Vickie Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 Asking God for a sign is like my kids coming up to me and telling me they're not going to obey me unless I show them what I want. It is not necessarily doubting God, as has been said before, but doubting our understanding. I believe that we should not ASK for a sign, but ask for knowledge of His will. He may give us a sign, or He may simply continue to nudge us in the direction He chooses. God will light His path for us when we ask...but it is dangerous to always look for a "burning bush" when it may be the man behind you at the grocery store giving you that illumination you're seeking in a simple conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 I think that from time to time we all ask God for a sign to reasure us that we are doing His will. sometimes Gods plan for us involves many people and can be life altering for all and we need to make sure that we are not influenced by human nature in any way. To tempt him is diffrent . God makes no deals when he ask us to do something sometimes the reason is unclear at that time but God always reveals the reason to those who need it when they need itnot when demanded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Beckner Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 I think the danger is in demanding anything of God. He does not demand from us but gives us a free will. To be like him, we cannot demand anything from anyone. That is that meek and humble spirit that He loves. I also see a danger in being afraid to humbly ask for a sign. God knows where we are and He knows our circumstances. He loves us...We do not need to be afraid to approach Him with anything. He is our understanding, loving Father who only wants what is best for us. He doesn't sit up on his throne and just wait to zap us when we make a mistake....no, He wants us to bring it all to Him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebChats Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 I do not believe that we need to seek a sign in this day and age. We have the Word and the Holy Spirit to guide us. If we are well familiar with the Word and the Spirit, we will know if it is God who is talking with us .. Or not. When I first moved to my present address, I asked God for a sign that He was with me. (If I had known my bible I would have been familiar with God telling us "I will never leave you nor forsake you" and would have found my comfort in His Word.) Shortly after I asked God for a sign, they renamed the street I had moved onto as "Morning Star Lane". I was so thrilled that God had given me a sign! (I was thinking of the verse in Rev. where Jesus tells us He is the bright and Morning Star.) As I grew in the knowledge of the Word and feel of the Spirit, I learned that Satan too was called the "Morning Star" and Jesus was actually the "BRIGHT and Morning Star". Satan can give you answers too and if you are not knowledgeable (KNOW YOUR BIBLE!!) about the Word, then the "sign" could lead to all kinds of danger .. Even death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Beckner Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 I read a theory somewhere...I don't remember where that the fleece was a picture for us. That the first time the fleece got wet and the ground around it was dry. That was in this theory a picture of Israel recieving the dew...the blessings of God...being the chosen people and the world not recieving...BUT the 2nd night the ground was wet with dew and the fleece dry....being a picture of Israel rejecting Christ and now the world...the church is recieving the dew...the blessings. Thank you God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Phelps Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 New Testament believers probably should rarely, if ever, request a sign from God. In Matthew 12, when Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for requesting a sign, He said an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but none shall be given. We must be careful that we do not demand a sign that in effect is a loosely veiled attempt to manipulate God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L Beckner Posted January 30, 2003 Report Share Posted January 30, 2003 It seems to me like God used Gideon because he had less disbelieve. Imagine how much He could use me if I had more believe... Me??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted January 30, 2003 Report Share Posted January 30, 2003 Initially my first thought is that we should have enough faith in God not to ask for any kind of re-assurance whether it be by a sign or any other means. However as we are human through the original sin we do from time to time have doubts and find it difficult to determine if what we are doing is actually God's will or whether the direction we are taking is God's way. Just as we would expect our children to come to us if they are in doubt of our instructions or wishes I feel that God also wants us to turn to him for assurance - not so much testing - that we are doing what he wants us to. Regards Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted January 30, 2003 Report Share Posted January 30, 2003 When I first read the passage I did initially feel that after the first test then Gideon should have been satisfied but after reflection it would seem that he purely wanted to make sure that there hadn't been a fluke of nature so he requested the opposite of his first request to God. When you really get down to thinking about it Gideon also had to consider his army so I think he wanted to be