What was the practice of casting lots in the Bible? When they cast lots in the Bible, how was this different from divination? Should we cast lots today as a way to determine God’s will?
The Bible Answer
Casting lots was a practice that was done often in the Bible. For all of the times it is mentioned, not a lot of detailed information is given in the Bible about the actual process used to cast lots. The casting of lots can be found most often in the Old Testament, and also a few times in the New Testament.
Casting Lots And Decision Making
It is believed by most scholars that when they cast lots in the Bible, some type of dice, sticks , or stones were used as a way to help make decisions. It is most often compared to our modern-day version of flipping a coin, or drawing names from a hat. Casting lots was allowed and even instructed by God as a way to divide land.
(Numbers 26:55) Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe.
(Joshua 18:6) After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the LORD our God.
We also find where casting lots determined duties (1 Chronicles 25:8) and was used to find out who guilty offenders were (Joshua 7:14-15). Sailors even cast lots to find out it was Jonah who was responsible for the storm God created that was about to sink their ship (Jonah 1:7).
The Most Well Known Casting Of The Lots
The most well-known instance of casting lots in the Bible was when the apostles used the procedure to find a replacement for Judas after he hung himself (Acts 1:26). The Roman soldiers who cast lots for Jesus’ garments runs a close second in the most famous category (Mathew 27:35). In this instance it appears that casting lots for the garments was nothing more than a game or a form of gambling for the soldiers.
Casting Lots And Divination, What’s The Difference?
Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. It is most often associated with fortune-telling and the occult. God is very clear about his disapproval of divination in (Deuteronomy 18:10). So what was the difference between casting lots and divination in the Bible?
The difference would be the supernatural force a person is seeking. With divination a person is seeking a supernatural force that is not God when they are trying to gain knowledge. This wasn’t the case with the apostles, as they sought after God about their decision for the replacement of Judas. (Acts 1:24) Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen
At times casting lots was obeying direct commands from God such as in (Leviticus 16:8). When it was done in obedience to God or to seek guidance from God about decisions, this was certainly not the divination God condemns. (Proverbs 16:33) The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
As Christians, we are not instructed in the New Testament to cast lots as a way to know God’s will. The Bible says we are to seek after him with prayer, fasting, and being led by His Spirit.
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