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What is casting lots in the Bible?
Great question! Here's the answer:
Casting lots was a way to try to discern what God’s will was for a situation.
Despite casting lots being mentioned numerous times in the Old Testament and a few times in the New Testament, nobody really knows what the lots actually were. Scholars believe they may have been sticks of varying lengths, stones, coins, or some sort of dice. To make it more understandable to us in the modern day, casting lots was similar to flipping a coin. For example, if someone prayed for God's will to be revealed, and heads was "yes" and tails was "no," then those casting lots would be able to discern what God's will was for their specific situation.
God allowed Israel to cast lots in order to know His will (Joshua 18:6–10). Positions within temples were also determined by casting lots (1 Chronicles 24:5). Additionally, in the book of Jonah, the sailors cast lots to see who had brought God's wrath onto the boat, and the lot fell on Jonah (Jonah 1:7). The remaining eleven apostles cast lots to see who would replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26).
In the present day, we don't need to cast lots. The last time the Bible records lots being cast was before the day of Pentecost. Since Pentecost is the start of the church, it would tell us that under Jesus' New Covenant, there is no need for casting lots anymore. If we want to know God's will, all we have to do is pray and consult the Bible. Through these means, God's plans for us will be revealed.
Bible Truth
“Moses gave the Israelites a command. He said, ‘Cast lots when you divide up the land. Each tribe will have its own share. The Lord has ordered it to be given to the nine and a half tribes’” (Numbers 34:13).
“The priests were separated into their groups by casting lots. That was the fair way to do it. The priests were officials of the temple and officials of God. They came from the family lines of Eleazar and Ithamar” (1 Chronicles 24:5).
“When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots” (Matthew 27:35).
