Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Does Proverbs 16:33 teach Theological Determinism?

  

The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord. (Prov 16:33 NASB)

 

Some Calvinists have used this verse in Proverbs to support theological determinism. Ignoring the problem of absolutising a proverb to support dogmatic theology, this is not what the passage is teaching. Instead, it is teaching, at best for the Calvinist, that God will always prevail, no matter the problematic methods people may use to ascertain God’s will for them:

 

33 The final saying reaches back and ties in with vv 1 and 9, but it is more definite. The use of lots is attested in many places in the Bible, e.g., 18:18; 1 Sam 14:40–42, etc. Their purpose varied, but was usually to find a proper course of action in accord with the will of God. The underlying belief is that the Lord, who determines all things, also determines the way the lots turn out. The precise physical appearance of lots (dice?) and the procedure to be followed are difficult to specify. Here they are said to be thrown into the “lap,” i.e., the fold of a person’s garment; this is not necessarily the breastplate of the priest where the Urim and Thummim were to be placed, Exod 28:30. Thus the divine will was ascertained. The practice appears in Acts 1:26 in the choice of Mathias to succeed Judas. (Rowland E. Murphy, Proverbs [Word Biblical Commentary 22; Dallas: Thomas Nelson, 1998], 124)

 

33. Throughout the Bible the casting of lots was a much used method of ascertaining the divine will (Lev xvi 8; Num xxvi 55; Jon i 7; Acts i 26), as well as simply for teaching decisions without religious reference (i 14; Ps xxii 18 EV). (R.B.Y. Scott, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes: Introduction, Translation, and Notes [Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1965,], 107)

 

Though the throwing of the lots was a human action, the revelation was a direct message from God (Prov. 16:33). (Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, S.V. "Lots")

 

 

Two recent videos have addressed the problematic/eisegetical nature of Reformed appeals to Prov 16:33:

 

EP313 Proverbs turns out to be a book of proverbs

 

 


 

Casting Lots & Calvinism




On the problems of the theological determinism of Calvinism and other issues, see:


An Examination and Critique of the Theological Presuppositions Underlying Reformed Theology