Is Casting Lots Divination?

David_AB said:

The first one forbids a practice and the second one seems to show the apostles practicing what is forbidden.

Can anyone clarify this for me?

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David_AB said:

Firstly I hope this is in the correct forum.
I have two passages that seem to be in conflict.
The first one forbids a practice and the second one seems to show the apostles practicing what is forbidden.

Can anyone clarify this for me?


Deuteronomy 18:10. "Let no-one be found among you who practices......divination."

Acts 1:26 "Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles"

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David_AB said:

Could they be somehow not guilty of divination because in 1:24 they prayed to the Lord first?

Acts 1:24 "Then they prayed 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen...'"

It seems very odd they the new testament seems to ignore this as a forbidden practice.

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Open Heart said:

I know of Christians who have prayed before fornicating that the Lord would reveal to them if it was okay, and then they felt really good about having sex. Obviously praying about it first doesn't guarantee you will discern God's will, nor does it stop a sin from being a sin.

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FireDragon76 said:

I don't think it is divination in the sense commonly thought of. It's about taking the human element out of a choice. Of course I think it could be abused, you can't just have two potential candidates, one a moral monster, the other a saint, and put that in God's hands.

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vinsight4u said:

Didn't the others on the ship also cast lots in the time of
Jonah?
And I have also wondered about the cup that was put in
Benjamin's sack. It was stated that it was used to divine.

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vinsight4u said:

Thanks. I'll check, because I don't think Jonah participated in the time of lots. Here is what has
bugged me in the past and still does as to the time of
Joseph.

Genesis 44:5

“Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.”

Genesis 44:15

“And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?”

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vinsight4u said:

Jonah 1
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

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David_AB said:

Could they be somehow not guilty of divination because in 1:24 they prayed to the Lord first?

Acts 1:24 "Then they prayed 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen...'"

It seems very odd they the new testament seems to ignore this as a forbidden practice.

Click to expand...