Chance in the Bible

[Combanitorics]

1For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

 

[Dino246]

While I recognize the source of the verses in your post, it is best when you provide the reference. I'll leave that to you.

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

 

[Combanitorics]

While I recognize the source of the verses in your post, it is best when you provide the reference. I'll leave that to you.

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Oh, sorry. I posted that there, it goes with a post I put in poetry. Then I couldn't find the post I'd put in poetry and ended up putting it here. I'm just interested in what the Bible says about chance.

 

[Dino246]

You might also take a look at Acts 1:12-26.

 

[Lafftur]

Oh, sorry. I posted that there, it goes with a post I put in poetry. Then I couldn't find the post I'd put in poetry and ended up putting it here. I'm just interested in what the Bible says about chance.

Hello,

Well, we know it’s not by “chance” that a person dies….death is inevitable until Christ returns.

Everything that happens in the physical realm is what has already happened in the spiritual realm and what happens in the spiritual realm is only what God in the heavenly realm has allowed.

So….”chance”……No, nothing is by “chance.”

Everything that happens is determined by God’s thoughts, words and actions.

God has all His “policy and procedures” in place regarding every one of our thoughts, words and actions which involves our free will decisions.

 

[Lafftur]

Perhaps this is the scripture in Ecclesiastics that prompted your question…


I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Ecclesiastes 9:11-12&version=KJV

 

[Combanitorics]

That is, it's the verse I was thinking of.

 

[Nehemiah6]

I'm just interested in what the Bible says about chance.

In the King James Bible the word "chance" occurs six times. The Hebrew word pega in Ecclesiastes 9:11 means a happening or occurrence or chance, which would mean "happenstance". So things do happen by chance, and the Law of Probability is a natural law. "A key idea in probability theory is that of a random variable, which is a variable whose value is a numerical outcome of a random phenomenon, and its distribution."

 

[Combanitorics]

I wonder what chance is, in this context. I've read some very tedious math professor's essays on it. and the sober sounding ones all essentially agree that every random chance is a manmade circumstantial outcome. (Humans create dice and stacks of cards). Do you think that chance means something else in the context of the Bible?

 

[p_rehbein]

Do you think that chance means something else in the context of the Bible?

KJV Dictionary Definition: chance
chance
CHANCE, n.
1. An event that happens, falls out or takes place, without being contrived, intended, expected or foreseen; the effect of an unknown cause, or the unusual or unexpected effect of a known cause; accident; casualty; fortuitous event; as, time and chance happen to all.

By chance a priest came down that way. Luke 10.
2. Fortune; what fortune may bing; as, they must take their chance.
3. An event, good or evil; success or misfortune; luck.
4. Possibility of an occurrence; opportunity.

You ladyship may have a chance to escape this address.

CHANCE, v.i. To happen; to fall out; to come or arrive without design, or expectation.
If a birds nest chance to be before thee. Deut. 22.

Ah Casca, tell us what hath chanced to day.

CHANCE, a. Happening by chance; casual; as a chance comer.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Humans create dice and stacks of cards)

Let's take the example of dice. A die has six faces with 1-6 stamped on them. What is the chance that you will get a "2" on your first throw? 1 out of 6 or 0.166. The more you increase your throws the more is the probability that it will become 1 out of 2. But it will still be a random result. Can you control the outcome? No. Can the ones who created the die control the outcome? No. So it is pure chance that you will end up with a "2".

 

[Combanitorics]

Let's take the example of dice. A die has six faces with 1-6 stamped on them. What is the chance that you will get a "2" on your first throw? 1 out of 6 or 0.166. The more you increase your throws the more is the probability that it will become 1 out of 2. But it will still be a random result. Can you control the outcome? No. Can the ones who created the die control the outcome? No. So it is pure chance that you will end up with a "2".

True. There's this company called NASCO, they sell many varied items for schools. You should see some of the dice sets they have. I'm thinking of ordering a set of clear hollow dice from them containing three smaller interior dice each. Now can you do the probabilities and the math on all of that?

 

[Combanitorics]

KJV Dictionary Definition: chance
chance
CHANCE, n.
1. An event that happens, falls out or takes place, without being contrived, intended, expected or foreseen; the effect of an unknown cause, or the unusual or unexpected effect of a known cause; accident; casualty; fortuitous event; as, time and chance happen to all.

By chance a priest came down that way. Luke 10.
2. Fortune; what fortune may bing; as, they must take their chance.
3. An event, good or evil; success or misfortune; luck.
4. Possibility of an occurrence; opportunity.

You ladyship may have a chance to escape this address.

CHANCE, v.i. To happen; to fall out; to come or arrive without design, or expectation.
If a birds nest chance to be before thee. Deut. 22.

Ah Casca, tell us what hath chanced to day.

CHANCE, a. Happening by chance; casual; as a chance comer.

Without explanation? That doesn't mean the same thing as random. At least in the world of math, truly random chance is completely determined by gravity. Dice run on gravity.