Part 2 of this study of Acts 1:15-26 is part of our house church study we felt led to go through at the beginning of this year. The Lord led us to this beginning of the "new thing," I believe, to gain insights into what He is doing right now. Remember, "you'll know the end from the beginning..." (Psalm 46:10)
(This insight is from the Bible study Jacob And The Dance Of Two Camps.)
The Inner Struggle
While in Rebekah’s womb, Jacob and Esau were already struggling together. She said to the Lord;
“‘Why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.’”
(Genesis 25:22-23/NIV)
Their struggle is a picture of the constant struggle between the two camps that lie within the body of Christ. They both had the same father and mother, and yet one would rebel against what had been his from the beginning (i.e. the right of the firstborn), and the other would then walk in deception to gain what had already been decided by God as being his to claim. In the end, the difference would be that, even though Jacob had a major issue with manipulation and control, he would move as God commanded him to, and eventually, through his being confronted by the Lord, would repent.
The following insights are from the article “Esau’s Negative Example.” (https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/esaus-negative-example);
“Hebrews 12:16–17 lifts up Esau as a prime illustration of the kind of person who fails to obtain the grace of God (see v. 15). [Personally, I would change the word “obtain” to “retain.” Christ is the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29). Esau, being born within the same family as Jacob, had the right as a picture of Christians who have also been given “the right to become the children of God” (John 1:11-13), to share in Christ’ salvation as the Firstborn Son within the eternal inheritance in God’s family, but did not take it seriously. Down the road, Esau forfeited his right in order to fulfill a fleshly craving. This is the stern warning by the writer of Hebrews for Christians today (Hebrews 12:14-17) that the so-called “once saved always saved” adherents cannot accept. For more on this, see the Bible studies Making Light Of God’s Salvation, and Freedom In Christ.] First, the author defines Esau as “sexually immoral” and “unholy.” This definition of Esau’s character comes from texts such as Genesis 26:34–35. There we read that Esau intermarried with the pagan Canaanites, violating the divine marital norms for the patriarchs. It is also worth noting that later Jewish tradition came to view Esau as grossly immoral; many Jewish writings from about the same time as the book of Hebrews testify to Esau’s ungodliness. In any case, God’s Word regards sexual sins as particularly heinous, and persistent engagement in sexual sin evidences a heart that is hardened against the Lord (Lev. 18; Rom. 1:26–27). Of course, the Lord will forgive all those who truly repent of sexual sin (1 John 1:8–9), but we dare not trifle with it. Sexual immorality has caused many professing believers to fall away from the Christian faith over the centuries.
The author of Hebrews also reminds us that Esau sold his birthright and irrevocably lost the patriarchal blessing given to Abraham (Heb. 12:17). He is referencing the well-known stories from Genesis 25:29–34 and 27:1–45. We should not think here that Esau’s forgiveness and restoration to blessing were an absolute impossibility. Instead, Esau’s actions show that he did not understand the gravity of his actions and thus never came to true repentance. He gave away God’s sacred promise to Abraham’s descendants for only a bowl of stew. As John Owen writes, “Esau gave little thought that when he sold his inheritance he had completely forfeited God’s eternal blessing.” Moreover, he was sorry that he lost privilege, not that he lost the God who gave that privilege. If he truly loved and wanted the Lord, he would have been content with God’s choice of Jacob over him and would not have sought to kill his brother (27:38, 41).”
Esau represents those in the body of Christ who rebel against their Heavenly Father, treating their firstborn right in Him with careless neglect, fearlessly intermingling with fleshly cravings with no fear of repercussions for their actions. Not believing it will affect their eternal inheritance (i.e. salvation), they are rejected from their place of sonship in Christ. Remember, As Esau tragically discovered, God has a limit we dare not toy with;
“See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.”
(Hebrews 12:16-17/NIV)
May the inspired word of God inspire us to continue walking in belief (i.e. faithfulness), after turning to Christ (Hebrews 10:26-31), in a manner worthy of our calling so as not to fall away in unbelief (i.e. unfaithfulness), and be destroyed. This is why the writer of Hebrews reinforces the necessity of perseverance in a Christian’s walk, not fighting against the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their lives;
“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised [not before]. For in just a very little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.’”
(Hebrews 10:36-39/NIV)
The encouragement is not that because “we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed,” that we will automatically enter into the Promised Land, but that, as the children of Israel learned (Hebrews 3-4), we should, as Jesus taught, continue our journey in Him by faith so as to “stand firm until the end and be saved” (Matthew 10:22, 24:13; Hebrews 3:6, 14, 6:11; Revelation 2:26). Otherwise, you would have to throw out all that the book of Hebrews is warning us of before this passage, which the “in no matter what” doctrines teach. To treat with insulting neglect the blood of Christ that allowed us to enter into covenant with Him is to become an Edomite in heart (i.e. descendants of Esau) that will be cast out of God’s kingdom.
