Gambling is an epidemic in America that is destroying lives and homes. It is big business in this culture we call America, and it is no longer conducted only by the underworld of organized crime; the government is now capitalizing on the desires of many Americans to get rich quick and become millionaires overnight.
Why has America (and many other countries in the world become so obsessed with gambling and lotteries? The answer is found in the very nature of the American dream. The materialism of our culture is deeply rooted in our value system. The word success means many things to many people, but in this country it mainly involved money. To get more money in order to buy the things they want is what the majority of Americans are seeking. Gambling seems to be a way to get what you want quickly, though the facts show that thousands of lives and homes are being ruined by gambling. It is especially sad to see people on welfare purchasing multiple lottery tickets.
The sad news is that the most pervasive form of gambling is charitable games, primarily bingo, run by churches and various charity organizations. Charity bingo operates in 46 states and is run by professionals who help charities gross millions of dollars a year. Many of these charities run what are called Las Vegas nights featuring casino-style games.
One of the most tragic consequences of state lotteries and the gambling fever is the impact upon the poor and working class players. Poor people spend, according to recent research, a much bigger portion of the incomes on lotteries than high income players. Many lottery players lose most of their paychecks through gambling’s enticements.
DOES THE BIBLE APPROVE OF GAMBLING?
Believe it or not, some people have tried to support the gambling craze by pointing to the Bibles references to casting the lot. In John 19:23,24 we have the fact of Roman soldiers casting the lot for the tunic of Jesus Christ while He was dying on the cross:
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
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 said, they parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did CAST LOTS. These things therefore the soldiers did.
The prophecy is in Psalm 22, which is called a messianic psalm. In verse 18 we read: "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."
Casting the lot (used several times in the Bible) was not gambling but an ancient form of decision-making, somewhat like voting. An example is found in Acts 1:21-26, where the disciples of Jesus were attempting to find a replacement for Judas, who had betrayed Jesus and committed suicide.
Acts 1:21 "Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
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."
Casting the lot was used to determine which of the two qualified men would be chosen. Both met the qualifications and were acceptable. This was a method of decision-making; it did not involve money and it was not gambling.
Proverbs 16:33 says: "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD."
Human methods for determining matters must always be understood in the light of the sovereignty of God.
Though the modern word LOTTERY comes from the ancient word LOT, the modern practice of gambling is not the ancient practice of decision-making.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH GAMBLING?
The way Americans are dealing with gambling today is a far cry from the traditional and moral values of our past history. Lets take a look at what the Bible teaches about gambling to see what is right or wrong about it.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 the apostle Paul gives this advice to his son in the faith, Timothy:
1 Tim 6:6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
Proverbs 15:16 adds: "Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith."
Contentment is not the goal of gambling-it produces the exact opposite! Gambling creates dissatisfaction with your present state and lures you into believing that you deserve more than what you presently have, and that you Don’t need to wait to earn it-you can have it right now. On this basis alone, gambling is not good for us.
1 Timothy 6:9 brings this warning: "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."
There is no doubt in any persons mind who has studied and engaged in gambling that it built on the desire to be rich.
Proverbs 11:28 says: "He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch."
Proverbs 15:27 adds: "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live."
Proverbs 23:4,5 warns: "Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven."
Remind yourself that these words were written by one of the wealthiest men in ancient times and his wisdom is well-know, King Solomon. We need to pay much attention to his advice and warnings about wealth. Our greed and desire to be rich drive us further and further into materialistic debt and tragedy.
The Bible calls this desire a snare or a trap. We get trapped by our desire and controlled by it, and as a result we fall into other kinds of temptation that have ruined peoples lives.
The apostle Paul continues his analysis of the problem in 1 Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
We must point out that the Bible does not say that money itself is evil, but rather the love of money. However 1 Timothy 6:17-19 gives this advice to the rich about their wealth:
1 Tim 6:17-19 "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."
Pride and a false sense of security are created by great wealth. The rich are warned about trusting in wealth. They should rather be rich in good works, remembering that the greater issue is eternal life.
In 1 John 2:15-17 we read these challenging words about the worlds value system:
I John 2:15 "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.
16 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.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
The world is the philosophy of a secular society, a view-point that is well-illustrated by the current craze to gambling. The lust for money, a part of the things in the world, is not compatible with a commitment to God and His purposes in this world.
