Finding the Will of God
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It is a commonly held belief among Christians that one of the most perplexing problems we experience is knowing what the will of God is for our lives. The reason for this is not hard to find. For one thing, we are most sensitive to this question in times of stress, when the stakes are high and our emotions are perturbed. We want a clear path to appear in front of us—we want to know what our heavenly Father would have us do. In these situations we turn to God and pray for guidance. But frequently we discover that the help does not come to us when and how we think it should, and we begin to wonder if there is some secret key to the will of God which we need to discover.
1. The Problem with Fleeces
Everyone is familiar with what Gideon did when he wanted absolute assurance that he was not deluded, but that the Lord truly had told him to take on the Midianites—he laid a fleece out, not once but twice (Judg. 6:36-40).
So we say to ourselves, well, if God honored Gideon’s prayer for guidance and God answered him, He may honor my request—after all, we say to ourselves, we just want to do the right thing in God’s sight. So we spread before God our fleeces, metaphorically speaking. For example, we pray,
“Father, if I am meant to go into business with this guy then let such and such happen.”
Or,
“Lord, if it is your will for me to meet the women who will be my wife then let her come and talk to me at church tonight (P.S. and let her friend who despises me be home sick or something).” We may even cite Gen. 24:12-14 to help our case!
But there are several things wrong about this procedure:
- First, it tempts God in that we make stipulations that we then want God to meet. We forget that our Father is also the King.
- Second, it contradicts the injunctions which tell us that we must walk by faith and not by sight (or sign).
- And third, not infrequently, when our desired ‘sign’ occurs (or some semblance of it), we still feel as much in the dark about things as before.
Further, there are a few exegetical matters which need to be thought through:
First, Gideon already had been given a very clear sign from God and had been told what he must do (Judg. 6:15-23).
In the second place, Gideon had to go to war with a vastly inferior army (135,000 Midianites against his 35,000 Israelites who would be whittled down to 300—Judg. 7:1-6). “Accordingly,” wrote Leon Wood, “Gideon felt in need of reassurance that God truly wanted him to proceed with this frightening venture.” (Leon J. Wood, The Distressing Days of the Judges, 211-212.)
The extraordinary circumstances in which Gideon found himself called for a “double-check.” But they did not call for any new information. In short, Gideon had warrant for his prayer, we do not. So it is unwise to put out fleeces a la Gideon and expect to get any direction from the exercise. This is because a. Gideon had a vast army to go up against, and, b. because we are to walk by faith, not by sight. So let us pursue this question of the specific will of God further.
2. How Then Can I Know What God Wants Me To Do?
In his often helpful book Decision Making and the Will of God, Garry Friesen puts forth what he calls “the Wisdom View” (p. 199). Friesen defines his view thus (I have clarified some of his wording and added some thoughts of my own):
First, the revealed commands and principles of God’s Word (i.e. God’s ethical code), are to be obeyed. Thus, where we know what God requires of us (e.g. the Beatitudes, the Armor of God, The Ten Commandments minus the Jewish Sabbath, etc.) we should be striving to please Him. This is the burden of passages like 1 Thess. 4:1 and following, or Rom. 6:11.
Second, in those areas where the Scriptures give no specific command or principle, and it is not a question or morality per se, the believer is free to responsibly choose his or her course of action—provided they do not violate God’s ethical requirements as set forth especially in the New Testament (e.g. Eph. 4:1-5:21). All decisions must be faith-decisions, since “whatever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:23).
Finally, the objective of the Christian is always to make wise decisions, decisions both spiritual and practical. Thus, the Book of Proverbs comes to the fore here. See e.g. Prov. 3:5-6; 16:3.
Earlier in the book Friesen gives J. I. Packer’s definition of wisdom: “Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.” Wisdom, (Chokma—which denotes practicality as well as problem-solving), is discovered by those who fear the Lord (Prov. 9:10). This fear forces God into every decision and compels pride and self-centeredness to leave (or at least to take a subordinate place). The culture of pragmatism and the obsession with image which permeates not just secular America but Christian America too (and to the same extent!), means that the thoughtful believer who truly wishes to know God’s guidance will be careful to keep the fear of God always as a mark before him.
To this definition I add these comments of John Stott:
The [general] will of God for the people of God has been revealed in the Word of God. But we shall not find His ‘particular’ will in Scripture. To be sure, we shall find general principles in Scripture to guide us, but detailed decisions have to be made after careful thought and prayer and the seeking of advice from mature and experienced believers.(John R. W. Stott, Authentic Christianity, 248)
Paul Henebury Bio
Paul Martin Henebury is a native of Manchester, England and a graduate of London Theological Seminary and Tyndale Theological Seminary (MDiv, PhD). He has been a Church-planter, pastor and a professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics. He was also editor of the Conservative Theological Journal (later Journal of Dispensational Theology). He is now the President of Telos School of Theology.
