Casting Lots In The Bible

There are a few examples of casting lots in the Bible, like when Jonah was aboard the ship to Tarshish (and they cast lots to determine who was at fault), and at Christ's crucifixion; however, there was no money involved and the people were simply using lots as a way of making a decision, like the apostles deciding who the twelvth apostle would be to replace Judas.

The Bible teaches clearly from Prov.16:33 that the "lot is cast," but the decision is "wholly from the Lord." God is sovereign, even in minutiae like so-called random throwing of dice. "God doesn't play dice," said Einstein, and that means there really is no such thing as luck or chance in His universe.

Jonathan Edwards said, he ascribes absolute sovereignty to God. Flipping a coin, as the modern-day version, at a football game, for instance, is not gambling either, but merely a convention. There is one type of "holy dice" in the Bible, and that is the Urim and Thummim, which was a "yes or no" proposition, in which God was asked a question of His will. But that does not mean we should "tempt" the Lord or put Him to the test and play dice to find out his will, like a sort of ouija board game with God. God expects us to use sound biblical principles like prayer, studying the Word, and counseling.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Playing The Lottery Sin?

Of course, gambling and playing the lottery are not mentioned in the Bible specifically as sin--so it's hard to make a case against it. God looks at the motive--does the individual desire to get rich, or does he have greed and love for money? Is he bored and looking for entertainment? ("The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil....") To be perspicuous, I am not a protagonist of any sort of gambling, since I cannot see Jesus doing it. "What would Jesus do?" is a good motto to live by. One should ask the questions: Can I ask Jesus' blessing on this? Can I invite Jesus with me in this? Many who play are obsessive-compulsive and in bondage like an alcoholic. They need to be set free and see the light. They think they've got the "bug," but really they've just been fooled by the lure of the destroyer-Apollyon (the devil).

There is no such thing as luck, so why believe in it? Einstein said, "God doesn't play dice with the universe." The Epicureans believed in chance, and the Stoics believed in fate--these are the two philosophies that seem to distinguish the gamblers. In essence, they are not trusting God to supply all their needs. Some say that if they tithe, they can do what they want with "their" money, but, as a matter of fact, all our money belongs to God, and the question should be "how much of God's money do I spend on myself?" We should trust in Providence, not happenstance. In the parable of the stewards, none of them used the money to gamble. As for stewardship, it is good advice to bet what you can afford to lose--not what you want to win if you must gamble.

Why should I be so concerned about this issue? Well, it has invaded the church as a condoned behavior that no one preaches about, like gluttony. Samuel Rutherford said that the more lively sense of sin, the less sin. What if you should win a million dollars? God sometimes gives us what we want, but are we prepared for it? The gambler can be guilty of worshiping at the shrine of "almighty chance," which is idolatry. In sum, gambling is not a sin per se, but it is unwise and should be avoided Many who condone it, don't do it themselves; why set a poor example and jeopardize your testimony, or do the devil a favor and love the world or the things of the world?

The call to holiness, "to come out from among them and be separate" is not something that can be commanded, one must get "convicted" on his own. So, don't think I condemn all lottery players, but I think there is a lot of abuse and slavery.

What may be a sin for me and my testimony, may not be for the baby believer for whom God doesn't require as much responsibility and testimony. Nothing is sin that isn't named or implied in Scripture, but the mature believer will see it as unwise.   Soli Deo Gloria!