Casting Lots
The following was in response to a request from one of our alumni congregations in reference to a radio address by Rev. R.C. Sproul on December 30, 2002, entitled “God’s Will and the Bible” You can listen to this message on http://www.gospelcom.net/ligonier/radio/archive.php . In his message, Sproul compares the casting of lots with testing God.
R.C. Sproul references his friend's reliance on the Scriptures for the principle of "casting lots" and his valid motivation for doing so, when making a major financial decision. He then criticizes the decision to "cast lots" as "testing God", without explaining how the Apostles could have done this same thing and not tested God! In Acts 1:21-26, the Apostles had done their homework - they had limited the choices down to two (here I am making the assumption that more than two names were offered initially). At that point, they could have simply held an election or made the choice themselves, based on "principles". But they did not! Instead, they went to God in prayer and, after letting God know that they knew He was God, they asked Him to use worldly means ("lots") to communicate His choice for them. Then, they acted on the results with reverence - making Matthias the twelfth Apostle - with no questions asked. Were they not aware of the idea of "testing God"? Did they make a mistake? Should we simply ignore this passage of Scripture as inaccurate?
I think R.C. Sproul's idea of "testing God" differs with that of Martin Luther. According to Luther ("By Faith Alone", World Bible Publishers, 1998, p. 02.08), "If we don't use the resources available to us, but instead want other resources we don't have, then we're tempting, or testing, God." He goes on to explain, "Someone who doesn't wear proper clothing in cold weather but expects God to miraculously keep him from freezing is also testing God." Later, on page 03.25, he says, "The Lord is saying [in Eph 5:16-17] 'I promise that I will take care of you and give you food. But to the best of your ability, I want you to take advantage of the opportunities I have made available to you. Otherwise, you will be testing me.'" In the account of Jesus' testing in Matthew 4, God had not provided the resource of angels to catch Him. To call them forth, Jesus would be placing Himself above the Father - an act of testing.
In our doctrine, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us at our baptism. He doesn't come and go. We aren't given different "measures" of the Holy Spirit. He is with us - always. Why would God do this - come to dwell within us?
Scripture says in John 16:13-15 "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." From this passage, I would conclude that at least two roles of the Holy Spirit within us are to "guide us into all truth" and to "tell us what is yet to come".
I don't think reliance on the Holy Spirit within us is "magic" or "fortune-telling". I don't think the Apostles were relying on witchcraft when they cast lots. I do believe that God used worldly means to communicate His will to the Apostles, who acted in faith. They were not "testing God" by leaving the decision to Him. They were acting based on principles and processes learned at the feet of Jesus.
Sproul is correct when he says that we should base our actions on the principles we find in Scripture. But again, I think he falls short of the whole truth. In addition to principles, there are also processes expressed in Scripture. I pay special attention to those processes used repeatedly or given emphasis by God in His Word. The Lord's Prayer, for example, is a method (or process) of prayer recommended to us by Jesus. The "Circle of Faith" is a process repeated throughout the Bible. And, as Sproul correctly points out, the process of "casting lots" appears in both the Old and New Testaments. In "Unger's Bible Dictionary", the following entry appears re "Lots, casting of":
LOT. 1. (Heb. goral, a "pebble"; hebel, "measuring line, portion"; Grk. lanchano, to "cast lots," Luke 1:9; kleros, "pebble, bit of wood"; to cast lots with, Acts 1:26). The custom of deciding doubtful questions by lot is one of great extent and high antiquity, recommending itself as a sort of appeal to the Almighty, secure from all influence of passion or bias, and is a sort of divination employed even by the gods themselves (Homer Iliad 22.209; Cicero De divinatione 1.34; 2.41). Among the Jews also the use of lots with a religious intention, direct or indirect, prevailed extensively. The religious estimate of them may be gathered from Prov 16:33. The following historical or ritual instances are: (1) choice of men for an invading force (Judg 1:1-3, see marg.; 20:9); (2) partition of the land of Palestine among the tribes (Num 26:55; Josh 18:10), of Jerusalem, that is, probably its spoil or captives among captors (Obad 11), of the land itself in a similar way (1 Macc. 3:36); apportionment of possessions, or spoil, or of prisoners, to foreigners or captors (Joel 3:3; Nah 3:10; Matt 27:35); (3) settlement of doubtful questions (Prov 16:33; 18:18), a mode of divination among heathen by means of arrows, two inscribed and one without mark (Ezek 21:21), detection of a criminal (Josh 7:14), appointment of persons to offices or duties, such as the priests (Luke 1:9); also successor to Judas (Acts 1:26); selection of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:8,10). See Urim and Thummim.
2. That which falls to one by lot, as a portion or inheritance (Deut 32:9; Josh 15:1; 1 Chron 16:18; Ps 105:11; 125:3, marg.; Isa 17:14; 57:6; Acts 8:21; cf. Acts 13:19).
(From The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (c) 1988.)
From this, you can see that the casting of lots can be done by heathen, relying on themselves, or by the righteous, relying on God. It is not the casting of lots that is sinful, but the focus and motivation that can be a grievance to God.
In our ministry, we use the casting of lots only in circumstances where there is no clear direction by the Holy Spirit through the Body of Christ. We follow the Biblical process, found in Acts 1:21, of doing our homework (narrowing the choices), going to God in prayer, and then relying on Him alone to give us direction. We believe that, in so doing, we give greater glory to God as we rely only on Him (and not on politics or science) to make these decisions.
If we are to follow God's plan for our lives, it is important that we know His will for us. To do this, we must use all the resources He has provided - Scriptures, the Holy Spirit within us, and the opportunities He presents us. We believe He gives us everything we need to know and do His will - if we will only seek Him!
Soli Deo Gloria!