The Bible and Gambling

What does the Bible say about gambling? There is no direct Biblical prohibition against
gambling. However, many principles and examples are given, allowing us to draw proper
spiritual conclusions.

Samson wagered 30 shirts and changes of garments with the Philistines to see if they
could guess his riddle, Judges 14:12-13. Due to Philistine pressure on his bride, he lost
the bet and in anger Samson slew 30 Philistines to pay off the debt, verses 14-19. There
were a lot of bad repercussions from this one bet. In spite of his sins, the Eternal used
Samson to free His people from the Philistines.

The garments of the impaled Messiah were parted by lot, Psalm 22:18, Matthew 27:35,
Luke 23:34, John 19:23-24. Haman, the enemy of the Jews, cast lots to fix the time of
execution of the Jews, Esther 3:7, 9:24. The enemies of Judah and Jerusalem cast lots for
God’s people, Joel 3:3, Obadiah 11. These are additional examples of wrong use of
games of chance, of gambling.

Numerous Biblical passages show the correct use of "chance," that is, appeal to "natural"
forces that cannot be controlled by those who appeal to it. These are not "gambling"
because property was not given up, and the "chance" was not whim but the divine will of
the Creator. Man has long desired to know the specific will of His Creator. The Eternal
gave a physical means of knowing His will, the Urim and Thummim (Hebrew: "lights"
and "perfections"). In Exodus 28:30 we are told they were part of Aaron’s "breastplate of
judgment." Not a word describes them in detail. They are mentioned as things already
familiar to Moses and the people, and connected naturally with the functions of the high
priest who mediated between YHWH and His people, Leviticus 8:8. The scapegoat was
chosen by lot, Leviticus 16:8-10. The land of Canaan was divided among the tribes by
lot, Numbers 26:55, Joshua 18:10, Acts 13:19, Isaiah 34:17. The garments of Aaron
were passed on to his son Eleazar, Numbers 20:28. When Joshua succeeds Moses, he is
told to stand before Eleazar, "who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim"
Numbers 27:21. The Urim and Thummim are the crowning glory of the tribe of Levi,
Deuteronomy 33:8-9, Ezra 2:63.

Achan’s guilt was determined by lot, Joshua 7:14-18. Saul was chosen king by lot,
I Samuel 10:20-21. The order of service by priests and Levites was determined by lot,
I Chronicles 24:5-31, 26:13. Jonathan was identified by lot, I Samuel 14:41-42. So was
Jonah, Jonah 1:7. The Jews returning from captivity determined by lot who would live in
Jerusalem, Nehemiah 11:1. The eleven apostles cast lots between two candidates to
allow God to decide who should replace Judas Iscariot, Acts 1:26.

In most of these instances, lots were used to determine the Almighty’s will. Proverbs
16:33, "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD."
Proverbs 18:18, "The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty
[RSV: decides between powerful contenders]."
Josephus states that the Urim and Thummim stones gave the Eternal’s answer by
illuminating. He reports that the priest’s breastplate stopped illuminating 200 years before
Christ, (Antiquities of the Jews, 5:2:1, 3:8:9, 3:7:5). Others say that the stones were part
of the priest’s garment and symbolic of the Lord giving His word to the priest. I Samuel
14:3, 18-19, 41-42, 23:4,9, 11-12, Judges 20:9, 27-28 and II Samuel 5:19, 23 show
direct statements of the Eternal made as the result of inquiry. I Samuel 28:6 shows three
means the Eternal used to communicate with His people: dreams, Urim and prophets.

In all Scriptural examples of the correct use of the lot to determine God’s will, it was a
priest, prophet or apostle or other representative of the Eternal who was authorized to use
this method of discerning God’s will. The ordinary person is not to use lots. The Bible
shows that unscrupulous persons resort to chance to further their own selfish interests.

Why Gambling is Wrong

(1) Gambling discourages honest labor. The Bible supports the concept of the so-called
"Protestant work ethic." Proverbs 14:23 (Amplified) tells us, "In all labor there is profit,
but idle talk leads only to poverty." Profit should come through productive labor, not by
chance.

"Wealth not earned but won in haste, or unjustly, or from the production of things for vain
or detrimental use, such riches will dwindle away; but he who gathers little by little will
increase them" Proverbs 13:11 (Amplified). See also Proverbs 28:19.

(2) Gambling encourages greed, materialism and discontent. See Luke 12:15,
Hebrews 13:5, I Timothy 6:6-10, Psalm 62:10. Lottery promotions induce people to
covet the money of others. Gambling such as lotteries are engaged in by people hoping to
win a lot of money without earning it, which is a dishonest attitude. Money won in
gambling comes from other players, including some who can ill afford to gamble.
Gambling in its essence is a form of robbery, which is stealing. Each gambler wants to
get the prize money for himself. It encourages greedy obsession with material wealth,
which is having another god in place of the true Creator. Gambling directly breaks the
first, eighth and tenth commandments, and all the others in principle.

Gambling is basically LUST. Anyone with the Spirit of the Eternal should be able to
discern this fact. Here at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, where "pleasure" and self-
indulgence reign supreme, lust is everywhere.

I John 2:15-17, "Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God
abideth for ever."

Proverbs 21:25-26, "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not."
(3) Gambling encourages "get rich quick" thinking. See Proverbs 28:20, 22; 21:5.

Proverbs 23:4-5, "Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set
thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly
away as an eagle toward heaven."

(4) Gambling encourages reckless investment of God-given resources. See Matthew

25:14-30. If gambling is "fun" and "pleasure" to you, you already have your reward. If
you are denying yourself, serving the Eternal 100% with your time and resources, you
will not make the pitifully weak (and false) excuse: "But I have a right to throw away my
money at gambling!" You know that your life, your wealth are not yours. If you follow
the Bible, you are a slave to the Messiah. You, your money, everything you have are His.
Would Jesus gamble? Definitely not!

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