The Lottery: A Biblical Perspective

The purpose of these articles is not to debate purely political issues. That is for politicians not churches. However, moral issues are indeed within the proper domain of the church. The God of the Bible is the Lawgiver and the Judge of all the earth. His Word prescribes the moral absolutes by which individuals and societies are obligated to regulate themselves. Therefore in this article we will address the highly debated matter of a state sponsored lottery.

First, it will be helpful to have before us a clear statement from God as to the role of civil authority in the world. This statement is found in the 13th chapter of Romans:

1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

2. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

4. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

5. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.

6. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.

7. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

This statement makes us understand something of what government is to be about according to God's plan for the nations. Government is to reward those who do good and to punish those who do evil, even with the sword when necessary. One obvious implication of this is that government is charged with the protection of it citizens from those who cause evil. The collection of revenue,taxes, is predicated on government doing these things.

Allow an illustration as to the character of the lottery. Jim is a fifteen year old who is at best an average student. If he works really hard he may be able to make high "Cs". That is simply who he is. Jim's neighbor, knowing Jim and being quite shrewd, strikes a deal with Jim. If Jim will mow his yard for the next two years for nothing and if Jim will make straight "As" for the next four semesters, the neighbor will give Jim a brand new Corvette. Jim is overwhelmed with the prospect—a new Corvette. He will be the envy of the school. All he has to do is mow his neighbor's two acre yard for two years and make straight "As". But there is a big problem: there is no possibility that Jim could make straight As, even if he had a personal tutor for every subject. This deal is a clever way for the neighbor to have his lawn mown for nothing when Jim might be working for real pay. When Jim's Dad learns of the deal he intervenes to end it. On which account Jim becomes deeply upset. All he can think about is that new Corvette.

The state supported lottery is that neighbor taking advantage of the naive and the vulnerable in order to gain illegitimate resources and to escape fiscal self-control and responsibility. By a lottery the state promises easy wealth in exchange for a portion of the hard gained wages of those who can least afford to part with their money. The lottery seduces people to fantasies about sudden wealth of unneeded proportions. It encourages waste instead of thrift and laziness instead of industrious labor. It panders to greed instead of fostering responsible stewardship. It is a cruel and deceptive trick.

Worst of all it gives rise to the delusion that excessive amounts of money will resolve a person's greatest needs. Every person's deepest need is spiritual. Every person needs most of all to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ. If a person is right with God and thus committed to the responsible behavior which God requires, God as a loving Father will supply all of that person's needs. If anyone lives in the dream world of suddenly gaining mammoth amounts of money and thereby being freed from all difficulty, they may well waste the opportunities they have to seek that heavenly treasure without which no one can live well or die well.

A lottery is a bad device no matter who sponsors it. It is particularly bad if it is sponsored by the government, whose duty it is to protect it citizens from evil and not to prey upon their vices.