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The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
August 4 & 8, 2010
Proverbs 16:33
Casting lots – We don’t know exactly how this was done. I’ve always been told that the most common way is for the people involved to each put a stone or marker with their identification into a clay pot, and then someone shakes the pot vigorously until one of the markers pops out; and the person to whom that marker belongs is the one chosen. But there apparently were other methods. The High Priest carried two stones, the Urim and Thummim, in a compartment by his chest, and through those two stones the Lord made His will known; most scholars believe that picking one of these stones meant that the Lord’s answer was Yes, while the other one indicated His answer was No. And, judging from this Proverb, it seems that perhaps other people also used a chest pocket for casting lots (the word “lap” in the NIV Bible is probably not the best translation here.)
In any case, casting lots was a well-known practice in Bible times, for both the people of Israel and for the Gentiles. Often it revealed hidden information, as when the lot determined that Achan was the one who had stolen some of the plunder from Jericho (Joshua 7:13ff), or when the lot determined that Saul’s son Jonathan had eaten some food, contrary to his father’s command (1 Samuel 14:41-2). Really, the placing of a staff from each tribe of Israel in the Tabernacle, on the occasion when Aaron’s staff budded and blossomed the next day, was a form of casting lots to reveal God’s will. Sometimes the Lord even gave His answers to heathen who cast lots, as when the sailors cast lots and learned that Jonah was the reason for the storm at sea (Jonah 1:7), or when the king of Babylon cast lots to see whether he should attack Jerusalem or whether he should attack the Ammonites instead (Ezekiel 21:21-25). The Lord had actually commanded the use of lots to determine, each annual Day of Atonement, which of two goats would be the scapegoat and which would be sacrificed (Leviticus 16:8-9), and to determine how the Promised Land should be divided among the tribes of Israel.
Often, however, lots were used simply to make a decision, when all the factors for making that decision were equal in both directions. It was like drawing straws, or picking a number, to see who goes first, etc. This is how the Roman soldiers divided Jesus’ clothing (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:24, John 19:24). This is also how the 11 apostles chose a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:23-26). It is in this sense that Proverbs 18:18 was written: “Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.”
The Proverb I’m preaching on today, though, Proverbs 16:33, has the first purpose in mind, to reveal the Lord’s will. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. The Lord knows everything that’s going to happen, and everything that He wants to happen. As the first verse of Proverbs chapter 16 states, “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue,” and verse 9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” There is no hiding anything from the Lord. He knows everything that has happened in the past, everything that is happening now, and everything that will happen in the future.
As a result, there really is no such thing as “luck,” or “chance.” Much of what we attribute to chance is due to the providence of God. The Lord knows whom you’re going to marry, and how many children you’re going to have. The Lord knows what your health is going to be like, how long you’re going to live, what job you will hold. The Lord knows which soldier or civilian the suicide bomber will take out.
That doesn’t mean we have to know those things. In fact, the Bible forbids us to seek this information about the future through fortune tellers, horoscopes, astrology, etc. This also does not mean that God is responsible for the bad things that happen and that we are not accountable. We can’t say, “I couldn’t help doing that bad thing: It was all part of God’s plan.” While it’s true that God uses all the bad in this world, including our own sins, and makes all things work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28), this does not take away personal responsibility and excuse those who perpetrate evil.
God’s Son, our Savior, came into this world. He did not come out of the blue. His coming was no surprise and no secret. God had prophesied His coming for several thousand years. Jesus came, according to His Father’s foreknowledge, and according to His Father’s will. And even though Jesus gave up much of His knowledge and much of His power in order to come to earth as one of us, still He knew at all times what He was supposed to be doing, and He did it. His will was in perfect harmony with God the Father, because He and His Father were one (John 10:30). Every minute of His life Jesus lived out His Father’s decisions. He did not need to cast lots, because He knew at all times what His Father’s will was. And this took Him all the way to the cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, at His trials, at His crucifixion, Jesus never really had any doubts. In fact, after His resurrection, as He was talking to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus Easter Sunday afternoon, He asked, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?” (Luke 24:26). It was as if the lot had been cast for Jesus, and He was following its every decision. And by following, He carried out His Father’s will, and accomplished our salvation. His life of obedience to His Father’s will, and His death as the payment for all the times we balk at God’s will, were both performed as our Substitute. Now we are forgiven.
We are here today because our names are written in heaven. We have been chosen from the foundation of the world to believe in our Savior and to be saved. It is as if lots were cast, and the decision went in our favor. And the Lord has a plan for each one of us. We don’t know exactly what that plan is, but we have to trust that He does, and that every event of our lives plays into that plan of His. In recent months I’ve heard so many people ask, “Why did God let this illness or misfortune happen to me?” For the most part, it’s not our calling to ask why, and to try to figure out God’s plan for us. For the most part, we just have to live our everyday lives, doing the things that the Lord places before us – as long as they’re not sinful – and making decisions based on the best of our knowledge, and not getting too hung up on the details. We could drive ourselves crazy if we ask 100 times each day, “Now why did God let this happen?” After all, if there’s no such thing as “luck” or “chance,” even a simple thing like playing euchre could become really complicated: “Why did God give me two trump and no aces this hand?” So we have to let go of that and leave it to Him.
At the same time, we must never doubt that He is behind it all, and just as He used every single detail in the life of His Son to accomplish our eternal salvation, He also used every detail in the history of the world to bring us into the world and bring us to faith in His Son, and He knows every single detail of each of our lives, and will work things out so that we will hang on to faith in His Son Jesus.
If we face a situation where we really don’t know where to turn because both courses seem equally godly, then we might cast lots, toss a coin, or use some other method to determine our course. But when His Word speaks clearly, we must follow it. And we must believe that, when it comes to our eternal salvation, our God has left nothing to chance.
Pastor Mark Porinsky
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