A practice common in the Old Testament, but it became less common in the New Testament before Pentecost. After Pentecost, the Bible does not mention this practice.
Uses of Casting Lots
People used lots for many reasons:
Choosing the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:8–10)
Dividing land among tribes (Numbers 26:55–56; Joshua 14:2; Judges 1:3)
Deciding who should move or go to war (Judges 20:9; Nehemiah 11:1)
Assigning duties to priests (1 Chronicles 24:5–19; Nehemiah 10:34)
Finding out who did something wrong (Joshua 7:14–18; compare Proverbs 18:18)
People used lots for important decisions when wisdom or the Bible did not give enough guidance. Casting lots was fair and unbiased. People believed God directed the lots (Proverbs 16:33).
The Bible does not explain exactly how people cast lots. The method seemed to change based on the situation (Leviticus 16:8; Numbers 26:55–56; Judges 20:9).
God never said casting lots was wrong. Sometimes, he even told people to do it (Leviticus 16:8; Proverbs 18:18; Isaiah 34:17). Proverbs 16:33 says God decides the result of the lot. So, people thought the lot showed God's will.
In the New Testament, soldiers cast lots for Jesus's clothes (Matthew 27:35). The disciples used lots to choose Matthias as a new apostle to replace Judas (Acts 1:26).
After the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the Bible does not mention casting lots anymore. Some experts think the church did not need lots because the Holy Spirit guided their decisions.