Bridges on Proverbs 16:33
 
 
Charles Bridges on Proverbs 16:33
 
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33.  The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.
 
The lot cast into the lap, or into the bottom of an urn, often determined important matters. Officers were thus chosen; work determined; dwellings fixed; discoveries made; contentions caused to cease. Yet the LORD's disposal was manifestly shewn. Canaan was thus divided, so as to accord fully with Jacob's prophecies. The offender was brought to justice. What could be more beyond human direction? Yet what more entirely under the Divine disposal? No one doubted the decision. Saul was acknowledged to be King, Matthias was numbered among the Apostles — without disputing. Even when cast profanely or superstitiously, the same Sovereignty overruled. Haman's lot was so disposed, as wholly to overthrow his exterminative project; giving full time for the deliverance of his victims. The soldier's lot was the direct fulfillment of a prophecy, that could not otherwise have been accomplished. The Heathen sailors cast it in ignorance; yet was it the Divine discovery of the guilty criminal. (Jonah 1:7.) Heathen divinations were controlled by the same absolute power. (Ezekiel 21:21, 22.)
The lot is however a solemn matter, not to be lightly cast. (Acts 1:24-26.) It is and acknowledgment of absolute Sovereignty; giving up our personal responsibility, and virtually appealing to an Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God. It teaches us, that things that we conceive to be accident are really under Providence. ‘What is chance to man is the appointment of God.’ The lot, cast ‘at peradventure, carrying a show of casualty,’ is under a certain disposal. Yet admitting it to be a Scriptural ordinance, its expediency under our more full light is more than doubtful. “We have” at least “a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto we do well that we take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:19.) The book of God is given us expressly as “a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path.” (Psalm 119:105.) The rule is more clear in itself, and linked with a most encouraging promise — “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Chapter 3:6.) It is far better to exercise faith, than indolently to tamper with personal responsibility.
The instructive lesson to learn, is that there is no blank in the most minute circumstances. Things, not only apparently contingent, but depending upon a whole train of contingencies, are exactly fulfilled. The name of a King (1 Kings 13:2), or of a deliverer (Isaiah 44:28), is declared many hundred years before their existence — before therefore it could be known to any — save the Omniscient Governor of the universe — whether such persons would exist. The falling of a hair or a sparrow is directed, no less than the birth and death of Princes, or the revolutions of empires. (Matthew 10:29, 30.) Everything is a wheel of Providence. Who directed the Ishmaelites on their journey to Egypt at the very moment, that Joseph was cast into the pit? Who guided Pharaoh's daughter to the stream, just when the ark, with its precious deposit, was committed to the waters? (Exodus 2:3-5.) What gave Ahasuerus a sleepless night, that he might be amused with the records of his kingdom? (Esther 6:1.) Who prepared the whale at the very time and place, that Jonah's lot was cast? (Jonah 1:17.) Who can fail to see the hand of God, most wonderful in the most apparently casual contingencies, overruling all second causes to fulfill his will while they work their own? ‘When kingdoms are tossed up and down like a tennis-ball (Isaiah 22:18); not one event can fly out of the bounds of his Providence. The smallest are not below it. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without it. Not a hair, but it is numbered by it.’
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Footnote:
Parkhurst translates the word to mean the bottom or midst of an urn or vessel, into which the lots were cast.
 
 
1 Chronicles 24:5.
5 Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
 
 
Luke 1:9
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
 
 
Nehemiah 11:1
1 ¶ And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.
 
 
1 Samuel 14:41
41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. {Give...: or, Shew the innocent} {escaped: Heb. went forth}
 
 
Proverbs 18:18
18 ¶ The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.
 
 
Numbers 26:55
55 Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
 
Joshua 18:8
8 And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.
 
 
Joshua 7:16
16 ¶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: 17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: 18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
 
 
1 Samuel 10:20-24
20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. 23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. {God...: Heb. Let the king live}
 
 
Acts 1:26
26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
 
 
Esther 3:7
7 ¶ In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
 
Esther 9:1, 2
1 ¶ Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) 2 The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.
 
 
John 19:24
24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
 
with
Psalm 22:18
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
 
 
Jonah 1:7
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.
 
 
Ezekiel 21:21, 22
21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver. {parting of: Heb. mother of} {arrows: or, knives} {images: Heb. teraphim} 22 At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort. {captains: or, battering rams: Heb. rams}
 
 
Acts 1:24-26
24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
 
 
Footnote:
Scott in loco.
 
 
Footnote:
Bishop Hall.
 
 
2 Peter 1:19
19 ¶ We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
 
 
Psalm 119:105
105 ¶ NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. {lamp: or, candle}
 
 
Proverbs 3:6
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
 
 
1 Kings 13:2
2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
 
 
Isaiah 44:28
28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
 
 
Matthew 10:29, 30
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. {farthing: it is in value halfpenny farthing in the original, as being the tenth part of the Roman penny} 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
 
 
Footnote:
Genesis 37:25. ‘The unparalleled story of Joseph’ — as Dr. South remarks in his striking Sermon on this text — ‘seems to be made up of nothing else but chance and little contingencies, all tending to mighty ends.’
 

 
Genesis 37:25
25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
 
 
Exodus 2:3-5
3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 5 ¶ And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
 
 
Esther 6:1
1 ¶ On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
 
 
Jonah 1:17
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. {belly: Heb. bowels}
 
 
Isaiah 22:18
18 He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house. {large: Heb. large of spaces}
 
 
Footnote:
Polhill on the Divine Will, p. 159.