There's evidence of life. Staff has come up soon. While nothing was doing during the winter now, there's times of life. The big day, Father. God says that nation has been dead for many centuries. Caternary earth. In the latter days, we'll see life. Life. The day that nation is sat in the land, Auntie's ready. Waiting for her spirit is fifteen and eight. Here is Abraham. Abraham had just won the mighty victory.
And it's strange to say that although Abraham had won this mighty victory, the feeding those kings, the king, he became somewhat afraid and depressed after that victory. God opened chapter fifteen of Genesis with these words, Fear not, Abraham, for I am thy shield, and I am exceeding great reward. No fear, Abraham. No danger. You're no loser. Fear not. I'll protect you. I am nice to you. Don't worry about any danger approaching. I am nice to you, Abraham. I am nice to you, Abraham. And so God is encouraging Abraham. God says, Abraham, I'm going to give you something.
I am going to give you a son, and I'm going to give you a seed, and I'm going to give you some soil. I'm going to give you a son." Abraham thinks that's impossible. I'm too old and perish too old. God says, I'm going to give you a son. And so the Lord I'm going to give you a seed from that son. God says, look to the heavens and see the stars. Through shall I see thee. Later on he said, the sand upon the seashore. That's how numerous their posterity is going to be, Abraham. And Abraham, furthermore, I'm not only going to give you a son, I'm going to give you a seed of prosperity that no man can number.
I'm going to give you some soil, the very land upon which he stands. I'm going to give you the land of Canaan. It's standard, old Abraham. He says, Lord, what time you will show me. Give me, celebrity. It's hard for me to believe that such wonderful things are going to happen to me. Will you not give me some proof? Yes, God says I will. But over him says, Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit all these things? And what evidence do I have? What assurance? What sign? Not without any sign. Take five living pieces and cut them all in pieces, except the birds, and lay them in a row, in rows.
They're all cut up now, they're in pieces. And remember Abraham that a horror of great darkness is going to descend upon those creatures. And it is the birds of the air are going to come down and try and feed upon the flesh. But God says there shall be a lamp passing between those parts. And eventually he said, I am going to come in. And the day will go. And I will bring Israel up out of Egypt into the promised land. Now that seems strange to read and read a series. What are those pots? God says that's Israel. The crowd cried for Israel. Know how they're going to suffer.
Because when you play those animals, it means the animal will suffer. And Israel, if a nation is going to suffer, it's going to be a gloomy future, and a dark, dark, that's your destiny, full of terror and darkness. The birds of prayer are coming down, Abraham. The Egyptians and other nations are going to come down and try and feed off my people, your seed that I've been reminding you of. But God says, I'm going to take care of them all. You see that lamp that's passing the females past? And all day the day is dark and gloomy. And horror seems to settle upon the nation because of what she passed through in her suffering.
God says, I'm going to be there. The lamp's passing the females past. The land speaks of the truth of God for certain purposes. And God says, I'm going to bring you up out of Egypt. Out from that darkness and dreariness and slavery and bondage, then to your own land. God says, I'm going to save you, and I'm going to shelter you. I'm going to save you. Now that seemed the same thing. But you see, God gave Abraham that experience. He gave him that evidence, that timing of what he was going to do. So God has often done it, but as I've already pointed out, it's only when something very important is a state that God will do it.
Remember, God said to Israel a little on, prove me now, here with, saith the Lord. If I will not hear from the witness of heaven for and for you are the blessing that you will not be able to receive, but God had said something just before that. The text I've only preached on once in my life, and I'd refuse the travel. Bring all the ties into the storehouse and prove me herewith, said the Lord. If I will not open the windows of heaven and all you ought to bless me and not be able to receive me, I don't know why God is blessing us here at the travel. This year, I think, there's an eighth already from Christ. He's not blessing us because of what we are.
because of us. He's blessing us in spite of us. There certainly is not enough prayer going on. I said to one of the brethren before the meeting tonight, I said, Why is God blessed us? With only his mercy and his grace, we are not giving God what belongs to him. Far so. And if we're seeing the blessing, we are seeing, what would happen if only God's people got stirred up and awakened? And let the condition, as laid down in that verse, give themselves unto prayer, and give, honor wise, that the trial is I want to say, but forgive your honor.
