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Bible Question: Proverbs
16:33 says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision
is from the Lord. Leviticus 16:8, Jonah 1:7, and Acts 1:26 also talk
about "casting lots." What do these passages mean? Can the
casting of lots be used today?
Bible Answer: The
lot was used in ancient times to make decisions and to determine God's
will. Even those who did not believe in the God of Israel used lots.
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And each man said to his mate, “Come, let us cast lots
so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.”
So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. (NASB) Jonah 1:7 |
God's Guidance. The
lot was used by the Israelites to resolve issues. One excellent example
of this is found in Proverbs 18:18.
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The
lot puts an end to contentions, and decides between the mighty.
(NASB) Proverbs 18:18 |
It would have been a fair way to make a decision between people who
did not agree. But the most interesting use of the lot was when God
required that the lot be used to make a decision. Two such passages
are Numbers 26:55 and 33:54. The lot was to be used to determine how
the land was to be divided among the Israelites. In Leviticus 16:8
the lot was used to determine which goat was to be set free on the
day of Atonement.
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And
Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD
and the other lot for the scapegoat. (NASB) Leviticus 16:8 |
God used the lot to guide decisions. The apostles used the lot to
determine God's will. They wanted to know who the next apostle should
be. So they cast lots and Matthias was selected as the next apostle.
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And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and
he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (NASB) Acts 1:26 |
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