Introduction
It has always been God’s modus operandi—His established pattern—from the book of Genesis to divinely select individuals for specific purposes and assignments. Examples include Noah, Abraham and Gideon. In the Old Testament, we consistently see God initiating relationships by personally choosing and calling people. Below is a curated list of individuals who were directly selected by the Lord according to the Old Testament portion of Scripture. How was it then that when Judas gave up his post as an Apostle—sacrificing his bishopric—by choosing to become a son of perdition, the early church selected his replacement by casting lots? We’ll discuss what possibly transpired. Suffice it to say the early Apostles selected two men of their own free will and then asked God to choose one of their own selections. Instead of waiting for his response, they cast lots to choose between Joseph called Barsabas and Matthias.
Act 1:23-26 (KJV)
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
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.
Matthias is a notable yet relatively obscure figure in Christian history, explicitly mentioned only once in the Bible—in Acts 1:15–26. While he was likely a devoted follower of Jesus throughout His earthly ministry and was considered worthy to be a witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:22), it is arguable that he was not God’s intended choice to fill the vacant twelfth apostolic position. Though he may have played a role in the early Church’s foundation, the divine selection appears to have been revealed later through prophetic direction and confirmed by the apostles and teachers at Antioch, including Peter. Perhaps the most compelling evidence of this is the remarkable ministry of Paul, who went on to write nearly two-thirds of the New Testament and significantly shaped the doctrine and identity of Christianity as we know it today.
Abraham
“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.” — Genesis 12:1–2 (KJV)
Moses
“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” — Exodus 3:10 (KJV)
Aaron (High Priest)
“And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him… that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office…” — Exodus 28:1 (KJV)
Joshua (Successor to Moses)
“And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.” — Deuteronomy 31:23 (KJV)
David
“I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him.” — Psalm 89:20 (KJV)
“And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” — 1 Samuel 16:12 (KJV)
Solomon
“And of all my sons… he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house… for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.” — 1 Chronicles 28:5–6 (KJV)
Jeremiah
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” — Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)
Samuel
“And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.” — 1 Samuel 3:20 (KJV)
Cyrus (King of Persia)
“Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him…” — Isaiah 45:1 (KJV)
Nebuchadnezzar
“And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant…” — Jeremiah 27:6 (KJV)
Gideon
“And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” — Judges 6:14 (KJV)
Isaiah
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” — Isaiah 6:8 (KJV)
Elijah
“And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying…” — 1 Kings 17:2 (KJV)
Elisha
“And Elisha the son of Shaphat… shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.” — 1 Kings 19:16 (KJV)
Bezalel (Tabernacle Craftsman)
“See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri… of the tribe of Judah…” — Exodus 31:2 (KJV)
Saul (First King of Israel)
“Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?” — 1 Samuel 10:1 (KJV)
Zerubbabel
“In that day… will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant… and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.” — Haggai 2:23 (KJV)
Ezra
“This Ezra… was a ready scribe in the law of Moses… the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.” — Ezra 7:6 (KJV)
Nehemiah
“And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.” — Nehemiah 2:8 (KJV)
Levi (Tribe Chosen for Priesthood)
“At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord…” — Deuteronomy 10:8 (KJV)
Biblical Definition of “Lots” — Hebrew and Greek Word Study
In Hebrew, the word for “lot” is “goral” (גוֹרָל), which denotes a portion, destiny, or decision rendered by chance. It was used extensively in the Old Testament for assigning tribal land (Joshua 18:6) or determining guilt (Leviticus 16:8). In the Greek, the term is “klēros” (κλῆρος), which carries the meaning of an assigned portion, or casting of lots (Acts 1:26).
Strong’s Concordance:
- Goral (H1486): lot, allotment
- Klēros (G2819): a lot, die, a thing used in determining chances; Probably from G2806 (through the idea of using bits of wood, etc., for the purpose); a die (for drawing chances)
While these terms describe the mechanics of lot casting, the practice itself reflected the Old Covenant’s reliance on external signs in the absence of the indwelling Spirit.
It was in the Old Testament era one author wrote that time and chance happened to all men (Ecclesiastes 9:11). This statement came from the same author who declared, “All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) — a perspective grounded in a world without the fullness of revelation. We know that all is not vanity when viewed from the lens of redemption and purpose in Christ.
Even under the Old Covenant, God told Joshua that he could make his way prosperous and have good success (Joshua 1:8). And Joshua did exactly that! This proves that even before the New Testament, humans were not helpless or subject merely to chance — God honors yielded obedience.
Spirit-Led Guidance System
In the New Testament, we do not live by chance or luck. Those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” — Romans 8:14 (KJV)
How do we identify the sons of God who did not exist in the old covenant? We identify them by the fact that they are led by the Spirit of God. We live purposeful, Spirit-led, pre-planned lives, doing good works that were prepared beforehand—not life left to chance.