If great things ensured, if God's people will get down to this, prove me now herewith, dear Lord, that I will not open the windows of heaven for you out of glory. Do not be able, simply. he said before that. You need to get in there. Now, the way when Ahaz in Isaiah chapter seven, God said to Ahaz, he could ask for me a sign, Ahaz. Ask me a sign of what I'm going to do. Ahaz is no, I won't. That was one man that refused to ask a sign. All right, God says, I'm going to do it anyway. A virgin shall conceive and bear a son.
Thou shalt call his name Emmanuel God's with us. God was going to give his son hundreds of years before he came. He said, Ahas, I want you to ask the friend of me of what I'm going to do. Ahas would build yourself in the seventh of Isaiah. I think God kind of appreciated that on the part of Ahas. Well, I'm going to tell you anyway what I'm going to do. I'm going to send my son, a virgin himself, an evil and dare a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel, God give up. And what is the Jew here? God said, or this man Gideon said to God, if you're going to deliver this year by my hand, he said that I'm going to put out a bunch of fleece.
And he said, if in the morning the fleece is full of Jews, And all the ground round the boat was dry. Then I'll mail you a grain to deliver Israel by my hand, thought it. All right? The next morning Gideon got up, and he got a hold of that piece of fleece, and he ran the dew out a bowl full of water. What does the dew speak of? The dew run badly speaks of the Spirit of God. You have heard your scriptures to that end. God says, I will be as a Jew unto Israel. How wonderful that was. I will be as a Jew unto Israel.
The blessing of God through the Spirit. And what did Isaac say to Jacob? God gives thee as a Jew of heaven. And so the Jews seek God's blessing of God through the Spirit. And here it is, Gideon. No doubt it will put him to... He isn't a nation as well as himself personally, because I think the police should suggest Israel shorn of a duty by the enemy. Know how the enemies had shorn for Israel. You notice that in our first sermon. How the enemies came down, the Midianites, they took away their cattle, they took away everything they had, and they just nevertheless shorn Israel.
Israel was torn. Of all the blessings of God. Not only was he shorned, he was dry. You know what it says about the Lord Jesus? He was a root out of a dry ground. Christ came up out of the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel gave us the Savior. And he was a right, a living root. And he came up out of a dry nation, dry ground. Israel shorn of all the blessings of God. five of enemies, and he will run to flee. Dry flee from the dry ground. Do seek all God's blessings upon his people.
The time is going to come, says God. I'm going to bless my people. I'm going to bless them spiritually. But Gideon, before I'm going to bless them, I'm going to bless you. You'll be blessed first. And then the nation will be blessed. Excuse me, no relative to the Jew. It falls in the night. He never yet went out after a windy night and saw dew in the ground. When the wind is blowing strong, you don't see any dew. Dew falls in the springland. That's when the dew comes out. What does your Bible say?
Be still and know that I'm gone. If you want to know the blessing of God, try the Spirit in your heart and life, know something of being still before the Lord. Be still alone, says God. And the bill holds in the fulfillment of the night. You might say that the night itself the absence of our Redeemer. Christ left fifteen, nineteen hundred years ago in a synopsis after the death. that he's coming back again. The Bible speaks of his return as the bright and the morning stars, and then the sun of righteousness arises.
He tells us as Christians to walk as lights in the midst of the darkness. This world is dark. It's getting darker by the day. We as Christians are lights in the midst of the darkness. But we knew, we knew that there could be effective witnesses, the truth of the spirit of presence in our life. The spirit of God is just here, you knew in Christ, haven't you? When Jesus Christ was here on earth, he blessed the people. But then he, humanity, glorified humanity, went into the presence of purity.
He or he in the person of the Holy Spirit came down to abide in the hearts and lives of humanity. Christ said, I'll send the Spirit when I go up. I'm going up to my father's right hand and when I do, I won't leave you comfortless. I'll send the Spirit. And he'll be with the church right through the dark night. And for nineteen hundred years the Church of God has been here. You know when the sun rises in the morning, the dew disappears. And when Jesus comes back again, the Spirit of God will no longer be here as he is today. He's seen back in heaven in Revelation chapter four, after the church is taken to heaven at the end of chapter three.