It is interesting, in light of Gideon’s polygamy/fornication and usurpation of the priestly role (ephod of Ishmaelite earrings), that we so often view his fleece as the right thing to do—it’s not like Gideon was uniformly Godly or anything. He had a few acts of retribution as well that would have been very out of place in terms of what David did, too.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
I have never met a person who told me they put out a fleece. Why do people talk about this so much?
Mark, I’ve heard it many times. Some Christians seldom make a decision without “putting out a fleece.”
G. N. Barkman
[G. N. Barkman]Mark, I’ve heard it many times. Some Christians seldom make a decision without “putting out a fleece.”
In 44 years (and counting) of attending Baptist churches in Minnesota, I can’t recall ever hearing the expression used here.
Perhaps. I’ve lived most of my life in the Carolinas.
G. N. Barkman
circa 1969: Heard of it frequently in college ministry / thought it stupid!
Perhaps I ought to have qualified it? I suppose because I have come across the line numerous times in ministry I assumed it was universal. Anyway, it amounts to saying to God, “If you do this then I’ll know…”
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
….is that most of the “fleecing” is not given that name? But that said, I’ve got to admit that I’ve heard of people more or less asking God for a sign that they ought to abandon this sin or that, but when I started scratching my head to remember actual examples, I’m coming up pretty dry.
Whether that’s a good thing—people simply abandoning a sin without a sign from God—or a bad thing—I’m not getting close enough to people to learn that they’re actually doing this—I can’t tell, but that’s where I am. Praying that the former is the case, of course.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
I’ve heard the fleece line a few times, but more often than not I’ve heard, “God gave me peace about it” or “God didn’t give me peace about it.” The subjective feeling and the unbiblical understanding of peace is the new fleece.
was not merely an open door or an odd occurrence, but something that was physically impossible naturally, the dew was only on the fleece but not the ground.
So, UNLESS a person is claiming that something physically impossible has happened, then they have not “put out a fleece”.
Other than being moral and attending church, you’re on your own…good luck.
Oh, and don’t forget to ask for “advice” from “wise men”… Never mind that I have never met any one that ever gave me any advice about a tough decision, even when asked.
Mark, beware of getting too cynical. First off, my position is not “a la Garry Friesen.” I quoted him and called his book “often helpful.” Secondly, seeking for God to do something is to ask for Him to effect a course of events. whether it is a really big effect, like turning the shadow back, or wetting and drying Gideon’s fleece, or whether it is merely, “I pray this person will be there and this will occur” it is in the same category. In other words, the phrase “putting out a fleece” is usually used figuratively for seeing certain Divine effects.
The Bible certainly has much to say about consulting wisdom. But I would be interested to know your views on discerning God’s will in particular situations. Feel free to chip in :-)
God bless,
Paul
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
I agree. God’s will is not mysterious. I don’t believe for a second that He is playing head games with us, making us guess and hope we are doing The One and Only Thing that is in His will.
Ditto the idea of a ‘soulmate’. If we don’t find The One, or worse, we marry The Wrong One, we are doomed because now we are out of His will.
BTW, I have heard many, many times over the years the term ‘putting out a fleece’ to describe trying to discern God’s will by looking for signs or circumstances to meet certain conditions. It’s the worst kind of cliché.
The primary problem with “putting out the fleece” as a way of seeking God’s guidance is that it results from reading narrative as if it were a set of instructions. It’s one of the most common ways of (mis-) reading Scripture, and unfortunately it is reinforced by the way the Bible is taught.
[Susan R]Ditto the idea of a ‘soulmate’. If we don’t find The One, or worse, we marry The Wrong One, we are doomed because now we are out of His will.
In a sermon I once referred to the above as “one-school-one-wife-one-ministry-for-life.”
Meaning that before you were 18 you had to make sure that you went to the one Bible college that was God’s will for you, where you would meet the one person he wanted you to marry, and together you would find the one ministry that you were to spend your life in, and thus be in the perfect will of God.
If you or the other (woman/man) went to the wrong school, and you never actually met them, you would forever miss God’s perfect will and would have to live in his permissive will. Unfortunately, that meant that although you would eventually get to heaven you would not be riding in first class but would be in coach on that old gospel train.
p.s. Reading Friesen in Bible college (at the recommendation of a prof) was a highlight of my education.
