Ellen Chat Conversation

# What is Casting Lots? Casting lots was an ancient practice of making decisions or determining outcomes by chance—similar to drawing straws, rolling dice, or flipping a coin. In biblical times, it was sometimes used to discern God's will or make important choices. Ellen White references this practice in several contexts. In the story of Jonah, when sailors faced a violent storm, "they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah" (PK 267.3) to determine who had brought calamity upon them. Similarly, at Christ's crucifixion, Roman soldiers divided His garments and settled a dispute over His seamless robe "by casting lots" (SJ 143.1), fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. However, Ellen White was clear that this practice should **not** be used by Christians for making decisions today. She wrote directly: "I have no faith in casting lots" (2SM 328). When addressing church leadership selection, she stated: "To cast lots for the officers of the church is not in God's order" (2SM 328.6), instructing instead that men of responsibility be called upon to select the officers of the church.She was particularly concerned about a businessman who made decisions "by casting lots" using a coin toss. Ellen White warned that such methods "are not of the Lord, and those who depend upon them for direction will meet with failure and disappointment. Being nothing more than a matter of chance, the influence of adopting such tests regarding duty is calculated to lead the mind to depend on chance and guesswork, when all our work and plans for work should be established on the sure foundation of the Word of God" (2SM 325.1). The key principle is that Christians today have "in the Bible a plain 'Thus saith the Lord' in regard to all church duties" (2SM 328) and should seek God's guidance through prayer, Scripture study, and godly counsel—not through games of chance. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What methods did Ellen White recommend for discerning God's will in decision-making? • How should church officers be selected according to Ellen White's counsel? • What role does prayer play in making important life decisions? --- 📚 **thousands of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=What+is+casting+lots)

# Why Did God Allow Casting Lots in Biblical Times? This is an excellent question that highlights an important principle: **God meets people where they are and works within their cultural context while progressively revealing His will.** While the provided documents don't directly address the specific practice of casting lots in Acts or 1 Chronicles, they do reveal principles about how God worked with His people through different stages of spiritual development. ## God's Progressive Revelation The documents show that God established the same principles of piety and justice that were to guide the rulers among God's people in the time of Moses and of Davidwhich were "also to be followed by those given the oversight of the newly organized church of God in the gospel dispensation" (AA 95.2). However, this doesn't mean every *method* remained the same—the underlying principles of seeking God's guidance did. Notice that when the early church faced a major decision about circumcision and the law, they didn't cast lots. Instead, "the apostles and elders at Jerusalem acted as counselors, in a manner to give room for the Holy Ghost to act as Judge. Christ will lead his people, if they will be led. He came into that assembly by his Spirit, and found apostles, elders, and all the brotherhood in a teachable frame of mind and at once led them out of their difficulties" (T25 186.2). This shows a more mature approach to discerning God's will—through prayer, counsel, and the Holy Spirit's direct leading. ## The Principle of Divine Leadership What remained constant was the principle that "God was the center of authority and government" (Ed 37.4). Whether in Moses' time or the apostolic era, God's people were to seek His guidance. The *method* of seeking that guidance could vary based on their spiritual maturity and understanding. Ellen White emphasized that "the Lord has not placed any one of his human agencies under the dictation and control of those who are themselves but erring mortals" (SpTA09 3.3). God wanted His people to learn to hear His voice directly, not to depend on mechanical methods like casting lots. ## A Pattern of Growth The documents reveal that God's people often struggled to understand His ways fully. Even the disciples had allowed the prevailing unbelief to becloud their understandingand later asked themselves, "Why did we allow earthly considerations and the opposition of priests and rabbis to confuse our senses, so that we did not comprehend that a greater than Moses was among us?" (DA 508.1). This shows that spiritual understanding develops over time. The key principle is this: God worked with ancient Israel and the early church according to their level of understanding, but He was always leading them toward a more direct, Spirit-led relationship with Him. By the time Ellen White wrote in the 1800s, she could say definitively I have no faith in casting lotsbecause God's people had been given clearer light about how to discern His will through prayer, Scripture study, and the Holy Spirit's guidance. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What methods did Ellen White recommend for discerning God's will in decision-making? • How does the Holy Spirit guide believers today according to Ellen White's writings? • What role should church leaders play in helping members make important decisions? --- 📚 **thousands of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=Then+why+did+God+allow+his+leaders+to+use+that+system+in+the+Bible%3F+%28The+disciples+in+Acts%2C+David+in+the+Levites+order+in+1+Chronicles%29)