The dew is here during the night, the night that Christ had. How wonderful to know the peace from the quiet of the Spirit of the dwelling during this dark, dark day. The days are going down there, but the Christian, who knows what is to be saved by the grace of God and have all his sins forgiven, can enjoy the presence and the power of the Spirit of God in his own heart and life. Be still and know this. You're not going to know the Spirit of do upon your soul. You're not going to know that refreshment that comes just as refreshing as the do.
You're not going to know the blessing of God's presence in your heart in the busy rush of life. No, you can't enjoy the spirit presence there. It means early in the morning or when you get home at night to go into your room and spend the quiet time. Get along with God. I know it's hard with a house full of youngins. It's very difficult, but I'll tell you one thing. When they all get to bed, you slip off and say, I'm going to have a quiet time. I'm going to get my Bible. I'm going to read a chapter, if you.
And I'm going to try and digest it, absorb it. I'm going to say, Lord, speak to thy servant. Speak to me. What is there in this chapter for me? And bow your head and pray over what's happened during the day. And the things you need, that's if you're a Christian. If you're not a Christian, you better pray God be merciful to me the sinner and death days. But if you're a child of God all that quiet time, maybe ten minutes, this evening, you'll find the dew beginning to descend. You'll find your heart calming and quieting in this present. With all the excitement and the nervousness, the irritability of the day begins to subside as the spirit of God descends upon your heart.
the two calls during the night before me and the simmons that are quiet. I'll tell you one thing, you can't experience the church presence looking at a TV and about four or five lobsters throwing one another around the ring. Everybody shouts and holler and don't think the spirit's going to descend on occasion like that. Or a lot of other foolishness. That's not the quietness that the Spirit of God is looking for to bless human hearts. It means you get along with God with your Bible if you want to know the spirit of refreshment. The dew falls in the night.
Then again, he only asked for a blessing not only upon himself, but he asked for a blessing upon Israel. He said, Lord, you bless me now. The dew was full of, or the fleece was full of dew. but he said the ground's awfully dry. And what you've done for me, the blessing you've given to me, I'd like this secret field, let it be. Lord, I'm going to put the police out once more. And this time, let the police be dry. I'll let all the ground be moist, wet the sea. The next morning when Gideon got up, the police was dry, but the ground all around was soaked with dew.
the blessing that was in Gideon, the house of the nation. And that's the way it is. In order to speak of this in a dispensational way, which is beautiful, the Jewish nation was blessed of God even after this experience. Although she was dry, yet God did bless her when the gospel began to be preached to the people. She experienced some of the blessing of God. But it will soon dried up, as a nation made dried up, and when under Titus, Jerusalem was destroyed seventy years AD, the best thing went out to the Gentiles. The feast became dry, and the gospel preached to the Gentiles all over the world.
And that one nation remained awfully dry, while the blessing of God flowed to the nations, and the gospel went out to the all kindred tongue people and nations. the flesh king that was sent first to Israel, and Israel rejected when she rejected Jesus Christ, she went out to all the world. How wonderful are the way of God. And so, here are these two signs given to Julia. First, at least, it was soaked with dew, the ground was dry, and then it was reversed. The dew was dry, and the ground was wet. I want to apply it this way, Mr.
Smith. Many a time I'd set up on Sunday morning in my life, especially a number of years ago when I was in campaign work, I couldn't take it out. Get up Sunday morning and drive a hundred and fifty miles and treat seven times. When I got back to my room, I was like what they call a wet rag. In the morning, I was fresh. At night I'd hardly walk. I wouldn't say a wet rag, I'd say a dry night. I was yet all in. Yet that morning I was late to flee.
I was wet with dew, but the dew was rung out during the day. That night I was as dry as the dew. But others had been blessed. People had been saved. and what God had given to me. They were passed on to them. People had trusted Christ. God's people had been lifted up. And so, in the evening, I was the one that was tired and weary, that I had been the necessary. And I wasn't complaining. I was the light. Never in my life am I happier than when I go to bed tired of having looked back upon the day, reflecting upon the day that I've been able to do something for God.
The more I can do, the better. fresh and happy and strong and vigorous in the morning at night really in time. The other people have been blessed. It is as though it was on the feast in the morning, it was on others at night.