The lottery is a gambling game where participants pay a small amount of money for the chance to win a large sum of money. The games are usually run by state governments and are regulated. Some people consider them to be a harmless form of gambling, but they have been criticized for fostering addiction and regressive taxation. In addition, lottery winners are often worse off after winning the prize than before.

In the 17th century it was common in Europe to organize lotteries to raise money for a variety of public purposes. The lottery was also popular in colonial America and helped finance a wide range of public projects, including paving streets, building wharves, and constructing colleges and libraries. In fact, Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to fund cannons for defense of Philadelphia during the Revolution. George Washington sponsored a lottery to build a road across the Blue Ridge Mountains and several public colleges were established by private lotteries, including Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia, and William and Mary.

The events in this story show how easily human beings can fall into temptation. In this case, the temptation was the promise of riches based on a random drawing. In the end, however, the family members were no better off than before, and Jackson’s point is that the lottery is simply an exercise in covetousness (Exodus 20:17; 1 Timothy 6:10). It is important for us to remember that God forbids covetousness and to seek his help in controlling our appetites and desires.