Should Christians cast lots?
Casting lots was an OLD COVENANT practice that was used in the ANCIENT WORLD to attempt to decipher what the divine will of God was in a particular matter. A modern, non-religious example is flipping a coin. Lots were cast like dice and were typically stones but could take the form of any kind of object. This practice was so widely accepted that even the high priests in the OLD COVENANT used a form of casting lots in pursuit of God’s divine will with the use of URIM and THUMMIM. However, remember that new covenant Christianity is not built on old covenant standards. We have literally been given a new relationship, greater than every old covenant prophet, including even John the Baptist.
Matthew 11:11 NASB
“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has NOT ARISEN ANYONE greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS GREATER THAN HE.”
Search the Bible and you will be surprised to find that it doesn’t explicitly condemn the casting of lots. However, it is important to note that this ancient practice ceased among Christians after the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), with the last Biblically recorded instance of casting lots found when the disciples used it to determine the replacement for Judas (Acts 1).
Search the new testament and you will discover that since Pentecost, there is no mention of casting lots. While many religions and cults throughout the world still use a form of casting lots to randomly determine their god’s will, the availability of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost eliminated this practice among Spirit-filled followers of Jesus Christ. Until Pentecost, only the prophets and high priests had access to hear directly from the Lord.
Why would a Christian cast lots?
We should not because we now have direct access to God by His Holy Spirit.
John 14:16-21 NASB
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because HE ABIDES WITH YOU AND WILL BE IN YOU. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
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