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Reading that post, JohnBrian, gave me a horrible feeling of déjà vu. I remember those days, and I also remember being discouraged to the point of just not worrying about it anymore. Which eventually became a good thing, because it left me with the only sensible thing to do - the best I could based on what I knew was consistent with Scripture, reasonable, and prudent.
We have the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind, and we need to live more like we believe it, and oppose those who try to control others with fear, because that kind of fear is not of the spirit of God.
[T Howard]People are probably using Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” So there is certainly a sense in which God gives us peace in our circumstances, but it is not a peace because we made choice A instead of choice B. It is peace because we are bathing whichever choice we made in prayer and thanksgiving rather than being anxious.I’ve heard the fleece line a few times, but more often than not I’ve heard, “God gave me peace about it” or “God didn’t give me peace about it.” The subjective feeling and the unbiblical understanding of peace is the new fleece.
I liked what John stated on preaching his sermon, “In a sermon I once referred to the above as “one-school-one-wife-one-ministry-for-life,” I remember these days in my early Christian walk down in North Carolina. This sort of thing can cause one to second guess many a decision or not make a decision at all because, as the author of this article states, they are waiting for that, “fleece.” I struggled with this for many years, and still struggle with this at times, this is not something that can cause great spiritual damage to young Christians when this is preached as the one way of being in God’s will. Thank God that there is great freedom in the will of God as Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…” as we follow God’s Word for our lives and strive to please Him, we are indeed in the will of God for our lives.
Classic misunderstanding of the purpose of the fleece: it was not to confirm anything to Gideon. His confirmation had come through the signs given by the angel in Judges 6:17-23. That sign was to confirm in him that he was indeed talking with an angel of the Lord and not with some mystic vision—a worthy effort considering the limitations of written Scripture at the time.
The fleece episode, evidently, was to confirm to those he had gathered together (Jdg. 6:34-40) that the Lord had indeed called him to lead them against the Midianites even with the overwhelming odds against them.
Signs were not a stranger to Gideon. God gave him the dream of the barley loaf as further encouragement to victory. But signs here are almost purely confirmations of perceived direction, and not communicators of direction.
Narratives are not necessarily directives. But precedent is also a scriptural method of communicating truth, and precedents are almost always incorporated in narratives. Frankly, I have little issue with providentially provided experiences as confirmation of direction already embarked on.
Lee
I thought all Scripture was God-breathed and is useful for teaching, and rebuking, and correcting and instructing in righteousness.
I never knew narrative had no directive value. I mean, we can throw out Acts, right…its only historical narrative. We can throw out narrative in the OT.
Wow…
What about warning people about dismissing the value of Scripture?
I don’t believe anybody is discounting the fact that Gideon “put out a fleece.” The crux isn’t (1) the fact of the matter or (2) whether Scripture recorded the act; the crux is whether it’s right for a believer to copy that model. I don’t think it is. I have never followed that model, personally - and I’ve been through some “big” changes in my life over the past several years.
In other words, just because the Bible records something doesn’t mean we should copy the act.
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
I did not say that narrative has no directive value. I said that reading narrative as a set of instructions is misreading it. Biblical narratives are not allegories about the Christian life, nor are they dance steps for Christians to (selectively) follow. Yet that is the way they are read and taught. Gideon’s action was not recorded as instructions on how to determine God’s will, any more than the story of Abraham sending his servant to Mesopotamia to find a bride for Isaac is intended as instructions on how we should arrange marriages for our children.
Fundamentally, Scriptural narratives are true accounts of how God has invaded our world, how He has revealed Himself, how He interacts with people (and how people have responded). If we read Biblical narrative as “what we should do,” then we treat it as being about us. The narrative is about Him primarily, and secondarily about how people have responded, sometimes well and sometimes badly. The directive value is the insight we gain into how we get to participate with Him in what He is doing.
be careful of dismissing narrative with the refrain, “narrative is descriptive, not prescriptive” or something like it. You might think you know what you mean, but others might interpret it as “narrative isn’t important”.
Never mind
Mark, there is a command in Scripture to build an Ark. Have you built an Ark yet? No? If not, perhaps you realize that not every command of Scripture and not every example in Scripture is prescriptive for NT Christians today. Yes, it is sometimes difficult to determine the commands in Scripture that we are bound to follow today, but we need to at least recognize the issue.
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Greg Long, Ed.D. (SBTS)
Pastor of Adult Ministries
Grace Church, Des Moines, IA
Adjunct Instructor
School of Divinity
Liberty University
Didn’t you know I am Ken Ham’s right hand man and that is why we built the Ark Encounter?