Receiving Your “Share/Lot” In The Ministry Of Christ (Acts 1:17)
“For he was counted among us and received [2975- “to obtain by lot, to receive by divine allotment”] his share [2819- “what is obtained by lot, allotted portion”] in this ministry.”
Judas was an “insider” IN Christ. You can’t say, “Well, he was among them but wasn’t really one of them.” The Greek for “received” is defined as “to obtain by lot, to receive by divine allotment.” He was among the chosen ones of Jesus that had “received his share,” his allotted portion in the ministry of Christ. An unbeliever is never “counted among us.” Judas is a picture of a Christian who falls away from Christ because of an apostate heart. They betrayed Him for a fleshly craving. (The Greek interpreted “share” [2819] in Acts 1:17 is the same Greek word interpreted “lots” in verse 26. For more on this, see the section below called Casting Lots.)
In John 13:8, Jesus said to Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.” The Greek for “part” is a different word [3313], but similar in meaning and significance. It’s defined as “a division or share, a part due or assigned to one, a lot or destiny.” Judas may have had his feet washed by Jesus, but he refused to have his heart washed by Him (i.e. sanctification). It would cost him his destiny, or lot in Christ.
The Death Of Judas (Acts 1:18-19)
“How Did Judas Die?”; by Dr. Georgia Purdom on May 25, 2009
Did Judas Iscariot die by hanging (Matthew 27:5) or did he die by falling and bursting open (Acts 1:18)? The relevant passages are:
“Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”
(Matthew 27:5)
“Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.”
(Acts 1:18)
Some people have wrongly assumed that Matthew and Luke (the author of Acts) are contradictory in their account of Judas’ death. Since the Bible is inerrant Judas cannot have died by hanging and died by falling and bursting open. Rather they are two different viewpoints of the same event. For example, if I saw a car hit a pedestrian, I might simply say that the pedestrian died because he was hit by the car. The coroner who came on the scene later but did not actually see the accident might give a graphic description of the injuries to the pedestrian. Both the coroner and I are describing the same event just different aspects of it.
Matthew tells us that Judas died by hanging (death is inferred from the passage). Luke, being a doctor, gives us a graphic description of what occurred following the hanging. The reason for ordering the events as such is twofold. First, if someone has fallen and their internal organs spilled out, they would die and so could not subsequently die from hanging. Second, even when people suffer bad falls, they do not usually burst open and have their internal organs spill out. Skin is very tough, and even when it is cut in the abdominal area, internals do not usually spill out. Thus, it is unlikely that Judas could die in this manner merely from falling.
Gruesome as it is, Judas’ dead body hung in the hot sun of Jerusalem, and the bacteria inside his body would have been actively breaking down tissues and cells. A byproduct of bacterial metabolism is often gas. The pressure created by the gas forces fluid out of the cells and tissues and into the body cavities. The body becomes bloated as a result. In addition, tissue decomposition occurs compromising the integrity of the skin. Judas’ body was similar to an overinflated balloon: as he hit the ground (due to the branch he hung on or the rope itself breaking), the skin easily broke, and he burst open with his internal organs spilling out.
There is no contradiction surrounding Judas’ death but rather two descriptions given by two different authors of the same event.”
The Choosing Of Replacements (Acts 1:21-25)
21 "Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us —
22 beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us — one of these must become a witness [3144- “a witness, a martyr”; Acts 1:8] with us of His resurrection." [Notice that it’s not a newcomer, but someone who had been there from the beginning. See the note for Acts 1:6-8 in regards to being a witness.]
(The following insight is from the Bible study Queen Vashti’s Rebellion; God’s Replacement Theology from the book of Esther.)
Refusing the king’s command to draw near (Esther 1:1-12)
The king commanded the seven eunuchs who served in his presence to deliver his message to Queen Vashti to come before him, “in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful.” She refused to come at his command to enter his presence. The king became very angry and his wrath burned within him (see the Bible study The Return Of Jesus Christ). It was decreed that her “royal position” before the king be given to another who was “more worthy” than her (v.19). Something similar is happening today within the church. Apostate hearts are being revealed.
This is the moment when the search for Queen Vashti’s replacement began. Esther would be God’s choice.
