LITTLE NOTES: IS BETTING A SIN ?

We have all heard about betting as a form of gambling , some of us even use it to make some quick cash. While betting can be rewarding if you're lucky , for most people it can turn into a life long addiction, if not handled properly. Problem betting is harmful to psychological and physical health. People who live with this addiction may experience depression, migraine, distress, intestinal disorders, and other anxiety-related problems. As with other addictions, the consequences of betting can lead to feelings of despondency and helplessness. But hey , don't listen to me, what does the bible say about betting?

I recently came across this verse in the bible, that talks about the gods of luck and fate ,

"Isaiah 65:11 (ERV)
[11]“But you people left the Lord, so you will be punished. You forgot about my holy mountain. You began to worship Luck( babylonian god ,Gad ) . You held feasts for the false god, Fate ( babylonian god , Meni) ."
I was like god of luck and fate ? , these sound like gambling gods ! And it seems like Jehovah God really doesn't want us associating ourselves with these gods .. but why ... what's wrong with gambling?

So I did some research on how these "gambling gods" , and found out how people would worship these gods.

The ancient Israelite was enticed by all sorts of games as captives in Babylon . Dice were known from ancient times, and games such as "odds or evens" played with pebbles, knucklebones, and bowling were also quite old. Games with nuts, although often played by children, were also a pastime for the gambler.

These betting masters , where often frowned upon in society and looked on as the filth of society because they were bad husbands and misfit members of society . And worse more these people worshipped and offered sacrifices to Gad and Meni... babylonian gods of luck (Gad) and fate (Meni) straying away from Jehovah God , the true God of Heaven. No wonder god was so angry at them.

But the question still remains, how did betting stop them from worshipping the God of heaven?
The fundamental issue is this: When one person wins money, it's because other people lost money. Hoping to win means you are hoping that others will lose. Not just lose a contest or a prize—lose their money so you can win their money!
From all the many disappointed people who lost their money—many of whom are poor and gamble in desperation, clinging to the fantasy of "rags to riches." Betting is never win-win. It is win-lose-lose-lose-lose.

This is contrary to God's great commandment to love your neighbor. After all, "Love does no harm to a neighbor" (Romans 13:10). We're also instructed, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). God wants us to have true empathy for others! In betting, you feel like rejoicing only when others feel like weeping, and vice versa. We're told, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others" (Philippians 2:4). You'll be helping other people and helping society when you don't support the betting industry.

But some of you say ..we only bet small amounts like 5 kwacha .... imagine the amount of money all the small 5 kwachas you have used all year could amount to... that's amounting to aproximately k 1 , 800.. it doesn't sound like much until you realise that after betting such an amount your reward is around k 200, which means you are actually making a loss than a profit and setting yourself up for a betting addiction.

John 8:34
Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."

Just look at the statistics. A large percentage of betting engagers are already addicted. Many would not admit it, because they are in denial. A person who bets may admit to having "a few problems" with it—like spending too much money, getting deeper into debt and spending too much time away from family—but it may take a major crisis ("hitting bottom") before he or she admits to being a problem bet-er, a compulsive betting engage or an addicted betting engager—enslaved to gambling.

How does gambling relate to the Tenth Commandment against coveting?

Exodus 20:17
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

Covet means desire, but it implies a wrong kind of desire, like greed. When you gamble, you are coveting your "neighbor's" money. You are not earning the money or offering goods or services in exchange for his (or her) money. You want his money while offering nothing in return. Therefore, your desire for his money is coveting.

And Paul said that covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5; see also Ephesians 5:5). Why? Because it is a desire that is stronger than your desire to love God and put Him first in your life.

In conclusion, there's more than what meets the eye when it comes to betting, it's more than a harmless game that helps you make a few kwachas , Infact there's a reason why players are called " lucky winners" its because everytime you bet you are unknowingly paying homage to Gad , the god of luck . And because betting directly breaks the commandment number 10 , BETTING IS DEFINITELY A SIN... and no well meaning Christian would willingly engage in it !