Lots

Acts 1:27 (ESV) – And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 

In this passage, Jesus had ascended to Heaven but the Day of Pentecost had not yet come. The apostle Peter directed the other remaining apostles to fill the spot vacated by Judas when he took his own life after betraying Jesus. This is a very interesting detailed account for many reasons. However, we must recognize that Luke is describing what happened not prescribing what should happen when we face a big decision.

The process they used actually follows the Story Shaping model I describe in my book, How to Make Big Decisions Wisely. In reading the backstory, Peter recognized that Judas’ death left a spot open in what used to be a group of twelve disciples, a significant number for the People of Israel, whose twelve tribes had always defined them. Peter immediately sought to catch God’s story by turning to Old Testament scriptures in Psalm 69:25 and 109:8 that Peter interpreted to encourage filling the vacancy. However, those scriptures were not specific about who should fill the vacancy.

Peter started crafting a new story as he set specific criteria for the one to take Judas’ place. The new apostle was to be “one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us.” (Acts 1:21-22a, NIV) Peter even gave thoughtful rationale for this criterion: “For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” (Acts 1:22b)

This apparently limited the choice to two qualified individuals: Joseph, also known as Justus and Barsabbas, and Matthias. To choose between them, Peter prayed and asked God to show them his selection. The disciples then turned to an Old Testament method of seeking God’s direction: casting lots. The New Testament does not record Christians ever using this method again after Pentecost, but many Christians today use other methods of seeking tangible signs from God to determine what to do. I have heard some incredible stories where people prayed that specific and unlikely events would happen as a “sign from God” that he wanted them to make one choice over another. We often call these “fleece,” from the story of Gideon in Judges 6:36-40, in which Gideon asked God’s confirmation with fleece left out overnight being wet in the morning and the ground remaining dry and the opposite, and seemingly impossible, occurrence the next day.

Although we have these stories in the Bible of using signs like lots and fleece to make decisions, we must note they are rare and not recorded after the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost in the next chapter. God is not constrained in any way to let us know what he wants us to do, but always “casting lots” by saying, “If God wants me to do _______, then _____ will happen to let me know,” can be risky because we cannot always differentiate a miracle from happenstance. Be open to signs but, like Peter and the apostles, do not let this replace the more reliable steps in catching God’s story of searching the scriptures first then seeking confirmation of the church.