Casting Lots (Acts 1:26)
Lots – [2819]
NT:2819 kleros (klay'-ros)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
probably from NT:2806 (through the idea of using bits of wood, etc., for the purpose); a die (for drawing chances); by implication a portion (as if so secured); by extension an acquisition (especially a patrimony, figuratively); KJV - heritage, inheritance, lot, part.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
a lot
1. an object used in casting or drawing lots, which was either a pebble, or a potsherd, or a bit of wood
2. what is obtained by lot, allotted portion (Acts 1:17,25)
(Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
kleros [NT:2819] – denotes (a) an object used in casting or drawing lots, which consisted of bits, or small tablets, of wood or stone (the probable derivation is from klao, "to break"); these were sometimes inscribed with the names of persons, and were put into a receptacle or a garment ("a lap," Proverbs 16:33), from which they were cast, after being shaken together; he whose "lot" first fell out was the one chosen. [So from the shaking of “many” came the “chosen” one. The shaking of the Lord that has already begun in the church, exposing the chaff among the present leadership, will reveal those who are chosen by the Lord, and those who are not. Like Matthias, the chosen ones that will replace the hirelings in our midst will be the “gift of God” to His body of brethren.] The method was employed in a variety of circumstances, e. g., of dividing or assigning property, Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24 (cf., e. g., Numbers 26:55); of appointing to office, Acts 1:26 (cf, e. g., 1 Samuel 10:20); for other occurrences in the OT, see, e. g., Joshua 7:14 (the earliest instance in Scripture), Lev. 16:7-10; Esther 3:7; 9:24; (b) "what is obtained by lot, an allotted portion," e. g., of the ministry allotted to the apostles, Acts 1:17, RV, "portion," marg., "lot" (KJV, "part"); in some mss. v. 25, KJV, "part" (the RV follows those which have topos, "place"); Acts 8:21; it is also used like kleronomia, "an inheritance," in Acts 26:18, of what God has in grace assigned to the sanctified; so Colossians 1:12; in 1 Peter 5:3 it is used of those the spiritual care of, and charge over, whom is assigned to elders, RV, "the charge allotted to you" (plural, lit., "the charges"), KJV, "(God's) heritage." From kleros the word "clergy" is derived (a transposition in the application of the term). See CHARGE, No. 4.
“In the Bible, casting lots was a method of making decisions or determining outcomes by randomly selecting an object. The outcome was considered to be guided by divine providence or fate.”
How it worked
People used objects like stones, sticks, or marked tokens as lots
The objects were placed in a container and shaken to select one
The result was interpreted as a divine answer to a question or situation
Why it was used
People believed that God influenced the outcome of the lot
The practice was used to make practical decisions, not to gamble
The practice was used to determine God's will in a particular matter
Examples in the Bible
In the book of Acts, Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot by lot
In the book of Jonah, the crew of a ship cast lots to determine who was responsible for a storm
Similar practices today
The modern word “lottery” is based on casting lots
Flipping a coin, drawing straws, or rolling dice are similar to casting lots
“What was the practice of casting lots?”
The practice of casting lots is mentioned seventy times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament. In spite of the many references to casting lots in the Old Testament, nothing is known about the actual lots themselves. They could have been sticks of various lengths, flat stones like coins, or some kind of dice; but their exact nature is unknown. The closest modern practice to casting lots is likely flipping a coin.
The practice of casting lots occurs most often in connection with the division of the land under Joshua (Joshua chapters 14-21), a procedure that God instructed the Israelites on several times in the book of Numbers (Numbers 26:55; 33:54; 34:13; 36:2). God allowed the Israelites to cast lots in order to determine His will for a given situation (Joshua 18:6-10; 1 Chronicles 24:5,31). Various offices and functions in the temple were also determined by lot (1 Chronicles 24:5, 31; 25:8-9; 26:13-14). The sailors on Jonah’s ship (Jonah 1:7) also cast lots to determine who had brought God’s wrath upon their ship. The eleven apostles cast lots to determine who would replace Judas (Acts 1:26). Casting lots eventually became a game people played and made wagers on. This is seen in the Roman soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ garments (Matthew 27:35).
The last time we see lots being cast in Scripture is prior to the writing of the New Testament and before the day of Pentecost. Now that we have the completed Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us, there is probably no reason to be casting lots to make decisions. The New Testament nowhere instructs Christians to use a method similar to casting lots. The Word, the Spirit, and prayer should be sufficient for discerning God’s will today—not casting lots, rolling dice, or flipping a coin.
(This insight from Proverbs regarding “lots” is from the Bible study The Prescribed Way.)
Proverbs 16:33 – The will of God for you, represented by the lot or the casting of lots in the Bible, will be placed in your lap by God, so to speak. It is divinely chosen by Him. (“Falls into your lap” is an expression that means “to be received unexpectedly or without effort.”) We then have the choice to reject His will for us (our fate, destiny or lot in Him), the “good works” in Christ Jesus we were created for (Ephesians 2:10), or to accept it. Even if accepted, we can then do it our own way, in our own strength as pictured in 1 Chronicles 13, or in the strength of the Lord per His “prescribed way” (1 Chronicles 15:13), allowing Him, through our submission, to carry it out for us, through us, and therefore for His glory instead of ours.