“For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” — (Eph 2:10, AMPC)
In the absence of the Holy Spirit indwelling a person and guiding them, it is understandable that the early Christians before the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, would rely on chance and the mechanics of casting lots. However, in the New Testament, after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, this indwelling God becomes our navigation system. We even see a glimpse of this in the Old Covenant, when the prophet David stated: “… he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” — Psalm 23:3 (KJV).
“Make your motions and cast your votes, but God has the final say.” — Proverbs 16:33 (MSG)
“We make our own decisions, but the Lord alone determines what happens.” — Proverbs 16:33 (CEV)
God is the one who planned our lives and recorded them in the volume of His book before we were ever born. That means He has the final say. All we have to do is follow Him, discover why He brought us to the earth, and fulfill our part in the volume of the book. When we come to this point, we too can declare:
“Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God.” — Hebrews 10:7 (KJV)
Understanding the New Testament — When It Truly Began
Though being led by dreams or resorting to the casting of lots was a feature of the Old Covenant, since the ratification of the New Testament, there is no record in Scripture of any decision made by the apostles or elders through lots or dreams—except the singular instance of the selection of Judas’ replacement. This was the exception, not the rule. Any theology built on that exception does not meet the standard of sound doctrine, as it fails the “double mention rule.”
The double mention rule is a basic principle of biblical interpretation which states that for a doctrine or practice to be established, it must be mentioned at least twice in Scripture. This guards against forming doctrines based on isolated or exceptional events.
Theologically, the New Testament doesn’t begin with Matthew 1:1 but with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead…” (Hebrews 9:16–17, KJV). The New Covenant was enacted at the Cross. Jesus, the Testator, died, and His blood ratified the eternal inheritance. After this, God gave “the promise of the Father” — the Holy Spirit — to lead and guide His Church—among many other functions.“But when the Comforter is come… he shall guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13)
“And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father…” (Acts 1:4)
From this moment, lots were no longer needed. The Holy Spirit was the Guide. It was prior to this time that they cast lots for Judas’ replacement who we never again see in scripture. It is my personal belief that he was man’s choice and God’s choice he selected for himself and that was a post to Paul the one to who was revealed the mystery of Christ and therefore Christianity.
Jesus Modeled Spirit-Led Selection
Jesus Christ himself never used lots and he is our pattern. Before launching His ministry, Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights (Luke 4:1–2). In addition, he prayed before selecting his disciples:
“And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;”— Luke 6:12–13 (KJV)
His choices — including the Twelve — were not arbitrary. He said: “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none…” (John 18:9). This means that his selection was led by God himself through the Holy Spirit that came up on him at his baptism. His selection was Spirit-led, rooted in communion with the Father. And this is what the apostles in Jerusalem should’ve emulated. Why did they not emulate this?
From Infant Church to Mature Bride
Infancy is not sin — it is a stage. However, it is not a stage one is meant to dwell in for long. A 50-year-old man still needing a diaper change signifies a problem. The early Church, though born of the Spirit, needed growth. Both Peter, Paul, and John acknowledged that Christians begin as babes and encouraged them to grow into maturity or perfection in Christ.
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” — 1 Peter 2:2 (KJV)
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” — 1 Corinthians 13:11 (KJV
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” — Galatians 4:19 (KJV)
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” — Ephesians 4:13 (KJV)
This is, in fact, one of the main reasons Christ gave the fivefold ministry gifts to men:
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” — Ephesians 4:11–12 (KJV)
Their spiritual babyhood at the infancy of the Church right after the resurrection explains why they still attended synagogues, hesitated to preach to Gentiles, and even demanded circumcision for gentile converts:
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” — Acts 15:1 (KJV)
They were transitioning from Law to Grace, from Moses to Christ. Their struggle is seen in Peter’s hesitation to eat with Gentiles and Paul’s rebuke:
“But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.” — Galatians 2:11 (KJV)
Peter knew the right thing to do but was afraid because certain men had come from James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem. James and his group did not believe in mingling with Gentiles:
“For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.” — Galatians 2:12 (KJV)
Until the Jerusalem Council, presided over by James, they did not believe Gentiles could be born again, be beneficiaries of the New Covenant, receive the Holy Spirit, or be partakers of the promises made to Abraham. The Church had localized itself in Jerusalem, reluctant to obey the command to reach “the uttermost part of the earth”:
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” — Acts 1:8 (KJV)
It took persecution to scatter them:
“And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.” — Acts 8:1 (KJV)
God did correct this through Peter’s encounter with Cornelius:
“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” — Acts 10:44 (KJV)
“And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.” — Acts 11:15 (KJV)
This was God claiming the Gentiles. He gave the gift of the Holy Spirit first to his disciples and followers but the instruction was to take it to the world. When they didn’t he used visions through Peter and Cornelius to initiate the expansion. Yet resistance lingered. It was Paul who truly championed the universality of the Gospel. He taught that the Gospel was for all — Jew and Gentile, male and female, bond and free:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:28 (KJV)
He emphasized justification by faith, not works of the Law. Many opposed him. The Galatians were bewitched into reverting to circumcision:
“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth…” — Galatians 3:1 (KJV)
Others followed him to hinder his work:
“In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.” — 2 Corinthians 11:26 (KJV)
The early Church had growing pains, but eventually, Spirit-led maturity prevailed for some.