[Paul Henebury]I would be interested to know your views on discerning God’s will in particular situations. Feel free to chip in :-)
God bless,
Paul
The author appealed to you to explain your views on discerning God’s will
[TylerR]I don’t believe anybody is discounting the fact that Gideon “put out a fleece.” The crux isn’t (1) the fact of the matter or (2) whether Scripture recorded the act; the crux is whether it’s right for a believer to copy that model. I don’t think it is. I have never followed that model, personally - and I’ve been through some “big” changes in my life over the past several years.
In other words, just because the Bible records something doesn’t mean we should copy the act.
Questions:
1) Is Gideon indicted for this action or is this action condemned directly or indirectly?
2) Do these signs (either the burning broth one or the fleeces) indicate lack of faith?
3) Is confirmation of a directive, particularly in a time where Scripture is incomplete, in any wise “wrong”?
4) If it is not recorded for our beneficial guidance and it is not condemned as something to avoid, what is it recorded for?
It seems that these are just some of the questions that should be addressed before we make wholesale I don’t think it is a believer’s model statements.
Lee
[Lee]TylerR wrote:
I don’t believe anybody is discounting the fact that Gideon “put out a fleece.” The crux isn’t (1) the fact of the matter or (2) whether Scripture recorded the act; the crux is whether it’s right for a believer to copy that model. I don’t think it is. I have never followed that model, personally - and I’ve been through some “big” changes in my life over the past several years.
In other words, just because the Bible records something doesn’t mean we should copy the act.
Questions:
1) Is Gideon indicted for this action or is this action condemned directly or indirectly?
2) Do these signs (either the burning broth one or the fleeces) indicate lack of faith?
3) Is confirmation of a directive, particularly in a time where Scripture is incomplete, in any wise “wrong”?
4) If it is not recorded for our beneficial guidance and it is not condemned as something to avoid, what is it recorded for?
It seems that these are just some of the questions that should be addressed before we make wholesale I don’t think it is a believer’s model statements.
Judg 6:36–40: Gideon’s two requests for signs in the fleece should be viewed as weak faith; even Gideon recognized this when he said, “Let not your anger burn against me” (v. 39) since God had already specifically promised his presence and victory (vv.12, 14, 16). But they were also legitimate requests for confirmation of victory against seemingly impossible odds (6:5; 7:2, 12). God nowhere reprimanded Gideon, but was very compassionate in giving what his inadequacy requested. In 7:10–15, God volunteered a sign to boost Gideon’s faith. He should have believed God’s promise in 7:9 but needed bolstering, so God graciously gave it without chastisement.
Also the ESV Study Bible:
Judg. 6:36–40 Before the actual military engagement, Gideon again displays his reluctance to be a leader, for he asks for confirmatory signs from God (cf. v. 17). On the one hand, Gideon’s fears are understandable: the task he is preparing to do is difficult and dangerous. On the other hand, the angel’s appearance and promise (vv. 11–24) already included a confirmatory miracle (v. 21), and Gideon had already begun to obey (vv. 25–27) and to see God’s protection (v. 31). In any event, God stoops to Gideon’s level and grants the signs requested.
Judg. 6:39 let me test. Ironically, this is the same word (Hb. nasah) used of God earlier, when he “tested” Israel (2:22; 3:1). Gideon’s desire to test God was in direct violation of the Mosaic law, which prohibited humans from testing God (Deut. 6:16). Gideon himself was aware that he was doing something unwise, if not sinful, since he asked God not to be angry with him (Judg. 6:39). Gideon already knew God’s will (cf. vv. 14–16, 36)—calling him to service on behalf of God’s people—so Gideon’s requests reveal his weak faith. Despite this lack of faith, God accommodated both of Gideon’s requests (vv. 38, 40). More constructive examples of responses to God’s call are Isaiah (Isa. 6:8) and Jesus’ disciples (Matt. 4:20; Mark 1:18–20).
Anyone looking for a “miraculous” confirmation today is subtly undermining:
- A closed canon &
- The authority of Scripture
I have responded to Paul with a personal message. I am under no obligation to respond publicly, as that would take a book to write, and none of you would care to read it. In the past I have posted extensively to several threads about the will of God. Look that up.
I am a full time student, a husband, a father of four kids under 9, as well as a full time worker, so I lack the time to write a book anyway.
I would also appreciate you refrain from personal insults such as the “cricket” link and implying that I am a coward or something for not replying. It is totally ridiculous that you get away with stuff like that simply because you are a moderator.
