The Sign of the Fleece
Midian and its allies gather in the Valley of Jezreel, but the Spirit of the LORD comes upon Gideon. He sounds the ram’s horn, and men from his own clan and from several northern tribes gather to meet him.
T33hen all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him. 35Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
Even after the army gathers, Gideon asks God for two signs with a fleece on the threshing floor. God answers first by wetting only the fleece and then by leaving it dry while dew covers the ground.
36Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, 37then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” 38And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew — a bowlful of water. 39Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.” 40And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.