Divine Selection
“Then I said, Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God—to fulfill what is written of Me in the volume of the Book.” — Hebrews 10:7 (AMPC)
Your life is not a coincidence. It has been written, recorded, and prepared by God in a divine volume — not many books, but one complete, eternal script. Jesus Himself acknowledged this heavenly record that contained His assignment. In the same way, your life is part of God’s predetermined plan.
David, under the inspiration of the Spirit, declared: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.” — Psalm 139:16 (AMPC)
You were not just born — you were foreordained. Every day of your life was scheduled, every detail accounted for in the divine counsel of God.
“In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will.” — Ephesians 1:11 (AMPC)
God’s selection is never random. It is precise, intentional, and based on His infinite wisdom. Consider His words to Jeremiah:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” — Jeremiah 1:5 (AMPC)
But was this kind of divine foreordination only for prophets like Jeremiah? Absolutely not. The same God speaks to all who are born anew in Christ Jesus:
“For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” — Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC)
You are not wandering through life hoping to find purpose. You were sent here with it. Your assignment is pre-written in His book. The Holy Spirit was given to lead you into that script, phase by phase, confirming what Heaven has already recorded.
Certainly. Here is the enhanced and enriched conclusion with all the suggested elements incorporated into a seamless, professional, and theologically sound flow. This final version completes your teaching by reinforcing biblical patterns, cautioning against regression, and issuing a call to maturity.
Conclusion: From Shadows to Substance—The Higher Way of Divine Guidance
The transition from casting lots to Spirit-led leadership is not a minor adjustment; it represents a profound covenantal shift—from the shadows of external mechanisms to the living reality of internal communion. What was once decided by chance is now revealed by the indwelling Presence. The old system relied on tokens and procedural acts; the new covenant calls us to discernment, yieldedness, and intimate fellowship with the Spirit.
Christ, the Pattern Son, did nothing of Himself but only what He saw and heard from the Father that dwelt in him (John 5:19, 30). He demonstrated a lifestyle of precise alignment with the perfect will of God—one that was not led by rituals alone or casting lots like the Romans cast lots for his garments at his crucifixion but by relationship with the Holy Spirit, whom He described as “…the Father that dwelleth in me.” This is the pattern we are called to follow.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God“ 1 Corinthians 2:12 (KJV)—not merely as a symbolic seal, but as our internal Guide, Teacher, and Leader. He is the One who knows the thoughts of God and unveils them to us. “Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny].” 1 Corinthians 2:10 (AMPC).
This Spirit-led model is clearly seen in the Antioch church—a Gentile-majority congregation and the first major centre of Gentile evangelism—which later became the base for Paul’s missionary journeys to the Gentiles (Acts 11:19–26; Acts 13:1–3). It was here that the twelfth Apostle was selected by the Spirit of God. The leadership included Simeon, who was called Niger; Lucius of Cyrene; and Manaen. While these leaders “ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:2–3, KJV). Here we see that God was actively involved in selecting and sending forth Barnabas and Saul. It is his desire to be invited into our decision-making processes because this work belongs to Him and we, His sons and daughters, are simply His colabourers.
It is also noteworthy that although the church in Jerusalem was the first to be established, “the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26)—not in Jerusalem. This is significant. In Antioch, there was no record of casting lots or making decisions by vote. A plausible reason for this may be that the believers there were not bound by Jewish laws or temple customs, and thus had greater liberty to worship and minister to God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Another possible explanation is that by this point, the Church had grown in spiritual maturity—moving from reliance on external practices like casting lots, to discerning and yielding to the leading of the Holy Spirit. However, this second reason may be less likely, as several years later the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) convened to resolve whether Gentile believers should observe Jewish customs. Additionally, even later, the Apostle Paul was advised by James and the elders in Jerusalem to participate in Jewish purification rites (Acts 21:18–26), indicating that some adherence to traditional practices still persisted.
The selection of church leadership—or any decision regarding ministry work or a believer’s life—must never be random or left to chance. It must never be subjected to a vote, as though we are without a Guide who leads us into all truth. Such an approach presupposes the absence of the Holy Spirit, which is contrary to the New Covenant reality.
Every decision must be prophetic, Spirit-led, and birthed in prayer, as demonstrated by our Pattern, the Lord Jesus, and by the ministry offices in the Antioch church. Divine selection or decision-making is not vague or democratic; it is kingdom-founded and focussed, precise and led by the Spirit. His sheep hear His voice. When Prophet Joel prophesied about the pouring out of the Holy Ghost in the last days, he said, our son and daughters would see visions and prophesy. This is a mark of New Testament Christianity—the activation of the revelatory gifts to give men and women in Christ guidance and direction.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” — Romans 8:14 (AMPC)
Let us, therefore, embrace this higher calling. Let us mature in discernment, grow in submission, and yield completely to the government of the Holy Ghost—God’s infallible navigation system in the New Covenant.