122 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

—he blew a trumpet, and his neighbours flocked round
him ;—he sent messengers to distant tribes, and they
sent recruits to his army. Now Gideon wished to be
quite certain whether at this time, by his hand, the
Lord would deliver Israel, so he asked a sign. He laid
on the ground a fleece of wool, and besought of God
that dew might fall on the fleece only, while all round
the ground might be dry. The Lord granted his re-
quest ; but still he feared that it might not be a sign
sufficient, though he wrung from the fleece a bowlful of
water. It is the tendency of wool to attract moisture
to it; so, humbly entreating forgiveness, he besought
that the sign might be reversed, that the wool might be
dry while the ground was wet with dew. The Lord
again granted his prayer, which confirmed the faith of
Gideon. He was sure that the Lord was to deliver
Israel, that he was to be the honoured instrument, and
that that was to be the time.

Gideon and his followers then moved forward, and
pitched beside a well not far from the Midianites, who
were in the valley below them. The Lord spoke to
Gideon there, telling him that the number of his soldiers
was too great for the Midianites to be delivered up to
them; their leader must proclaim that whoever was
afraid might retire. When this proclamation was made
twenty-two thousand of the men of Israel withdrew,
only ten thousand remaining.

George. That was a very small army, grandfather ; could
they not have got some more brave men to join them ?