absolutely sure about what God was telling him not only for himself but for the safety of his men. Ok it may be debatable as to whether he should have put his complete faith in God but if we consider our own faith I think we all fall short on occasions and do have times when we are unsure which way we are going and what God's will is for us. In this particular instance Gideon is not asking God to perform miracles to prove anything but in order to increase his faith in God's capabilities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Momphard Posted January 31, 2003 Report Share Posted January 31, 2003 When, if ever, should we ask God to confirm his direction with a sign? I think we can pray and ask God "to open doors so to speak" if it is His will for us. Be open to his guidance. What is the danger of demanding a sign? The danger could be the rath of God. God is in control and we have no right to demand a sign. (Note I have posted this answer 3 times and lost it...each answer has been different) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marjorie Knight Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 I beleive that Gideon needed reassurance. Its not that he didn't trust God. He was feeling unworthy and needed to make sure he understood what God was asking of him. In the other instances of testing God,this was done for their own selfish motives, or to help them in distress. Not to make sure they were following Gods's will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marjorie Knight Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 I feel that I sometimes ask God on a regular basis that I am indeed doing as he wishes. I need to be reassured that I understand where He is leading. I don't feel that this is testing God. We must not demand that God give us a sign for selfish reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luminosa Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 I think it's okay for someone to ask for a sign to confirm God's direction if the person needs the extra encouragement. Sometimes people just need to know in a tangible way that God is directing them to go a certain route, or do a certain thing. I don't think I've ever done it, but I know someone who does. The danger lies in getting hooked on receiving signs, though. You may feel like you can't proceed without God first showing you some sign. You must learn to figure out when God is speaking to you and learn to trust His calling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dickinson Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 #3 Q1. Why does Gideon put out a fleece before the Lord -- twice? Is this a sign of unbelief or of belief? Remember what I posted previously about Gideon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dickinson Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 #3 Q2. When, if ever, should we ask God to confirm his direction with a sign? I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Henhawke Posted February 3, 2003 Report Share Posted February 3, 2003 I believe Gideon put the fleece out to test himself more than the God. By doing such enforced a physical assurance of his spirit instead of following thought pattern which could at any time may seem right. To me it seems like Gideon was a analytical type of thinker and believer and wanted to seperate the physical and the spiritual for a complete understanding of instructions. (of course its just my opinion) peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Henhawke Posted February 3, 2003 Report Share Posted February 3, 2003 While living in days of cults and a counter christ like culture i think if ones sure that they,re actions or ideals might seem contrary to biblical principals it should be ok to pray for discernment or clarification. I think the danger in demanding a sign is relying on it totally as a faith by-proxy type of faith. peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs4jc Posted February 3, 2003 Report Share Posted February 3, 2003 Why does Gideon put out a fleece before the Lord -- twice? Is this a sign of unbelief or of belief? This is a "testing" of God? How does it differ from the sinful testings of God the scripture warns against? Gideon knew what God had told him to do, but he wanted confirmation of it. I'm not sure why he doubted. Did he think that perhaps he had imagined the encounter with the Angel, that he didn't remember the message correctly? Or perhaps he wanted to make sure that now was the right time, the time when the Lord would fulfill His promise. I now recall that many times before the Isrealites would go into battle they would inquire of the Lord to make sure that He would go with them. Gideon knows his army is doomed if he goes through with this on his own strength. He asks twice to make sure the first miracle wasn't just a fluke of nature--although this second confirmation wasn't neccessary. God was very patient and forgiving with Gideon. God had told Gideon that He would go with Him and that by Gideon he would deliver Israel from the Midianites. God's word is always true so Gideon should have believed in it. But God was gracious and gave Gideon further confirmation of His word to strengthen his belief. Gideon's doubt seems more like "God I know you can do this but are you really going to use me? And is this really how you want me to do it--now?" An honest question to ask, and since Gideon shows his faith later by doing what the Lord commanded he was willing to go through with whatever the Lord asked of him once he was sure. It wasn't a test and Gideon always approached God with