Casting Lot God's Way

 

      Nephi and his brothers cast lots.

Robert Moffat, Scottish missionary to South Africa, went back to recruit helpers in his homeland. One night he was very discouraged when there were only ladies in his meeting, as he had chosen as his text proverbs 8:4, “To you, O men, I call”. In his consternation he almost failed to notice a small boy in the loft who had come to work the bellows of the organ.

Dr. Moffat felt hopeless as he gave the message, realizing that few women could be expected to undergo the rigorous experiences they would face in the undeveloped jungles of the continent where he labored. But God works in mysterious ways to carry out His wise purposes.

 Although no one volunteered, the young fellow was deeply challenged. Deciding he would follow in the footsteps of this pioneer missionary, he went on to school, obtained a degree in medicine and then spent the rest of his life ministering to the unreached tribes of Africa. His name was David Livingstone! (Our Daily Bread).

The Church, operating as it was intended to operate, is the most important body of people on earth. It is "the pillar and the foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). The Church so easily forgets what it really is. In the book of Acts, we witness the birth and growth of the Church. Paul employs two symbols that help us in understanding what the Church is like; a body (Eph. 1:22-23) and a building (Eph. 2:19-22).

The Church as a building is "built upon the foundation of the Apostles” (Eph. 2:20). In a vision, John saw the city of God coming down out of heaven. The wall had twelve foundations and the names of each of the foundations were the names of the apostles of the Lamb (Rev. 21:9-14). Jesus had said to them ‘when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones” (Matt. 19:28).

As they waited for the Holy Spirit, the Apostles may have read the Old Testament. They discovered that the Scriptures had predicted there would be a replacement for Judas. They clearly understood there had to be twelve apostles for the kingdom reign and for the foundation of the Church. Jesus was about to endue them with power from on high (Luke 24:49). But, he had not yet replaced Judas.

So Peter stood up and announced that they must replace Judas. He stated the necessary qualifications as “one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1:20-21).

The function of an apostle was to be a witness to the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The real mark of a Christian is not that he knows about Jesus but that he knows Jesus. The basic mistake in Christianity is to regard Jesus as someone who lived and died. Someone whose life we study and whose story we read. Jesus is not a figure in a book, he is a living presence.

The qualification of an apostle was that he had lived with Jesus. The Christian is a man whose whole life is a witness to the fact that he knows and has met the risen Lord. A  Christian lives day by day with Jesus. The Holy Spirit cannot short-circuit the knowledge of God. False religions and cults are started by people who claim to be empowered from on high, but they have little knowledge of the word of God.

There is always a question about what happened here. Should Peter have held this election to choose a man to replace Judas? Some people argue that Peter was being his old, impulsive self, acting without waiting on the Lord. If he had just waited until the Holy Spirit had been given, God would have made it clear that Judas should be replaced by the apostle Paul.

Is it possible that God had someone else in mind, completely unknown to the disciples at the time? Was the twelfth apostle Paul and not Matthias?  Is it possible that Matthias, while a good man, was not God's choice for the twelfth apostle? Paul did see the resurrected Christ (I Cor. 15:7, 8).  He was appointed to the office by Christ (Gal. 1:1) and he performed miracles.

All through his writing, Paul had to defend his right to be an apostle and stated that over and over that God chose him (Rom. 1:1, 1 Cor. 1:1, Gal. 1:1). Jesus would never allow His Church to be founded on an error. If Peter was wrong there would be some hint of it in the context; but there is none.

Paul was clearly an apostle, appointed by God but he did not meet the criteria set here. Peter took this action after waiting on the Lord in prayer (Acts 1:14). He based his action on Scripture (Acts 1:16, 20). He submitted the whole process through prayer to the Lord’s sovereign choice (Acts 1:24). They prayed and left the final result to God.

The apostles first exercised their own knowledge and judgment.  They nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias. Then they prayed “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs” (Acts 1:24-25).

God “searches the heart and tests the mind of man (Jer. 17:10). He is familiar with all his ways  and he  sees if there is any offensive way in him (Ps. 139:1-7; 23-24). He understands every intent of a man’s thoughts (1 Chron. 28:9). The apostles appealed to the Lord himself to select one who would be true to him and not bring dishonor upon his cause.

One Apostle had acted a believer so well. Judas had such an outward religiosity that he fooled all the other eleven. They had no idea he was a thief and an apostate.    Outwardly he stood for morality and honesty, but in his heart he was corrupt. He fooled everyone but Christ because Christ knew what was in his heart.

After prayers they determined the Lord’s choice by casting lots. This was an acceptable means of determining God’s will in the Old Testament.  God expressed his will through different ways. One of the ways he did it was through the casting lots ( Lev. 16:8; Num 26:55, Josh 7:14). Proverbs 16:33 says “the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord”.

The New Testament has only two clear examples of casting lots. First, the soldiers around the cross cast lots to divide Christ’s garments (Matthew 27:35). The second is here when the disciples cast lot to determine who would replace Judas (Acts 1:21-26). This is the last time it is used in the Bible, indicating that after the Holy Spirit was given, it was no longer a valid means of determining God’s will.

When the Apostles cast lots, it fell to Matthias.  What about Barsabas? How did he feel about that? They were equal in qualifications. Why didn’t the Lord choose him? Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him (Ps. 115:3). Some people argue that Matthias was a wrong choice because he is never heard from again. But we never hear of most of the other apostles again, either.

Neither Barsabas nor Matthias ever appeared before in the story of our Lord’s life and yet both had been his disciples all through his earthly career. What lessons we learn from these men! These two eminent servants of God, appear just this once in the Bible.  Peter and Paul, when compared with James or John or Matthias are given much attention in the New Testament narrative.

However, even Peter and Paul have been allotted a mere outline of the work they did, all the rest is hidden from us. Majority of the Apostles have their names alone recorded, while nothing is told concerning their labors or sufferings. They did not make it into the pages of history. Their brightest deeds lie in an obscurity no eye can see. In this life they gained nothing but loss of all things (Matt 19:27).

Hebrew 11 tell us that some “were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and   imprisonment . They were stoned , they were sawn in two, were slain with sword . They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, afflicted, tormented .

Of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the  earth. And all these , having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. (Heb 11:35-40).

And thus they have left us a noble and inspiriting example. We are not apostles, or martyrs yet we often find it hard to take our part and do our duty in the spirit displayed by Matthias and Barsabas. We long for public recognition and public reward. We chafe and fume internally because we have to bear our trials and do our work unknown and unrecognized by all but God.

Let the example of these men help us to put away all such thoughts. God Himself is our all-seeing and our ever-present Judge; he is watching us. No matter how low, how humble, how insignificant the story of our spiritual struggles, they are all recorded in heaven. Our heavenly master will at last reward every man according to his works on earth.

Now with the choosing of Matthias, all the apostles were there. The foundation was laid for the Church to be built. These mighty apostles were men who could give witness to the historic foundation of Christianity. They went out planting churches. Every one of them fulfilled that task. Church history tells us that Thomas went to India, Peter went to Europe and others to North Africa.

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