[Jim]I’ve always believed in a closed canon, but if someone were to ask me for a particular verse to support a closed canon, I’m not sure I could readily come up with one. Since you just mentioned it as something that shouldn’t be undermined, I thought I would ask you for the verses you use to support it.Anyone looking for a “miraculous” confirmation today is subtly undermining:
- A closed canon &
- The authority of Scripture
[Jim]Lee wrote:
Questions:
1) Is Gideon indicted for this action or is this action condemned directly or indirectly?
2) Do these signs (either the burning broth one or the fleeces) indicate lack of faith?
3) Is confirmation of a directive, particularly in a time where Scripture is incomplete, in any wise “wrong”?
4) If it is not recorded for our beneficial guidance and it is not condemned as something to avoid, what is it recorded for?
It seems that these are just some of the questions that should be addressed before we make wholesale I don’t think it is a believer’s model statements.
Judg 6:36–40: Gideon’s two requests for signs in the fleece should be viewed as weak faith; [I am not in the habit of openly disagreeing with commentators who I consider way smarter than myself. However, this conclusion has every appearance of him bringing his paradigm to the text. It certainly is not a conclusion that is text driven. He even categorically states that they were “legitimate requests for confirmation” and that “God nowhere reprimanded Gideon”. For the record, Scripture is not particularly shy about including a reprimand into a narrative about lack of faith when it was due—see Exodus 4:13-14 and II Kings 1313:14-19 for examples.] even Gideon recognized this when he said, “Let not your anger burn against me” (v. 39) [Why should this statement indicate faithlessness when compared to very similar statements such as Gen. 18:30-32 where Abraham exhibits extreme faith in interceding on behalf of Sodom?] since God had already specifically promised his presence and victory (vv.12, 14, 16). But they were also legitimate requests for confirmation of victory against seemingly impossible odds (6:5; 7:2, 12). God nowhere reprimanded Gideon, but was very compassionate in giving what his inadequacy requested. In 7:10–15, God volunteered a sign to boost Gideon’s faith. He should have believed God’s promise in 7:9 but needed bolstering, so God graciously gave it without chastisement.
Also the ESV Study Bible:
Judg. 6:36–40 Before the actual military engagement, Gideon again displays his reluctance to be a leader, for he asks for confirmatory signs from God (cf. v. 17). On the one hand, Gideon’s fears are understandable: the task he is preparing to do is difficult and dangerous. On the other hand, the angel’s appearance and promise (vv. 11–24) already included a confirmatory miracle (v. 21), and Gideon had already begun to obey (vv. 25–27) and to see God’s protection (v. 31). In any event, God stoops to Gideon’s level and grants the signs requested. [Again, this smacks of someone’s paradigm being dragged into the text. God readily granted signs even when He had categorically stated that He was going to do something. Hezekiah’s healing in II Kings 20:1-11 would be a good example.]
Judg. 6:39 let me test. Ironically, this is the same word (Hb. nasah) used of God earlier, when he “tested” Israel (2:22; 3:1). Gideon’s desire to test God was in direct violation of the Mosaic law, which prohibited humans from testing God (Deut. 6:16). Gideon himself was aware that he was doing something unwise, if not sinful, since he asked God not to be angry with him (Judg. 6:39). Gideon already knew God’s will (cf. vv. 14–16, 36)—calling him to service on behalf of God’s people—so Gideon’s requests reveal his weak faith. Despite this lack of faith, God accommodated both of Gideon’s requests (vv. 38, 40). More constructive examples of responses to God’s call are Isaiah (Isa. 6:8) and Jesus’ disciples (Matt. 4:20; Mark 1:18–20).
Emphases mine.
Point being, I don’t see where the text drives any conclusion that these fleeces were faithless acts any more than the original sign that confirmed he was communicating with an actual angel or the dream about the barley cake which bolstered Gideon’s courage were acts of faithlessness. Particularly in the Old Testament God used whatever means He chose to confirm His will to men, and those means were many and varied.
Lee
[Greg Long]Mark, there is a command in Scripture to build an Ark. Have you built an Ark yet? No? If not, perhaps you realize that not every command of Scripture and not every example in Scripture is prescriptive for NT Christians today. Yes, it is sometimes difficult to determine the commands in Scripture that we are bound to follow today, but we need to at least recognize the issue.
Mark’s earlier comment does point out a real problem. Since it’s unlikely or impossible that anyone would literally imitate actions from a Biblical narrative, it is routine to do the next best (or worst) thing: read the narrative as allegories for our lives and then seek to imitate the allegory. If the people in the pews were being trained to read and think well about Scripture for themselves, they might gain more insight into how they get to participate with Jesus in what He is doing in the world.
Discussion