Hi Lavishes…
I suppose that there is a huge difference between casting a lot that we have urged the Lord to decide the outcome…and mere gambling that is simply done to make some quick money.
Yes, there were times in which people in the Scriptures used the casting of lots to “settle disputes.” In fact, like I said earlier, the disciples did this in order to find a new disciple that would replace Judas (in Acts chapter 1). How is this different?
First of all, the disciples weren’t trying to get rich quick. They simply wanted to know the decision of God and, at the time, knew of no other way. Secondly, this happened BEFORE they were baptized with the Holy Spirit (in Acts chapter 2). This is true of all of the uses of the “lot” before the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We NEVER read of a lot being cast by believers after this…because they were now led by the Holy Spirit with a “sure word” from the Lord. Finally, there are examples of ungodly people who cast lots in the Scriptures. For instance, the soldiers cast lots to determine who would “win” the garments of Jesus. This is far more akin to “gambling” than those who used the lot to make a decision. It is a game of chance…rather than a tool used to make decisions.
I don’t believe in casting lots any more. The disciples did so at a time in which Jesus had ascended…and they felt compelled to receive a new disciple to replace Judas (as if Judas needed replacing). After Acts chapter 2, they no longer needed to consult such a rudimentary tactic. We now realize that we can obtain wisdom by boldly approaching the Creator of the Universe.
Sadly, I even know of a pastor who admitted to having consulted a similar tactic. He used wadded up pieces of paper with various words written upon them in order to “determine direction” in various matters. A friend and I asked him why he didn’t simply purchase one of those “Eight Ball” toys (you know, the one that you shake until an answer appears). This pastor consulted on a regular basis his rolled up wads of paper to determine direction for the Church. How is this different than a witch who consults tarot cards? Yeah, the pastor may think that he is consulting God for answers…but so do most tarot card readers (who claim that they have a “gift from God”). How different is this from a prophet! Such tactics are unnecessary when we now have the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all truth. We don’t have to rely on something as silly as casting lots. Yes, Gideon indeed laid a “fleece” before the Lord. But he didn’t rely on odds. He asked God to do the impossible – not once, but twice!
How many Christian young people today feel the need to “lay a fleece” before the Lord to help them determine their futures? I’ve heard several young ladies claim that they “laid a fleece” or “cast lots” regarding their future spouse! Every time, however, the young man didn’t feel the same way. I told them that the next time that they lay a fleece before the Lord, they should ask God to do something impossible…twice. But I warned them that Satan can, on occasion, also do the impossible! We must still consult the Lord!
Even so, there is a vast difference between seeking direction from a lot…and ill-gotten gains.
Remember, gambling is simply profiting from someone else’s loss. Every time you buy a ticket, the winnings are taken from the money that nearly every other person lost. In other words, it is profiting from someone else’s loss (versus an investment that is derived from a company’s gain). How many poor people spend money on the lottery? A study from a Public Policy class in grad school revealed that the poor are the most likely to spend money in a lottery. As a result, there was a call to ban sale of lottery tickets in poor communities in Texas. Far too many poor people were spending their much needed money on tickets every week. This could be due to the fact that the poor might not understand the mathematics behind the odds.
The mathematical chances of winning the lottery are often lower than the odds that our bank’s ATM will accidentally give us more money than we requested. Yet the outcome is still the same. It is receiving money at someone else’s loss. The fine print on the back of a lottery ticket probably reads that the mathematical chances of winning the lottery are “1 in a million” (or something to that effect). But even if you were to win $25,000,000 from the lottery, it would simply mean that this is $25,000,000 that other people lost. My dad used to tell me that “[i]a lottery is a tax upon people who are bad at math[/i].”
More importantly, there is a root in gambling that is seldom mentioned. It is the result of individuals who covet a quick means to the riches of this world. God instructs us to be content. He is our provider. He provides us jobs by which we can support our families (or risk being “worse than an infidel”). Gambling is simply a lust for the things of this world. It is taking a small portion of our income and somehow hoping (against mathematical odds) that it will quickly turn into something more. How is this any different from the Israelites who tried to stuff a bunch of manna into their homes in the desert? Those who tried to quickly horde up more than what they were instructed woke up to the sight and smell of worms in their tents (Exodus 16:20).
In a sense, this is a type and shadow of what it is like to covet the things of this world. Yes, we certainly need money to live and operate (and provide for our families) in this present world. But wouldn’t it be far more expedient to take the money that we would invest in a lottery or slot machine and put it to work? We can place it in a bank to collect interest (ala Matthew 25). Or we could use it for some other noble purpose in which we can provide a service and receive an increase. However, gambling doesn’t fit such a description! Gambling is trying to come into some fast money that comes from every other player’s loss!
I knew a brother in the Lord who was actually addicted to gambling. He quietly confided in me that he couldn’t help but purchase a lottery ticket when he went into a convenience store. I told him to stop going to convenience stores. Still, he would feel a need to purchase one nearly every time he went to the gas station. He told me that he had spent $50 over a period of two months…and won all of $4 (from “scratch off” lottery tickets). When I explained that he simply received the $4 from individuals (like himself) who were losing money, he admitted that he knew it was wrong. He estimated that he might have spent over $500 in a single year! Since he couldn’t seem to find “victory” over this addiction, I told him to take the money that he would spend on lottery tickets…and invest it in a missionary organization. Take the money and spend it providing for the Kingdom of God! I told him that this is placing his money that brings an eternal reward. I explained that lives will be changed and souls will be saved!
It worked! This brother has been “lottery free” for nearly two years now!
:-)
