In the following verses, Gideon asks God for a sign. He will do so again later when he places a sheepskin on the threshing floor (7:36-40). What follows is explicitly called a sign and is therefore full of meaning. It not only confirms Gideon’s calling but also reveals in detail God’s method of salvation. What is revealed in Gideon points forward to the true Savior: Christ Jesus.
Judges 6
17 And he said to Him, “If I find favor in Your sight, show me a sign that You are speaking with me.
18 Do not leave here until I come to You and bring my present and set it before You.” And He said, “I will sit until You return.”
19 Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a jar. He brought them to Him under the oak and set them before him.
offering
Gideon asks the messenger to wait until he returns with his offering (NKJV) or gift (KJV). The word used here is usually translated as grain offering (Ex. 40:29; Lev. 2:1). More literal translations render it as an offering of recognition.
young goat and unleavened bread
The sacrifices in the Bible always point forward to Christ (Heb. 9:11-12). He is the reality (Heb. 10:1). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Besides slaughtering a young goat, Gideon also prepares unleavened bread. Both bring us to the Passover.
In Leviticus 23, we read that the Passover was to be sacrificed on the 14th of the first month, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread began the following day (Leviticus 23:5-6). This is a picture of the death and resurrection of Christ. Leaven represents decay and corruption, while unleavened represents sinlessness and imperishability. In Christ’s resurrection, life and imperishability were brought to light (2 Timothy 1:10).
The Oak
All of this is described under the oak tree, which, as we saw earlier, speaks of God’s promises, of resurrection and new life. Under this oak tree, we find an illustration of the fulfillment of God’s promises in Christ.