Mark 15:24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take.

What do the Roman soldiers do at the place Golgotha after Jesus refuses wine mixed with myrrh?

“And they crucified Him . . .” (Mark 15:24).

What do they do with Jesus’ garments?

“…and divided up His garments among themselves…” (Mark 15:24).

How do they decide what each man should take of Jesus’ garments?

“…casting lots for them to decide what each man should take” (Mark 15:24).

What does David prophesy concerning the Messiah’s garments in Psalm 22:18?

“They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:18).

Explanation of Lots by John A. Beck:

“LOTS (TO CAST)  Important decisions call for divine input. Today that means we add prayer and the counsel of godly friends to the process of rationally weighing our options. The Bible mentions a device called the lot that was often used to solicit God’s direction regarding an important decision: ‘The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD' (Prov. 16:33).

When we combine the biblical description of this mechanism with the archaeological evidence, it appears that the word lot refers to a category of devices that could take a variety of forms and could be manipulated in a variety of ways. The lots always consisted of more than one piece. Some lots, like Urim and Thummim, consisted of two pieces—one designed to give a yes answer and another to provide a no answer (Exod. 28:30; Lev 8:8). The Bible also speaks of the casting of lots where up to seven pieces appeared sequentially one after the other (Josh 18:11; 19:1, 10, 17, 24, 32, 40). Archaeologists have discovered a variety of physical items that they have identified as ancient lots. These include pebbles, pieces of wood and bone, as well as potsherds on which there is writing. These devices produced an answer to a question that was posted just before they were manipulated. That manipulation is variously described as causing to fall, coming out, throwing, going up, pulling out, and sending.

With the evidence we have, it appears that lots delivered their message in one of three ways, in each case a particular person, group, or option was assigned to an individual lot or portion of a lot. (1) Without looking, an individual extracted one of the lots from a pouch to determine the will of God. (2) If the lots was multisided die with identifying inscriptions on each side, the die was thrown and divine will was determined by which side of the die was up. (3) Multiple pieces of the lot could be placed into a bowl or vase that was vigorously shaken up and down and side to side until one of the components fell out.

The Bible speaks of lots being cast to make decisions in a wide variety of settings. In three cases, the casting of the lot was performed by pagans. (1) The sailors on Jonah’s escape vessel attempted to determine who was responsible for their plight (Jonah 1:7). (2) Ill-intentioned Haman selected a day for the extermination of the Jews in the Persian Empire (Esther 3:7; 9:24). (3) The Roman soldiers at the foot of Jesus’s cross heaped yet another indignity on him by casting lots to determine which of them would get his clothing (Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24; see also Ps. 22:18).

But more often than not, the Bible speaks of God’s people casting lots to determine his will. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest cast lots to determine which goat would die as a sin offering and which would be driven into the wilderness (Lev 16:8-10). The lot was also used to determine where individuals lived, which clergy would be given the privilege of serving in the temple, and who would be a leader in the early church (Neh. 11:1; Luke 1:9; Acts 1:26). “Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart” (Prov. 18:18).

One particular topic is intimately connected with the casting of lots; the division of the Promised Land among the Israelite tribes. Either because the distribution of the land was such an important part of God’s plan or because the process of fairly distributing the land proved to be contentious, or both, the Lord carefully laid out the manner in which this was to be done long before the actual distribution took place. First, a census was taken to determine the relative size of each tribe, and then the land was surveyed to determine the relative value and productivity of the various parcels. But in each case, we are reminded that the process for actual land distribution was not just directed by such pragmatics as tribal size and land quality; it also employed the casting of lots to determine which particular tribe received which parcel of land (Num. 26:55-56; Josh. 18:4-6). Then as the reality of distribution drew closer and during its execution, the casting of the lot rings like a refrain throughout the verses that describe the land distribution (Num. 33:54; 34:13; 36:2-3; Josh. 14:2; 16:1; 18:6, 8, 10-11; 19:1, 10, 17, 24, 32, 40, 51; 21:4-6, 8, 10).

The literal casting of the lots is joined by other instances in which the biblical authors employ the casting of lots as a figure of speech. For instance, the parcel of land received by the casting of a lot was referred to as the ‘lot’ or, better, ‘allotment’ of that tribe (Josh. 15:1; 17:1, 14, 17). The other metaphorical use leans on the connection between the casting of lots and future events. It is a short step for the lot to become the figurative equivalent of one’s destiny. ‘LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure” (Ps. 16:5 TNIV; see also Prov. 1:14; Isa. 17:14; 57:6; Jer. 13:25).”

John A. Beck, The Baker Illustrated Guide to Everyday Life in Bible Times, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2013), 159-161.

Father,

Your throne is in heaven and Your sovereignty rules over all. You are the God of all the nations, and You are unthwartable. The mind of man plans his way, but You direct his steps. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.