Paul’s advice to Timothy about the love of money in 1 Timothy 6:10
also included these words: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Some have strayed from the faith in their greediness. The inability of the love of money to dwell in the same heart of the person who says he loves God is well-known. In Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus taught us the following about the dangers of wanting to be rich:
Matt 6:19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Mammon is money. You cannot serve God and money! Lots of people try to, however, thinking that it is not a great problem. Yet their desire for money inevitably causes them to stray from their faith and confidence in the Lord. Love for God and love for money don’t mix well!
Proverbs 10:22 says: "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."
Proverbs 15:6 continues: "In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble."
Proverbs 16:8 states: "Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right."
Proverbs 21:25,26 reminds us: "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not."
5. IT CONTROLS YOUR HEART AND YOUR SYSTEM OF VALUES.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:21: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
We all put our heart into whatever we value the most.
Jesus told a story about a rich young ruler who came to Him inquiring about eternal life. In Luke 18:18-30 Jesus told this rich ruler (who claimed to keep the commandments of God but wanted to know how he could inherit eternal life) that he should sell all that he had and give it to the poor. If he did this, Jesus said that he would have treasure in heaven. Jesus invited the rich young ruler to follow Him.
The Bible says in Luke 18:23: "And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich."
Upon seeing his sorrow, Jesus replied:
Luke 18:24 "And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
The people who heard Him say this replied:
Luke 18:26 "And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?"
Jesus answered:
Luke 18:27 "And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
In reply to Peters remark that the disciples had left all to follow Jesus, Jesus said:
Luke 18:29 "And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."
The truth is that our desire to be rich or even our riches themselves can keep us from following Jesus Christ. Our value system is controlled by our desire for wealth and the sense of security we feel when we have wealth.
Exodus 20:17 says: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."
Many people argue that gambling is not a violation of the law concerning covetousness. They say that this commandment only warns against the attitude of getting something that already belongs to your neighbor. Under this restrictive view, the word covet is similar to theft, taking something that does not belong to you. However, it is commandment number eight that says, You shall not steal. This commandment is something more.
Ephesians 5:3-5 lists a number of sins, and remarks about them:
Ephesians 5:3 "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
Covetousness is condemned in no uncertain terms! It is associated with fornication (sexual immorality) and all uncleanness. Covetousness is called idolatry because it is the worship of things that you desire to have. It is greed, the desire to be rich, the love of money.
To covet is much like the words to lust. It is carnal desire, wanting things you Don’t need to have and believing that their possession will bring you happiness.
In Luke 12:15 Jesus said: "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
He then gave them a parable about a certain rich man who was very prosperous. When his crops became so productive that he had more than he needed, he asked, what shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? He decided to tear down his present barns and guild bigger ones. He argued the following:
Luke 12:19 "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry."
Gods reply was (verse 20):
Luke 12:20 "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"
Covetousness is greed, the desire to find happiness in things and the belief that accumulation of wealth brings security.
Gambling is wrong; the Bible is clear on that point. Americans have forsaken biblical morality that made our country strong. We have decided that there are no serious consequences accompanying our new set of values, but a rude awakening is coming!
We don’t believe in the motto which was laid down before us by our forefathers and graciously printed or stamped on every currencies that we have "IN GOD WE TRUST."
Some of us are saying with our actions in gambling (Lottery, Bingo, Betting, etc.) we trust.
WHAT SHOULD BE OUR RESPONSE?
1. Don’t gamble - ever!
2. Don’t bet on anything even with your words.
3. Don’t participate in any promotion or advertising gimmick that promises you something for nothing.
4. Don’t argue that gambling is harmless for those who want to have a little fun.
5. Express your displeasure at gambling devices and methods in grocery and retail stores.
6. Oppose parental associations and school administrations that promote gambling activities for our children and youth.
7. Teach your children why gambling is wrong and how it contributes to wrong attitudes and bad values in life.
8. Commit yourself to earning your living by hard work.
9. Don’t put confidence in your money and possessions; instead, put your trust in the living God!
In conclusion, I pray that you will read this information, researched the Scriptures on your own and let the Holy Spirit guide you for better understanding on this gambling issue.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU
(excerpt from Moral Catastrophe by David Hocking and all scriptures text are from King James)