Thanks for a thought provoking question, Rod4Truth!

Although I have had similar questions many times myself when reading about the Urim and Thummim, I must confess that I have really never stopped to think about it long enough to really pursue a final answer or long enough to do a thorough Bible study re this issue. Long ago, I remember doing a bible study about the Urim and Thummim and I found some definite blessings in so doing, yet there is always more to be found when reflecting upon the Word of God.

What has become clear to me through my many in depth Bible studies however, is that delegating a question to majority vote is never God's will. Perhaps the following thought will somehow clarify the obvious in that regard: God's People are to be the head and not the tail. We know that. When people feel free and secure enough to be themselves and to pursue the dreams and the visions given them by our Creator, God will lay before each one of them most important tasks to pursue. There are millions upon millions of such tasks to be carried out. Accordingly, the number of different specialties and the number of experts in different subjects are without number. Yet, in most every area that each of us have yet to study and understand, each of us, even the very best amongst us, remain in darkness, dependent largely upon one another, and ruled to a large extent by traditions largely formed by the principle we learn to understand when as children we play the game of whispering. It follows quite obviously, that any popular vote, any majority vote, will in effect be characterized by the Powers of Darkness. How could it be anything but darkness? It cannot. Furthermore, it is a well known fact that the majority is always finding security in acting by habit and by tradition until such a time as some One among God's People has been able to bring before them a better way. Thus, the majority is always tending towards not doing that odd new thing that God Himself has presently made available through only one of His Sons or Daughters. The majority is always tending towards not doing the new odd thing. This is also known as the fear of open fields or agoraphobia. A closely related fear is xenophobia, which is the fear of change or the fear of anything foreign.

In the Bible, most every time that God is sending an angel with a message to a servant of His, the first words of that angel is "Fear not..." God's People are not to be ruled by the fears of the unknown. This is a most important principle. Yet, when delegating most any question to the vote of the majority, to any popular vote, that vote will necessarily be characterized by the above said fear of the heretofore unknown. A good example from the Scriptures is the story of the twelve spies sent into the land of Canaan shortly following the Exodus out of Egypt. As you remember, ten out of those twelve cast their votes in favor of following their fears and in favor of not following the calling of God. This should have taught us not to delegate most anything to the vote of the majority, not even to the majority of any of our beloved Seventh-day Adventist congregations, but, unfortunately, that is not what I am seeing.

Another Scriptural principle, largely hidden to most of us, is the lesson inherent in the sin of Uzzah, 2 Sam 6. None of us can possibly see that which is hidden behind the private walls of another. Yet, all too often we do as Uzzah did and we stretch out our hand, albeit with good intentions, in order to "help" a neighbor upon whom we project our own fears when seeing him or her being too different from that which we have learnt to accept as the norm, or as the common and proper thing to do. This is not as it should be, while yet being, as a rule, the principle upon which the "family laws" of our modern society are being built! In consequence, we see a host of broken families in our midst... and a host of reasonably happy children being kidnapped out of the families of each their own parents while being violently forced into the hands of foster homes that have proven to be, statistically speaking, no better than those homes out of which those dear children are taken. Why? Is it not a natural consequence of each our own delegation of powers to a majority vote? (More at http://tinyurl.com/c8fzov3)

Likewise, even within our beloved Seventh-day Adventist congregations, none of us can ever know that which is hidden behind the facade, behind the alluring faces, of anyone but our self alone. Yet, when we delegate our powers, by majority vote, to any species of nominating committee, we are opting to delegate our powers to a few individuals among us who cannot possibly know what is truly behind the foreheads of anyone of those members of the church from whom they are to select their names. All too often, even within those nominating committees, the decisions are then formed upon a majority vote amongst them. Moreover, even when not, the result will always be based upon the impossibility of seeing anything beyond the boundaries of another. That is, the final result is necessarily based upon principles of darkness. How could it not be? Yes, we pray, and we rely upon the principles of prayer. Yet, are we truly taking the time to listen intently to that still small voice of God? Are we truly taking the time to pursue the answers and principles taught in the Word of our Creator? Do we truly understand the principles inherent in delegating our powers to none but God alone when faced with an otherwise impossible situation? For instance, such as that being forced upon most any nominating committee?

God alone has the powers to control the tiniest details of the Urim and the Thummim. God alone has the powers to see and to know all that which is behind the faces of each and all of us. God directed His People, those whom Peter is calling "a royal priesthood" and those whom Revelation 1:6 is calling "kings and priests unto God", to follow very specific directions and principles. The Urim and the Thummim is certainly part of that. Yet, why do we insist upon delegating our powers to any species of majority vote or to any powers of darkness? Or, How is that not what we are doing when we are casting our votes and our God given powers into the hands any species of majority vote?

May I suggest, that God, the Creator of Life, the One who numbers even the hairs of each our heads, knows also how to direct the hands of any One of His Sons who is being called upon to pull the hidden names from within the breastplate where the Urim and the Thummim is to be found... I am convinced that by so doing God will be able to bring to the forefront many heretofore hidden gifts that will prove to be an immense blessing to each and all of us within each our churches and congregations.

Selah! Consider it!

Happy Sabbath!