Judges 6, part 4: fear, faith, and fleece

The Spirit clothes Gideon—a word used especially for priests being invested with the garments of their identity as God’s servants. Yet suddenly, he seems to get cold feet and asks for two strange miracles. Why would someone with the Spirit act this way? Comparing Gideon’s words to Abraham’s in interceding for Sodom reveals that this is not faithless act, but a faithful one—and the sign of the fleece is not a hasty or foolish request, but a public display with a priestly logic and clear meaning.