Jonah 1:7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
The seamen cast lots to determine why this storm had come upon them. Casting lots was common in both biblical and pagan areas of justice. Lots were cast and the stone indicating guilt or innocence was accepted as truth. There are biblical references to land, guilt, sacrifices, inheritance, who would go into war, and priestly duties. Once lots were cast there was no appeal. The result was final. You may have questioned if this is still applicable to Christians today. I doubt it is but have no scripture reference for that thought. There is no mention of casting lots after Pentecost. The Holy Spirit will guide us in our decisions. Prayer and godly counsel and waiting upon the Lord will guide us. I fear in our want for immediate results and answers we would forgo prayer, seeking godly counsel, and waiting upon the Lord. Our heart, mind, and soul would not seek the whispers of God’s leading. We would miss out on wrestling with hard decisions and growth in our faith as we prayed and sought God for Holy Spirit confirmation to our soul. One could argue that no casting lots result could ever come about but by God who is in control overall. This is true but I think it does not take into consideration the need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It doesn’t require diving deep into scripture and rightly dividing the Word of God. It doesn’t rely on faith in the promised Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. No, I think it is better for us to pray, seek godly counsel, and wait upon the Lord.