33 The lot [1486 – “fate or destiny”; more below] is cast into the lap, but its every decision [4941- “a verdict, judgment, justice, ordinance”] is from the Lord.
NASU
Proverbs 16:33
33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
KJV
OT:1486 gowral (go-rawl'); or (shortened) goral (go-ral')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from an unused root meaning to be rough (as stone); properly, a pebble, i.e. a lot (small stones being used for that purpose); figuratively, a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot):
KJV - lot.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
1) a lot; a lot, pebbles used for systematically making decisions
2) a portion
a) a lot, a portion (thing assigned by casting lots)
b) recompense, retribution
[OT:1486] – Goral represents the “lot” which was cast to discover the will of God in a given situation… In an extended use the word goral represents the idea “fate” or “destiny”: “And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.” (Isaiah 17:14) Since God is viewed as controlling all things absolutely, the result of the casting of the “lot” is divinely controlled: “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:33) Thus, providence (divine control of history) is frequently figured as one's “lot.”
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
goral [OT:1486] – “lot”; This word is attested 77 times and in all periods of the language (if a traditional view of the formation of the canon is accepted).
Goral represents the “lot” which was cast to discover the will of God in a given situation: “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.” (Lev. 16:8) – the first occurrence. Exactly what casting the “lot” involved is not known.
Since the land of Palestine was allocated among the tribes by the casting of the “lot,” these allotments came to be known as their lots: “This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom...” (Joshua 15:1)
In an extended use the word goral represents the idea “fate” or “destiny”: “And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.” (Isaiah 17:14). Since God is viewed as controlling all things absolutely, the result of the casting of the “lot” is divinely controlled: “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:33). Thus, providence (divine control of history) is frequently figured as one's “lot.”
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
After Acts 1:26, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, casting lots [2819] is never mentioned again, by name, in the New Testament. The Greek word for it, though, is mentioned afterwards in four other New Testament verses which I’ve placed below. The only other place casting lots is specifically named is within all four gospels, during the crucifixion of Christ;
“Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots [2819] for it, to decide whose it shall be’; this was to fulfill the Scripture: ‘THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS.’”
[Psalm 22:18; for more insights into who these two garments represent on the body of Christ, see the Bible study The Inner Tunic and The Outer Garment.]
(John 19:23-24/NASU)
The other [2819] verses in the New Testament;
Acts 8:20-21 – After believing the message of the gospel through the preaching of Philip in Samaria, a man by the name of Simon (the sorcerer) believed and was baptized. When He saw the Holy Spirit falling on people through the laying of hands by Peter and John who came there afterwards, he offered them money, saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:18/NASU) Following is Peter’s response;
20 But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! [Which was Judas’ issue!]
21 "You have no part [3310- “an assigned part, portion, share”] or portion [2819- see def. in Acts 1:15-26 above] in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
NASU
On a side note, while washing the disciple’s feet in the upper room, Peter said;
“‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you shall never wash [3538- “to cleanse”] my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash [3538] you, you have no part [3313; see def. below] with me.’”
(John 13:6-8/NIV)
The definition of the Greek for “part” is “a division or share, a part due or assigned to one, lot, destiny.” Jesus said that if He does not “wash” (“cleanse”) us, we will have no “lot” in Him.
In John’s Revelation, the Lord gives a very solemn warning to all of us who would speak for Him. He says;
“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away [851- see def. in note right below] from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away [851] his part [3313] from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
(Revelation 22:18-19/NASU)
The definition of the Greek for “take away” is “to take from, take away, remove, carry off, cut off.” The Lord appears to be saying that if we “cut off” any of His words of the prophecy in Revelation, that He will then “cut off” them from Him (Romans 11:17-25).
Acts 26:15-18 – In Paul’s Damascus experience, where he was literally knocked off his “high horse” by the Lord whom he saw in a vision, the Greek for “inheritance” is our Greek [2819] word.
15 "And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
16 'But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;
17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance [2819] among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'
NASU
Colossians 1:9-12 – In Paul’s rather long sentence, at least in English, our Greek word [2819] is again interpreted into English as “inheritance.”
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance [2819] of the saints in Light.
NASU
1 Peter 5:1-4 – In this passage from Peter, our Greek word [2819] is interpreted as “those allotted to your charge.” The KJV interprets verse 3 as, “Neither as being lords over God's heritage [2819], but being ensamples to the flock.”
1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge [2819], but proving to be examples to the flock.
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
NASU
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