a humble and submissive heart. I think that is the difference--when the Israelites tested God they arrogantly asked Him to do miracles and accused Him of not caring for them. Gideon always shows great respect for God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debs4jc Posted February 4, 2003 Report Share Posted February 4, 2003 When, if ever, should we ask God to confirm his direction with a sign? What is the danger of demanding a sign? In Gideon's case he: *asked with a humble heart *needed confirmation that God really wanted him to do what God said he wanted him to do. Needed confirmation that NOW was the right time *needed an extra boost of faith *was about to undertake something really big that he could only do with God's help Similar qualifications should be in place before we ask God for a sign. It should never be self seeking. The danger is incurring God's anger, possibly not doing something God wants us to do (because we didn't get a sign), and thus sinning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda biloni Posted February 5, 2003 Report Share Posted February 5, 2003 Gideon knows what God has promised and has been obediant so far-but his faith needs to be strengthened. He does believe God, or he wouldn't have came this far, it's his faith that needs to be reaffirmed, not his belief. Gideon is not testing God to have Him prove He's God, he's asking God to strengthen his faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda biloni Posted February 5, 2003 Report Share Posted February 5, 2003 I think it would be alright to "test" God if we had a decision to make and if we wanted to be sure it was God's will and not our own will. To demand a sign is to ask God to prove that he is God and shows disbelief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Smith Posted February 8, 2003 Report Share Posted February 8, 2003 Gideon does put God to the test. However, I think the difference between Gideon's fleece and the tests which God abhors (and judges!) is the state of the heart. When we ask God to prove Himself with a curled upper lip, as it were, i.e. with an attitude of scorn toward God, we should expect to be judged. But when we ask in innocent child-like desire for His work in our hearts (as Dr Wilson puts it, "to help [him] anchor his full faith in the Lord"), God honors that. Maybe He's not always happy with our lack of maturity, but He loves us. He would rather we ask in humility for His growth in our lives than persist in our immaturity and grow increasingly distant from Him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Smith Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 Q2. When, if ever, should we ask God to confirm his direction with a sign? What is the danger of demanding a sign? This is a very difficult question; many believers really struggle with knowing God's will. I have found that God does confirm His direction with signs, without my asking, in big decisions (e.g. my decision to go overseas as a missionary). I ask for confirmation, or especially that He will conform my desires to His, but I usually don't ask for a sign. But we should ask God for a sign when we know we will need to be able to banish doubts in the future. A sign will become a signpost ("building an altar") to which we can mentally return months or years down the road when we're not so sure God really wanted us to come to Sudan as a missionary, for example! It's more difficult to prove to yourself (during the latter doubts) that you really heard His voice, but you can point to that "real world" event or sign when you doubt. The dangers of demanding a sign are two: Bad attitudes may creep into your heart, and you may be expressing doubts in a belligerent way, not in an honest and innocent way. You may be unwilling to obey, and demanding a sign is simply a way of deferring obedience by asking for something you know He won't want to do (putting a stumbling block or trap in God's way--oooh, not a good idea! The Pharisees tried this on Jesus; He never fell for one!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Suter Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 If we're unsure of something, asking for a sign (to help us understand God's direction) is okay. Then we should sit back, patiently wait on Him, fully trusting that He'll guide us in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjcollin Posted February 24, 2003 Report Share Posted February 24, 2003 Q1. Why does Gideon put out a fleece before the Lord -- twice? Is this a sign of unbelief or of belief? This is a "testing" of God? How does it differ from the sinful testings of God the scripture warns against? See exposition I think that Gideon is feeling very pressured. A lot of people are going to die under his command. If he hasn't heard the Word of the Lord properly, it will be him and his fellow Israelites. If he has, then it will be the stronger Midianites/Amalekites who had been oppressing Israel for the past 7 years prior to this. Any prospect of war could being casulties to both sides. Gideon was now in command of 32,000 troops (v7:3) which is a huge responsibility when he came from the weakest clan and the weakest in his family. I think that what Gideon did by testing God twice was not testing whether or not God could do what He said (which is sin), but rather he was asking God is this really what you said. This verification of communication is good and I feel that God likes it because it shows that we are trying to understand His Words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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