One meaning of the word "lot" is "an object used in deciding a matter by chance, a number of these being in a container and then drawn out or cast out at random one by one" (Webster). The object used by the Jews on the Day of Atonement called a "lot" was "a little stone" (goral, Leviticus 16:8, Gesenius, 179), one to designate a goat as a "sin-offering," and one to designate another goat as a "scape-goat" ("Azazel," Leviticus 16:8-22). Also, lots were cast to designate land inheritances for the tribes of Israel (Joshua 14:2). Solomon wrote that "every decision" of the lot was "from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:33).

But when the LORD had not ordered the lot casting, certainly "every decision" of the lot was not from the LORD. The four soldiers who crucified Jesus "cast lots" for one of his garments ("without seam, woven from the top"), as David predicted a thousand years in advance (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24). Certainly the LORD had nothing to do with that lot casting.

However, the decision to name Matthias as an apostle, to take the place of Judas, by the casting of lots, certainly was supervised by the LORD (Acts 1:26). Then those twelve apostles, during the "regeneration" from the day of Pentecost, May 28, A.D. 30, to "the end of the world," sitting spiritually "on twelve thrones," with binding and loosing authority from heaven (Matthew 18:18; 19:28; 28:20; Acts 2:1-2), did not bind the casting of lots on preachers, or on anyone else.

Should Barnabas, working with the congregation in Jerusalem, on being asked to go to work with the congregation in Antioch, have made no reply until he had cast lots (Acts 11:22)?

Should Saul (Paul) in Tarsus, on being asked to work with the congregation in Antioch, have made no reply until he had cast lots (Acts 11:25)?

Should Timothy, working with the congregation in Ephesus, on being asked by Paul to visit him in Rome, have made no reply until he had cast lots (1 Timothy 1:3; 2 Timothy 4:21)? Should Onesimus, "useful" to Paul in Rome, on being asked by Paul to return to Philemon in Colosse, have made no reply until he had cast lots (Philemon 11-12)?

Should a preacher, much loved by a Tennessee congregation, on being asked to consider working with a Texas congregation, have made no reply until he had cast lots? That godly, prayerful preacher said, "I’m going to leave it entirely up to God. And so, on a little piece of paper, I wrote out three Yeses. And on a piece of paper I wrote out three Noes. And I said, `Now, Father, we [referring to his wife] ... want You to decide.’ And so I wrote out three Yeses and three Noes, and I shuffled them up and ... picked one. She picked a No ... And I said, `God, that’s your decision.’" Thus this well intentioned gospel preacher had bound himself with a practice that no apostle had bound on him.

10-26-2000